Striking the right balance: House Bill 77

My vision for Alaska includes giving back to Alaskans their voice in public policy decisions. Like the framers of our state constitution, Alaskans today want to be in control of their own destiny.

When drafting the constitutional principle that Alaska’s resources be developed “by making them available for maximum use consistent with the public interest,” the framers were speaking directly to decades of taking of Alaska’s natural resources by outside interests with little return to the territory or citizen’s voice in decisions. Now Alaskans must stand up to our own state government to keep that strong voice.

The Parnell administration has increasingly shut the public, regional, local and tribal governments out of major public and resource development decisions – the laws and regulations that protect our community interests, that gave the people a voice, are being rolled back and new laws are being proposed that will further close the door on Alaskans.

Last year, the governor put forward House Bill 77 that, if passed by the legislature, will further limit the ability of communities and concerned Alaskans to protect local resources and values in the face of major projects such as the proposed Pebble mine and costly development that impact public lands, resources, regions and communities.

House Bill 77 is just the latest effort to silence Alaskans. In 2011, the administration was instrumental in terminating the state coastal program, removing the main body of law that gave local communities a significant role in resource development decisions and that protected our valuable fish and wildlife habitat. More recently, the governor sued two of our most respected citizens who have devoted their lives to making Alaska a better place – Vic Fisher and former first lady Bella Hammond – for their legal challenge of the Pebble mine. Yet lawsuits are a people’s only choice when their government fails to protect their interests and removes their voice in decision making.

Since statehood, community leaders and individual Alaskans helped shape development of our resources in a way that benefited the state economically, while maintaining our natural places and ways of life. Until the past decade governors and lawmakers worked hard to safeguard the resources we all depend on – clean air and water and healthy fish and wildlife habitat, and to ensure that the people benefited from resource extraction. They made sure that Alaskans were an integral part of resource development decisions and that local concerns were heard and addressed.

Like those who came before me, I trust an informed Alaska public to help make decisions that benefit us all, that provide for jobs, economic opportunities and healthy communities. The first questions asked of any development should be how will the public benefit, and how does that benefit weigh against any public harm? My goal is a government for Alaska that listens to communities in the decisions that affect them, that is responsive to local concerns and that works to finds ways to balance state and local needs in a way that benefits all Alaska. Resource development will always be closely tied to job creation and economic growth. That is why we have a responsibility to approach our vast natural resources with respect, and with an eye towards the future.

Alaskans deserve a real conversation about striking the right balance – we shouldn’t destroy one resource to develop another, or trade short-term gain for long term success. Working together, we can responsibly develop our natural resources and grow our economy for generations to come.

Byron Mallott is a Democrat candidate running for Alaska governor.