Anchorage Daily News - 12/16/00

'CARA LITE' GETS THROUGH CONGRESS
$1.6 billion available for land conservation

By Elizabeth Manning, Daily News Reporter

The much reduced version of Sen. Frank Murkowski and Rep. Don Young's conservation lands legislation -- CARA lite, they call it -- passed Friday as part of Congress' final spending bill.

The bill proposed by the two Republican lawmakers provides $1.6 billion a year nationwide for land conservation, wildlife protection and parks programs.

That includes roughly $85 million in additional federal funding for Alaska. Under the original Conservation and Reinvestment Act, Alaska would have received about double that, or $164 million annually.

While not as sweeping as the original legislation, Murkowski applauded the appropriations that make up the compromise "CARA lite."

"Passage of the full CARA bill is still our goal, but providing many of the elements in this year's appropriations bills is a good first step," said Murkowski, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

The original bill ran into opposition because it would have created a 15-year entitlement program; states would have automatically received money each year. Under a compromise cut in October, money will be appropriated year-by-year.

This year the money was folded into two bills. Most of it was passed earlier as part the Interior spending bill. But on Friday, another $400 million was added to the program for fisheries assistance as part of the omnibus spending bill.

Alaska Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Pat Pourchot said it was not clear to him late Friday afternoon exactly how much money Alaska would be receiving or how much of that money would go directly to the state.

Reporter Elizabeth Manning can be reached at emanning@adn.comor at 907 257-4323.

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Anchorage Daily News - 11/24/00

Letter to the Editor

OPEN YOUR EARS, REP. YOUNG

During "Talk of Alaska" on Tuesday, Rep. Don Young showed an appalling lack of respect for many people in Alaska. Young's temper flared when callers dared to voice a different viewpoint, and he repeatedly cut them off with an "eh eh eh eh ehhhh," as though he were admonishing a child.

The specific issues being discussed are not as important to me as how the issues were being discussed. What happened can hardly be considered a dialogue. How can Young represent Alaskans if he cannot listen to them? After interrupting several callers in a row, Young stated, "I listen to everybody, I'll have you know." He would have been more true to himself had he said "I listen to everybody who agrees with me, and I talk over the ignorant voices of those who have a different view."

- Diana K DeFazio

Be informed! Don't allow yourself to be snowed by CARA.