If Ryan Zinke of Montana was a great Secretary of Interior for Alaska, Deb Haaland of New Mexico could be the worst for the state, where oil is the fuel that runs both the state and private sector economies.
Biden’s nominee for Interior has supported the Green New Deal since the beginning, as a backer of the movement to end fossil fuel extraction.
If confirmed, the congresswoman will be in charge of the Biden agenda to keep oil on federal lands in the ground.
“I just feel like our priorities are so messed up right now,” Haaland said in 2018. “We need to protect every single open space that we possibly can,” she told The Guardian newspaper. She evidently appreciated the story the newspaper did on her because she posted it on her official website.
Haaland wants fossil fuel development phased out completely on federal lands. Her home state, however, produces more oil from federal lands than Alaska does, and is the third poorest state in the nation, for income per capita. Her views on oil on public land would be tough on her own people.
Rep. Don Young, a Republican from Alaska, earlier this year praised Haaland as a “consensus builder” and said that at the Department of the Interior she “would pour her passion into the job every single day.” But the confirmation of her doesn’t take place in the House. That’s the job of the Senate, and right now, it’s unclear if the Democrats or Republicans will control the Senate — that decision is up to Georgia voters.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska generally does not comment on nominees before she meets with them and often waits until they’ve gone before committees so she can listen to them.
Both she and Sen. Dan Sullivan will be put into a corner on Haaland’s nomination because, in the Senate, they’ll be on the record, and if she does pass confirmation, a vote against her from Alaska may turn Haagland sour on the 49th State.
“I am wholeheartedly against fracking and drilling on public lands,” she said in 2018. “Public lands are a statement about who we are as Americans The most pristine and beautiful places in our country should never belong to one person.”
Her views on public lands will be considered an attack on resource development for not only oil and gas, but for mining and timber in the West, where the majority of public lands are situated.
But nowhere in America will this nomination matter more than in Alaska, where the federal government owns 62 percent of the land.
You can read more about Haagland at her website at this link.
Will the last one out of Alaska please turn out the lights?
Why don’t we demand immediately that the Feds turnover their 62 percent less the existing national parks and let the state and private sector take it over? This will give our Congressional Delegation something to do (besides partisan politics) for the future of Alaska and its next generations.
Don’t worry SHEEPLE, Joe Biden/Obama will see us through this BS
Time to seriously consider secession. Joe Vogler had the right idea – let the feds have their military sites – just charge them a modest rent to cover for the loss in federal investment. If Haagland does what she says she wants, Alaska is kaput.
Horrific choice. Alaska is screwed.
Without the federal lands production, the state lands may not be able to sustain the oil industry in Alaska.
Our Alaska Native 44 million acres with subsurface rights may have suddenly become more valuable. The mining companies may also decide that Native lands will give the best opportunities, with faster and easier permitting.
I would venture that if Pebble had been on BBNC land, they wouldn’t have fought it.
BAAH,
come on, think,people,think.O&G revenue contributes 39% of NM revenue(2019)the highest of all industry groups in that state.Rubber meets the road with $’s.Transition away from oil?Already happening, will it happen in 4 yrs?Not a snow balls chance in hell.Status quo, with a modest bias towards less leasing, to keep the eco far left somewhat opiated.
Susan you do your readers a great diservice by inflaming and instigating a false narrative.Where is your president on the Russia govt hack and pandemic that has ravaged the country for nearly 1 yr.Leadership,really?
Seems like a very pleasant, upbeat and optimistic person. Not the kind to engage in bitter partisan warfare, or hold whole states economies hostage for political purposes.. not at all.
It’s time to start rejecting the authority of the Federal government.
Of course this all falls under the premise that only oil from the US pollutes and causes climate change. If any other country produces and utilizes oil its OK, only the US pollutes. We have several native corporations that benefit from oil utilization, I wonder how they will feel about it?
I’d rather have Pocohantas in charge.
Native corps got plenty invested in oil in this state. Going to be stabbing her own indigenous folks in the back.
Notice how the Environazis have been rather uncharacteristically quiet about oil wells and mines on Native lands?
If it’s on federal or state lands, they can protest to the high heavens without fear of getting sanctioned.
On Native lands though, they don’t have hardly any protection from getting sued up the yingyang, for economic and cultural damages.
Some of their more notable exploits could also be construed as hate crimes if done on Native lands.
And this is exactly why I voted for Trump both times.
Teepees don’t do well in the high Arctic. Really, the only structures that do well along the oilfield rich Arctic are the incredibly well-engineered oilfield facilities, designed to keep oil pumping and America moving.
Has this woman ever stepped foot into Alaska? Has she ever been off the reservation?
No. But she did run a turquoise stand down in New Mexico.
Bet it was imported from China.
Time to be creating some serious outreach and education for the incoming administration. Such as:
70% of ANCSA Resource Development Revenues are redistributed through ANCSA 7(i) and 7(j). The bulk of this is derived from ASRC to the rest of Alaska Native Corporations – Regional and Village – because of oil and gas revenues.
Lower 48 Tribal Governments own their reservation land and hold jurisdiction within those boundaries; which is greatly different than Alaska, as most everyone knows.
Being an ANCSA shareholder, former executive and board member, I have an overarching understanding of lower 48 Tribes.
But I guarantee you, Lower 48 Tribes do not have an understanding of the ANCSA system or interest in understanding our systems here.
So when we have to go ‘up against’ a lower 48 Tribal appointee like in this potential situation – they have tunneled worldview – coupled with per capita monthly payouts to their tribal members derived from casino revenues.
It’s easy to be an ‘environmentalist’ when you come from a tribal jurisdiction mindset who are plentiful because of the National Tribal Casino revenue – which is over $38 billion annually.
This is an uphill struggle that I think deserves a more statewide and collective Alaskan citizen stakeholder strategy to being learning from each other and implementing side-by-side.
Great comment and good suggestion. This State and ALL of its resident need to get ready to educate the DOI and New BIA appointments. I hope our Congressional Delegation will read Trudy’s commentary and get busy!
Thanks to Obama and the State of California, the Navajo Reservation has lost its coal and coal-fired electricity markets. Their mine and power plants have been closed. Many jobs have been lost. On the New Mexico portion of the Reservation, oil and gas development is helping to offset the tribe’s revenue losses. Likewise, Native Americans in North Dakota are deriving a decent income from their oil and gas resources. Now here comes this urban native woman who appears to be bent on making Indian Country green. It will be interesting to see if she supports tribes and Alaska Native Corporations with their resource development projects or goes green; shutting off oil and gas development to appease the national environmental groups, one of the darlings of the democrats.
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