Obama visits Dillingham today

Alaska Dispatch News is running a live blog to track the president's travels in Western Alaska.

Obama administration doesn't like Young's bill

The Obama administration last week issued a statement indicating Alaska Congressman Don Young's rewrite of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act might not pass muster with the president.

If Obama were presented with Young's legislation (H.R. 1335), "his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill," the statement says.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act is the foremost federal law guiding management of the nation's commercial fisheries.

Young says his legislation would reauthorize and "strengthen" the act.

But the administration statement says in part:

H.R. 1335 would interfere with the tremendous success achieved in rebuilding overfished fisheries by setting rebuilding targets that are not based on sound, credible science, and that unnecessarily extend the time to rebuild fisheries. In making these changes, H.R. 1335 introduces a series of ambiguous provisions that could improperly extend rebuilding periods, delaying the significant economic and environmental benefits of rebuilt fisheries to both fishermen and the Nation as a whole.

Young's bill passed the House Natural Resources Committee on April 30.

Some quick hits

Here are a few notes to get your week started.

• Halibut season opened at noon Saturday, and will remain open until Nov. 7. You longliners be safe out there!

• Speaking of halibut, the International Pacific Halibut Commission is inviting applications for a merit scholarship.

• Kootznoowoo Inc., the Native village corporation for Angoon in Southeast Alaska, is hailing a "compromise" reached with commercial salmon seiners. Here's a press release.

• At the Boston seafood expo, the Obama administration announced a fish-tracking initiative to thwart illegal fishing and fraud. Here are some links to learn more:

White House blog post
State Department press release
AP article

Obama extends Bristol Bay oil and gas leasing ban

Here's the White House press release.

Ready for more marine protected areas?

The White House yesterday issued this fact sheet on a raft of new executive actions on oceans.

We have halibut commissioners!

President Obama has named his picks for the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

They are Robert D. Alverson, James W. Balsiger and Donald R. Lane.

Here's a press release from the White House.

Obama picks new commerce secretary

Bet you've never heard of her.

Here's a Washington Post story with details.

Commerce Department will need new leader

Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank is leaving to become chancellor at the University of Wisconsin.

Here's a statement from President Obama.

You'll recall that Blank became acting secretary after an incident in California involving former Commerce Secretary John Bryson.

The Commerce Department is hugely important to the commercial fishing industry, housing agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Weather Service.

Dear Mr. President

A bunch of U.S. senators, including Alaskans Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski, have sent a letter to President Obama urging emergency funding for fishery disasters declared in 2012 in a number of states.

$9 an hour

President Obama, in his State of the Union address tonight, proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.

The federal minimum wage currently is $7.25 an hour.

The Alaska minimum wage is somewhat higher at $7.75 an hour.

President picks Benton for Arctic commission

President Obama today announced his intent to appoint David Benton, of Juneau, to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.

From the White House press release:

David Benton is currently a self-employed marine resource consultant. From 2004 to 2010, he served as Executive Director of the Marine Conservation Alliance. From 2001 to 2003 and again from 2006 to 2009, Mr. Benton served on the North Pacific Research Board. From 2000 to 2003, he served as the Chair of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Previously, he held a number of positions in the Alaskan government, including serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game from 1994 to 2000. In 1999, Mr. Benton was appointed to be a United States Commissioner on the U.S.-Canada Pacific Salmon Commission. Mr. Benton volunteers as President of the Alaska Lighthouse Association and is involved in restoring Point Retreat Lighthouse on Admiralty Island. Mr. Benton received a B.A. with a double major in Coastal Resources Planning and Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Here's a press release from U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, who recommended Benton to the White House.

Murkowski agrees with Obama on NOAA home

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, believes President Obama's proposal to move the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from the Commerce Department to the Interior Department is a good idea.

Read her thoughts on the matter here.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, of course, is part of NOAA.

Locke addresses post-tsunami seafood safety

Back in April we showed you a letter U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, sent to President Obama urging seafood industry protections in light of Japan's tsunami and nuclear crisis.

Begich has now received a reply from Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, who details some recent federal efforts.

Begich to Obama: Protect our seafood industry

Here's a letter U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, sent today to President Obama requesting certain federal assistance in light of Japan's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.

Obama on jobs, education, Iraq ... and salmon

It's not often, I'm sure, that the word "salmon" finds its way into a State of the Union address. Not to mention a salmon joke!

Here's a choice cut from President Obama's speech tonight:

We shouldn't just give our people a government that's more affordable. We should give them a government that's more competent and efficient. We cannot win the future with a government of the past.

We live and do business in the information age, but the last major reorganization of the government happened in the age of black and white TV. There are twelve different agencies that deal with exports. There are at least five different entities that deal with housing policy. Then there's my favorite example: the Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they're in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them when they're in saltwater. And I hear it gets even more complicated once they're smoked.

Parnell weighs in on 'ocean zoning,' sea lions

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, who is running for a new term, has done a lot of tough talking this year about that darned federal government.

Here's a little more:

Aug. 5, 2010

State Fights Federal Actions that Threaten Alaskan Jobs

ANCHORAGE — The state of Alaska is taking steps to fight two recent federal government actions that threaten Alaska fisheries and jobs.

Ocean Zoning — Marine Spatial Planning

President Obama recently signed an executive order creating a new federal bureaucracy tasked with setting ocean policy and requiring marine spatial planning — that is, ocean zoning — in all U.S. waters.

"The federal bureaucracy is too cumbersome already," Gov. Sean Parnell said. "Creating more councils, committees and approval processes won't accomplish anything in this instance except create delay and greater obstacles to Alaska jobs and Alaska fisheries."

The governor was responding to Executive Order 13547, signed by the president, which creates regional planning bodies to develop marine spatial plans for all coastal waters. Ocean zoning is of great concern to fishermen, boaters and resource developers. The policy could have significant adverse impacts on commercial use and development in the oceans and coastal zone.

"Before statehood, when a distant federal bureaucracy managed our resources, Alaskans experienced devastating economic effects," Gov. Parnell added. "In the midst of an economic downturn, the federal government should be more focused on private-sector job creation, not killing off opportunities for Alaskans."

The governor is also concerned the marine spatial plans would include state waters and potentially even upland areas, raising significant jurisdictional issues.

Steller Sea Lions and Alaska Fisheries

In addition, the National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed closing certain Alaska mackerel and cod fisheries to protect sea lions, despite an overall increase in the Steller sea lion population.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is conducting an evaluation of the federal government's recommended fishery restrictions while pushing for an independent scientific review.

The Department of Law is conducting a legal review of both of the recent federal government actions. Gov. Parnell indicated the state is prepared to litigate to protect Alaskans' livelihoods and fisheries.

No oil and gas leasing for Bristol Bay

Sure enough, the federal government today nixed oil and gas lease sales in Bristol Bay, at least for the next seven years.

Here's a memorandum from the man himself, President Obama, withdrawing the bay from leasing.

"Bristol Bay is a national treasure that we must protect for future generations," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said.

For the national picture on the government's offshore oil and gas leasing plans, check out this press release.

Feds to cancel Bristol Bay oil and gas leasing?

The Obama administration tomorrow might nix planned oil and gas leasing in the federal waters of Bristol Bay, also known as the North Aleutian basin.

The announcement is expected to come as the feds unveil their new national offshore oil and gas leasing plan.

"In a nod to its environmental base, the administration is expected to keep the Pacific coast off limits, as well as new areas of Alaska such as Bristol Bay," says a story the Wall Street Journal posted on its site today.

The government previously had proposed two lease sales in the North Aleutian basin, one next year and another in 2014.

It'll be interested to see whether the government cans one or both.

Oil and gas leasing is, of course, a highly controversial subject in Bristol Bay, which is rich in salmon, groundfish and crab.

A 1986 lease sale in the bay ultimately was reversed in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Potential drillers, such as Shell, regard Bristol Bay as a better bet for natural gas than oil.

Gloucester's sour grapes

Judging from the bluster of this Gloucester Daily Times editorial, you'd think the Obama administration had snubbed the local favorite for some guy from, oh, Alaska to run the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Wanted: perfection

Good fishery managers must be really hard to find.

We know this because the Obama administration, now just 21 days away from finishing its first year in power, still hasn't chosen someone to lead the National Marine Fisheries Service.

The prior administration of George W. Bush was quicker, naming Bill Hogarth as NMFS chief on Sept. 6, 2001, seven and a half months after Bush's inaugural.

We've heard a few names bandied about for the job: Arne Fuglvog, Elliott Norse, Brian Rothschild. You can read about them in prior Deckboss posts.

I also have it on good authority that Jim Balsiger of Juneau, appointed acting NMFS administrator in February 2008 after Hogarth took a university job, wants to stay in the position.

Evidently, none of these candidates is good enough. Or, more likely, not of the right political or ideological stripe.

Anyway, here comes 2010 and who knows, maybe employees in the nation's foremost fishery management agency will soon know who's at the helm for the long haul.