The 2018 midterm elections are a month away. Alyse Galvin was one of several politicians that travelled to Dillingham last week.
In the weeks before the midterms, Alyse Galvin is campaigning in communities around the state. She travelled to Dillingham two days before the public hearing on Ballot Measure 1, which would strengthen permitting for salmon habitat. While Galvin wouldn’t weigh in on the measure, she did speak to regulations in general.
“You know, habitat’s important to everybody," she said. "I think that it’s good that Fish and Game has some regs that are considered to be a good process. They have permitting. But I think they need to be looked at again and again, especially if we’re experiencing things differently.”
An independent running on the Democratic ticket, Galvin is facing Republican Congressman Don Young, who has been in office for more than 40 years. In the wake of President Trump’s tariffs on exports to China, Galvin has criticized Young for not providing an aid package for fishermen to offset any potential impact on the Alaska seafood industry.
“I think we should be talking right now about a package for the fishermen," she said. "Just getting ready for that. I think fishermen are, by and large, still figuring out how much it’s going to impact them. But I tell you what, it’s going to happen, especially if it stays as it is. And so far, it has not changed.”
Galvin has portrayed herself as something of a pragmatic advocate for renewable energy, saying she would address climate change in Alaska as an “opportunity for economic development.” In her view, the state will be reliant on fossil fuels for years. But that can be reduced by diversifying the state’s economy.
“It’s really a huge problem that we haven’t invested in sustainable northern communities," she said. "I think that we need to do that. The threat of climate change to Alaska Native communities is huge. Dozens of villages are threatened right now because of the flooding and erosion. I’ll support funding to find ways for Native communities to safely stay in their communities and continue their cultural traditions. It goes hand-in-hand.”
There are state and federal programs already directed at helping communities adapt to climate change. Galvin said she would work to accelerate funding and implement sustainable housing models in rural communities.
Contact the author at isabelle@kdlg.org or 907-842-5281.
