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Spending Bill Includes Young's Yukon Charley Provision

Washington D.C., December 15, 2011

Alaska Congressman Don Young applauded the announcement today that the year-end Appropriations bill will include a provision sought by Rep. Young. The language in the bill specifically forbids the National Parks Service (NPS) from using any funds allocated in this legislation to issue or enforce any regulations related to boating on waters in Alaska’s Yukon-Charley National Preserve.

“This provision is a win for all Alaskans,” said Rep. Young. “After having met multiple times with officials from the National Parks Service, I am still not convinced that they truly understand the severity of their actions over the past couple of years. Alaskans ought to be confident that when they are boating they won’t have a loaded shotgun shoved in their face by some hot-headed law enforcement officer.

 “This language is crucially important because it sends a message to the NPS that until they get their act together and repair their relationships with the Alaskan people, they have no authority in the Yukon Charley Preserve. Alaskans who hunt and fish either recreationally or for subsistence purposes should not fear the law enforcement officials; my hope is that this provision will help make that a reality.”

Some of Rep. Young’s involvement on this issue includes:
  • Rep. Young successfully included a provision in the House-passed version of the Interior Appropriations bill earlier this year in July. The provision is essentially the same as the one that was announced today. To read more about this, click here.
  • At a House Natural Resources oversight hearing in March of this year, Rep. Young questioned National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis regarding the same abuses of power that were displayed the summer before by NPS employees last summer in the Yukon Charley Rivers Preserve. To read more about this hearing, click here. 
  • In November of 2010, Rep. Young requested a meeting with National Park Servive Director Jon Jarvis and Alaska Regional Director Sue Masica to discuss the abuse of power displayed by NPS employees the summer earlier in dealing with boaters in the Yukon Charley Rivers Preserve. To read more about this meeting, click here.

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