President Donald Trump has signed a pair of bills from Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska.
In a Friday ceremony, the president signed House resolutions 219 and 220, relating to hydroelectric projects near Ketchikan and on Kodiak Island.
“I’ve always supported an all-of-the-above energy approach in our state. With reliable energy production comes energy independence which is crucial for Alaska,” Young said in a prepared statement. “We know we have the capabilities to power our communities, particularly in Southeast Alaska, with renewable sources and these bills promote just that. With these bills signed into law, this will help local communities save money on energy costs and efficiently power their everyday lives.”
HR 219 requires the federal government to resurvey the boundaries of the Swan Lake Hydroelectric Project and convey additional land to the state.
HR 220 allows more water to be diverted into the Terror Lake Hydroelectric Project on Kodiak Island. That project is located within the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and supplies most of the electricity to Kodiak.
Young has now had four bills signed into law during the 115th Congress. HR 228, signed into law on Dec. 18, relates to tribal job training programs. House Joint Resolution 69, signed into law on April 3, 2017, repealed hunting restrictions implemented by the Department of the Interior.
Young’s resolution allows predator control on wildlife refuges in Alaska and permits bait for bear hunting, among other things.
• Contact reporter James Brooks at jbrooks@juneauempire.com or 523-2258.
