A Senate measure to extend the Alaska Coastal Management Program six years and create an advisory board to provide local input on proposed mining, oil and gas development, and other projects failed today, June 28, to muster the 21 votes needed to pass in the House.

The final vote was 18-to-18. I was among those who supported it.

There were strong views on both sides of the issue, but, by and large, they were not partisan. Even so, it is a major disappointment to me because Alaska – which has more coastline than all states combined – is now the only coastal state without a coastal management program to coordinate state and federal permits for economic development.

Until today’s House vote, one of the major sticking points seemed to have been resolved.

In May, when the legislature adjourned from the first special session without approving a compromise on coastal management, there was disagreement over how to balance local knowledge with scientific evidence when weighing development in coastal areas. A new term, "aggregate evidence," which embraced both concepts, appeared to have bridged the differences among the various sides.

The conflict over the past two days centered more on how to provide a transition between a program that was shutting down to one that could resume in a year. The governor and many opponents of today’s bill said it would halt or slow down projects because of the lack of experienced staff to handle new permits.

My heart goes out to those who worked hard for the program.

At full capacity, it employed up to 33 positions of which 22 were in Juneau. Most of these people have moved on to other state jobs – some having to take work that pays less than their old ones. It is my understanding that there are still five people whose jobs end on Friday. I am committed to help them find new work.

I also am committed to continue working with the members of the Juneau delegation, Senator Dennis Egan and Representative Beth Kerttula, to find a way to create a new program that respects and accommodates local input and provides prospective developers an easier path to securing state and federal permits for their projects.