Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The monitoring of Trans Boundary rivers flowing from British Columbia into Alaska would receive a boost from funding proposed in Interior Department appropriation measures by Alaska U. S. Senator Lisa Murkowski.
The U. S. Geological Survey would receive $1.5 Million for equipment to monitor water quality in the Taku, Unuk, Alsek and Chilkat Rivers in Southeast Alaska.
Guy Archibald, the staff scientist for the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, complimented Senator Murkowski's leadership on the issue while a guest on Action Line.
He added that the British Columbia government now needs to contribute its share which he said it agreed to in the
Memorandum of Agreement signed with the State of Alaska.
The SEACC official said the state and federal governments and the Indian tribes are doing a lot of work and spending a lot of money assessing the rivers, so its time for B-C to step up to the plate.
The funding requested by Senator Murkowski is pending a vote by the full Senate.