{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=bacab799-5bf9-40a2-b7e7-929a4b63340c", "Murkowski Critical of Texas-Sized Ring Seal Designation", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.02.14\n\t\t\t Murkowski Critical of \u201cTexas-Sized\u201d Ring Seal Designation \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senator Sees Announcement Placing Awareness Above Scientific Data\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Lisa Murkowski expressed strong concerns over the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s (NOAA) proposed rule to designate approximately 350,000 square miles as critical habitat for ringed seals. The massive area (pictured below) would extend from Cape Avinof in Northwest Alaska to the Canadian border, covering the entire North Slope coastline. NOAA\u2019s justification admits several non-scientific reasons motivated its decision, such as \u201cenhanced public awareness\u201d and that the proposed designation \u201cmay help focus and contribute to conservation efforts.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cThis is an unprecedented attempt to place restrictions on a larger than Texas-sized area of water surrounding our state. I remain skeptical that the listing of ringed seals based on a 100 year weather projection was justified, and I am concerned that this designation would severely impact any economic development from Northwest all the way to our border with Canada.\u201d\r\nNOAA acknowledges that the proposed designation would likely result in restrictions on oil and gas activities, marine transportation, port development and commercial fishing.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t  \n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=bacab799-5bf9-40a2-b7e7-929a4b63340c"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9052078239619732, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}