Are the waters of Alaska severely polluted? In January, the Alaska Conservation Alliance (ACA) released a grim-sounding report claiming the state's waters are in "deplorable" condition. ACA reports a "multitude of polluted waters, thousands of contaminated sites that exist in every part of Alaska, and major industries that remain unregulated and allowed to wantonly pollute our land and waters."

If that description strikes you as sounding more like New Jersey and less like Alaska, then you have experienced a small taste of the rhetoric of some environmentalist groups, where hyperbole and half-truths have become an art form. Notwithstanding claims to the contrary, we in Alaska are far ahead of other states in maintaining and protecting our water quality.

I serve as Chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee that writes the budget for the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). I am familiar with the resources we commit to protecting our waters. The figures are staggering. Millions of dollars are appropriated by the Legislature and by Congress for work in our state by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fish and Wildlife Service and tribal organizations to classify water bodies, prevent pollution, clean up contaminated sites and provide stewardship over water supplies.

Alaska's economy and quality of life depend on clean water. As a commercial fisherman and an environmental engineer, I take clean water seriously. For the 70,000 Alaskans who make a living in the fishing industry, clean water is not merely a quality of life issue. It is an economic necessity.

A problem I have noticed, however, is the lack of a strategic plan for all of the millions being spent to maintain or improve our water quality. I am calling for the Department of Environmental Conservation to develop an Alaska Water Quality Blueprint. This plan will acknowledge the many sources of water quality monies coming into our state and will outline how we can ensure that tasks are not being duplicated.

Most impairment of water bodies is caused by "non-point" sources. This means pollution from sources that are difficult to isolate, such as soil erosion, runoff from airports and city streets, major construction and highway projects and other human activities. The DEC has classified 58 water bodies in Alaska as "impaired." All but six are listed because of non-point source activities.

While developing last year's budget, I worked with DEC to consolidate non-point source pollution grants into one area of its budget to begin a strategic planning process. These grants are monies provided by the EPA and administered by DEC. They have been a point of contention between DEC and the Legislature since the beginning of the program. The Legislature has questioned whether the state has received a good return on this investment. Many grants have just been passed through to applicants for projects which do not have substantial relevance to a greater, statewide strategy on water quality.

However, there is good news. Several water quality projects that were funded with a $1.7 million appropriation last year are underway. The Anchorage Waterways Council is working with the Municipality of Anchorage on an environmental stewardship project, which includes monitoring and collecting data on water quality in the Anchorage bowl. In the Matanuska-Susitna Borough volunteers are monitoring lakes and groundwater to establish the current condition of those waters. Some of the most successful efforts are the Youth Restoration Corps projects. Last year we funded the Little Susitna Restoration Project to restore the river bank and reduce soil erosion. This hands-on work is being done by young people and promotes environmental stewardship.

Environmental stewardship is not the same as a quarantine. Stewardship is what my parents taught me and what I am teaching my children. It is about the wise use, management, and restoration of our resources - not the isolation of those resources.

For us to manage Alaska's water resources effectively, we need a master plan--an Alaska Water Quality Blueprint. I look forward to working with DEC and interested Alaskans to accomplish this goal.