If there's one thing Alaska's congressional delegation can agree on, it's a distrust of the Endangered Species Act and a belief it could ruin the state's economy.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Democrat Sen. Mark Begich and Republican Rep. Don Young met Friday to express their concerns with Jane Lubchenco, the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency is in the midst of determining whether to designate more than 3,000 square miles of Cook Inlet as critical habitat for beluga whales.
A spokeswoman for the agency called the meeting productive, but wouldn't elaborate on the delegation's concerns. Lubchenco declined to be interviewed after the meeting.