Alaska Politics Blog : Pearce steps down as federal coordinator of gasline

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Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau in 2007, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He's worked for the ADN in Anchorage and Juneau, covered the legislature for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, and covered Washington state politics for the Tacoma News Tribune. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins covers rural affairs, general assignments and politics for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously wrote for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com and also find him on our rural Alaska blog, The Village.

David Hulen

David Hulen, the ADN's state and local news editor, is responsible for political coverage. He has been an editor and reporter at the ADN for more than 20 years. E-mail David at dhulen@adn.com

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Pearce steps down as federal coordinator of gasline

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: November 16, 2009 - 9:14 am

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From Erika Bolstad in Washington D.C. –

The Republican who heads up the federal agency overseeing the construction of Alaska's proposed natural gas pipeline is stepping down.

Drue Pearce, a former Alaska Senate president, was asked by President Barack Obama to step down from the small agency, known as the Office of the Federal Coordinator. Here’s a statement from her:

"It has been an honor to stand up a new federal agency and to serve as the first Federal Coordinator. I am a passionate supporter of the agency’s mission to bring Alaska natural gas to North American markets. I leave an effective and efficient agency with a highly skilled team of professionals actively pursuing our mission. It has been a profound privilege to lead this innovative team," Pearce said

Pearce served from 2001 to 2006 as the senior adviser to the Secretary of the Interior for Alaska Affairs until she was appointed as federal coordinator. There has been an ongoing dispute over whether Pearce, a political appointee, could continue in the job under the Obama Administration.

As the only Democrat in the Alaska Congressional delegation, it'll be up to Sen. Mark Begich to recommend a replacement.