In a letter today to Democratic Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich expressed strong disapproval of a letter Markey wrote to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Wednesday urging him to put the lives of animals over those of the residents of King Cove, Alaska.

In the letter, Markey asks Salazar to reject the proposal. “I, like you, believe we should respect the judgment of our scientists and leave politics out of this decision,” writes Rep. Markey, the Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee to the Secretary of the Interior.

“We must continue to protect our nation’s most beautiful and precious wilderness. Not construct an unreliable and potentially dangerous road through the heart of it,” said Rep. Markey.

Markey pointed out in the letter to Salazar, that funding was provided so that building a road through the Izembek Refuge would not be necessary, and asked how that $37 million was used. The letter also asked what funding the state of Alaska has provided to address the issue.

The full letter from Markey to Slazar can be read here.(PDF)

Begich wrote in response, “Your letter is typical of those from national Democrats who fail to understand the needs of Americans who live in the West, especially in some of the most remote and extreme parts of our nation such as Alaska. Life is especially challenging in these communities where the nearest hospital is an expensive airplane, boat or snow machine ride away. Yet these Americans deserve the same opportunities for basic health care and public safety as those who live in Boston or elsewhere in our country. While the habitat values of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge are indisputable, the residents of King Cove have taken good care of this area for generations.

In the future, I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the unique challenges facing residents of my state so you can better understand that East Coast values just don’t apply.”

Senator Begich’s letter can be read here. (PDF)