Barack Obama's presidency may usher in new opportunities for Alaska which will fundamentally change our future.

The public transition leading to President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration next month has focused so far on national security and economic issues. But below the surface, busy lobbying is under way over future environmental agendas and political jobs affecting Alaska. Key appointments are expected this week.

After eight years in exile during near-total Republican control of Alaska policies, local environmentalists were in Washington, D.C., last week hoping to help set the new Democratic administration's agenda.

Alaska Native leaders will join tribal leaders from around the country Tuesday in Washington. Among the top transition officials they'll be seeing: a Native law expert who once worked in Anchorage and represented subsistence advocate Katie John of Mentasta Lake.

One result of the transition could be less federal attention to priorities pushed by the state government, which is sometimes at odds with those environmental and Native groups. The change of focus could be even more pronounced than usual in a presidential election year, given the Democrats' stronger grip on Congress and the absence of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens' intimidating presence.

A coalition of 29 national environmental groups has drawn up a 391-page set of recommendations that place Alaska issues as a top priority for the new administration. The "Transition to Green" report calls for a comprehensive Arctic conservation and energy plan as one of its three primary interdepartmental goals.

Specifically, the groups want to cancel or postpone offshore oil lease sales scheduled for the Arctic, toughen permitting for leases already sold, and provide permanent protection for the Teshekpuk Lake region in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska. They want the new administration to protect habitat for polar bears and to support extending wilderness protection to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where state officials want to drill for oil.

I have said this before but I feel it bears repeating.

Alaskans are in for a very difficult transition. Alaska has been supported almost entirely by oil money and government subsidies for decades. Now with the oil companies starting to suffer financially, and with Ted "The king of pork" Stevens no longer serving as Alaska's candy man, Alaska is going to have to start fending for itself.

For some Alaskans this may look like a dire situation indeed, and it will definitely result in some creative cost cutting in our immediate future, but for others this is the opportunity they have been waiting for.

Alaska has incredible potential for providing alternative energy sources to satisfy our own needs as well as to help meet the energy needs of the lower 48. Whether it be wind power, geothermal, hydrartes, or the much touted gas pipeline, Alaska has an almost unlimited number of potential power sources. (I have to again make the point that I have very little confidence in the AGIA deal coming to fruition, but I still believe the gas pipeline is a workable project in the right hands.)

Alaska's future looks very bright indeed with Barack Obama as our President, and Mark Begich as our new Democratic Senator. I really believe that Lisa Murkowski will not hinder any progress, as she always seemed somewhat sheeplike and will certainly sign on to whatever idea Begich and the Democrats come up with.

Which leaves as the only deterrent to our future of an oil free economy resting on the grizzled visage of still Congressman (though I don't know how) Don Young. Essentially for Alaska to embrace this exciting new future it has to shake off the Jurassic thought processes of our oil soaked past and Don Young is the tick on the ass of that idea.

Don Young has crude oil running through his veins (which may explain that greasy mop on top of his head) and he will NEVER be able to stop licking the boots of BP and Exxon long enough to support Alaska's alternative energy potential.

Alaskans need to take a long hard look at the last election and determine whether or not they really chose to keep the Don Young albatross on deck or whether in fact he was thrown overboard and the votes were tampered with instead. We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be held in place by the ancient rusty anchor that is Don Young when our sails are about to be filled by the winds of change.