Alaskan says he’ll build consensus in Interior post

Joe Balash is nominated to be an assistant secretary of the Interior Department. (Photo by Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public)
Sen. Dan Sullivan’s chief of staff in Washington said his perspective on resource extraction formed early, and was shaped by his love of salmon during a confirmation hearing Thursday.
Former Alaska Natural Resources commissioner Joe Balash appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
If confirmed by the Senate, Balash would oversee a w