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JUNEAU - Alaska's congressional delegation is seeking the replacement of a Coast Guard helicopter following a recent fatal crash off the Washington state coast. Three Sitka-based Coast Guard members died earlier this month when their helicopter went down near La Push, Wash.

The delegation's written a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, asking that she seek funding to replace the aircraft. It contends a replacement is critical, given the amount of coastline that must be monitored, the Guard's role in emergency efforts and a desire to avoid diverting a helicopter from another location, thus creating a void in another area.