Palin says she's content with resignation

DILLINGHAM, Alaska, July 7 (UPI) -- Dressed in waders for salmon fishing, Sarah Palin Tuesday said she's happy about her decision to resign later this month as governor of Alaska.

"I'm extremely happy. I know that I know that I know that this is the right thing for Alaska," Palin told ABC News as her family readied their fishing boat on a beach in Dillingham, Alaska.

Palin, who held similar beach interviews with NBC and CNN, said mounting legal bills incurred from fighting political adversaries over ethics charges played a significant role in her decision to resign 18 months before the end of her term.

None of the accusations has been proved but the professional, personal and financial costs of fighting them have been enormous, Palin said, adding she doesn't know what the future holds, but isn't closing any doors.

"I can't predict what the next fish run's gonna look like down on the Nushagak" River, Palin told ABC. "So I certainly can't predict what's gonna happen in the next couple of years."

"I said before I stood in front of the mic the other day, you know, politically speaking -- if I die, I die. So be it," Palin, the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president, said.