Klukwan, Inc., a native corporation based near Haines, Alaska received a permit from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to spray pesticides by helicopter on Long Island, near Prince of Wales Island in southern Southeast Alaska.

Click here to read about victory for traditional uses, clean water and wildlife! 

The corporation wants to kill red alder and salmonberry in a previously clearcut area supposedly so the spruce will be ready for harvest 10 years earlier. However, alders add nitrogen, a nutrient plants need to grow, to the soil and may even help spruce to grow faster and healthier. Alder also has commercial value as high-quality flooring, furniture, and other wood products.

SEACC and 28 other groups and individuals (6 tribal councils, 8 conservation groups, 6 commercial fishing organizations and businesses, 7 doctors and subsistence users, and the city of Hydaburg) appealed this permit.

Local residents use the area for subsistence fishing, berry-picking, and food gathering, as well as recreation. They were concerned about the effects the pesticides would have on human health and on fish populations.

This is the first time aerial spraying would be allowed under new state regulations, so this issue affects all of Alaska.