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USFS signs off on Logjam sale
The U.S. Forest Service has released the record of decision for the Logjam timber sale on Prince of Wales Island.
Prince of Wales Timber Sale Decision Signed [Logjam]
The Supervisor for the Tongass National Forest has signed and released a Record of Decision (ROD) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for [the Logjam] timber sales on the Thorne Bay Ranger District, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. The announcement was made Thursday.
Court OKs dumping gold mine waste in lake
A mining company was given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court on Monday to dump waste from an Alaskan gold mine into a nearby 23-acre lake, although the material will kill all of the lake's fish.
Coeur Alaska wins Supreme Court Case
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Coeur Alaska and the state of Alaska on Monday, meaning tailings mine waste from the Kensington gold mine can be dumped into Lower Slate Lake. It's the first time in 30 years a U.S. mine will be allowed to transform a natural lake into a tailings pond.
State appeals ruling that halted Juneau access project
Gov. Sarah Palin says the state is appealing a judge's ruling to stop all work on building a highway to Juneau.
Bankrupt mine company ordered to clean up acid
Canadian regulators have ordered Redcorp to clean up the acid leaking out of the old 1950s Tulsequah Chief mine.
'Landless' Natives try for redress
Murkowski reintroduces bill to compensate Southeast communities left out of settlement.
Kensington mine battle marked with flurry of new briefs
This week marked another flurry of legal briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court battle over the Kensington gold mine.
Nonprofit forms to dispel local, regional development myths
Juneau banker Tom Sullivan rose at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday and said his daughter had come home from fourth grade telling him she was playing an environmentalist in the school play. Among the facts she had learned along the way: Mining kills fish, clear-cutting destroys streams, and free-floating fishing nets wrap around whales and kill them.
New bill would resolve Sealaska land issue
It's widely acknowledged that Sealaska Corp. is owed some land. "It's time that we resolve the entitlement issue to Sealaska," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who introduced the Senate version of a new bill that settles its four-decade-long land entitlement. Last year's bill has been tweaked to answer concerns. But it is still contentious, and many complain Sealaska has been neither collaborative nor transparent.
Supreme Court Asking for Additional Briefs in Mine Case
The U.S. Supreme Court is requesting supplemental briefs on the Kensington Mine case. The high court yesterday (Monday) asked attorneys for mine owner Coeur Alaska and conservation groups to answer two additional questions on the tailings discharge into Lower Slate Lake. The State of Alaska joined with Coeur in the case.
Supreme Court seeks more details on Southeast Alaska mine tailings case
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked for supplemental briefs in a case that could set a precedent in how mines dispose of tailings, the waste rock left over after metals are extracted. Justices ordered briefs by May 15 in a lawsuit that focuses on the proposed Kensington Mine north of Juneau.
State explores options for Juneau Road
A federal judge handed advocates of the Juneau Road a big defeat in February when he overturned the project's approval, and then a smaller defeat last month when he refused to reconsider that decision.
Delegation Introduces New Version of Sealaska Lands Bill
Alaska’s Congressional Delegation introduced companion bills in the House and Senate Thursday proposing additional land selections in the Tongass National Forest for the Sealaska Regional Native Corporation.
Senators introduce bill for timber retooling grants
PETERSBURG, AK (2009-04-08) Alaska’s senators are hoping to provide grant money for Southeast Alaska timber companies for upgrading equipment or transitioning to other industries. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich introduced legislation last week that could provide up to 40 million dollars for established companies to retool.
Governor Palin Proposes New State Forest
The Palin administration wants to create a new state forest in Southeast Alaska. The goal is dedicate more logging land to support the region’s mills.
Region on track for a greener, cleaner future
The recent sunshine is just one thing for Southeast Alaskans to smile about. In the past few weeks, both the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress have taken bipartisan actions that will boost the Southeast Alaska economy and steer our region toward a greener, cleaner and more sustainable future. By Lindsey Ketchel, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council
Alaskan lake’s fate could echo across continent
Roger William, a soft-spoken former chief of the Tsilhqot’in Nation in Canada, and Tim Bristol, a recreational fishing activist in the United States, have never met. They adhere to divergent cultural customs in different countries on opposite sides of rugged, glacier-sheathed mountains. But they share a common concern about the persistence of clean, untainted water and how it is becoming an ever-rarer commodity in the world.
Road ruling leaves uncertainties
Juneau Legislators are saying Friday's court ruling against the Juneau Road may set the project back for years, if it goes forward at all.
Some Prince of Wales Island residents oppose Sealaska/Tongass land sale prop
Residents of northwest Prince of Wales Island say they oppose legislation turning nearby land over to Sealaska. Point Baker and Port Protection representatives say they want Tongass National Forest property to remain open to the public.
Timber bill would pay to help retool Southeast industry
Ketchikan sawmill owner Steve Seley has no more faith in old-growth timber. "I can guarantee you we're not going to invest in any more old-growth equipment," he said. These are the environmentally friendly timber catch phrases on the Tongass: "Second growth." "Value added." "High value added."
Sealaska Corporation seeks Tongass lands
Southeast’s regional Native Corporation will get another shot at land it wants in the Tongass National Forest.
Court halts Juneau road project
A federal judge has overturned the permits for the Juneau Access highway up Lynn Canal, handing road building advocates a major defeat. The $350 million road had been on hold, awaiting outcome of the court case.
Acid mine drainage found at Kensington Mine
Acid from construction at the Kensington gold mine has been draining since last year into a pond in the Berners Bay watershed. Mine operator Coeur Alaska Inc. had records of water-quality violations dating back to March 2007, but didn't inform a federal agency, the U.S. Forest Service, until December of last year. The state agency charged with protecting water quality, the Department of Environmental Conservation, found out about it in April when inspectors on a routine trip noticed orange water while flying over the mine. The color is a common indicator of acid drainage. Certain kinds of rock generate acid when they're exposed to air or water through the natural process of oxidation. Disturbing those rocks by blasting or grinding them can greatly speed up the process by exposing more rock surface to air. High-acid water picks up metals that harm fish and other wildlife. The company "immediately retained third-party experts in geology" as soon as it noticed the drainage, according to spokesman Tony Ebersole. He declined to say when that happened. The Forest Service approved Coeur's plan earlier this year to keep the offending material from being exposed to air and water. Buffering the rock and capping it diminished but didn't stop the flow of acidic water into a pond near Lower Slate Lake. The acid is draining into an excavation pond connected to Lower Slate Creek. The Forest Service consulted with DEC after the plan was approved.
Coeur drops tailings plan
Coeur drops tailings plan In surprise move, Kensington Mine operator gambles on Supreme Court decision By Kate Golden | JUNEAU EMPIRE Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. announced Tuesday that due to delays in the permit process, it is abandoning its paste tailings plan for the Kensington gold mine. Instead, the mine operator is pursuing a plan that will require a favorable decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. The move is potentially a new delay for a mine that was supposed to be close to starting production after nearly two decades of development. Earlier this year the mine estimated an early 2009 start. The new estimate is late 2009 - if the high court rules in its favor. The decision also means that Coeur has chosen to fight environmental groups, instead of going with a plan they support. "We think the paste facility is the best way to go. It protects Berners Bay, it protects clean water, and it will get Juneau working," said Russell Heath, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council.
SEACC, Forest Service agree on Hoonah timber sale
An agreement between the Forest Service and two environmental groups has cleared the way for a timber sale on Southeast's Chichagof Island. Those involved expect the logs will go to a small, locally owned mill in Hoonah.
Forest Service, conservationists settle on timber sale
The U.S. Forest Service and Southeast environmental groups settled recently on the terms of a timber sale in the Tongass National Forest without going to court.
Foes find common ground in stream restoration plan
Conservation, timber groups work together in creek improvement The restoration of Hoonah's forests has environmentalists and timber groups working together despite their adversarial history. Last week, a survey team went out to check on the health of Kennel Creek, a stream south of Hoonah on Chichagof Island that was logged in the 1960s right up to its banks. The team included the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, naturalist Bob Christensen, a U.S. Forest Service hydrologist and others involved in the Hoonah Community Forest Project.
State Habitat Division changes houses again
Gov. Sarah Palin announced Tuesday she will move the state Division of Habitat back into the Department of Fish and Game. Juneau Empire
Taku Salmon
Southeast Alaska Conservation Council staff members Beth Peluso, left, and Michaela Neumann dress as salmon at a Thursday event serving Taku River salmon at the Dimond Courthouse courtyard. Juneau Empire
Transportation department road stats fail to illuminate
Alaska state Senator Kim Elton comments on DOT's failings to fully inform the public on the proposed Juneau Road.
Palin Also Supported The "Road To Nowhere" (And May Still)
Bridge To Nowhere, Palin, Palin Bridge To Nowhere, Palin Earmarks, Palin Fiscal Discipline, Palin Juneau Road, Palin Mccain, Palin Pork, Palin Road, Palin Road To Nowhere, Palin Wasteful Spending, Sarah Palin, Politics News While a debate rages over how honest Sarah Palin has been in stating her opposition to the infamous Bridge To Nowhere, another massive, widely-criticized transportation project is lingering in Alaska. The "Road To Nowhere" is a $375 million "mega-project" designed to connect Juneau to the towns of Haines and Skagway via 50 miles of new road along the steep slopes of an avalanche-battered canal, ending at a ferry terminal at the Haines river.