It’s hard to believe it’s February already. January felt so short — but only because it was so full there didn’t seem to be enough hours to keep up with everything happening. At times like this, we look to our vision and mission to guide our work and keep our focus, trying to not let important issues slip by amid intentional chaos and trusting that we’ll each keep carrying our pieces of the work at large.
In our work, we find ourselves investigating who really benefits from the decisions made by our governing bodies. Way too often the answer is private interests, even when we’re told it’s for public benefit.
Cascade Point
The State of Alaska is planning to break ground this summer on road work for the unpopular, inconvenient and unfathomably bad idea that is the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal. It’s easier to list who supports this project than who opposes it: Alaska’s governor, Cascade Point land owners Goldbelt, Inc., and Canadian junior mining company Grande Portage Resources, the latter two benefitting directly from a road funded by the State of Alaska. Identifying the boondoggle is one thing — stopping it is more complicated. We’re digging into the true costs and scale of this project that are being intentionally obfuscated.
And since the state approved construction contracts for this summer before soliciting substantive community input, SEACC will be hosting a public hearing on Cascade Point on March 4 at 6-8 p.m. at the JACC. We’ll provide more information soon! We’ve also been in meetings with legislators and advocating for hearings to shine a light on this shady project. You can view the Feb. 5 House Transportation subcommittee meeting here. There’s another House Transportation hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 1:30 p.m. in Barnes 124 with invited testimony, and a Senate Transportation hearing on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 1:30 p.m. in Butrovich 205, both with DOT&PF’s AMHS Director Craig Tornga and Southcoast Region Director Christopher Goins. We’ll keep you posted on more to come, especially if there are opportunities for public testimony.
Geographically adjacent and definitely related, the US Forest Service announced it wouldn’t build the much hoped for Herbert Glacier cabin — identified in 2022 as the public’s top choice — and that they may reroute the popular trail. Of course Herbert Glacier is the site of the New Amalga Mine, owned by Grande Portage Resources, and it seems priority for this site is being ceded to the unproven mining project that has yet to deliver its Preliminary Economic Assessment, as requested by the Alaska Miners Association. Grand Portage’s submitted comment noted that they are “… supportive of recreation and the concept of a cabin…[but] opposed to the cabin location proposed in the scoping document… It would be incredibly challenging, likely impossible, to protect the proposed cabin from potential visual and noise impacts…”
Read more:
Southeast Ferry riders call proposed Cascade Point terminal a boondoggle in public comments
Cascade Point ferry terminal harshly criticized by CBJ advisory panel
State Forests
We’ve got our eyes on SB75, which would allow the State to lease out land for timber harvest for 55-year terms (with an option to renew for a total of 110 years), jeopardizing public control of state forests and removing regulations for industrial logging — so far it seems we’re not alone in finding this bill untenable — there’s bipartisan skepticism. Meanwhile, on the Haines State Forest, the Dunleavy administration has stated that logging will happen in areas it previously hadn’t. It seems they’re not asking IF the public wants this, just if there are suggestions for how they want to see it done. And permitting for a log transfer facility in Haines is underway and we’ve officially submitted our comment in opposition.
Tongass National Forest
The U.S. Forest Service is reviving a massive old-growth logging project that covers more than 40,000 acres on the southern part of Revillagigedo Island east of Ketchikan. It’s likely a preview of more massive timber auctions to come with the pending rescission of the Roadless Rule and the Trump administration’s ‘log, baby, log’ agenda. Tongass Campaigner Nathan Newcomer was interviewed for this KRBD story.
Speaking of Roadless, we’re anticipating the Draft EIS in the early spring. And we’re hearing that the Tongass Forest Plan revision is moving forward so we anticipate the release of the Notice of Intent in the near future. We’ll keep you informed and do what we can to make taking action easy.
Who benefits from large scale logging like this? Well, the logging industry makes up a miniscule percentage of the Southeast Alaska economy and the consequences of logging can negatively affect much larger sectors, including fishing and tourism. Plus Taxpayers for Common Sense revisited their 2019 piece on the costs of logging and the massive losses the federal government (with your tax dollars) takes on with timber sales. The piece closes with: “At a time when the nation faces $38.5 trillion in debt, fiscal responsibility demands that taxpayers receive full value for the resources they own, not inherit long-term subsidies and liabilities for uneconomic development.”
Subsistence rights at risk
Safari Club International has petitioned the federal government to make some significant changes to the Federal Subsistence Management Program, including getting rid of public seats on the board (and the Indigenous and rural voices represented), potentially changing rural determination and deferring to the State of Alaska on subsistence regulations — all moves that threaten rural subsistence priority against the best interests of Indigenous and rural Alaskans. Our friends at Sitka Conservation Society have built a tool anyone can use to easily make a comment. The deadline for public comments is February 13. You can also comment directly here.
Cleaner Fuel
What’s the cost to Alaskans to allow large ships to burn cheap, dirty heavy fuel oil (HFO) in our nearshore waters? While industry giants save a few bucks, Alaska’s air and water get polluted, threatening anyone and anything reliant on clean water. We commissioned an economic analysis for our cleaner fuel campaign and they determined it would cost roughly $3.50 per passenger per day to switch to cleaner fuel and protect our precious marine waters, the food web and human life. How is continuing to burn harmful HFO a safe choice or a fair deal for Alaskans? Hint: It’s not. That’s why we’re beginning to navigate the legislative options before us.
Meanwhile, we know there are Alaskans still unfamiliar with the issue, but maybe you can help — tell a friend or family member about this threat to our clean water — once they’re on board with our cleaner fuel goal, it’s super easy to sign our petition. You can find the details here.
We’re in this together — fighting for accountability and the public good, fighting for this place we love. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us today with everything demanding your attention and action.
P.S. If you’re an Alaska resident, don’t forget to file for your Permanent Fund Dividend. Did you know, with Pick.Click.Give., you can designate a little piece of your dividend toward worthy causes like protecting Southeast Alaska? All you have to do is select Southeast Alaska Conservation Council and the amount of money you’d like to donate. You may not even miss it, but it’ll mean a lot to us.
