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Pecking Artist?
This colorful little woodpecker pecked repeatedly at this totem pole in Saxman before flying away. Now to wonder, did this woodpecker have an irresistible urge to contribute its artistic talents?
Front Page Photograph By CINDY BALZER ©2014
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Ketchikan: B.C. Mines Spark Worry in Southeast Alaska By PAULA DOBBYN -
Concern is mounting among Southeast Alaska fishermen, community leaders and tribes about a mining boom in British Columbia that could affect wild salmon and other species on the U.S. side of the border.
The Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell project threatens the Unuk River, a notable Chinook salmon producer that flows across Southeast Alaska and empties into the sea near Ketchikan.
Spurred by the construction of a major power transmission line, and relaxed environmental regulations in Canada, a rash of mining activity is occurring in the transboundary region, a remote area laced with salmon rivers that joins Alaska and British Columbia. At least ten B.C. mine projects are in various stages of development, according to published reports. Five are located on salmon rivers that flow into Alaska’s southern panhandle, home to the lush, 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest. The mining push comes as B.C.’s provincial government tries to promote development in the sparsely populated region. In a jobs plan unveiled two years ago, B.C. Premier Christy Clark vowed to see eight new mines constructed and nine others expanded by 2015.
From a fishing and tourism perspective, the most worrisome project for Alaska is called Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell, or KSM. It’s a massive gold, copper and molybdenum deposit located above critical salmon habitat in the headwaters of the Unuk River, one of Southeast Alaska’s largest producers of Chinook salmon. The 80-mile river begins in B.C. and empties into Misty Fjords National Monument, a popular tourist destination near Ketchikan.
“It couldn’t be in worse location,” said Rob Sanderson of Ketchikan, second vice president of the Tlingit and Haida Central Council, a Juneau-based tribal government representing 28,000 Alaska Natives. “We have five species of Pacific salmon that use this waterway. Salmon is our traditional food.”
A major threat
Tlingit and Haida is one of several tribal governments in Southeast that have passed resolutions in opposing KSM. And in a recent letter to a Canadian Parliament member, a coalition of Southeast Alaska fishing and tribal groups called on Canada to ensure downstream fish and wildlife habitat is protected and a dialogue with Alaskans is opened.
“Proposed Canadian mining and energy developments in several headwaters within this transboundary region pose a major threat to fisheries and local communities downstream within the U.S. Our concern about Canada’s rush to develop this extraordinary region is compounded by recent legislative initiatives that have weakened Canadian and provincial environmental assessment standards and oversight,” the letter said.
The letter referred to recent revisions of Canada’s main fish protection law that makes it more development friendly and less protective for fish, and also to a weakened navigable waters law.
“Without strong oversight, new mining projects will likely result in the destruction of fish and wildlife habitat and a diminishment of water quality on both sides of the border. Cumulatively, the effect could be devastating,” the letter said.
Among the signers were the heads of Alaska Trollers Association, Petersburg Vessel Owners Association, Southeast Alaska Fishermen’s Alliance, Douglas Island Pink and Chum, and United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters. - More...
Monday PM - March 10, 2014
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Ketchikan: NAVY'S PUBLIC MEETING TUESDAY WILL DISCUSS DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR TRAINING & TESTING ACTIVITIES; USE OF ACTIVE SONAR & EXPLOSIVES By MARY KAUFFMAN - The U.S. Navy will be holding a public meeting Tuesday, March 11, at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center Lobby in Ketchikan for the public review and comment period for the Northwest Training and Testing Draft Environmental Impact Statement (NWTT EIS). Testing activities conducted at the Navy's Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility on Back Island north of Ketchikan are included in this study.
Southeast Alaska Acoustic Measurement Facility (SEAFAC) near Ketchikan, Alaska
File Photo By Carl Thompson©2006
The open house portion of the meeting is from 5 to 8 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., the Navy will make a short presentation summarizing the analysis presented in the Draft EIS. The Navy will accept oral comments during a formal oral comment session following the presentation.
The Navy is proposing to conduct training and testing activities, to include the use of active sonar and explosives, within the NWTT Study Area. The Proposed Action also includes pierside sonar maintenance and testing within the NWTT Study Area, one of the study areas is Back Island, north of Ketchikan.
Marine mammals rely on underwater sound to survive. Similarly, the U.S. Navy depends on sonar for defending our ships at sea. To continue its mission and protect marine mammals, the Navy has studied the potential effects of its sonar activities and developed protective measures to minimize potential impacts to marine mammals.
The project's website contains information on how the Navy is employing protective measures to reduce environmental effects from military training and testing activities.
The purpose of the Navy's Proposed Action is to ensure that the Navy accomplishes its mission to maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. This mission is achieved in part by training and testing within the NWTT Study Area. The NWTT EIS/OEIS also supports the renewal of federal regulatory permits and authorizations for current training and testing activities and future activities requiring environmental analysis. - More...
Monday PM - March 10, 2014 |
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Southeast Alaska: Tongass National Forest Service releases Sustainable Cabin Management project documents - A Draft Decision Notice was released today for a project proposed to help move the Forest towards a cabin program with facilities that fit the interests and needs of the public for recreation that meet health and safety standards and at cost the public can afford. The Tongass National Forest released the Draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Tongass National Forest Sustainable Cabin Management project.
“My preliminary decision is to remove ten cabins that were listed in the Environmental Assessment (EA), convert the Distin Lake Cabin back to a historic three-sided shelter, and keep the Checats Lake Cabin open as long as it is used and remains in good condition,” said Forrest Cole, Tongass National Forest Supervisor.
The Decision Notice explains the reason for this draft decision, provides a finding of no significant impact, and describes the public outreach for the project. The Decision Notice also summarizes the concerns the Forest heard from the public on this project and provides a summarized response to those comments.
Cole recognized that many of the comments received on this project could not be dealt with through this project, but could be valuable in the future, “We’ve compiled the comments and suggestions we received on this project and shared them with the team working on strategic cabin planning for the Forest,” said Cole. “Some of ideas brought forward may be used to help us provide more sustainable recreation cabins in the future while reducing the cost of the cabin program.” - More...
Monday PM - March 10, 2014
Columns - Commentary
 JEFF LUND: Alaska wonderland no doubt - Don’t mistake the intention of the following column.
In no way am I attempting to brag about my lifestyle as a substitute teacher and afternoon angler because my life currently resembles a fresh out of college 20-something rather than someone who had a career for a decade and there’s a good part of me that’s craving stability.
But even if I were to again become part of the 40-plus hours a week crowd, I still could have fished 25 of the 28 days in February, on one tank of gas.
That’s unbelievable to me. Of course in the interest of full disclosure I will admit that one of those days I rode my bike because my truck broke down, and another day I drove my mom’s rig. Still, 23 of 28 days on one tank of gas and 16 of those days were after work.
Where am I living?
And it’s not like I’m walking down to a desolate creek, casting twice at mutant sucker-fish then going home and declaring I fished. I’m not ambling down to the muddy ditch to noodle for catfish or sitting on a bucket staring at a bobber. I’m doing what people pay thousands of dollars to do - fish alone for steelhead, and actually catching them. - More...
Monday PM - March 10, 2014 |
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the editor at editor@sitnews.us or call 617-9696
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 RE: Ketchikan Legislative party By Rodney Dial -
In response to Mayor Kiffer's letter regarding the Ketchikan Legislative party. It always amazes me how our local elected officials find the need to spin everything. Mr. Mayor you’re trying to spin throwing a massive party in Juneau after the public has endured years of tax and utility increases… amazing! A few questions please Mr. Mayor. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
Money down the drain. The city's leaders won't listen. By Ed Plute -
I want to thank everyone who attended the water meeting Wednesday. I believe the meeting was a great success. But to my point, now we find out that the City's water system wiith chlorine and UV are installed backwards. The chlorine is first in the water treatment and the UV last. So when the water goes through the chlorine first then to the UV, the UV kills the chlorine, and does not decontaminate the water properly. The system is backwards. And that is according to Bob Bowcock. We paid millions of dollars for the system and they cannot even get it right. When will our city leaders listen to us? - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
Ketchikan Visitors Bureau By Shirley McDonald -
I recently wrote a post to my facebook page and now wish to utilize SitNews to thank KVB for their nomination, let alone voting me with the Alaska Spirit Award. I didn't even know this went on even!!! Completely surprised .... shocked ..... you name it ... I felt it. Mainly wondering of all the customer services folks we have in our area, how could I be the recipient!!!!???? - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
FISHERMEN, DON’T FORGET SCHEDULE J By David G. Hanger - I am prompted to jot this “heads up” memo by a prominent local fisherman who insists that Schedule J is not being used on many fishing returns prepared here in town. It is an easy mistake for even a licensed pro to make because the conditions common to use of the form do not occur all the time. While I am somewhat skeptical of my fisherman’s observation, it would be too costly to ignore. - More....
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
Facts of the Matter By Rob Holston -
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Thank you “Declaration of Independence.” - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
Thank you SS Sound By Shirley McDonald -
I just wanted to give an ENORMOUS shout out to SS Sound. Yesterday morning I fell outside their business. I went to their office and they rushed n scurried, as I was bleeding quite a bit. I had literally landed on my face and had bit clear thru my upper lip and knocked out 1 front tooth and loosening the other. They not only let me use their restroom to clean up as best I could, they ALSO TOOK ME TO THE ER on top of everything else!!! - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
Campus gun bill By John Suter -
In the news is “ Campus gun bill before committee”. There is nothing more important in the world than for a student to get an A in their class. An armed student is in a much better position to negotiate with the teacher to get an A in class than an unarmed student. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
What are those yahoos in Juneau up to now? By Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkin -
Considering that we're 46+ days into the legislative session, it's a fair question. Like a good story, most legislative sessions have a narrative. Last session's narrative was simple and wholesome: the passage of a multi-billion dollar tax cut for oil companies. And by golly, we got the job done with SB 21, which passed the Senate 11-9, and fulfilled its unfortunate destiny by a vote of 27-12 on the floor of the House of Representatives at 2:07 a.m. in the wee hours of April 14, 2013. (I was among the dozen dissenters.) - More...
Tuesday AM - March 11, 2014
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