Fish Factor: First Pure Electric Passenger Vessel By LAINE WELCH - The first seagoing electric powered passenger vessel in the U.S. is set to launch next summer in Juneau.

Graphic courtesy Tongrass Rain Electric Cruise LLC
http://tongassrain.com

The E/V Tongass Rain is a 50 foot, 47 passenger catamaran designed for eco-education and whale watching tours. Its primary fuel source will be rain, delivered to the boat via Juneau’s hydroelectric power grid and stored in a bank of lithium batteries.

The more modern batteries are less than half the weight of a traditional lead acid battery, and they provide three times the power and charge three times as fast, said Bob Varness, president and manager of Tongass Rain Electric Cruise (TREC).

The hull of the craft, designed by Jutson Marine in Vancouver, has been certified by the Coast Guard for 150 nautical miles “for safe harbor” in six and half foot seas at 12 knots. Once the propulsion system gets the green light, Varness said building will be underway.

“No noise, no emissions … and the system only has one moving part, so you don’t have exhaust systems to deal with, turbo chargers or cooling systems, or injection pumps. Every 50,000 hours the battery manufacturer recommends pulling the motor out, putting new bearings and seals on either end and they send you the same one back,” he said.

Varness, who also is an independent Torqeedo electric marine motor dealer, said some alternative powers are being used by U.S. mariners on a small scale, but not in commercial fishing. His small troller runs up to 130 miles on a single charge and recharges for $1.25, and he believes electro-power would also be a good fit for salmon drift and gillnetters, jig and pot gear and other fisheries. - More...
Sunday PM - August 02, 2015

Southeast Alaska: $4 million agreement signed to complete young growth inventory, job training and development in Southeast Alaska - The U.S. Forest Service and the State of Alaska signed a $4 million challenge cost share agreement to work collaboratively to collect, analyze, and evaluate forest resource information to ensure sound, sustainable forest management practices across Southeast Alaska. The agreement will also directly support forest-related workforce development and improvements to forest industry infrastructures.

Specific timber objectives of the agreement address inventory work for young growth (50,000 acres) and old growth (20,000 acres) across federal lands, as well as inventory and treatment of young growth stands on State of Alaska and private lands.

This effort supports Secretary Vilsack’s steps to conserve the 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest by transitioning to sustainable, second growth forest management from an old-growth- dependent timber sale program while maintaining a viable forest products industry.

Alaska Regional Forester Beth Pendleton expressed her support saying, “The agency fully stands behind this agreement. It affirms our goals to transition to young growth forest management to promote small businesses, improve access to capital, and create quality jobs and sustainable economic growth in Southeast Alaska.”

Pendleton added that both the Forest Service and the State are seeking to promote job training and educational opportunities and maximize a forest restoration economy and by-product industry. For the Forest Service, this mission is delivered through the State and Private Forestry program. - More...
Sunday PM - August 02, 2015

Alaska: Attorney General Publishes Opinion on Tribal Protection Orders - Alaska Attorney General Craig Richards published a formal Attorney General Opinion last week regarding whether state and local law enforcement can enforce a tribal protection order that has not been registered with the court system. The opinion had been requested by Commissioner Folger, Department of Public Safety in order to provide clarity to the State Troopers in carrying out their duties.

This Opinion, published July 30th, concludes that a tribal protection order does not need to be registered with the court system before a State trooper or other officer can enforce it. The protection order will be immediately enforceable if it meets the criteria outlined in the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

“This Opinion provides clear direction to officers on the ground as well as the victims they seek to protect,” said Attorney General Richards. “There should now be no doubt that these protection orders must be enforced.”

The confusion over the status of tribal protection orders arose because of a conflict between federal and state law. State law requires that protection orders issued by other jurisdictions must be registered with the Alaska Court System before officers can enforce them. This would include tribal protection orders. On the other hand, VAWA clearly provides that states cannot require registration before enforcement and directs the State to enforce orders from other jurisdictions, in this case tribes, as though they were issued by an Alaska court. - More...
Sunday PM - August 02, 2015

Alaska: Commissioner works to raise awareness of minimum wage and other labor rights - The Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) has published an employee FAQ in Yup’ik, Tagalog, Korean, and Spanish. The department already has the document available in English and Samoan. Publication of “Know Your Rights” materials in multiple languages is part of the department’s effort to crack down on wage theft and human trafficking by raising awareness of Alaskans’ labor rights.