Fish Factor: Second Largest Salmon Harvest in 2015, But Low Payout By LAINE WELCH - Alaska’s 2015 salmon season produced the second largest harvest ever, but rock bottom prices yielded the lowest pay out to fishermen since 2006. That will cut into the tax base of coastal communities and state coffers, which collect fully half of all fish landing taxes.

Preliminary tallies from the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game show that the statewide salmon catch topped 263 million fish (the record is 273 million in 2013) with an exvessel (dockside) value at $414 million, a 28 percent decrease from last year. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 27. 2015

Ketchikan: Ketchikan Planning Commission to Consider Local Regulation of Marjuana Businesses - In November 2014, voters approved Alaska State Ballot Measure 2, providing for the legalization of the production and sale of marijuana in Alaska.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly established the Marijuana Advisory Committee in March 2015, to discuss the community policy and regulatory approach for dealing with the implementation of State Ballot Measure 2. Since March 2015, the Ketchikan Marijuana Advisory Committee has held many public meetings and considered numerous options for local regulations of marijuana businesses in Ketchikan.

Based on the recommendations of the Marijuana Advisory Committee, on November 10, 2015, the local Planning Commission will be considering changes to the Borough Zoning Code (KGBC Title 18) which, if approved by the Borough Assembly, would regulate the commercial growth, manufacture, testing and sale of marijuana and marijuana products within the Ketchikan Borough.

The proposed ordinance would identify the areas in the Ketchikan Borough where marijuana businesses could be established, and would set permitted standards for those businesses. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 27, 2015

Ketchikan: Former Ketchikan Resident Pleads Guilty & Sentenced For Lacey Act Violation - Donald Ray Thornlow, a former resident of Ketchikan pled guilty in federal court in Juneau to violating the Lacey Act by commercially purchasing halibut that was caught for subsistence and sport purposes.

Thornlow, 66, pled guilty October 19, 2015, to a single count of a Lacey Act violation before United States Magistrate Judge Leslie Longenbaugh.

According to the information presented to the court by Assistant United States Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, who prosecuted the case, from January 2012 to about December 2013, Thornlow, the owner and operator of the former Narrows Inn and Restaurant in Ketchikan took part in a continuing scheme of purchasing subsistence and sport caught halibut for resale in his restaurant, a violation of federal regulations.

Thornlow pled guilty to purchasing at least 997 pounds of illegally-caught halibut from three sources. According to information provided by the Department of Justice, Thornlow paid the three fishermen significantly less than he would have paid for legally-harvested halibut. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Thornlow will pay a $5,000 fine and be placed on probation for one year. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 27, 2015

Alaska: NPS-Alaska Finalizes Sport Hunting Regulations Drawing Concerns; Overrides State's Wildlife Management Role - The National Park Service published regulations Friday which restrict certain sport hunting practices in national preserves in Alaska. The regulations were published following what the NPR described as a "robust public process."

In Alaska, national preserves encompass about 20 million acres, and are managed by the National Park Service. Sport hunting in preserves was authorized by Congress when they were established in 1980.

Sport hunting in national preserves continues to be primarily regulated by the State of Alaska. The state-authorized practices being prohibited conflict with National Park Service law and policy. Units of the National Park System are managed for naturally-functioning ecosystems and processes. While sport hunting is allowed in national preserves in Alaska, NPS policies prohibit manipulating native predator populations, typically bears and wolves, to increase numbers of harvested species, such as caribou and moose.

Under the new federal regulations, which were proposed in 2014, most state-managed hunting practices and seasons are retained in the preserves. According to the National Park Service, these regulations do not restrict or limit subsistence hunting under federal subsistence rules on NPS-managed lands.

The new regulations make permanent several similar temporary restrictions which had been implemented annually for several years. The NPS received about 70,000 comments, and three petitions with a total of approximately 75,000 signatures, and collected input at 26 public meetings held across Alaska. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 27, 2015

Alaska: Gas Reserves Tax Bill Withdrawn From Special Session - After a breakthrough in Alaska LNG Project negotiations with ConocoPhillips and BP providing written assurances they will commit to a process to make available their share of Alaska’s North Slope gas to a future gas pipeline project, the Governor did not introduce a bill during this special session proposing a property tax on gas leases within the Prudhoe Bay and Point Thomson units. A gas commitment to an Alaska gas project will endure should either producer withdraw from the current AKLNG Project or the AKLNG Project fails to move ahead.

“It is important that Alaska act like the owner state it is,” Governor Walker said. “The reserves tax proposal is appropriate leverage for Alaska in response to a situation where known, producible gas could be withheld from a state project because it does not meet the commercial strategy of a particular producer. I am pleased BP and ConocoPhillips have now demonstrated their commitment to make their gas available for an Alaska project.” - More...
Tuesday PM - October 27, 2015

Alaska: Impact of TransCanada Buyout Evaluated - The Alaska Senate Finance Committee heard testimony today from a trio of financial firms on the implications to the state of a potential decision to buy out TransCanada’s interest in the Alaska LNG Project.

The presentation addressed the financial impact of a decision to buyout TransCanada’s interest on the state’s financial position, credit rating, and borrowing capacity.

“Our duty as members of the finance committee is to consider options for project financing, the various costs we must consider when evaluating this proposal, and the benefits and potential negative impacts the state could face as a result of the decisions we make,” said Senate Finance Committee Co-chair Anna MacKinnon (R-Eagle River). - More...
Tuesday PM - October 27, 2015