Alaska: Governor's 2017 Budget Legislation: Taxes income, fisheries, alcohol, mining, tobacco & more... - Governor Bill Walker released the FY2017 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017) appropriation and revenue bills today as part of the Walker-Mallott Administration’s New Sustainable Alaska Plan. Rolled out last week in Anchorage, the plan addresses the state’s $3.5 billion budget deficit using a combination of spending cuts, new revenue, wealth management and investment.

Governor Walker also released the Alaska Permanent Fund Protection Act (APFPA) today, which re-plumbs funding for state services to stabilize the state’s budget. The Governor’s fiscal plan calls for continued cuts, implementing the APFPA, and adopting broad-based taxes and fees.

This year’s state operating budget is $4.8 billion, down from $6.1 billion when Governor Walker took office one year ago. Additionally, proposed FY2017 state funding for agencies is $140 million less than FY2016 and $544 million less than FY2015—a cut of 11 percent from state operating costs since FY2015. The budget also includes investments of $38.3 million for continued progress on the gasline project and $1.3 million for the Rural National Guard enhancement; leaving the administration with a net cut in agency operations of $100 million since last year and $500 million since FY2015. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2015

Alaska: Cost-saving Alternative Proposed to Overpriced Anchorage LIO; Modest office spaces in districts proposed - Billion dollar deficits and drastic proposals to shift the burden of paying for state government onto the backs of working Alaskans and their families demand innovative ideas to save the state money say two Alaska Senate Democrats. The multi-million dollar renovation and expense of remaining in the Legislative Information Offices (LIO) on 4th Avenue in Anchorage flies in the face of the legislature’s demand for fiscal conservancy.

Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) and Representative Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage) have sent a letter to the members of the Alaska Legislative Council asking them to consider additional options as they deliberate on the fate of the extravagant LIO in downtown Anchorage. Sen. Wielechowski and Rep. Tuck are suggesting allowing lawmakers to have modest office space in the districts they represent in lieu of the current LIO rental. Under this proposal, district-based office space and related expenses would be limited to $1,500 per month.

“This is a commonsense, fiscally conservative measure that will save us millions and put legislators closer to their constituents,” said Sen. Wielechowski.

The new option proposed by Sen. Wielechowski and Rep. Tuck would save $3.6 million per year from the current 4th Avenue building leases and would be $286,776 lower per year than the proposal to place legislative offices in the Atwood Building. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2015

Ketchikan: Ketchikan Residents Guilty Of Scheme To Illegally Fish And Sell Halibut - Michael Anthony Welker, 52, Shane Christopher Widmyer, 34, David Alan Vest, 39, all of Ketchikan, pled guilty in federal court in Juneau on December 8th to violating the Lacey Act by illegally transporting halibut that was caught for subsistence and sport purposes.

Each defendant pled guilty 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 U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, who prosecuted the case, Donald Ray Thornlow, 66, the former owner and operator of the former Narrows Inn and Restaurant in Ketchikan, Alaska, took part in a continuing scheme of knowingly purchasing subsistence and sport caught halibut for resale in his restaurant, a violation of federal regulations. Defendants Welker, Widmyer, and Vest illegally harvested halibut for a commercial purpose using sport fishing licenses and subsistence halibut permits. The defendants subsequently transported the illegally caught halibut and sold it to Thornlow who then sold the fish in his restaurant. The defendants were not allowed to catch halibut for a commercial purpose because none of the defendants possessed a valid Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit. The defendants each admitted to transporting a portion of the 997 pounds of illegally-caught halibut sold by Thornlow in his restaurant from January 2012 to December 2013. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2015

Southeast Alaska: Wolf Hunting and Trapping Seasons to Close in Unit 2 - The Thorne Bay and Craig Districts Ranger, Matt Anderson, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, will close the Federal public lands of Unit 2 to the harvest of wolf from 11:59 p.m., Sunday, December 20, through the remainder of the Federal seasons. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) will close the state wolf hunting and trapping seasons in Unit 2 at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 20, 2015, through the remainder of the State seasons.

As of Tuesday, December 15, 2015 five wolves have been harvested in Unit 2. Trappers remain active and have 14 days to report harvest, so this closure is necessary to ensure the harvest does not exceed the combined Federal/State harvest quota set at nine wolves.

Alaska Department of Fish & Game and the Forest Service continue to refine population estimation techniques used to establish Guideline Harvest Levels for Unit 2 wolves. As a result of a recent Alaska Board of Game action, the allowable harvest of Unit 2 wolves was reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent of the unit’s most recent estimated wolf population. Reduced harvest levels and recent regulatory changes are intended to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Unit 2 wolf population. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2015

Fish Factor: Alaska Community Seafood Hub Shines By LAINE WELCH - Caught by Alaskans for Alaskans is a business concept that bested 170 others in a global fisheries business competition last month at Stanford University in California.

The contest, sponsored by Fish 2.0, awards creative approaches that build demand for sustainable seafood, reduce waste and support fishing towns. The Alaska Community Seafood Hub model, presented by Kelly Harrell of Anchorage, won $5,000 in cash and is in the running for more money to be awarded this month.
Fish 2.0 builds the knowledge and connections needed to increase investment in the sustainable seafood sector, according to its website.

"We noticed that investors were having a hard time finding fisheries deals, and fishery business owners were frustrated that investors had no interest. We created Fish 2.0 to build connections between the groups,” said Monica Jain, Fish 2.0 Founder. “Our goal is to create the business growth needed to drive social and environmental change in the seafood supply chain.”

Harrell, who is executive director of the non-profit Alaska Marine Conservation Council (AMCC) said: “We told the story of the really unique assets we have in Alaska, which include thousands of small boat fishing families. We have a giant seafood economy that provides one of the largest and most sustainable seafood supplies in the world. But the way our seafood supply chain is structured, it is very difficult to get the seafood harvested locally to our communities here in Alaska, because we are set up to export such large volumes.” - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2015