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Fish Factor: Another bumper run of salmon expected this year By LAINE WELCH - File this fish story under the “can there be too much of a good thing” category.

Alaska is expecting another bumper run of salmon this year– state managers announced last Friday a projected total catch of 221 million salmon, 39 percent higher than last year. (The numbers for Chinook salmon are still being calculated,) Regional catch projections for this summer are up across the board, according to Runs and Harvest Projections for Alaska’s 2015 Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2014 season by the AK Dept. of Fish and Game.     

Driving the numbers are the big forecasts for both sockeyes and pinks – a whopping 59 million sockeye salmon catch is set to come out of Alaska this summer, a 33% increase and the largest harvest since 1995. Those reds will follow on the heels of last year’s big haul of 44 million sockeye, tons of which remain in freezers.

For those hard to predict pink salmon, the statewide harvest is projected to top 140 million, a 46 percent increase. Chum salmon harvests are expected to rebound and double this year to more than 17 million. For coho salmon, a harvest of 4.6 million would be down nearly 2 million fish from last year. - More...
Friday PM - April 03, 2015

Alaska: Senate Passes House Bill 72 reducing unrestricted general fund spending by more than $470 million - The Alaska State Senate has passed House Bill 72, the Operating Budget for FY 2016. The budget includes hundreds of cuts which will save the State at least $470 million in unrestricted general funds. Targeted reductions were taken in all branches of government and all departments. The reductions are a result of the $3.5 billion deficit that the State of Alaska is facing after oil prices plunged from an average of $110 a barrel to around $50 per barrel within a six-month period.

With fewer than 24 hours of consideration, the Alaska State Senate slashed nearly $50 million of Base Student Allocation funding. While beginning debate on the operating budget Friday morning, Senator Berta Gardner (D-Anchorage) offered an amendment to restore the $47.5 million schools funding cut found in the Senate Finance budget. The amendment failed 15-5 with only Senator Gardner, Senator Dennis Egan (D-Juneau), Senator Ellis (D-Anchorage), Senator Donny Olson (D-Anchorage), and Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) voting to support basic classroom services for Alaska students and avoid large increases in class sizes across Alaska.

“The budget reflects our priorities in dollars. My number 1 priority is providing opportunity for our children. Education is opportunity. It drives our economy and incubates innovation. More importantly, properly funding education is the right thing to do, I am disappointed my colleagues failed to support the amendment,” said Senator Gardner.

Recognizing the substantial deficit Alaska currently faces, Senator Wielechowski offered a second amendment to restore education funds slashed in Senate Finance, but offsetting the cost with a short delay in oil tax credit payments. Alaska will pay $700 million in oil tax credits this year, while only taking in $300 million in production tax payments. His amendment would have delays tax credit payments until a future date.

“It is a sad day. Oil tax credits for outside corporations come before Alaska school children,” stated Senator Wielechowski.

Amendment #2 also failed to be adopted on a 15-5 vote, with Senators Gardner, Egan, Ellis, Olson, and Wielechowski voting in favor of the delaying oil tax credit payments in order to stave off drastic and adverse cuts to public school classrooms.

“The catastrophic fall in oil prices over such a short period of time has forced us from what we used to refer to as a’ glide-path to a smooth landing’ to a ‘crash-path to a survivable landing’. We are trying to soften that crash by spreading targeted cuts across the board,” said Senate Finance Co-Chair Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks. “The cuts we had to make were very distressing for members of the Senate. But, we took the steps we needed to take to protect future generations. If we spend all of our reserves now, there won’t be anything left.”

As part of the budget process, the Senate Finance Committee looked at each department and agency and focused on the largest cost-drivers in the state budget - education, health and social services and transportation. - More...
Friday PM - April 03, 2015

Alaska: President Formalizes Coastal Plain Wilderness Plan, Young Responds By MARY KAUFFMAN - Months after announcing its unilateral actions to close off more than 12 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), the Obama Administration today formalized its plans to begin managing the area as wilderness by releasing a revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and a formal request to Congress to approve the wilderness distinction.

In a letter today to both the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, President Barack Obama recommended that the Congress pass legislation making additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed as part of the revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and final EIS for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

President Obama stated in his letter, "This area is one of the most beautiful, undisturbed places in the world. It is a national treasure and should be permanently protected through legislation for future generations."

The President stated his recommedation is based on the best available science and extensive public comment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's preferred alternative recommends 12.28 million acres -- including the Coastal Plain -- for designation as wilderness. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also recommends four rivers -- the Atigun, Hulahula, Kongakut, and Marsh Fork Canning -- for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

Following the announcement, Alaskan Congressman Don Young (R-AK) shared his thoughts. “There’s a growing theme with this Administration; bad news can only be delivered on holidays or weekends. They think they can hide from their shameful decisions while the minds of Alaskans are elsewhere, but they cannot." - More...
Friday PM - April 03, 2015

Alaska: Senate Supports Arctic Economic Council and requests an Alaskan serve as chair - The Alaska State Senate unanimously passed a resolution today supporting the Arctic Economic Council. Senate Joint Resolution 16, sponsored by Senator Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage), urges the U.S. Congress to stand with Alaska in its support for the Arctic Economic Council and requests that an Alaskan serve as its chair. The resolution also expresses support for the Arctic Economic Council Leadership to mirror the rotation of the chair of the Arctic Council.

“Alaska is what makes the United States an Arctic nation,” said Senator McGuire. “With all eyes on the Arctic, we’re hoping to use this opportunity to focus on the economic and development opportunities for Alaskans, the people of the north.”

The Arctic Council was established in 1996 to promote cooperation, coordination, and interaction across the Arctic. In 2013, the Arctic Council created Arctic Economic Council to serve as its primary forum for interaction with the circumpolar business community. Its goals include enhancing regional economic cooperation, informing the work of the Arctic Council through a commerce perspective, and positively impacting the communities, lives, and cultures of Arctic indigenous peoples. - More...
Friday PM - April 03, 2015