Southeast Alaska: Alaska and BC Discuss Transboundary Waters - For the first time in more than twenty years, government officials with the State of Alaska and British Columbia spent this week meeting face-to-face with Alaska tribes, Southeast municipalities, fishermen, legislators, mining industry and environmental organization representatives to build relationships and discuss the long-term protection of transboundary waters, principally the Taku, Stikine and Unuk watersheds.

Lt. Governor Byron Mallott and BC Minister of Energy and Mines William Bennett with the Alaska Department of Fish and Gameon on the Taku, stopping at a fish wheel escapement camp.
Photo courtesy Office of Lt. Gov.

Lt. Governor Byron Mallott invited BC Minister of Energy and Mines, William Bennett, to come to Southeast Alaska and meet the people whose lives depend on the transboundary rivers for their way of life. Bennett was flown up the Taku with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and saw the shuttered Canadian Tulsequah Chief Mine as well as went on the river, stopping at a fish wheel escapement camp and a commercial fish buying station, to understand the salmon journey up the river.

“While I am gratified to see both BC and Alaska at the table, these discussions underscore the international aspect of this issue,” Mallott said during a news conference this afternoon. “We will move forward on several fronts, not only collaborating on a draft memorandum of understanding but also exploring federal engagement from Ottawa and our State Department. “

The BC delegation, including high-ranking mining and environmental regulators, held candid discussions with their Alaska counterparts from Governor Walker’s Transboundary Working Group headed by Mallott, including the Commissioners of the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Fish and Game, and Department of Resources, on how to create a framework for further discussions and improvements in specific areas including:

Collaboration on Monitoring: both sides recognize the importance of having a reliable and adequate process for the collection and distribution of baseline, regional and project-specific water quality and related data. There are opportunities to collaborate among different agencies, Tribes, First Nations, Industry and others to collect the data.

Alaska Participation in the Environmental Assessment and Permitting Processes: Both sides are looking for opportunities to build on the existing collaboration whereby members of Alaska’s Large Mine Review Team (technical experts from the state’s departments of Natural Resources, Fish and Game and Environmental Conservation) participate in the Environmental Assessment and Permitting Processes relating to province’s authorization of the development of transboundary mines. The issue of financial assurances during and after the life of the mine by governments and industry was also broached by stakeholders.

Both recognized the constraints that contracting budgets puts on them and the need to prioritize work, build on existing collaborations, leverage existing partnerships and resources, and avoid unnecessary duplication.

Both recognized the constraints that contracting budgets puts on them and the need to prioritize work, build on existing collaborations, leverage existing partnerships and resources, and avoid unnecessary duplication.

They are also looking for opportunities for interested Alaskans, including tribes and NGOs, to have easier access to information about potential mining projects in BC and to have meaningful opportunities to provide input before decisions are made. It is envisioned this will include the holding of public open houses in Alaska during the Environmental Assessment process on particular proposed projects.

In the past, much of the collaboration between the Alaska and BC relating to transboundary mines has been during the Environmental Assessment and Permitting processes. In addition to enhancing Alaska participation in these processes, the parties intend to look at useful means to share information and concerns relating to each stage of a mine’s life, specifically the permitting, operational, shutdown, closure and reclamation phases. A key goal is early involvement and transparency in all aspects with tribes, First Nations, stakeholders and the public.

Thursday, Mallott and Bennett were in Ketchikan to meet with additional stakeholders and tribes before attending the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Other delegation members will visit Greens Creek Mine as the guests of Hecla Mining Company before returning to Canada.

Of the meeting in Juneau Wednesday, Dale Kelley, executive director of the Alaska Trollers Association said, “The meeting was a productive first step and we’re grateful for the opportunity to meet with Minister Bennett and Alaska Lt. Governor Mallott. While cross-border cooperation is essential for protecting fisheries, it involves more than provincial and state agreements regarding the sharing of data and perspectives. Fishermen want commitments regarding the watersheds that impact our fisheries to be backed up by the full force of the U.S. government and Crown because that offers the greatest chance that they will be binding and upheld over time." - More...
Thursday PM - August 27, 2015

Southeast Alaska: AMHS Releases Winter 2015-16 Schedule - The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) announced the release of its 2015-16 winter schedule. Coinciding with release of the winter schedule, AMHS will be applying a new reservations policy for all travel initiating October 1, 2015 and thereafter. The new policy requires payment at the time of booking and includes a revised fee schedule for cancellations or changes.

The intent of the new reservations policy is to limit lost revenue due to late cancellations or no-shows. Late cancellations make it difficult for the AMHS to sell the limited space aboard ferries to other customers. - More...
Thursday PM - August 27, 2015

Alaska: Anchorage Law Firm Offers Pro Bono Representation for Medicaid Expansion - Alaska Governor Bill Walker announced he will accept an offer for pro-bono legal representation in a suit to challenge his expansion of Medicaid in Alaska. Last week Republican legislative leadership authorized the spending of up to $450,000 to sue the Walker administration in the latest attempt to prevent thousands of Alaskans from receiving access to health care coverage.

Alaska Governor Walker announced he has accepted the offer of pro bono representation from the Anchorage law firm Dillon & Findley to defend the Governor’s actions to expand Medicaid in Alaska.

Dillon & Findley is a boutique law firm that specializes in complex litigation, including medical legal work and tax litigation. Ray Brown, who has worked as an attorney with the firm for the past 23 years, reached out to the Governor’s office last week with the offer.

“When we heard that the Governor was being sued for Medicaid expansion and the Legislative Council had retained an outside Washington D.C. firm at a cost of half a million dollars, all in an effort to deprive poor people of healthcare –Dillon & Findley volunteered to assist,” said Brown. “We believe it is our civic duty to support the Governor in his decision to expand Medicaid, especially with the fiscal climate our state is currently faced with.”

“At a time when the state is facing a $3.5 billion deficit, 10 legislators chose to spend $450,000 to hire an outside law firm to block what more than 60 percent of Alaskans want; they chose to sue to prevent $145 million in federal dollars from being injected into our economy to provide lifesaving care for our fellow Alaskans. Instead of spending money on litigation, we should be working together to pass Medicaid reform legislation, ” said Governor Walker. “In partnership with the excellent legal team at the Department of Law, the experienced attorneys at Dillon & Findley have graciously volunteered to help us stand up and fight for the right to provide health care for low-income, working Alaskans.” - More...
Thursday PM - August 27, 2015