Southeast Alaska: Court Decision Stops Four Tongass National Forest Logging Projects - The U.S. District Court in Anchorage issued a decision Friday on what is commonly known as the Islands Wolf lawsuit. Friday's decision has now, for the second time, stopped four Tongass National Forest logging projects. Greenpeace and Cascadia Wildlands have been litigating these projects since 2008.

Friday's order from the District Court says, "this Court finds ... the Forest Service still has not adequately explained its decision to approve the four logging projects". The projects halted are the Traitors Cove project near Ketchikan, Soda Nick near Hydaburg, and the Scott Peak and Overlook projects near Petersburg. This matter was remanded to the United States Forest Service to make further findings and determinations consistent with the Court's decision. - More...
Saturday PM - September 27, 2014

Alaska: Anchorage Superior Court Decision Welcomed by Walker; Emergency Regulation Affirmed by Court - Anchorage Superior Court Judge John Suddock affirmed today that Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell and the Divison of Elections acted appropriately in adopting the emergency regulation to allow the Walker-Mallott unity ticket, after being challenged on the decision in Strait v. Treadwell.

Judge Suddock concluded that there was a valid emergency under the Administrative Procedure Act, and that the Division of Elections was correct in following administrative precedent and Attorney General opinions to fill the statutory vacuum with a regulation to treat party and non-party candidates alike in allowing for a replacement.

“Of course, I am pleased with the court’s decision that we acted appropriately to provide equal protection for non-party candidates, as well as party-affiliated ones,” Treadwell said. “I am also pleased that Judge Suddock noted the ‘integrity and impartiality’ of our Division of Elections, in that we made a decision that doesn’t necessarily favor the administration in which we serve.” - More...
Friday PM -September 26, 2014

Ketchikan: UAS Ketchikan Awarded 5-Year $6.6 million Grant - The University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan campus has been awarded a 5-year $6.6 million renovation grant to transform the University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan Technical Center into the UAS Regional Maritime Technical Training Center. The intent of the renovation will be to create the premiere site in Southeast Alaska for training Alaska Native and rural Alaskans for high demand maritime and related occupations in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs with training simulators and equipment relevant to each occupation.

The completed Regional Maritime Technical Training Center will enhance the Marine Transportation program, the Maritime and Multi-Skilled Worker (MMSW) program, and associated courses including welding, diesel engine maintenance and repair, hydraulics maintenance and repair, refrigeration maintenance and repair, and marine electrical maintenance and repair with the goal of increasing the number of Alaska Native students in these courses.

The project will also incorporate upgrades and innovations to classroom technology across the campus to enhance learning experiences in e-learning courses for students living outside of Ketchikan. By upgrading and enhancing technology, students enrolled in certificate and degree programs that lead to occupations in maritime support industries, known as ‘shore-based’ occupations can stay in their communities while completing e-learning degrees. More Alaska Native and rural Alaskans will be able to enroll in these programs, stay in their communities and work towards an education that will lead to living-wage occupations. - More...
Friday PM - September 26, 2014

Fish Factor: Increase in Bering Sea crab & Pollock By LAINE WELCH - Alaska’s conservative management combined with the grace of Mother Nature are swelling the abundance of two of the state’s largest and most important fisheries.

Bering Sea crab scientists and stakeholder met last week to discuss the outlook for Alaska’s biggest crab fisheries that open October 15th. The take away was that the stocks of red king crab, bairdi Tanners and snow crab all showed big increases in mature size classes, based on data from the annual summer surveys. (Only mature male crabs cans be retained in Alaska’s crab fisheries.)

That has industry watchers predicting little, if any, change to the crab catches, said market expert John Sackton. The data did show some peculiarities though – there are indications that a spike in water temperature (by 2 degrees Celsius) might have redistributed the crabs into survey areas as they moved in search of colder waters. That could discount stock increases, Sackton said. - More...
Friday PM - September 26, 2014

Southeast Alaska: Southeast Conference Presents 2014 Southeast Alaska Business and Community of the Year Awards - Southeast Conference announced the 2014 winners for the Southeast Alaska business and community of the year. These awards were presented in Wrangell during Southeast Conference’s annual meeting. These awards celebrate outstanding achievements by companies and municipalities making positive economic impacts in the region.

Shawn Richardson accepted the award on behalf of Samson Tug and Barge. The award was presented by Gordy Wrobel – Past President of Southeast Conference.
Photo courtesy Southeast Conference

The Southeast Alaska Business of the Year for 2014 is Samson Tug & Barge, a marine freight company based in Sitka. The company started as a horse and cart operation in Juneau during its early mining era, and has been providing marine transportation since 1937. Founded by the Baggen family in the early 1900’s, the company is currently run by George Baggen and his daughter Cory Baggen.

In 2014 Samson Tug & Barge demonstrated an innovative spirit, showed exceptional growth, and provided a regional contribution to the Southeast Alaska business climate. In November 2013 the company expanded Southeast Alaska ports of call to include Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Thorne Bay, Craig, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Juneau, as well as expanding their existing Sitka operations.

Lori Blood, President of Southeast Conference lauded the Samson Tug and Barge saying, “The 2014 Southeast Alaska Business Award goes to an organization that is helping to grow the maritime sector of Southeast Alaska, is positively impacting people’s lives by providing increased access to freight, and elevating the regional economy.”

Shawn Richardson accepted the award on behalf of Samson Tug and Barge. Richardson leads the entire Southeast region for Samson and has overseen the company’s transition back into Southeast Alaska. “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Baggen family and all of the Sampson employees. I want to thank the public that has supported us, and all of the support that is represented by this award.”

The Southeast Alaska Community of the Year for 2014 is Pelican selected for the successful work it has accomplished in ice making.

In 2014, the City of Pelican began making, storing, and delivering ice to commercial fishing vessels and tenders from across the region. Because ice requires water and affordable electricity, the community also replaced its fresh water system and refurbished its hydroelectric generation plant as part of this process. The City of Pelican Ice Machine project received $800,000 from the Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon Fishery Mitigation Program to improve the quality for commercial troll caught salmon. - More...
Friday PM - September 26, 2014