HAINES–The Haines Planning Commission will host two town meetings to invite public comment on the draft Comprehensive Plan this week. The comprehensive plan is the “roadmap” for future borough decisions and is valid through 2025, and your public comment on this document is important in the implementation process.
The first meeting, in Haines, will be Wednesday May 16 from 6-8 p.m. in the Haines High School Commons.
The second meeting will be at the Mosquito Lake School, May 17, from 6-8 p.m.
The draft Comprehensive plan can be downloaded by going here. (Warning: 292 pages)
Food for thought: A provocative new video from the folks over at Americans for Limited Government promoting a new project focused on economic liberty and free market policies. Watch:
by Andrew Halcro
Bristol Bay–The recent television ads created by the opponents of Pebble Mine have reached an absurdly new low. Unfortunately, that’s not surprising for this crowd.
by Becky Bohrer / ASSOCIATED PRESS
It’s not clear how much gold there is yet to be found in Alaska, partly because the state’s geology is still being learned. But what is known points to great potential across Alaska for a variety of metals, including gold, copper and platinum, said David Szumigala, a senior minerals geologist with the state.
Over the last 20 years or so, about 200 million ounces of gold have been discovered, he said, and there’s likely potential for at least a couple hundred million more. That prospect, combined with gold prices nearly quadruple what they were in 2005, about $1,720 an ounce earlier this week, is driving renewed interest in searching for gold in Alaska.
By Andrew Halcro
October 19, 2011: After the ballots had been counted Monday evening, and it appeared voters of the Lake and Peninsula Borough had narrowly approved a controversial anti-mining initiative, the look on Bob Gillam’s lawyers face said it all; they had their lunch eaten.
Even though the measure passed, and even though Gillam appeared to be rewarded for his half million dollar campaign investment, the narrow 34 vote win represented a huge loss for Gillam and his anti-mining crusade and a huge win for the Pebble Partnership.
by Chuck Tobin | WHITEHORSE STAR
WHITEHORSE, YT–The value of construction in the city continues to eclipse last year, according to figures compiled by the city.
Last month alone, the city issued construction permits for housing and other projects with an estimated total value of $14.3 million, according to records.
In September 2010, the value of construction permitted in September was $4.3 million.
The total value of construction for the first nine months of this year is estimated at $86 million, compared to $59.2 million to the end of September last year.
For all of 2010, the total value was estimated at $69.4 million.
The city calculates the value of construction based on the estimated development cost of a project when the building permit is issued, not including the price of the land.
By Julie Gordon |REUTERS Canada
TORONTO (Reuters) – A rare earth project nestled into a mountain ridge on Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island may unlock a motherlode of resources, bringing needed jobs and opportunity to the state and offering a secure supply of the strategic metals for the high-tech sector.
Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill was unable to attend the Chamber of Commerce candidates forum on Friday, September 23, at the library. Hill had prearranged meetings with Yukon officials in Whitehorse. She asked Chamber of Commerce officials if she could have a statement read at the candidates forum while she was away on borough business, but her request was denied–a departure from the way the Chamber handled similar situations in past years.
Mayor Hill apologized for her absence, but said the benefit to Haines was worth the trip. The following is her report from those meetings:
By Becky Bohrer | AP
JUNEAU — A Superior Court judge in Anchorage has sided with the state in a legal battle over the Pebble Mine project.
Judge Eric Aarseth, in a written ruling Monday, found that the state was not required to give public notice before issuing exploratory permits for the project site. He also found the state didn’t need to study the potential impacts of the activity first.
The plaintiffs, who include a coalition of Alaska Native village corporations, said they are considering an appeal to the state Supreme Court.
by Alan Bailey | PETROLEUM NEWS
In the Parnell administration’s latest foray against what it sees as federal overreach in the management of the Alaska’s lands and natural resources, it has voiced strong objections to proposed new water and wetlands guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency.
by Andrew Halcro | andrewhalcro.com July 25, 2011: Alaskans have learned to expect consistent behavior from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when it comes to resource development; consistently bad.
The EPA will soon decide on whether to unilaterally impose a more stringent national standard for air quality, despite concerns that doing so will violate our own federal Clean Air Act…
HAINES–The Haines Borough Clerk has issued recall petitions for Haines Borough Assembly members Daymond Hoffman and Joanne Waterman, but rejected the application for a recall petition for Steve Vick based on advice from the Haines Borough Attorney. Read more->
By Jenny Neyman | REDOUBT REPORTER
GANES CREEK–July 1 was the last day of Tom Cooper’s trip to Ganes Creek this year. He’d stayed in the field until 11:30 p.m. the night before, determined not to go back to camp empty-handed for the day, and finding only a ladybug-sized flake for his 14-plus hours in the field…
…Gold prices have been leapfrogging since 2006, with new highs set and soon surpassed. In June, the spot price for gold reached a record $1,549 per ounce. At that price, Cooper’s nugget is worth $16,481. But larger nuggets sell for more, and Cooper has been told his could fetch as much as $25,000 to $30,000.
I just spent a great week traveling through Southeast Alaska where I had the opportunity to tour important projects, meet with city leaders, and hear from many constituents. I have learned both the challenges and opportunities before Alaskans in several Southeast communities.
It was an honor and privilege to meet with so many of you. I want to thank the communities of Craig, Klawock, Skagway, Juneau, and Haines for their warm welcome and wonderful hospitality. The many events I attended truly exhibited the Alaskan spirit and will help me to better represent you in Congress. I especially thank those of you that traveled from one community or another to meet with me and share your ideas and concerns.
Southeast Alaska is truly blessed with its abundant resources, good people, and, as I found in all of my travels, plenty of sunshine. Warmest wishes, best regards and God bless.
By SEAN COCKERHAM | ADN
JUNEAU–The Legislature expects to go into special session in Juneau on Monday in a last-minute effort to save the state coastal management program.
Support is needed from two-thirds of the 60 legislators to go into special session. Leaders of both the House and Senate said Friday evening that they had polled their members and it looked like enough were on board to make it happen.
The special session is tentatively scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Monday in Juneau and could be over as quickly as one day.
Press release
JUNEAU–Governor Sean Parnell and Attorney General John Burns have directed the Department of Law to file a legal challenge to the Roadless Rule adopted in 2001 by the United States Forest Service. The Roadless Rule prohibited local and regional control over decisions about road construction, reconstruction and timber harvest on roughly 58.5 million acres of national forest lands and grasslands.
Until a recent Alaska Federal District Court ruling, the state’s largest national forest, the Tongass National Forest, was exempt from the Roadless Rule under a regulation promulgated pursuant to a settlement agreement with the federal government. Read more->
By Tim Bradner | Alaska Journal of Commerce
JUNEAU–Unless something dramatic happens, like another special legislative session, Alaska will lose its clout over offshore leasing and some other federal actions June 30.
That’s when the Alaska Coastal Management Program expires. State legislators failed to approve a required extension of the program during their regular 2011 session ending April 17 and again disagreed on it during a special session that ended May 14.
The Obama administration has given up on a plan to designate millions of acres of the western U.S. as “Wild Lands,” a policy that Alaska and several western states opposed in a lawsuit against the federal government. Read more->
Anyone who has driven the Alaska Highway through Canada has probably noticed the increasing signs of economic activity. Every town in the Yukon, British Columbia and Alberta shows signs of business activity including oil and gas development, mining, timber mills in full operation and new construction.
The mineral exploration business in the Yukon is booming; restaurants and truck stops in northern BC are serving a larger share of oil and gas workers; timber mills in Terrace and Campbell River have full log yards, and new construction is common. Western Canada is benefiting from development of its natural resources. Read more->
SAN FRANCISCO–Yesterday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that the state and federal transportation officials failed to consider a key alternative to building the Juneau access road north along Lynn Canal: beefing up existing ferry service. Their ruling affirmed a 2009 decision by U.S. District Judge John Sedwick, who said the 2006 environmental impact statement supporting the road was flawed and inadequate. Read more->
By Chris Stein | The Associated Press
JUNEAU — The state Senate’s Resources Committee on Friday approved a resolution imploring the federal government not to excessively regulate Alaska’s resources.
The resolution also applauded Gov. Sean Parnell for standing up to the federal government on issues of resource management.
Congressman Don Young addresses the Haines Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines
HAINES–“I call myself a true conservationist – not a preservationist,” Congressman Don Young said as he addressed the Haines Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Friday, March 25th. The remarks introduced his short address to the Haines business community and a delegation from Skagway as they gathered at the American Bald Eagle Foundation, and prefaced his thoughts about renewable energy and the need to reclaim state sovereignty.
Now in his 40th year representing Alaska’s only congressional district, the Congressman said he hopes he can represent us for 50 years because he is the right man for the job. Read more->
Deanna Garrison | KRBD
KETCHIKAN–Congressman Don Young says this month’s ruling by a federal judge reinstating the roadless rule in the Tongass would most likely prevent the development of future hydro-electric projects in much of Southeast. Young made the statement during a community roundtable in Ketchikan today.
The Board of Forestry will meet on Thursday and Friday, March 31 and April 1, 2011 beginning at 8:00 a.m. each day in the main Dept. of Environmental Conservation conference room, 410 Willoughby Avenue, Juneau, AK. Read more->
The Haines Alaska News is a public information service of the Alaska Alliance for Commerce, Inc., a grassroots movement organized to advocate for small business and a free market economy in Alaska.
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