Author: kfskadmin

While Ocean Beauty Seafoods has announced plans to shutter its Petersburg salmon canning plant in 2010, the community’s two other large processing companies expect to remain open but with scaled back operations. Low forecasts for pink and chum salmon will likely mean fewer out-of-town processing workers at the plants that are running. A slow season will also impact the bottom line for municipal utilities and the public cold storage.

Staff with the U.S. Senate and Natural Resources committee is in Southeast this month taking public testimony on the Sealaska Native corporation’s effort to complete its lands selection. Meanwhile, the small community of Port Protection on northern Prince of Wales Island is opposing the corporation’s effort to select land on that part of the island and wants U.S. senators to come to hear their input.

A newly completed electrical intertie has allowed the Tyee electric plant near Petersburg and Wrangell to provide a substantial amount of its excess power to Ketchikan. That’s according to Petersburg’s Electric Superintendent Joe Nelson this week. Nelson gave the Petersburg City Council an update on that project, and other news from the year-old Southeast Alaska Power Agency Monday night.

Democratic candidate Hollis French is focusing on energy, education and safe communities as he campaigns to be Alaska’s next governor. French is a state senator, representing West Anchorage. He has lived in Alaska since 1978, has worked in the oil industry and as an assistant district attorney….and twice climbed Denali. Joe Viechnicki spoke with French this month about some Southeast issues.

Petersburg’s City Council re-affirmed its support for a group of Mitkof highway residents in their struggles with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority this week.
Trust land managers are working on a land exchange with US Forest Service that could address residents safety concerns over potential development of steep hills above their homes and businesses. However, the agency may keep a portion of its highway property for use as a rock quarry. That idea has generated more local objections. The Council passed a resolution Monday asking that the trust include the land in question as part of the broader exchange.