Safeguard Sitka’s Future member Sherri Blankenship asks audience members to raise a hand if they work in the tourism industry or have a friend or family member in the industry (KCAW/Rose)
Supporters and opponents of Prop 1, a citizen initiative to limit cruise traffic in Sitka, gathered on Tuesday night to debate the issue.
Over 150 Sitkans attended the event at Harrigan Centennial Hall, which was organized by the two local advocacy groups and moderated by Lisa Busch, a former reporter and longtime leader of the Sitka Sound Science Center.
Listen back to the full forum here (Divided into two parts due to audio file length):
Over the last several years, cruise traffic in Sitka has more than doubled the city’s previous record summers– around 600,000 visitors came to Sitka on cruise ships in 2024. Now, after several previous citizen-led attempts, the question of whether to limit cruise traffic is being put out to the voters in a special election. Prop 1 would limit cruise traffic to 300,000 visitors annually and set a daily cap of 4500. It would also establish a permitting process for cruise ships and penalties for ships that violate the new rules.
Participating in the forum were several representatives from Small Town SOUL, the group that filed the citizen initiative to limit cruise traffic. They say it’s necessary in order to preserve Sitka’s character and quality of life, manage overcrowding and help curb environmental concerns, like pollution.
On the opposing side were representatives from Safeguard Sitka’s Future, which is led by local business owners. In making its case, the group pointed to economic growth throughout the community spurred by tourism, and increasing sales tax revenue that’s helped support new city programs and infrastructure.
Both groups gave separate presentations and were given the opportunity to provide rebuttals. They then fielded around a dozen written questions from the audience.
KCAW will host each group in half-hour, on-air forums later this month.
Sitka’s special election is Wednesday May 28. Early, in-person voting opens on May 13. Find more information about the upcoming special election here.
