Murkowski strongly urges Alaskans to make their voices heard on the new Tongass plan that’s being created for the next 15 years. The public comment period ends on May 6th. Many environmentalists and organizations have critiqued the proposed land management plan. They say it gives minimal attention to commercial fishing and cultural subsistence practices, while placing heavy emphasis on logging and large-scale tourism development.

“You have an administration in play right now who is very, very aggressive, leaning into resource development, including on the timber harvest and management side,” says Murkowski. “We get that, but we also recognize that the Tongass is a multiple use forest. Always has been, always will be. And so we need to hear from not only those that are speaking on the cultural and the subsistence side, but on the tourism side, all the other activities that go on within the Tongass.”

Additionally, the planned relocation of the U.S. Forest Service’s national office to Salt Lake City has also raised environmental concerns and how it could potentially result in the relocation of an already minimized workforce in Alaska. Murkowski says that she anticipates Alaska to be “untouched” by the change. However, she says she is continuing to closely monitor the situation, as there are still some areas of uncertainty. They don’t know which positions would be relocated, and what that would mean for the science office in Juneau.

“I think it’s really important that we retain this office and the people so this effort to try to get more forest service folks out of Washington, DC, into the West [continues],” says Murkowski. “I think we’re asking the right questions. I think the jury is still out in terms of whether or not we’re getting the answers that we need in order to do the work.” 

Another regional hot topic is funding for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Murkowski helped steer over $700 million to Alaska’s ferry system through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act under the Biden administration. In her annual address to the state legislature, Murkowski said that she was “very disappointed” with the Alaska government’s management of the federal funding. While she says she is moving forward with various initiatives to secure more funding, Murkowski says nothing’s guaranteed. 

“I’m trying to be confident with all things…But it’s a $78 million hole. That’s substantial,” says Murkowski. “I want to make sure that what we have is a marine highway system that is standing on its own. That the state of Alaska has made a commitment towards… It is the Alaska Marine Highway System. It is not the Federal Marine Highway System.”

Additionally, the Trump administration’s attacks on DEI initiatives have drawn scrutiny over the qualifications for the Section 8(a) program, which impacts small businesses and Alaska Native Corporations. However, Murkowski says there is bipartisan support for the program, which she says has been hugely beneficial for Alaska. 

“The delegation has been very united on recognizing that when this program was created many decades ago, it was to not only provide economic empowerment, it was really designed to help fulfill one of the promises under [the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act] in terms of self determination,” says Murkowski. “And so I think part of this is just a failure to fully understand what that means and why it was established in the first place.”

Outmigration is an increasing concern in Southeast Alaska, with roughly 24% of all Alaskan workers living outside the state. Murkowski says that retaining Alaskan residents is of the upmost importance to her as a senator and a mother, with one of her sons living outside of Alaska due to the perceived lack of opportunity. However, Murkowski says she is highly optimistic about the growing unique professional opportunities and lifestyle benefits that Alaska has to offer. 

“There is a lot of cool stuff that is going on that should be exciting for young people, but excitement doesn’t pay your mortgage. Excitement doesn’t get you into a house or help you afford the cost of groceries,” says Murkowski. “But we have a bonus here in this area, and that is not only a natural beauty of our surroundings, but a generosity of heart with people that make it really special, even during some tough times.”

The Senate is currently in recess until April 16th.

The Senate is holding a trial on the impeachment of President Trump, who is accused by the U.S. House of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. Each day of the trial will stream through this player as proceedings begin. At the conclusion of the trial, senators are expected to vote on whether Trump should be removed from office.

State Sen. Bert Stedman signs his name to a petition to repeal Senate Bill 21 as his family looks on. It goes before voters in August. (KCAW/Ed Ronco)

There won’t be many appropriations for Southeast Alaska projects this legislative session. That’s the word from Sitka Sen. Bert Stedman, who represents most of the region outside Juneau, Petersburg and Skagway.

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The Legislature put millions of dollars toward regional hydroprojects in past sessions.

Stedman says funding is usually linked to energy appropriations for Southcentral and the Interior. But the former co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee doesn’t expect that to happen this time around.

“I don’t see a pressing need this year that the Railbelt’s going to push forward with any energy projects, at least that I’m aware of. So I think it’s going to be pretty difficult for rural Alaska just to come up with its own energy plan and get the votes to do anything,” he says.

Blue Lake dam spills into the plunge pool in 2004. (Matt Goff photo/www.sitkanature.org)

Gov. Sean Parnell’s capital budget includes $10 million toward the Susitna-Watana dam north of Anchorage. That’s a small fraction of its $5.2 billion overall cost estimate.

But there was nothing for Sitka’s Blue Lake, Ketchikan’s Swan Lake, or any other Panhandle hydroproject. Parnell said lawmakers could convince him to add other projects. And the Legislature reworks that budget.

But Stedman says the Blue Lake Dam, which is being raised, is unlikely to get more money this year.

“It is more challenging to get funding for a project that’s already going to get built or is being built than it is to put together a financial package before the construction contracts are let,” he says.

The Sitka Republican says other district projects needing funding include the Ketchikan Shipyard and Angoon’s sewer system.

He says the state also needs to put more money aside to replace more of the Alaska Marine Highway System’s aging ships.

“If we diddly-daddle around, by the time we get these Alaska Class Ferries built and we get the Tustumena replaced, if we don’t in my opinion have a (long-term) fund set up and we continually put away, say, $50 million into marine replacement, by the time we get these first ships built, the rest of these boats will be another 10 years older and they’re already old as we speak.

A sea otter in Prince William Sound. (Flickr photo/Laura R)

Stedman last year proposed a bounty on sea otters, which eat shellfish Southeast divers and crabbers harvest. His bill brought strong criticism from environmental groups. And the federal agency managing otters said it would violate marine-mammal-protection law.

The legislation is still in play. Stedman says he wants to find a different way to support Native hunters, the only people allowed to harvest otters and process their pelts.

“I need to sit down with the Sealaska Heritage (Institute) and have a few more meetings in Juneau to work out what we’re actually going to change it to — if it’s going to end up trying to be marketing assistance or tanning assistance or something else,” he says. “But the chances of the bill going forward as it’s written, without being rewritten to take out the bounty, is slim.”

Stedman’s Senate district includes Ketchikan, Wrangell, Kake, Craig and other towns where timber used to be a significant part of the economy.

He says he supports the governor’s attempt to get 2 million acres of the Tongass National Forest turned over to Alaska.

“If the state was to take basically all of northern Prince of Wales (Island), outside the Native land selections and homesites and stuff like that, that would give us a timber base that we could run a fairly good-sized economic generation off of,” he says.

Stedman continues to oppose House Bill 77, which would speed permitting for resource development projects.

He says Alaska needs some limits on those who want to block mines and similar ventures. But he says the bill goes too far and was pushed through the Legislature without enough public input.

“We’ll see if we’ll have a more thorough scrubbing or we’re just going to play hardball politics and they’ll do what they can to pick up one vote and pass the bill. But I would expect that bill will get passed in some form by the end of the session,” he says.

The bill made it through the House last year, but came up short in the Senate. Stedman was among those voting no.

The Sitka senator, who’s served for about 11 years, chairs his chamber’s Health and Social Services Committee.

He says the panel will take up items requested by the Parnell administration — but not a lot else.

“I have no intention of just running committee hearings to run committee hearings to entertain people,” he says.

Stedman continues criticizing the governor’s oil and gas production tax, which passed last year. Alaskans will get their say through a referendum later this year.

He says the latest revenue estimates support his view that it’s better to fix it now than later.

“My initial review of these numbers would say the state is basically taking the entire hit. The industry (is) only moving negative $300 million while we’re moving negative $3.3 billion,” he says.

Stedman is one of six legislators representing Southeast Alaska.

Hear what other Southeast lawmakers want to happen during the session:

Sen. Dennis Egan expects tighter state budgets in 2014 

More links will be posted as reports are produced.