KCAW

The new year for Sitka Spruce Tips, the community’s local 4H youth program, kicks off on October 1 with an open house and family skate day. Organizers Jasmine Shaw, Kolby Sirowich and Triona Obroin joined KCAW for the Morning Interview to discuss upcoming program highlights and how to get involved. Listen here:

Note: The opinions expressed in commentary on KCAW are those of the author(s), and are not necessarily shared by the station’s board, staff, or volunteers.

Hi. My name is Brandie Cheatham. I have considered Sitka home for 14 years. I am not someone who generally submits public commentary, but Ballot Proposition 2 disturbs me enough that I had to speak up. Ballot Proposition 2 requires that initiative sponsors pay for and deliver a very comprehensive Economic Impact Study Report (EISR) with their application for petition. This is even before any idea reaches the signature gathering stage. It is outlined in detail that the report be written by an economist with a master’s degree and over 5 years’ experience in an economic field and SE Alaska. On the surface this doesn’t seem like a bad idea. So why am I voting No on Proposition 2? Several reasons. When the sponsor of this proposition was asked how many professionals meet these qualifications he replied, “I don’t know.” Does it make sense to you that such a rigid outline of qualifications be specified with no idea who might be found with said qualifications?

When asked about the cost of having such an EISR be put together, NO range of pricing was given. It was simply stated that it depends on the initiative. Of course. But still…you wish to require an economic impact report to be provided with any future initiative but cannot provide any indication of what the economic cost to the citizen would be? I therefore find the claim that this proposition wouldn’t price democracy out of the hands of ordinary citizens fairly empty. In fact, a recent estimate of the cost given by an informed citizen was “likely over $10,000.” A very wealthy individual or corporation could pay that. Most Sitkans cannot. The sponsor of this proposition emphasized that folks still have plenty opportunity to be a part of the democratic process by voting on their assembly members. To me that isn’t enough. Democracy is a government for the people by the people. It’s why constitutional convention delegates put so much effort into crafting citizen powers. There have been several letters to the editor published in the Sitka Sentinel recently (three in the September 19th paper alone) that outline more eloquently than I, why these concerned citizens are Voting No on Proposition 2. I echo their sentiments: The city isn’t bombarded with frivolous initiatives. If anything, there should be more community engagement. I do not think those with the most money should have the biggest voice in our government. Not in Our Town. This is Brandie Cheatham and I will be Voting No on Ballot Proposition 2.

The fishing industry is one of the largest economic drivers in Alaska. It directly employs nearly 60,000 people and produces more than $5 billion in economic activity every year, according to the Resource Development Council for Alaska. 

At Southeast Alaska’s annual economic conference that took place in Sitka in mid-September, industry leaders talked about the importance of modernizing the industry to ensure economic resilience and sustainability. 

Southeast Alaska has thousands of resident fishermen who depend on access to salmon and other species — from trollers, gillnetters and seiners, to sport, charter and subsistence fishermen.

During a panel discussion at Southeast Conference entitled “Modernizing for a Vibrant Future,” Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), reminded listeners of the value of the seafood industry to the region.   

“Because so much of what fishermen do happens on the periphery of most people’s world — out on the ocean, down on the waterfront — it often gets missed,” Behnken said. “So I just wanted to remind people, there’s over a billion annual economic impact from the seafood industry in Southeast Alaska. There’s 8,000 jobs generated by the seafood industry. Salmon alone: one in 10 people in Southeast are earning some role of their living from the salmon fisheries.” 

Starting in 2023, Alaska seafood experienced an economic downturn due to geopolitics, inflation, softening demand and global competition, particularly from Russia. In response, the U.S. banned imports of seafood from Russia. Then earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that he said would restore American seafood competitiveness. 

With the unpredictability of the industry, panelists at the conference said one way to weather the storm is modernization.

Julie Decker is president of the seafood trade group Pacific Seafood Processors Association, and facilitated the Southeast Conference fisheries discussion. She said modernization for the seafood industry is more than just about technology. 

“It’s really about modernizing our fisheries management and our social structures and systems, marketing, community resilience, product development and policy,” she said. “So a lot of different areas are connected to modernization when we think about that term.”

Organizations like ALFA are approaching modernizing  from all of those angles. When COVID hit in 2020, they started a seafood distribution program, first locally, then regionally, and then statewide, as they started hearing from people saying they needed seafood. They’re currently working on implementing artificial intelligence into electronic monitoring programs for sablefish and halibut fisheries to improve efficiency and cost. And they’re launching the first hybrid commercial fishing boats in the state starting this fall.

Doug Vincent-Lang is commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He said Alaska is recognized for science-based fisheries management. But, he said, there are a number of steps needed to update tools and regulatory systems to continue responsible management in a world that’s rapidly changing. 

He said those steps include continuing fish surveys, developing fair and equitable seafood certification processes, and pushing for faster delivery of disaster funds for fishermen, among others.

“If we do all this stuff right, and we have a shared vision, and we implement it, our fishery is going to remain strong,” Vincent-Lang said. “And I can tell you, hopefully we’re all going to be sitting around the table eating miso black cod and having a dram of kelp vodka in the future.”

Behnken said 99% of the seafood that’s harvested in Alaska leaves Alaska. And there’s a lot of room to do better, she said. Strong partnerships and investing in infrastructure to make sure all Alaskans have access to Alaska seafood is vital.

“Our expectation is that as climate change continues to have an impact on our state and on our region, we’re going to see more of this where there are areas of scarcity, like along the Yukon, there are areas of abundance, like Bristol Bay and right now Southeast, but those could change over time,” Behnken said. “And we’re going to need to be nimble and able to respond to that.”

When asked what a vibrant future looks like, Kristy Clement, CEO of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, said in part, it’s about keeping Alaska’s fisheries strong and resilient.

“I think of thriving communities here in Southeast and across the state of Alaska, where our children’s children can make a healthy living from fisheries, seafood, or the broader blue economy,” she said.

And, she added, she would love other countries to be able to look to Alaska as an example of sustainability and stewardship.

You can listen to the full audio from the fisheries presentation here:

Sitka has gained nearly 200 jobs this year and wages are up, but the population is continuing to decline. These numbers were presented at the tail-end of Southeast Alaska’s annual economic conference that took place in Sitka last week.

Meilani Schijvens owns Juneau-based research and consulting firm Raincoast Data. On September 17, she shared data she gathered for an annual economic report, “The State of Sitka’s Economy.”

When it comes to the total number of jobs, Schijvens said the community’s three biggest industries are tourism, seafood, and healthcare, in that order. When you look at payrate, the same three industries top the list in a different order. 

“When we look at wages, you had $381 million in wages. Healthcare is your number one wage provider, followed by seafood and visitors,” she said. “Those three sectors really fuel your economy.”

She said over the past three years, Sitka’s healthcare industry grew by 8%, while health care wages rose by more than twice that. That expansion influences growth in other industries as the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) builds its new $410 million hospital on Sitka’s Japonski Island. 

“Your health care sector is not just fueling the health care economy, it is helping fuel many other aspects of the Sitka economy, especially your construction sector,” Schijvens said.

And while the seafood industry remains one of Sitka’s top three employers, earnings are down this year. Schijvens said low fish prices were a driving factor across several species, affecting the bottom line for Sitka’s fishing fleet and processors. 

“There’s a lot of opportunity for individual success stories, but the sector as a whole, across Sitka altogether, was down by 7%, down by 71 jobs,” Schijvens said. “Earnings were down by $26 million. So that was a 29% decrease.”

Overall however, jobs and income in Sitka are up, as is optimism in the business community [link to survey]. But like the rest of Southeast, Sitka’s population continues to dip. Schijvens pointed to data from the Alaska Department of Labor.

“Their projection for Sitka is that over the next 25 years, Sitka is going to lose another 2000 people, 24% of your population. This is not what’s going to happen. This is what’s going to happen if nothing changes,” Schijvens said.

“We can make sure that this is not the reality that actually happens, but it’s just going to take a lot of hard work from a lot of people sitting in this room,” she added.

Schijvens said the community needs to double-down and focus on solving the local housing crisis to keep working-age people in Sitka. 

View Schijvens full presentation here

Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Center for Community are hosting a community baby shower for all expectant parents and families with babies under one year. Santana Sumauang and Erika Apathy, with the Center for Community, join the Morning Interview to discuss the event, and how they hope to connect community members with each other and to community resources.

The community baby shower 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Listen to the conversation here:

Note: The opinions expressed in commentary on KCAW are those of the author(s), and are not necessarily shared by the station’s board, staff, or volunteers.

Good morning, Sitka! My name is Brian McLaughlin and I represent SCORE, or Sitkans for Community Outdoor Recreation Enhancement. I’ve lived in Sitka for over 5 years now, am currently a volunteer at the Sitka Fire Department, a substitute teacher in the Sitka School District, a tour van driver, and was the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Air Station here in Sitka. On October 7th, Sitkans will have an opportunity to vote on Sitka Ballot Proposition 1. Proposition 1 asks voters to consider allowing the funds from the sale of the Sitka Community Hospital and the Tobacco Tax to be used to support recreational facilities throughout Sitka, both existing and new. Unlike many other cities throughout Alaska, such as Juneau and Anchorage, Sitka does not have any funding source for necessary rehabilitation, upgrades, and new builds for recreational infrastructure. Using the funds collected from the Tobacco Tax and Hospital Fund would provide a long-term and lasting means of keeping our city and borough active and healthy.

Proposition 1 helps to meet the purpose and spirit of the tobacco taxes, which were originally intended to mitigate the impacts of tobacco use. It helps signal to state, federal and local governments, private donors and grant agencies that recreational facilities are an important priority for Sitkans, helping to bring in more funding to support the health of our community. This could support facilities like Whale Park, the Swan Lake Dock, the playground, tennis courts and basketball courts at Crescent Harbor, Moller and Kimsham fields, and future development of new initiatives.

Some very legitimate and valuable concerns regarding competing priorities have been raised about this proposition. For example, Sitka has been struggling to support adequate availability of childcare for working families with young kids for quite some time. As the former Commanding Officer of the base and the 125 families there, I saw this all too often. While steady funding is certainly needed, the Hospital Fund and Tobacco Tax will not provide adequate funds in a timeline necessary to support the immediate childcare needs, as the funding may not be available for many years still. Fortunately, this has been identified by the City Assembly who is actively working on a funding solution specifically for childcare that is independent of the Hospital Fund and Tobacco Tax. On the other hand, the recreation infrastructure can stand to suffer a little more of a delay in funding that is likely with this mechanism.

It should also be noted that all beneficiaries of the funds from the Sitka Community Hospital will continue to receive their full retirement benefits. Only funds that are remaining after all obligations have been met will be considered for the recreation fund. Additionally, Proposition 1 will not affect tax rates.

I invite you to learn more at www.scoreforsitka.org. I’m Brian McLaughlin with SCORE, where we’re investing in recreation to foster healthy living and create community connections. Thank you and have a great day!

This Saturday (9-27-25) Brave Heart Volunteers is hosting its annual Buoys and Chair Board chair fundraiser, for the first time as an in-person auction event at Odess Theater. Michele Friedman and Executive Director Doug Martin joined KCAW to discuss the event, which is a fundraiser supporting the organization’s larger mission, to provide compassionate care, companionship, respite, and education to those facing illness, isolation, end of life, and grief. Listen to the conversation here:

After federal funding cuts threatened the future of the program, AmeriCorps is back in Sitka this fall. Program director Sarah Lawrie, and 2025-2026 corps members Sam Edinburg and Lucas Smith joined KCAW to discuss the national service program, and a new (to Sitka) pilot program, ArtistYear, which integrates arts programming into local schools. Listen to the conversation here:

Lingít artist and filmmaker Mary Goddard wrapped up three months of eating only Native Alaska foods over the weekend. Her 90-day journey culminated in a community potluck on Saturday. KCAW’s Hope McKenney sat down with Goddard for the Morning Interview to talk about her experience and what she hopes Sitkans will take away from the challenge. 

Around 15 folks live in Elfin Cove, a small community on the northern end of Chichagof Island. Mary Jo Lord-Wild is one of them.

“I’m in my 53rd year here, and had never seen an event like this before,” Lord-Wild told KCAW in an interview on Monday.

She said rain and wind picked up around 10:30 Monday morning (9-22-25).  

“So we were still doing some stuff on the beach, just some fall chores, but It rapidly became more than you could stand up in,” Lord-Wild said. “You could hear the rocks coming down off the hillside across the bay, and see multiple trees coming down.”

Lord-Wild said she saw one slide from their house, at the head of the bay, that took out the power line. She said one man was hit by debris and knocked off a dock, and managed to get himself out of the water safely. Everyone in the community has been accounted for and no injuries have been reported, but several homes and a cafe were damaged.

“Luckily, it was daylight. It would have been worse in the dark, because then you can’t see what’s going on. Six people kind of evacuated from the head of the bay here, because there was the rocks coming down, the trees coming down.

“There’s trees across the boardwalks and the trails that we can’t even see yet, haven’t even ascertained what what happened there yet,” she continued.

The building that houses KCAW’s transmitter equipment was also impacted, cutting out the community’s radio service for the time being.

Lord-Wild expects the power will be out for a long time, but for now the community is taking care of each other. 

“This is a little bigger event than we’re usually prepared for, but we’re pretty resilient, and eventually people are going to need help,” she said. “But in the meantime, you know, things are stabilized enough that people will be warm, dry and fed until we can fully ascertain the damage and what the next steps are.”

Lord-Wild said some folks are not returning to their homes until further assessment can be done on the buildings and nearby land. Rain is expected in Elfin Cove for the rest of this week. 

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and will be updated.