KCAW

Deep in Lisianski Inlet, gnome-like buildings sit where the long tidal grass meets the trees. Inside one, you can hear the roller of an old printing press move white paper across inked-up antique typeset. 

“I am a printmaker, an artist, a community organizer, a mom, a friend, and someone residing in Alaska and on the lands of the Áak’w Kwáan in Juneau normally, and now a little bit south of there,” says Meghan Chambers, as she adjusts the wood type in the press. 

Chambers, who grew up in Sitka, is in the middle of an art residency at Sea Pony Farm, where this rare Vandercook printing press was revived after seven years of lying dormant. The press belonged to late wood engraver Eric Bealer and his wife Pam, who left their remote property on the edge of the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness, and nearly all they owned, to the Sitka Conservation Society nearly a decade ago. 

Chambers’ three-month-old daughter Molly, two dogs, four adults, and one toddler mill about the cozy space, as she pulls a proof off the thousand-pound, century-old Vandercook press known as “Bertha.” Bertha is a behemoth, about the size of a large deep freezer, who was transported from the Lower 48 to this corner of the house by barge, repurposed mining cart, and pony. 

For decades, the Bealers lived off-grid on this property, crafting buildings from reclaimed wood, making art, and caring for their sheep, chickens, and ponies. Pam had multiple sclerosis, and in 2018, the couple walked into the woods together, leaving a note behind saying not to look for them. They left their estate to the Conservation Society’s Living Wilderness Fund to continue their legacy.

“We made a decision really early on that this wasn’t going to be a museum,” says Bethany Goodrich, storytelling program director with the Conservation Society. “It wasn’t about maintaining their fingerprints on everything and keeping things exactly how it was. It was, ‘How do we use this space to honor their legacy?’ But also their goal in leaving it to the Conservation Society was to protect the lands and waters that they loved fiercely. So we knew we wanted to use the space and see it come alive, and be loved and in the hands and experiences and memories of many different creatives and advocates and locals and people who had never been to the Tongass.” 

Since 2020, the Conservation Society has been restoring Sea Pony Farm, and using the property as a creative retreat to host artists, activists, policy makers, carpenters, and writers. Last summer, the nonprofit revived the rare Vandercook press and invited their first printmaker to the farm. 

“That was the first time that the presses were rolling again,” Goodrich says. “Since they were such a heart to Eric’s work, it was an exciting moment, and we knew we couldn’t just roll them and that would be that. We wanted to do it in a way that would honor his legacy and Pam’s legacy as well, and the way they lived here and their creativity and commitment to community.”

Goodrich says the first thing they pulled off the press was a manifesto outlining the Conservation Society’s vision, values, and aspirations for what the press would do: to illustrate and amplify their love for the Tongass. 

The nonprofit’s founding members believed deeply that to care for a place, and advocate for it, you need to spend time there, Goodrich says. And connecting with printmakers and other creatives helps propel that forward.

“Art carries culture, and it shapes our norms and our societies,” Goodrich says. “And it’s part of what makes Southeast Alaska or any community special. It’s our identity. It’s the music we listen to. It’s the art we hang on our walls. All of those things create the identity, and I think that in Southeast Alaska, having a strong identity is what makes these communities so special.”

A lot of that identity, she says, comes from connection to the lands and waters here, “but also to each other. And a lot of that is consecrated, I think, through the creative arts, whether that’s dancing or music or poetry or printmaking. It can take a lot of shapes, and there’s a long, over 10,000-year history of people being inspired by this place and creating artwork in tandem to that.” 

Chambers agrees. She says printmaking, in particular, has been used as a tool for social, political, and cultural movements, and she believes there’s a “deep-rooted” connection between conservation work and how artists can help connect people with a mission. 

“Artists have long been a herald for political progress, social justice, conservation — you name it — an artist somewhere has yelled about it,” Chambers says as she pulls her polished print off the Vandercook and places it on top of the scattered prints and carving tools on Eric Bealer’s desk. Tiny scraps of art proofs, photographs, and notes to himself are still taped to the wall. Bealer’s books, radio, and trinkets still line the shelves. 

“Eric and Pam’s story is beautiful and unique and independent,” she says. “And in both their life and in their deaths, I think every one of their actions and consequent art pieces or ways of interacting with the world was really purposeful, and I have a lot of admiration for that.”

This place not only feels like the mission of the Conservation Society’s founders is alive: to bring people together to create and fall in love with the Tongass, and preserve it for generations to come. But also the spirit of the Bealers, who lived life slowly and intentionally, infusing beauty into everything they touched. 

“They lived and they died on their own terms, and they did that in a way that was deeply connected to this place where they built this unique and wild, vibrant life,” Goodrich says. “And this is kind of the manifestation of a lot of that love for this place, love for each other, and that’s part of what makes this property so special.”

Goodrich says Sea Pony Press is meant to be an accessible initiative that anyone can be part of, whether they’re a cook, a woodworker, a musician, or a printmaker — any level, any age — as long as they care about the Tongass and can see how creativity connects us to it. 

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can dial or text 988 and be connected to help. 

The American Documentary and Animation Film Festival is making its way to Sitka again. Organizer Debbie Miller and musician Sheila Del Bosque join KCAW for the Morning Interview to give listeners a taste of what the festival has planned Oct. 9-11. The festival will feature 33 films from around the world in addition to a director’s forum, live music, and a performance from the Naa Kahídi Dancers. The weekend will kick off with music from Del Bosque next Friday (10-9-26) at the PAC. Listen to the conversation here:

In Sitka’s zoning code, all commercial docks are treated the same– it does not differentiate between the size or type of dock, whether it’s a dock for charter fishing boats or cruise ships. And commercial, waterfront and industrial zones currently allow commercial docks by right.

At a meeting on September 29, Planning and Community Development Director Amy Ainslie said that means cruise ship docks could be developed in Sitka with little to no public process involved.

Before an audience of around 30 Sitkans, Ainslie gave an overview of a draft ordinance that seeks to plug that hole, which was identified by the tourism task force several years ago. It would create a permitting process for new or expanded cruise ship docks – existing docks would be grandfathered in. Ainslie said the goal is to ensure there’s a public process and review for approving a new dock is comprehensive. 

“We know that cruise ship docks have an impact on our whole community,” Ainslie said. “Typically, in zoning hearings, you’re looking at the impact of a use on a particular property, and just a narrow kind of window around it. But we know that this is an industry that impacts our whole community. We want to make sure that our review is comprehensive, and we also want to make sure that decisions we make under these regulations are sound and defensible.”

The planning and tourism commissions have been working on the ordinance for some time– The ordinance is in draft form right now. Ainslie said now is the time to get feedback. 

“And so, we want to hear more from you. Are we on the right track? Does this solve the community’s concerns when it comes to regulating cruise ship dock development?” Ainslie asked. “We also want to know: Are there potential consequences of taking this action, whether intended or unintended, good or bad?”

After Ainslie’s presentation, she and members of both the planning and tourism commissions took questions from the audience. One speaker, who did not identify himself, said he did not understand why the city was looking to regulate cruise ship docks if Sitka hasn’t had a lot of interest in building them, and said the city shouldn’t add more regulations to address something that isn’t really a problem. Planning Commissioner Wendy Alderson said she sees the ordinance more like housekeeping than regulation. Larry Edwards with Small Town Soul said the city should instead develop an ordinance prohibiting future cruise ship dock construction. Private cruise dock owner Chris McGraw asked if future updates to the draft ordinance could clarify how the city would define a dock expansion under the new regulations.

“The ordinance talks a lot about ship sizes and it uses numbers of passengers, but you have, you know, the Ritz-Carlton ship that I think has sometimes 300 passengers on it, yet it’s 800 feet long. So that’s something to take in consideration,” McGraw said.

Jim Steffen said the city’s current agreement with McGraw’s dock doesn’t address Sitkans’ concerns about cruise traffic growth and hoped any updates to city code would include some teeth. He was glad the proposed ordinance would also come with an amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan, which was developed before the community saw a big jump in cruise tourism. But he said updates to that plan should come first.

“It’s really the only document that’s going to give guidance to all these questions about impacts on our community, and I believe the comp[rehensive] plan is woefully inadequate in this area,” Steffen said. “And so I’m glad to see an interest in updating the comp plan as regards pretty much anything that this would affect– quality of life, our services, our roads, our, you know, jobs, housing. These are all things that would be affected.” 

Assembly member Scott Saline, who was in the audience, asked if there was an appetite for asking voters to weigh in on whether future cruise docks should be built in Sitka. Planning Commissioner Robin Sherman said she preferred a regulatory approach and finding compromise when addressing a divisive issue like cruise passenger limits. 

“I do not think that we have consensus. I think we have a diversity of opinion, and when that is the case, I can speak for myself personally in looking for a compromise that makes nobody completely happy,” Sherman said. “Because when you have very, very different opinions, if you make one contingent very, very happy, somebody else is very unhappy. So I personally strive for some kind of a balance.” 

It’s not the last time the public will have an opportunity to give feedback on the proposed cruise dock code update. A joint work session between the planning and tourism commission will take place in October along with a legal review of the ordinance. After commission feedback is folded in, a new draft of the ordinance will be posted to the city’s website for a 30-day comment period. Then it will go before both commissions for approval, and finally to the assembly for consideration- a culmination Ainslie said is still “many months away.”

View the draft ordinance here or learn more here

The 30th annual Sitka WhaleFest kicks off soon, celebrating “generations of giants” from the people who shaped the symposium over the past three decades to the next generation of researchers. Lauren Bell and Lauren Wild joined KCAW in the studio to discuss the event. Listen to the conversation here:

City of Sitka Parks and Recreation and Youth Advocates of Sitka are hosting a Lights On Afterschool event on October 14, from 4-6 p.m. at the Keet Gooshi Heen gym. The nationwide event celebrates afterschool programs and their vital role in supporting children, families, and communities. The night will have booths featuring afterschool activities, an open gym, and showcases from local groups. Elle Campbell, Katherine Rosinski, and Juliette Langley joined KCAW on the Morning Interview to talk about what to expect at the upcoming event. Listen to their conversation here:

Isabella the Dachshund parades in the middle of a crowd circled around the Crescent Harbor net shed. She’s vying for the title of tiniest dog in town.

“Isabella is a year and a half,” says Kristina Tirman from Friends of Sitka Animal Shelter. “Her favorite activity is going for walks.”

Tirman is emceeing the community’s first-ever dog show.

There are eight categories in all: smallest dog, biggest dog, fluffiest fur, waggiest tail, floppiest ears, best costume, best tricks, and an owner-pet lookalike contest. Tirman’s co-emcee, the city’s animal control officer April Wheldon, introduces the big contestants.

“Spud is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and his favorite things are swimming and chasing fish,” Wheldon says.

For each contest, an owner walks their dog around the net shed while Tirman and Wheldon read off a few fun facts. Then, they line up in front of a panel of judges.

“We are very grateful to have these three judges volunteering their time and their expertise,” Tirman says.

One judge is former dog sled racer Janet Clarke.  

What I really enjoyed when I was racing sled dogs is looking at such athleticism. But here, there’s also just the different shapes and sizes of dogs. So fun to look at,” Clarke says.

Some dogs weigh just a few pounds. Others are nearly half their owners’ height, like Walter, a 12-year-old Great Dane competing for largest dog.

“All right, judges. Who’s the winner?” Tirman asks.

They turn to each other and whisper over the scores they scribbled on their clipboards. Once the dogs circle up in the middle, they point to the winner.

“Walter!” Tirman yells as cheers erupt from the crowd.

The Great Dane has officially been named the biggest dog in Sitka. Seth Brown is Walter’s owner. He says he’s relieved his friend isn’t here with her Mastiff.

I was like, ‘Well, if Anna girl shows up, might be some competition,'” Brown says. “Because she’s bigger in the head, like even the bones and stuff. That’s a serious dense dog, not quite as tall, but like bigger than any other dog here.”

Brown and Walter will walk away with a first-place ribbon and gift basket of treats and toys.

“Everybody seems to love him,” Brown says. “Should have put him on Facebook. He’d have like 800 friends by now. I got 32.”

Tirman announces it’s time to judge floppiest ears. That’s the second category Walter is competing in. Walter didn’t end up winning for floppiest ears. Marty, a 6-month-old mini Dachshund, did. 

According to Clarke, judging was pretty straightforward. They had to see if the dog met the category’s criteria. 

“But it also was about their showmanship and about their charm. Did you notice how many charming dogs there were out there? They were so adorable,” Clarke says.

Although only one dog could win per category, every contestant got a ribbon and was hounded with applause.

A new 4-H season starts this week. Jasmine Shaw, the Sitka Spruce Tips coordinator, joins KCAW to talk about 4-H registration and activities in Sitka. There will be an open skate night for families this Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Blatchley Middle School multipurpose room from 4-6 p.m. Youth and their families are invited to skate and learn more about enrolling in 4-H. Listen to the conversation here:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month announced its plan to repeal the Roadless Rule, a 2001 environmental conservation law that protects national forests from logging. That includes about half of the Tongass National Forest’s 16.7 million acres. Subsistence users in Southeast Alaska are concerned how the potential rollback could impact their resources.

Public hearings were held in Sitka in 2019 the last time the Roadless Rule was in limbo. With a repeal back on the table, the U.S. Forest Service will once again hold hearings for subsistence users to comment on how the change would impact the land they rely on.

Jeff Feldpausch, the resource protection director at Sitka Tribe of Alaska, said seven years ago, a vast majority of commenters were opposed to rescinding the protection. 

“But it was already a done deal, and they move forward with it anyway,” Feldpaush said. “I don’t know that it’s going to be much different this time.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said unrestricted road construction would help with wildfire management and forest health. Feldpausch said more roads won’t help mitigate wildfires. Especially in a temperate rainforest like the Tongass. 

“We don’t have those forest fire dangers here,” Feldpausch said.

According to the National Park Service, roughly 85% of wildland fires are caused by humans. Feldpausch said more roads will give people greater access to forestland in states where that’s a bigger concern.

“For every positive that they can point out, there’s a negative on the other side. It just depends on which group you’re focusing on. If you’re focusing on the money side, yeah, there’s a lot of positives. If you look at those impacts again on the subsistence side and long term, there’s some negatives there,” he said.

But Feldpausch said some subsistence users can benefit from increased road access. Like Thomas Smith, who said he used logging roads to hunt when he was in Kake on Kupreanof Island.

“We would use them to drive around, look for signs of moose, and hike around and call them, and we did get a moose,” Smith said. “But simultaneously, while you’re driving around, you look and you see stumps of old growth and really skinny, skinny small trees and forests that almost look impossible to navigate.”

Smith said the land has provided for his family for generations, and time spent harvesting outdoors can reveal how things have changed over the years.

“You have to see your resources leaving. You have to hear your elders and listen to the days that they would writhe over 50 pound king salmon and look at the fish now and be like, ‘Okay, that’s not the same, and frankly, that’s not healthy,'” Smith said.

Smith isn’t the only one who’s seen how development has impacted the land they hunt and harvest on. Jim Phillips is a long-time subsistence user and hunting guide in Sitka. He said timber harvesting has altered tree cover and the flow of the Katlian River on Baranof Island.

“Every year you went in there to hunt it, you’d have to find a new way to get up the valley because the banks were basically gone, and the river would flood out and go all over that valley,” Phillips said. “It changed that valley completely.”

The deadline to submit public comment on the proposed repeal has been extended to Oct. 6. The Sitka Conservation Society will host an event on Wednesday (9-30-26) at 4:30 p.m. at ANB Hall to help Sitkans craft and submit comments.

Dates and times for the upcoming hearigs, both in-person and virtual, are listed below:

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM 

Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, 50 Main Street, Ketchikan, Alaska

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

VIRTUAL: Microsoft Teams CLICK HERE TO JOIN MEETING   

Call-in number: 202-650-0123, Passcode: 844934670#

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

VIRTUAL: Microsoft Teams CLICK HERE TO JOIN MEETING 

Call-in number: 202-650-0123, Passcode: 844934670#

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The Loussac Library, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska

The Monthly Grind is back for its 32nd season. Jeff Budd and Rick Fleischman join KCAW to chat about upcoming themes — from maritime to Motown — and stories from seasons past. Tickets for the volunteer-run community concerts are available at Old Harbor Books. The first grind is Saturday, Oct. 3., at 7 p.m. at Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Naa Kahídi Community House. Listen to the conversation here:

Next week, the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society is hosting the world premiere of “Vanished World: People and Places of Southeast Alaska in the 1980’s,” featuring photography by Matt Donohoe.

Donohoe, along with Keith Nyitray and Rebecca Paulson joined KCAW to discuss the film, which premieres Monday, September 28 at 7 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Listen here: