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Southeast Alaska news


An otter disaster: Wrangell seeks relief for Dungeness fishery decline
Crab fishing is practically synonymous with Alaska, but in recent years the Dungeness crab fishery has become less reliable. Many say that recovered sea otter populations are responsible for the decline. Now, after the summer commercial Dungeness season closed 20 days early, the borough is seeking solutions to support fishermen and push for more otter management.


Rebuilding help after Tok wildfire coming from Chilkat Valley residents collecting supplies
A Haines man is heading up an effort to collect supplies for a home rebuilding effort in Tok where the Mukluk Fire has devastated parts of the community.


Tribal land managers wind up conference in Sitka
A traditional feast will be hosted by Sitka Tribe of Alaska tonight to celebrate the end of the 2026 Alaska Regional Conference of the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society. The annual conference of tribal land managers from across Alaska is being held for the first time in Sitka.


Forest Service surveys goshawks, in preparation for future timber sales near Wrangell
Deep in some of the most remote areas of forest on Wrangell Island, U.S. Forest Service natural resource technician Anna Belback tramped her way through dense trees and brush to set up a pair of speakers. She cranked up the volume and hit play — an invisible bird began to call loudly from the speaker. The alarm call of an adult goshawk.


Mining projects opposed by Alaska tribes get support from Canada, British Columbia and First Nation
US rivers ‘vital to Southeast Alaska’ under threat, tribes say, as Canadian leaders unite behind mining operations


MEHS off to good start after last year’s struggles, superintendent says
As students from around Alaska start classes at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, school leaders say united leadership, new staff, and upgraded materials will bring change in the 2026-27 school year.


Skagway ferry bookings blocked until Sept. 14, after the Klondike Road Relay weekend
Block ‘reflects the reservation system only, not a projected return to service,’ AMHS says Monday; private operators are continuing to provide supplemental service


Haines-Skagway utility warns of massive rate increase, asks for borough cooperation
Electricity rates for Upper Lynn Canal residents hang in the balance amid debate over a more-than-$100 million bill — and who should pay it.


Juneau finalist for Haines police position withdraws application
The Haines Borough appeared as if it would have a new police officer patrolling the Chilkat Valley, pending a background check. But he withdrew his application soon after being announced as a finalist.


Freedom Rock in Wrangell is complete, waiting for site prep and installation this fall
Alaska’s first official Freedom Rock honoring veterans is painted and ready in a secure building at the Marine Service Center while awaiting setup at its future home at City Park.


Haines man accused of animal cruelty who fled to Russia turns self in to Juneau law enforcement
Steve Kroschel has animals seized from his wildlife center in 2025.


Travelers make alternate plans as ferry service to Skagway remains paused indefinitely
High school cross-country and Klondike Road Relay participants are ready to run in Skagway. Will the ferry be?


Pink salmon start to show up after ‘very weak’ early run
Pink salmon — the backbone of the Southeast seine fleet — finally started to show up the first weekend of August, after what state biologists were comparing to the poorest early returns on the books.


Cruise ship helps stranded skiff and crew in Southeast Alaska as Zuckerberg yacht stands by
Lack of response by vessel belonging to Facebook owner gets boos from cruise passengers, criticism online; skiff ran out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau


State forest carbon offsets ‘on pause’
The State of Alaska is pausing a carbon credit initiative that had been projected to potentially generate over a hundred million dollars of revenue from the Haines State Forest.


Locals, cruise ship crew, visitors, unite for soccer game in Haines
Forty people representing at least a dozen nationalities came together to play soccer in Haines on Saturday.


Major waterfront expansion moves ahead in Wrangell
Work could start this fall on rock fill.


Wrangell still waiting for full FEMA funds for 2023 landslide
The borough spent just over $1 million responding to the deadly November 2023 landslide that killed six people and is still owed about $346,000 after last month’s federal approval of reimbursement for debris removal costs.


Sitka, cruise lines, negotiate taxes after Skagway’s lawsuit
The City and Borough of Sitka and the cruise line trade association have reached agreement on some questions of collecting sales tax on on-board sales of goods and services that occur in Sitka, including Sitka Sound.


Discovery of explosives at Haines eagle preserve triggers controlled response, plane crash scare
Responding law enforcement agencies do not agree on what was found and who should investigate it.


Murkowski’s ‘landless’ bill advances to US Senate floor
‘I believe that the people who live here are ultimately the best stewards and will determine the future of the region.’


Lukaax̱.ádi Clan re-dedicates Raven House in Haines
Lukaax̱.ádi ceremony follows years of renovation on Front Street house.


Weekend sees surge of sockeye, capsized boats in Haines
The Chilkoot River sockeye run arrived in a large surge last weekend, bringing the fish count at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Chilkoot Weir to nearly six times what it had been just 48 hours before.


New manager promises packed barn for this year’s Southeast Alaska State Fair
On the Saturday before the opening of the Southeast Alaska State Fair, McPherson Barn was brimming with activity.


Wrangell shipyard project estimated at $605M to $726M
A 258-foot-high assembly hall would dominate the footprint of a possible shipyard at the former 6-Mile Mill site in Wrangell, as envisioned in this conceptual drawing prepared for borough officials to use in their sales pitch for state and federal funding. (Artwork courtesy Pearlson and Pearlson and the City and Borough of Wrangell) By Larry Persily Wrangell Sentinel The consultant that put together a feasibility study for a major shipbuilding and repair operation at the form


20 summers later, Haines’ improbable golf course endures
The Valley of the Eagles Golf Course, near 1 Mile Haines Highway, is, and always has been, an operation that demands constant labor and produces no revenue. For 20 years, it has been owned by people with no interest in playing golf.


Canada will help pay for power line to expand mine in Stikine watershed
An agreement between the Canadian and British Columbia governments to boost resource development in the province includes a $500 million federal pledge (about US$350 million) to expand the capacity of a power line to the Red Chris Mine in the Stikine River watershed.


Summer troll update: Fish scarce, catch low
On Friday morning, the 10th day of the summer king salmon troll opening, the catch was less than half of the harvest target of 83,700, fishery officials said. The opening, which was initially projected to last seven to ten days, will continue until further notice.


Sitka Fine Arts Camp writers, illustrators show talents
These two stories were written by students taking Reporting 101 at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp for high school teens.


Researcher updates the Benny Benson flag story
Thursday is Alaska's 99th annual Flag Day, which celebrates the first raising of the Alaska territorial flag — later adopted as Alaska's state flag — on July 9, 1927.


Mining firm claims new industrial port planned in Haines
The owners of the Palmer Project, the advanced mineral exploration project in the Chilkat Valley, say they’re partnering with the State of Alaska on a new industrial port in Haines.


State closes summer Dungeness fishery early amid weak harvest
Southeast Alaska’s summer commercial Dungeness crab season will close three weeks early, after Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s harvest estimate came in the lowest in at least 25 years.


Seven people ill on Ruby Princess cruise set to dock Monday in Haines
The Princess Cruises ship Ruby Princess reports a second outbreak of an illness causing “acute gastroenteritis” among crew and passengers, according to an email sent to Haines borough employees. The ship is scheduled to dock at 11 a.m. Monday in Haines.


Rare whale carcass is scientific treasure trove
Carcasses of two rare Ziphius cavirostris, or goose-beaked whales, were discovered June 5 on two Southeast Alaska beaches, one near Yakutat and the other near Sitka at Fred's Creek cabin on Kruzof Island.


State increases non-resident king salmon fishing
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game last week increased the king salmon take allowed for non-resident anglers this summer, in response, department officials say, to lower-than-expected harvest.


Behind the battle for Haines’ cruise ship dock
In the first week of June, three men flew into Haines to meet with borough manager Alekka Fullerton. They were executives she hadn’t met from a company she hadn’t heard of. As she learned at the meeting, they manage much of the operations at the borough’s cruise ship dock.


Raft guides learn the sticks on an ever-changing Haines river
A lunch break on a gravel bar on the Klehini River wound to a close as Russ Lyman and Joe Ordóñez studied a massive log jam. The duo have guided raft trips in the Chilkat Valley for nearly 40 years.


Wrangell students help bring Anan bear cams online for third summer
The Anan Wildlife Observatory bear cameras are online for a third summer, bringing the lives of Tongass bears like Scuba Sue and Tatonka to viewers around the world. It’s thanks to the hard work of students participating in the Teaching Through Technology program.


Huna Totem Corp. interested in Haines cruise ship dock
A second company has expressed interest in operating Haines’ cruise ship dock but says it has not yet received a response from the borough.


Wrangell hopes to become first Alaska location for ‘Freedom Rock’
Officials are searching for a large boulder and will need to fundraise to create a patriotic monument for Wrangell, a move that would bring the nation’s “Freedom Rock” tour to Alaska as a way of commemorating the 250th birthday of the United States.


Sitka student exchanges face uncertain times
Two high school exchange students, from Moldova and Germany, are confirmed to arrive in Sitka for the 2026-27 school year through the organization AFS Intercultural Programs, despite rollbacks of federal funding for some AFS programs.


Ketchikan-based Coast Guard cutters sail for Mexico border
Two of three Ketchikan-based U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutters were recently deployed to the U.S./Mexico border, a USCG official stated in an email on Thursday.


69.92% power rate hike in Haines rejected, residents to be refunded for portion of increases
The state’s utility regulators struck down a 69.92% electricity rate increase proposed by the Upper Lynn Canal’s electric utility.


Haines Assembly rejects plastic bag ban
Last week’s assembly meeting delivered a certain poetic justice for those who want plastic shopping bags in town.


Wrangell Museum will soon launch website featuring digitized collection
The Wrangell Museum is launching a new website that will feature access to an online catalog listing thousands of items in the collection. The new feature at nolancenter.com is under construction and will be rolled out in the next month or so, Nolan Center Director Jeanie Arnold said.


Beerfest ’26 in Haines by the numbers
1,009 patrons – attended Saturday’s Beerfest. Of these, 180 were Haines residents. According to Jeremy Reed, president of the Southeast Alaska State Fair, 172 guests attended Friday’s Gourmet Brewers’ Dinner.


Chilkoot campground closed indefinitely
One of the most widely used campgrounds in the Chilkat Valley is closed.


Forest Service will help look for invasive crabs around Wrangell
The U.S. Forest Service has stepped up to help look for invasive European green crabs at Anan Creek and elsewhere in the Wrangell area.


Haines proposal could increase annual cruise visitors
Passengers weigh in on tourist attractions, possible change in port management.


Q&A: Corinna Cook on Ice, Memory and the Alaska-Yukon border
Author of new essay collection to visit The Bookstore this week.
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