Alaska

2011’s estimated value of $603-million is third all-time, but expected to take second eventually. Southeast value of $203-million tops in the state.

Ketchikan City Council member Jack Shay has resigned his seat, after being arrested on 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

Sealaska’s board of directors has approved a dividend distribution of nearly 12-million dollars to the corporation’s more than 20-thousand shareholders.

Congressman Don Young lashed out at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during a hearing last week on legislation that would loosen restrictions on the sale of sea otter pelts in parts of Alaska. Young is hoping the bill will stem the growth of sea otters in Southeast and Southcentral.

The U.S. Forest Service is considering a new timber sale on Kupreanof Island, west of Petersburg. In October, the agency released a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Tonka Timber Sale, which could provide up to 53-million board feet of timber to area sawmills. The logging could also fund some second growth thinning and fish…

Sitka and Hoonah had comparable cruise visits this season, but next year Sitka will drop to 116,000 and Hoonah will go up to 140,000.