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Few people seem all that excited about the latest version of the Sealaska lands bill. Some oppose its terms, while others want to be done with changes and just get it passed. Meanwhile, a number of critics are pushing for more than the two town hall meetings on the bill are happening this week.Related Link: Find links to the legislation and groups on either side.

Over the last 30 years, more than a thousand Juneau elementary school children have been the recipients of a weekend of free ski lessons at Eaglecrest Ski Area.

As long as they’ve never skied before, the third, fourth, and fifth graders can apply for the Learn to Ski program and hope their name is pulled in a drawing. The ski area provides transportation, skis and boots, lift tickets, lessons, and lunch for both days. It’s sponsored by Mendenhall Auto Subaru.

Thirty-two enthusiastic kids were on skis for the first time last weekend (Jan. 29/30).

Every new session of Congress is a clean slate. Bills that didn’t pass in the previous two-year cycle disappear. It’s up to members of Congress to dust off their old bills and reintroduce them.

One of those that will soon get new life is the controversial Sealaska lands bill, which would give the Alaska Native Corporation the option to select different lands in the Tongass National Forest. As APRN’s Libby Casey reports from Washington, exactly what form the bill will take will soon be seen. This is our final report in a six-part series on the legislation.

The Sealaska Lands legislation would transfer ownership of dozens of parcels in the Tongass National Forest to the regional Native corporation for economic development. The company wants to use these Native future sites for eco-tourism, energy and transportation development. Residents and business-owners using these lands are worried about the potential impact on some of their favorite Southeast spots. Joe Viechnicki reports, as part of a CoastAlaska series on the lands issue.

Among the most vocal critics of Sealaska’s land selection bill are conservation groups. They point to past logging practices by the regional Native Corporation and others, which have removed large stands of trees from Southeast Alaska, and say the region can’t support much more in the future.

Most say they want Sealaska to get its land entitlement, but that it should be within the boundaries set by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Sealaska officials defend the corporation’s environmental record, and say the bill will allow them to be an even better steward of the forest. Casey Kelly has more as part of our series on the Sealaska legislation

We’re taking an in-depth look this month at Sealaska’s lands bill, which will soon be reintroduced in Congress. Among its components is the selection of about 200 sacred sites. In this segment of our six-part series on the legislation, KCAW’s Ed Ronco explains what the sacred sites are, and why they’re included in the bill.