Alaska Native Corporations

The New Year will bring a new fight over Sealaska’s lands-selection legislation. The bill, which will be reintroduced in the new Congress, could determine the future of tens of thousands of acres of Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.

Backers say the measure will revitalize a troubled timber industry and help villages struggling to sustain their economies. Opponents say it will destroy valuable wildlands and hurt tourism, subsistence hunting and commercial fishing.

This month, CoastAlaska reporters are taking a look at some of the controversies surrounding the bill, which was a major issue in last year’s U.S. Senate race. In our first report, Ed Schoenfeld examines why Sealaska is seeking new land selections.

About 25 elders in Hoonah got an early Christmas present from Sealaska Corporation yesterday when free firewood was delivered to their doorstep. Casey Kelly has more.

Sealaska Corporation employees with help from the Hoonah High School basketball team deliver firewood to elders in the Southeast Alaska village community. (All photos by Casey Kelly/KTOO).

Don Young says he’ll re-introduce his own Sealaska land-selections bill next year – a version without changes proposed by Lisa Murkowski.

Murkowski, meanwhile, says she’ll make further adjustments and hold another round of regional meetings on the measure. What happens depends on the results of November’s elections, which could bring in candidates who want to gut or kill the bill. CoastAlaska’s Ed Schoenfeld reports.Related Link: Sealaska lands bill amendment details

This 19-foot tall, 12-foot wide silo will hold 19 tons of wood pellets that will start heating Sealaska Plaza starting in November. (Photo by Casey Kelly/KTOO).

A new addition to Sealaska Plaza went up over the weekend, and while it hasn’t attracted much attention yet, it’s certainly hard to miss. It’s a 19-foot tall, 12-foot wide wood pellet silo for Sealaska’s new heating system. Casey Kelly has more.

Sealaska has named the new head of a subsidiary tasked with economic development in Southeast’s small communities. Russell Dick is the new CEO of Haa Aaní LLC, which will focus on resource extraction and other business ventures.Related Link: Head an extended interview and find links to related reports.

Lisa Murkowski’s defeat could impact the chances of Sealaska’s lands legislation passing. The Republican U.S. senator was the bill’s main backer in Congress. And primary winner Joe Miller has spoken against it.

But the other two members of Alaska’s Congressional delegation say they’ll keep the measure in play.Related Link: See the latest returns, link to the campaigns & hear interviews.