Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska, Author at KCAW

Spanish firm bids on Alaska’s fast ferries

Alaska has a bidder for its two fast ferries: A Spanish firm that operates in the Mediterranean. But the offer is about $5 million less than what the state was seeking to get.

Sealaska says it’s quitting logging

The exit from timber by one of the region’s economic powerhouses is the latest sign of Southeast’s transition away from logging. Conservationists welcomed the move.

Alaska’s top court rules in favor of critical Native corp. shareholder

Alaska’s highest court has ruled the state was wrong to sanction a Nome man over an open letter to a newspaper he wrote in advance of a Native corporation’s board election. But justices did not rule on the broader constitutional issues of free speech for Native corporation shareholders.

Lawsuit challenges Trump administration’s Tongass Roadless Rule rollback

The lawsuit seeks to restore the Roadless Rule protection to 9.4m acres of the Tongass National Forest. A coalition of Southeast Alaska tribes, fishermen and environmentalists argue that lifting the rule disregarded overwhelming opposition from Alaskans for the sake of a few hundred timber jobs.

Researchers: No cruise ships in 2020 gave Glacier Bay’s whales ‘room to roam’

The cancellation of this year’s cruise ship season has been a boon for marine mammals in one of Alaska’s most protected destinations. Federal scientists say humpback whales are enjoying the relative calm in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Coastal lawmakers pan Dunleavy’s ferry budget proposal

Coastal Alaska lawmakers say they’re unhappy with Gov. Dunleavy’s proposal to cut more than $2 million from the state ferry system’s operating budget. The proposal will likely prolong the debate over the Alaska Marine Highway System’s future during the upcoming legislative session.

Alaska officials silent on KSM’s request for more time to court mine investors

The company behind the project says the pandemic has delayed progress; critics argue that they’re stalling, hoping to attract new investors. Alaska fishing interests and conservation groups are opposing the permit extension, while state officials remain silent.