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- [00:00]
Eric Stone
Support for Alaska Public Media on Demand comes from Siri, an Alaska Native corporation with operations and investments spanning five continents, 45 states and two US territories.
- [00:19]
Peter Machicki
There is a deal to be had here, but it has to be born from facts. Real Map Local impact data Governor Dunleavy.
- [00:27]
Wesley Early
Wants a property tax break for the gas line project, but local leaders aren't convinced. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Friday, December 19th. Good evening. I'm Wesley Early. Also tonight, the Alaska rural urban divide when it comes to Christmas dinner is stark.
- [00:43]
Mike Jones
The menu includes turkey as well as ham. And in Nome versus Anchorage, those are about two to four times the cost per pound.
- [00:51]
Wesley Early
Those stores and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly, Governor Mike Dunleavy is eyeing a property tax break for the long planned Alaska LNG project. As Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone reports, the proposal is drawing pushback from legislators and local officials.
- [01:11]
Eric Stone
Dunleavy's tax proposal would give the project a 90% discount on the state's normal property tax for oil and gas infrastructure. He described his plans in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News. The Republican governor's spokesperson confirmed the proposal, but declined to make Dunleavy or another member of the administration available for an interview. The state shares oil and gas property tax revenue with local governments, and some local leaders are raising concerns about Dunleavy's proposal.
- [01:36]
Peter Machicki
We can't subsidize that project. We at least have to cover our costs.
- [01:39]
Eric Stone
That's Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Machicki. He says he expects the project would be a boon for the state, and he says a natural gas export terminal would likely bring thousands of jobs to the Kenai Peninsula. But he says a low property tax rate for the project would essentially push some of the project's cost onto local taxpayers.
- [01:57]
Peter Machicki
We're going to have impacts on our schools. We're going to have impacts on emergency services, for sure. We're likely going to be the agencies they turn to for their emergency response plans. Like all of the other oil and gas facilities do.
- [02:09]
Eric Stone
Plans for a North Slope gas pipeline and an export terminal in south central Alaska have been in the works for years, but they've taken on new life in the second Trump administration. The state has turned over the project to a private developer, Glenn Farn, which has put out a steady stream of announcements about agreements with possible customers, investors and suppliers. But the project has plenty of skeptics, too, who argue that the project, last estimated at $44 billion, would be too expensive to make financial sense. A consulting firm contracted by the state legislature to examine the project. Gaffney Klein told lawmakers last month they may need to make a variety of changes to help the pipeline become a reality, including changes to property taxes. In a statement, a spokesperson for project developer Glenn Farnes said the company had not seen the specifics of Dunleavy's proposal and couldn't offer an opinion. Machicki says he's open to tax breaks that would support a pipeline, but he says local governments need to be involved in determining what exactly might be. And at least so far, he says that hasn't happened.
- [03:04]
Peter Machicki
There is a deal to be had here, but it has to be born from facts, real math, local impact data. It has to be transparently and fairly negotiated between all involved in good faith.
- [03:18]
Eric Stone
In an email, Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner said the bill hadn't yet been drafted. So he said it's premature to say the proposal was developed without their input. And he said essentially that the proposed deal is better than nothing. The state and municipalities are currently making no money on an LNG pipeline because it doesn't exist. Fairbanks Representative Maxine Dibert, a Democrat who co chairs the state House Resources committee, says she plans to discuss Dunleavy's bill with local officials. But she says she plans to focus much of her attention this session on a separate bill that would require the project to include a smaller lateral pipeline to supply Fairbanks with gas to cut energy costs.
- [03:53]
Avery Elfelt
And for me, that is a.
- [03:56]
Peter Machicki
A line in the sand that it.
- [04:00]
Avery Elfelt
Needs to be guaranteed part of the project.
- [04:03]
Eric Stone
Republican senator Jesse Bjorkman, who represents the central Kenai Peninsula, says he's on the fence about Dunleavy's proposal. He says he'd like to learn more about the project's finances to determine what's necessary. But in any case, he says it would make little sense to cut the project to break on property taxes after Glenn Farn makes a final investment decision, or fid.
- [04:20]
Peter Machicki
If they're going to have an FID decision in January next month, then that cake is already baked like the financials are already in place.
- [04:33]
Eric Stone
Glenn Farn declined to say when exactly it expects to make a final investment decision on the pipeline. That's essentially the formal green light for the project. The company says it's, quote, rapidly progressing towards a final investment decision and that the project remains on schedule to deliver its first gas to Alaskans in 2029. Reporting in Juneau, I'm Eric Stone.
- [05:05]
Wesley Early
The state is in the early stages of crafting a new plan to guide decisions about Southeast Alaska transit for the next two decades. During two virtual open houses this week, residents raised a long list of specific projects and broader issues. As Avery Elfelt reports for the Alaska Desk, many comments revolved around more reliable ferry service and the controversial Cascade Point Ferry Terminal project.
- [05:28]
Avery Elfelt
The state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities says it will draft a plan for Southeast by the end of summer 2026 and finalize it by this time next year. The document will cover all communities from Yakutat to Metlakahla. The new version would mark the first complete overhaul in more than 20 years, says Joel Melcher, DOT's South Coast Planning chief.
- [05:48]
Peter Machicki
The last adoptive plan was in 2004, and an unofficial update was done in 2014 that captured changes over 10 years. Our region has changed significantly since 2014, and it's time for an update.
- [06:01]
Avery Elfelt
Agency staff say that in the early stages, a handful of themes have already emerged. They range from fair reliability to resiliency amid climate change. Now, the state is asking for public input both via email and during town halls. The agency held two virtual ones this week. Mike Jackson in KAEC raised sporadic ferry service in his community. He said the state has said CAKE rarely gets ferries, in part because its terminal can't accommodate larger ships. He said there's been talk about updating the terminal with new catwalks to change that.
- [06:32]
Wesley Early
So that is one of the things we talked about doing here. But if there's a way to better serve cake, somehow we sure would appreciate it.
- [06:42]
Avery Elfelt
Participants also talked about the need for float plane dock maintenance and more airport parking. One raised the need for restoring ferry service from Ketchikan to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Haynes local Patty Brown asked about the state's ongoing study of what it would cost to build a road on the west side of the Lynn Canal to, at least in theory, better connect Haines and Skagway to Juneau. She wanted to know how that might be incorporated into the 20 year plan. South Coast Region Director Christopher Goins replied that the study would wrap up in January.
- [07:13]
Wesley Early
Based on that, we'll look at the data, work with this team and depending on what we see from leadership and.
- [07:20]
Peter Machicki
Include or not include that going forward.
- [07:22]
Avery Elfelt
But it was a related project that kept coming up during the town hall the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal. The state says building a new terminal north of Juneau would cut costs and ease travel between Haines, Skagway and the capital city. The idea has drawn fire from residents in all three communities who say the state should prioritize improving ferry service instead. When Wendy Anderson of Skagway made that point in the town Hall's virtual chat. Goins responded that the agency does believe the terminal would reduce travel times otherwise. He stressed that Cascade Point would not replace the Auk Bay terminal.
- [07:56]
Mike Jones
For most passengers, there will be mainline.
- [07:58]
Wesley Early
Service that continues up once a week. What is moving would be the trips to Haines and Skagway from Cascade Point.
- [08:10]
Avery Elfelt
At least two other comments came in regarding Cascade Point. One asked about funding for the project, the other dubbed the plan terminal, a quote, shameful waste of taxpayer dollars. Agency staff and contractors thanked participants for their comments and encouraged the public to keep them coming. Comments can be submitted at SeaTP O W L.com reporting in Hanes, I'm Avery Elfelt.
- [08:37]
Wesley Early
The Alaska Department of corrections has reported 18 people have died in custody of the state's prisons and jails so far this year, on par with the state's highest death count in 2022. The Alaska Beacon Report's advocates and lawmakers say the number is both devastating and preventable. DOC officials, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on the number of deaths. The ACLU is calling for the reinstatement of an independent oversight body to investigate the circumstances of in custody deaths and reduce risks. The state created a special internal investigative unit in DOC in 2016 following a 2015 report that widespread failures and dysfunction within the system led to at least six in custody deaths. But the unit was dissolved in 2018 during budget cuts under the Dunleavy administration. The ACLU is also calling for changes in Alaska law to allow more people who are elderly and with terminal illnesses to be released on medical and geriatric parole. Most recently, DOC reported the death of Kane Huff, age 46, on Dec. 15 in Goose Creek Correctional Center. Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, the Fairbanks City Council will now start regular meetings with a land acknowledgement.
- [09:50]
Mike Jones
It's the right thing to show our.
- [09:51]
Peter Machicki
Community that we are one together with.
- [09:56]
Mike Jones
The Alaska Native community.
- [09:58]
Wesley Early
That's ahead. Stay with us. Christmas presents may be arriving later than expected for many rural communities in Alaska. That's after Alaska Air Cargo, Alaska Airlines cargo specific carrier, placed an embargo on freight shipments for several hubs across the state Nome, Kotzebue, Bethel, Dillingham and Utgaagvik. According to Alaska Airlines, the Embargo began on December 16th and will end on December 21st. The embargo excludes Alaska Air Cargo's Goldstreak shipping service designed for smaller packages and parcels as well as live animals. Alaska Airlines spokesperson Tim Thompson cited unexpected freighter maintenance and severe weather impacting operations as causes for the embargo. With the holiday just a week away. Carriers like Northerner Cargo have rushed to fill the gap. Ice is starting to block channels at Homer harbor, limiting access for some boats. And as KBBI Simon Lopez reports, that's an ongoing concern. With cold temperatures in the forecast.
- [11:09]
Simon Lopez
Drifting ice is reshaping access at Homer harbor, with sheets flowing in from Mud Bay at the base of the spit. And one worry is that wind and tides can turn a clear channel into an ice blockade in just a few hours. Homer harbor master Matt Clark says that congestion affects vessels differently. A steel crabber might push through easily, while fiberglass skiffs can get stuck when the outgoing tide packs the ice together.
- [11:34]
Mike Jones
Conversely, on the ebb, as the amount of surface area of water that is present, like in the channel entrance, diminishes, some of that ice condenses and it gets more difficult to force your way through seawater.
- [11:48]
Simon Lopez
Ice in the harbor is usually soft enough to support a boat, officials say. Clark warns danger is internal, like a vessel's plumbing that pulls seawater in for cooling. If those lines aren't winterized, the water inside them can freeze and burst the pipe. That damage often goes unnoticed until the weather warms up, the ice plug melts and the boat begins to flood. Deputy Harbormaster Aaron Glidden says the safest way to avoid freeze damage is to pull boats out of the water for winter. But the launch ramp can become impassable at low tide, making that difficult.
- [12:23]
Mike Jones
It becomes sometimes unusable, depending on how much ice is made and like the ice will come in on the high tide and then it'll get deposited on the ramp as the tide recedes.
- [12:33]
Simon Lopez
Liddon says crews use loaders to clear the ramp. When possible, loaders can check the harbor entrance webcam on the city's website. But Clark warns conditions change quickly and urges anyone moving a boat to call the harbor office first. Meanwhile, temperatures are supposed to dip into the teens within the next week and meaning the ice issue might not go away anytime soon. In Homer, I'm Simon Lopez.
- [13:01]
Wesley Early
The amount of money Alaskans pay for food greatly depends on where they live. What is that up to during the holidays? Mike Jones is an economist with University of Alaska Anchorage's Institute of Social and Economic Research, whose work focuses on food systems and security. He was interested in the cost difference of a holiday meal between Anchorage and rural Alaska. To calculate that, Jones collected prices from stores in Anchorage and Nome. Using a holiday menu from the American Farm Bureau. He told Alaska Public Media's Ava White that the same meal costs over 130% more in Nome versus Anchorage, across the.
- [13:35]
Mike Jones
Full menu, we saw an Anchorage price come in at about $77 for a large family dinner. And Nome came in significantly higher at $177.45. We see a lot of main differences in the meat protein. So the menu includes turkey as well as ham. And in Nome versus Anchorage, those are about two to four times the cost per pound. And we also see some pretty significant differences in frozen goods included in the menu as well as the produce. But it's really, really expensive to eat whole fruits and vegetables, especially fresh fruits and vegetables from rural Alaska. It's hard to get it out there. And frankly, it is a food security question.
- [14:25]
Avery Elfelt
Is it simply the logistics and refrigeration driving up those costs, or are there other factors that contribute to those higher prices?
- [14:36]
Mike Jones
All of our remote off road communities, even including a hub like Nome, are very hard to get to. And anytime you're transporting something by air, it's going to be more expensive. We also see a lot of really big challenges in rural Alaska getting food to survive the journey. So we've done a lot of mapping of food spoilage across the state, and Nome is no exception. You see big spikes in produce that is lost as in has to get thrown away the second it gets to the store, particularly in the winter. So that sort of builds into the cost. The other thing that's worth mentioning is it's just expensive to run a store in off road Alaska.
- [15:17]
Avery Elfelt
In rural Alaska, or I guess Alaska in general, subsistence is obviously a really big thing here. Do you think a lot of families swap out the turkey and ham for maybe a traditional subsistence food?
- [15:34]
Mike Jones
Menus for families, especially around holidays, are a very cultural thing. And I would absolutely imagine, given the diversity in this state, that we would see different menus for Christmas all over the state and particularly in offroad road communities where you have a lot of wild food collection, a lot of per capita wild food consumption. I would imagine if the ham and the turkey is two to four times the cost, it's the some of the most expensive, you know, price comparisons that would be ripe for substituting for wild foods. Plus people might prefer, even if it was the same price, to be eating wild proteins versus store bought proteins.
- [16:14]
Avery Elfelt
So, you know, it's common knowledge that everything costs more in rural Alaska. But does looking at it through a holiday lens reveal anything about food insecurity.
- [16:24]
Mike Jones
Or, you know, the holidays that we're talking about, Whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas meals that we're highlighting, they're Falling in a really difficult time for supply chains in rural Alaska, a particularly difficult time. You know, you get these surges and. And after the pfd, there's a big surge in demand, and it puts a lot of strain on. On lift capacity or the number of planes that you can move out. You only have so many planes and so many people working so many hours a day. And then Christmas and Thanksgiving, you have big demand rushes a lot getting pushed through because there's a lot of people buying things. And so you have a lot of strain on that system. That's coupled with a couple different things as well, which is, you know, December 22nd, I believe, is the winter solstice. That is the least amount of light that we're going to have. And light matters in aviation, you need to be able to see, especially when you're flying under visual flight rules. And so if we're thinking in particular, flights out from the hub villages off road to the or from the hub communities out to the villages, that can matter a lot. And so you have less hours to fly, you have a lot getting pushed through the system, and you get a lot of shock on the Runway. If you're loading a plane or unloading a plane. And if goods, especially perishables, are sitting there for two hours at 20 below or even 30 minutes at 20 below, that's a big deal. And you're probably going to see that reflected in rates of spoilage, which we do see in the data, and probably the quality of what's on the shelf as well.
- [18:01]
Wesley Early
Mike Jones is an economist with UAE's Institute of Social and Economic Research. The Fairbanks City Council approved an ordinance Monday to establish a standing verbal land acknowledgement at the beginning of regular meetings. The measure passed in a narrow vote, and it comes after the same proposal got voted down earlier this year. That was before the municipal election in October. And as KUAC's Patrick Gilchrist reports, a change in the mayor's seat between then and now proved decisive.
- [18:28]
Patrick Gilchrist
The land acknowledgement is 59 words and starts like this.
- [18:33]
Peter Machicki
We respectfully acknowledge the Dine people upon whose traditional lands we reside.
- [18:39]
Patrick Gilchrist
That's council member Valerie Therian. Here's the rest.
- [18:42]
Peter Machicki
We honor the Dene who have been the stewards of interior lands and waters for centuries. The elders who have lived here before the Dine people live today and future generations to come. We also recognize that Alaska Native people would traditionally gather here and harvest native food.
- [19:00]
Patrick Gilchrist
Tharion started voluntarily reading those words into the record as a matter of routine after a city council meeting in May that's when a previous ordinance that would have codified the practice failed to advance past its first reading. David Prewse, who was mayor at the time, broke a 3:3 council tie by casting a no vote on Monday. The vote was 43 again, but this time in favor of the ordinance. Every councilmember held onto their seat following this year's municipal election in October. But Mayor Mindy o' Neill beat Pruze in the city mayoral race and on Monday the six council members voted the same way they had in May, meaning o' Neill's tie breaking yes vote was the difference. Here she is at the meeting.
- [19:48]
Mike Jones
This is the right thing to do. It's the right thing to show our.
- [19:51]
Peter Machicki
Community that we are one together with.
- [19:56]
Mike Jones
The Alaskan Native community and that government exists for everyone.
- [20:02]
Patrick Gilchrist
The vote followed testimony from about a dozen people, almost all of whom supported the measure that included leaders from local Native organizations such as Tanana Chiefs Conference, Doneakanaga and Fairbanks Native Association. TCC Chief and Chairman Brian Ridley says the words don't assign blame or rewrite history.
- [20:25]
Mike Jones
It simply recognizes honors the original stewards of this land and the cultural continuity of the Athabascan people who are still here, contributing to the strength and well being of Fairbanks every single day.
- [20:40]
Patrick Gilchrist
Council members who were opposed to the idea said the acknowledgments language is already displayed outside the council chambers and they said reading it by choice during meetings as theory and has been means more than when doing so is required by code. Those who voted no, like Council member John Ringstad, also said the city should focus on more practical matters for improving the city's relationship with its Alaska Native population.
- [21:07]
Mike Jones
What we need to do is work on our problems.
- [21:09]
Eric Stone
We need to talk. There's no reason we can't do that. It doesn't have to be at a formal meeting. In my mind, I'd rather actually do some substantive work rather than symbolism.
- [21:23]
Patrick Gilchrist
Ringstad pointed to an upcoming measure as something he likes. It proposes creating a monthly spot on the agenda for the council to receive reports from Alaska Native organizations. Council members who supported the Land acknowledgement ordinance said they appreciated that idea too, but viewed the two measures as complementary rather than commensurable. In Fairbanks, I'm Patrick Gilchrist.
- [21:55]
Wesley Early
In the weeks since Typhoon Ha Long hit western Alaska, aid has come in the forms of subsistence food donations, donated clothing and contributions to relief funds. KYUK's Samantha Watson reports how one writer looked to her creative gifts when searching for a way to help those who had lost everything.
- [22:13]
Samantha Watson
When writer Lonnie Holz heard the news about Typhoon Halong, she was across the country in Hawaii, where she lives.
- [22:20]
Peter Machicki
I couldn't help with each video that I watched online, people posting about the disaster. And afterwards, I just could not just sit there. I was like, there's something I can do.
- [22:34]
Samantha Watson
Holes was in the middle of writing a novel, part of a journey to reconnect with her Yubik culture. The author, who spent periods of her upbringing in Bethel, has family roots in the Yukon Delta village of Kotlik, which suffered damage from the October storm. Her father was also a principal across schools in the region, including Kipnook.
- [22:53]
Peter Machicki
I was like, wait. I could do something creative and connect with a nonprofit and get something rolling, something physical that's positive and connects to my culture as well.
- [23:07]
Samantha Watson
Holes began coordinating with the Alaska Community foundation to host a fundraising sale of the children's book she was inspired to write. It's called Anuk A meyer Sunset, and 50% of each sale goes directly to the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund to support families impacted by typhoon along. The storybook was inspired by a moment Holes experienced with her son Ashton at the end of a stressful day. Hull says the two went for a drive.
- [23:35]
Peter Machicki
During the drive, the most captivating sunset caught my attention and I paused and I was like, oh, my gosh. I was like, ashton, look at that sunset. It's so beautiful. And my son was quiet for a second, and he asked, am I your sunset? I lost my breath for a moment.
- [24:01]
Samantha Watson
And Hull says the book came from this seed of connection and meaning between parent and child. The story follows the layout of a poem, an adult responding to a child asking the same question in a backdrop of Yupik culture.
- [24:16]
Peter Machicki
And then each page, it's almost like a poem goes over like, yes, you are my sun, you are my moon. And there's lots of culturally significant imagery in there as well, like eating salmon, berries, tundra tea, as well as, like, fishing and northern lights.
- [24:41]
Samantha Watson
Hull says she hopes the book will find buyers in anyone looking to support relief efforts, but she also hopes copies find their way into the hands of those affected by the typhoon. The book features a journal section where families can record memories shared together.
- [24:57]
Peter Machicki
I can't imagine what these families are going through right now, and I wanted to bring something positive to their life. The main part of this story is what matters most is family moments with your family, these sweet moments throughout your day.
- [25:26]
Samantha Watson
You can find a copy of Anuk Em Iyer Sunset at Barnes and Noble Booksellers online in Bethel. I'm Samantha Watson.
- [25:47]
Wesley Early
And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories or online@alaskapublic.org and wherever you get your podcasts, we had reports tonight from Eric Stone in Juneau, Avery L. Felton Haynes, Ben Townsend in Nome, Simon Lopez in Homer, Ava White in Anchorage, Patrick Gilchrist in Fairbanks and Samantha Watson in Bethel. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us@newslaskapublic.org Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Annie Feit helped produce tonight's show, and I'm Wesley Early. Have a great weekend. This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.