Alaska News Nightly: Monday, February 9, 2026

Summary

---

Alaska News Nightly

Episode Summary: Monday, February 9, 2026
Host: Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media
Date: February 10, 2026

---

Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly centers on significant state policy debates, particularly Governor Mike Dunleavy’s embattled fiscal plan and proposed statewide sales tax, the legislature’s challenging budget choices, and how local communities are navigating mounting climate and economic pressures. In addition, the episode highlights grassroots changes in Kipnuk village after devastating storms, economic revitalization at the Ketchikan shipyard under new management, public disputes around public lands in Juneau, and an innovative local timber project in Sitka.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greenland Diplomatic Relations and Senator Murkowski’s Efforts

[01:29-03:49]

• Senator Lisa Murkowski visited Greenland to help repair US-Danish relations after President Trump's controversial remarks about purchasing the territory.
• Murkowski addressed the diplomatic fallout:

  "Trust that has been built since World War II has been eroded and degraded. We need to work to rebuild that trust." (Lisa Murkowski, [01:52])

• Congressional delegation emphasized US support for NATO allies, while noting they cannot control executive actions.
• Murkowski revealed intra-party hesitations:

  "Some members of my party ... don’t want to be seen as engaging in anything that might be viewed as contrary to President Trump’s initiative." ([03:08])
  She presses them to express support for US allies openly.

---

2. Governor Dunleavy’s Fiscal Plan Under Fire

[03:49-10:03]

• Governor Dunleavy faces robust opposition from both lawmakers and the public over his proposed statewide sales tax, meant to stabilize Alaska’s volatile budget.
• Rationale for Sales Tax:
  • Generates income from nonresidents, especially via increased summer rates.
  • Designed as “countercyclical” to offset low oil revenues when tourism is high.

    “It stabilizes the ups and downs of oil and so it stabilizes your fiscal. That's what this is about.” (Gov. Dunleavy, [05:08])

• Public & Legislative Reaction:
  • Overwhelming negative feedback at public hearings; no calls in support of the tax.
  • House Speaker Bryce Edgman seeks to foster broad conversation, hinting it will take years for the idea of taxes to gain traction.

    “You cannot do broad based taxes or any significant measures without ... having the general public somewhat in alignment.” (Gov. Dunleavy, [05:52])

• Governor’s Evolving Position:
  • Open to delaying the tax but urges passing related fiscal reforms and constitutional amendments.

    “Take more time on the taxes. I'm all in on that. Let's get the first several components in law and a constitutional amendment sent out to the people of Alaska.” (Gov. Dunleavy, [06:19])

  • Pushes for a 1% spending cap and constitutional protection for the Permanent Fund—a controversial move as it would lock in high PFD payouts, further tightening the budget.

    “Once you put in rules to control the spending ... if you need it, will then make sense to Alaskans and it can be controlled.” (Gov. Dunleavy, [07:53])

• Legislative Skepticism:
  • Concerns over feasibility of strict spending caps and enshrining large obligations—potentially leading to instability.

    “To limit to a 1% increase going forward ... that seems unrealistic.” (Bryce Edgman, [08:50]) “I fail to see how enshrining a liability ... creates anything but more instability and a need for more taxes.” (Rep. Will Stapp, [09:26])

  • Lawmakers appear to be deferring major action until a new governor is seated.

---

3. Kipnuk Village Considers Relocation Post-Storms

[10:58-14:56]

• Residents of Kipnuk, devastated by Typhoon Halong, are voting on whether to rebuild or move the entire village to higher ground.
• Environmental director Reina Paul is leading a large effort to contact each tribal member:

  “We love our community. We miss our community. [We're] doing for our future generations to come. … I think we're just going to be hit with many, many storm events." (Reina Paul, [12:29])

• The process is swift but necessary to access disaster recovery funds and build during the short construction season.
• Climate Justice Program’s Cheryl Musgrove says it could serve as a model for faster community relocation in climate disaster situations:

  “They don't have decades. … you can rebuild someplace else if that's what they decide on a short timeline as the disaster recovery process.” (Cheryl Musgrove, [13:45])

---

4. Economic Revitalization at Ketchikan Shipyard

[14:56-19:01]

• New management by JAG Marine Group has nearly tripled business and job opportunities at Southeast Alaska's only major shipyard.
• General manager Bergen Wheeler notes 70% rehiring of past employees, with plans for further expansion:

  “So all of those opportunities are our growth and I've seen that change since we've gone into this new operator.” (Bergen Wheeler, [16:03])

• Local economic impacts highlighted by increased employment and infrastructure improvements.
• Community leaders expect shipyard growth to boost local revenue and economic stability.

---

5. Herbert Glacier Cabin Project Canceled Amidst Mining Controversy

[19:01-21:00]

• The US Forest Service canceled plans for a new public-use cabin near Juneau’s Herbert Glacier, citing difficult terrain and limited staff.
• Many locals suspect the decision is tied to nearby mining interests.
• The agency stands by its official reasons:

  "The proposed cabin site's elevation, distance from the trail, design requirements ... all add to the complexity of that cabin project." (Paul Robbins, Tongass National Forest, [19:42-19:51])

• The project was part of a larger planned expansion of public cabins in Alaska.

---

6. Sitka’s Timber Experiment: Building with Local Young Growth

[21:00-26:54]

• Sitka is building an innovative outdoor learning shelter at Pacific High School using young growth Sitka spruce logged and milled locally—a shift from reliance on imported lumber.
• Brett Martin of Alaska Timber and Truss explains the significance:

  “It's going to be around for decades, if not longer ... It'll be the first of its kind.” (Brett Martin, [22:26])

• The timber is sourced from nearby Mitkoff Island; it's kiln-dried after air drying, and the project aims to support sustainable forestry and local jobs.
• Sitka Conservation Society’s Andrew Tomes describes the challenge and opportunity in transitioning to young growth forestry:

  “There's places that we should protect and not touch ... There's areas where we have to figure out how do we do timber harvest and rotational forestry.” (Andrew Tomes, [24:08]) “We're using this lumber resource here in our state rather than exporting a bunch of round logs to China.” (Andrew Tomes, [26:07])

• Principal Matt Groen links the shelter to experiential learning:

  “We not just read about a concept but we actually go out and get to the field.” (Matt Groen, [24:49])

• The project is a model for sustainable, community-based economic development in rural Alaska.

---

Notable Quotes

• "Trust that has been built since World War II has been eroded and degraded. We need to work to rebuild that trust."
  — Senator Lisa Murkowski, on US-Greenland relations ([01:52])
• "It stabilizes the ups and downs of oil and so it stabilizes your fiscal. That's what this is about."
  — Governor Mike Dunleavy, on proposed sales tax ([05:08])
• "You cannot do broad based taxes or any significant measures without ... having the general public somewhat in alignment."
  — Governor Mike Dunleavy ([05:52])
• "It's going to be around for decades, if not longer ... It'll be the first of its kind."
  — Brett Martin, Alaska Timber and Truss ([22:26])
• "We're using this lumber resource here in our state rather than exporting a bunch of round logs to China."
  — Andrew Tomes, Sitka Conservation Society ([26:07])

---

Memorable Moments by Timestamp

• Sales Tax Pushback: Complete lack of public support during House Finance Committee hearing ([05:19])
• Governor Open to Slower Tax Timeline: “Take more time on the taxes. I'm all in on that.” ([06:19])
• Kipnuk’s Swift Relocation Vote: Complex logistics as a model for other climate-impacted communities ([13:45])
• Sitka Timber Delivery: Ride-along scene with locally milled boards for school project ([21:34])
• Shipyard Transformation: 175 employees under new management, up from fewer than 20 ([16:51])

---

Episode Structure & Flow

• Statewide headlines: High-level updates introducing major stories.
• Deep dive into fiscal policy: Extended, detailed analysis of Governor Dunleavy’s budget plan and its legislative prospects, with real public and lawmaker voices.
• Community resilience: Kipnuk’s storm recovery choices foreground the realities of climate adaptation in rural Alaska.
• Economic growth in Ketchikan: Narrative shows practical impacts of business changes.
• Public land and resource dispute: The Herbert Glacier cabin debate illustrates intersection of recreation, industry, and bureaucratic challenge.
• Sitka project: Uplifting look at innovation in local education and sustainable industry.

---

This episode provides a window into the fiscal, environmental, and community challenges—and opportunities—that define Alaska’s current moment, with a focus on candid legislative debates, grassroots resilience, and creative solutions in education and the economy.

Transcript

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

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. Take more time on the taxes. I'm all in on that. Let's get the first several components in law.

[Lori Townsend]

Governor Dunleavy's proposed sales tax takes heat from state lawmakers and the public from Alaska. Welcome back to Public Media. This is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Monday, February 9th. Good evening. I'm Lori Townsend. Also tonight, Kipnuk residents vote on whether to relocate.

[Liz Ruskin]

We miss our community. We're doing for our future generations to come.

[Lori Townsend]

Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

Hi, I'm Avery Elphelt, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media, khns, where I work in Haines and other public radio stations in Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Aleutians. It allows us to connect you with the issues happening in communities all across the state. You can hear our stories during the morning news on Alaska News Nightly or [e-mail] the Alaska Desk is only possible.

[Liz Ruskin]

With the support of grants and listeners like you.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

Thank you.

[Lori Townsend]

Senator Lisa Murkowski returned from a three day trip to Greenland today. She was the sole Republican among four senators who took the trip to try to repair the relationship with the Danish territory after President Trump's repeated threats to acquire the island. Alaska Public Media Washington correspondent Liz Ruskin reports.

[Liz Ruskin]

Murkowski said she felt terrible for the anxiety her country inflicted on an ally in just a few sentences and words. Trust that has been built since World War II has been eroded and degraded. We need to work to rebuild that trust. Murkowski spoke to reporters in Nuuk, Greenland's capital. The trip was part of her initiative to bolster what she calls a trans Arctic Alliance. She was part of another congressional trip to Denmark a few weeks ago. The Greenland crisis seemed to abate last month when Trump backed off threats to take the Danish territory through military force. But the visiting senators were asked if they could guarantee the president wouldn't change his mind.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

The answer is no.

[Liz Ruskin]

Independent Senator Angus King of Maine led the delegation.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

We can only exert our role as a separate and co equal branch of government. But we can't guarantee what the president may or may not do tomorrow, let alone two months from now.

[Liz Ruskin]

Murkowski says Congress will stand up for Greenland if necessary. But I will also speak to the fact that there are some members of my party who don't want to be seen as engaging in anything that might be viewed as contrary to President Trump's initiative or desire. And so who may not be speaking out publicly, she says in private conversations. Republican colleagues have assured her they won't allow Trump to seize or control Greenland. Murkowski says she'll encourage them to be more vocal because respecting NATO allies, she says, shouldn't be a partisan issue. Reporting from Washington, I'm Liz Ruskin.

[Lori Townsend]

Governor Mike Dunleavy's fiscal plan is taking a beating as lawmakers and the public take a closer look at the proposal. Last week, dozen dozens of Alaskans called into a hearing to voice their particular displeasure with the governor's proposal to institute a statewide sales tax. Now the governor is changing course a bit. Alaska Public Media State government reporter Eric Stone spoke with Dunleavy about the future of his plan on Friday and joins us now to tell us what he learned. Hi, Eric.

[Eric Stone]

Hi, Laurie.

[Lori Townsend]

So what did Governor Dunleavy have to say?

[Eric Stone]

All right. So Laurie, we've heard Governor Dunleavy talk a lot about the goals of his plan. He wants to make the budget less prone to wild swings in revenue and spending. But, you know, there are a lot of different ways to raise state money. So I wanted to give the governor a chance to explain why he settled on a sales tax as the centerpiece of the effort to raise revenue. And Dunleavy put forward a couple of arguments. First of all, when economists looked at the options the state has, they found that a sales tax, and especially one with a higher rate in the summer, brings in more revenue from non residents than some other options. Another argument is that the sales tax is countercyclical. That is to say, when gas prices are low and the money the state makes off of oil is low, people might be more willing to travel, spend money in Alaska. That's the idea.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

It stabilizes the ups and downs of oil and so it stabilizes your fiscal. That's what this is about.

[Lori Townsend]

What do Alaskans think about the sales tax idea?

[Eric Stone]

I gotta say, Lori, people really hate this tax plan. I was speaking to Dunleavy a day after dozens of people called into the House Finance Committee to urge lawmakers to reject sales tax. They heard from people from Wasilla to Kodiak to Tuksuk Bay and no one voiced their support for the idea. House Speaker Bryce Edgman at Dillingham Independent says his goal this year is basically to get the conversation started. He wants Alaskans to understand that the state spends more money than it brings in in revenue. And he says it'll probably take at least a couple of years to get folks on board with the idea that, you know, they might need to pay taxes to keep the state functioning.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

You cannot do broad based taxes or any significant measures without number one, having the general public somewhat in alignment.

[Eric Stone]

Of course, putting it off till next year or you know, some other unknown future date means that legislators would be working with a new governor since dunleavy is term limited and can't run again in November. So I asked Dunleavy about that. The, you know, the idea that any tax is unlikely to pass this year. And you know, here's what he said.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

Let's all agree, take more time on the taxes. I'm all in on that. Let's get the first several components in law and a constitutional amendment sent out to the people of Alaska.

[Eric Stone]

So fine, don't pass the taxes, but pass everything else. Now that's also a tough task with a legislature that frequently clashes with Dunleavy and Eric.

[Lori Townsend]

Why is that? What else is Dunleavy proposing?

[Eric Stone]

Okay, so it's a little in the weeds, but here's sort of a basic rundown. There are a few different proposals seeking to limit government spending and also rework the permanent fund and the dividend. One important part of it is a stricter spending cap in state law. It would limit the growth of government spending to 1% a year that is not adjusted for inflation. Another element of the plan is a proposed amendment to the state constitution related to the permanent fund and dividends. I'll give you some quick background here. So since 2018, the state has relied on the permanent fund to fund government. They draw down 5% of the fund's value every year. It's the single largest source of state revenue, has been for a few years. Dunleavy's plan puts that 5% draw in the constitution so that future legislatures can't overspend the permanent fund. But the really controversial part of this amendment is that Dunleavy's plan dedicates half of the 5% annual draw to PFDS. And for the coming fiscal year, that would cost roughly $2 billion. Dunleavy says that if lawmakers pass those two and you know, a couple other measures making up the plan, it'll help build trust with voters who also are your potential taxpayers. They'll trust that the government would be careful with their money.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

Once you put in rules to control the spending, the spending, if you need it, will then make sense to Alaskans and it can be controlled.

[Eric Stone]

And Dunleavy cast this as like the last chance to get these sort of things passed. He actually tried to bet me $500 that these kinds of things would not pass next year with a new governor, I can't bet on the news even if I wanted to, so I had to respectfully decline.

[Lori Townsend]

Well, I'm glad that you did. And Eric, what's your sense? Are lawmakers open to that?

[Eric Stone]

Well, they have some serious reservations even without the tax plan. You know, the tax plan is obviously the most controversial part of Dunleavy's fiscal plan. But even after you take that out, the parts that are left are still incredibly controversial. The House and Senate leadership are saying things that sound open minded. House Speaker Bryce Edgman told me that, you know, if the governor wants to sit down with legislative leaders, maybe they can make something happen. But, you know, he's skeptical right now. Here's what he said about the spending cap, for example.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

We have so many needs on the operating side of the budget, the capital side of the budget, that to limit to a 1% increase going forward into time, assuming we continue to grow as a state, bring more residents in that make everything more expensive. That seems unrealistic.

[Eric Stone]

And the permanent fund constitutional amendment, which would, you know, require a bipartisan supermajority in the House and the Senate and then the approval of Alaska voters. That is facing a lot of skepticism even from within Dunleavy's own party. And here's minority representative Will Stapp. He's a Fairbanks Republican. He's speaking at a finance committee meeting last week.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

I fail to see how enshrining a liability that outstrips the amount of revenue I'm raising in taxation creates anything but more instability and a need for more taxes.

[Eric Stone]

At the same time, though, I'm not hearing much of a plan from the legislature. You know, they all basically all seem content to wait for the next governor. So that leaves us for now in a holding pattern, barring a massive swing in oil prices. When it's all said and done, we'll probably see another pretty austere budget, some low cap spending, and probably another low pfd.

[Lori Townsend]

All right, Eric, thanks so much for helping us better understand the work that's in front of the legislature and how they may be considering it.

[Eric Stone]

Always a pleasure. Thanks for having me.

[Lori Townsend]

That was Alaska Public Media's Eric Stone, state government reporter based in Juneau. Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, using Tongass timber for a local schools project in Sitka.

[Joseph Fields]

We're using this lumber resource here in our state rather than exporting a bunch of round logs to China.

[Lori Townsend]

That's ahead. Stay with us.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

I'm Shelby Herbert, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media and kuac, where I work in Fairbanks, and other public radio stations in Anchorage Haines and the Allusions. It allows us to connect to the issues happening in communities all across the state. You can hear our stories during the morning news, Alaska News Nightly or [e-mail] the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Lori Townsend]

Kipnuk was one of the Yukon Kuskokwim villages hit hardest by the remnants of Typhoon Halong in October. This week, residents are starting to vote on whether they want to rebuild their community or relocate to higher ground. As Alaska Desk's Ilona Nydin reports, leaders say it's a swift but necessary step in a complicated process that will define the future of the village.

[Reina Paul]

Reina Paul sits in an Anchorage office, scrolling through a spreadsheet filled with hundreds of names of Kipnik tribal members and their phone numbers.

[Liz Ruskin]

We're just like on A's.

[Reina Paul]

Paul is Kipnik's environmental director, and she's in charge of the village's voting process. Over the next several days, she and her team will call every single adult tribal member that's about 900 people and ask them a pressing do they want to rebuild the village in its current location or move to higher grounds?

[Liz Ruskin]

I think it's very important for us to find out what the tribal members from Kipnik want to do so we can continue trying to move forward in applying for funding to do this, too, because we're always on a timeline.

[Reina Paul]

Last fall's disastrous winds and flooding, destroyed homes and infrastructure, and contaminated land and water. Most of Kipnik's residents remain evacuated in Bethel or Anchorage, including Paul. She says she wants the future Kipnik to be safe.

[Liz Ruskin]

We love our community. We miss our community doing for our future generations to come because they might not know what to do when this happens again. I think we're just going to be hit with many, many storm events.

[Reina Paul]

The first community meeting about whether to relocate happened about a week ago. The decision to start voting followed swiftly. Cheryl Musgrove directs the Climate Justice Program under the Alaska Institute for Justice and is assisting the village in the process. She says the village needs to act fast to make the most of both the short construction season and the available funding for disaster recovery.

[Liz Ruskin]

Seems fast, but we're four months out from the disaster, and so I think the tribe just needs to know which direction they're going so that they can put their efforts into following the path forward that they determine is the best path for them.

[Reina Paul]

Musgrove says that while the relocation of another village in the region, Newtok, took decades, she hopes Kipnik and Kuigalingag can be examples of how to move through this process faster. The fall storm also destroyed much of Kwigalingog and residents have already voted to relocate.

[Liz Ruskin]

They don't have decades. They need to do it immediately. So that's my hope is that they can show other communities that are going to be faced with this in the future that you can rebuild someplace else if that's what they decide on a short timeline as the disaster recovery process.

[Reina Paul]

Right now, Kipnik leadership is looking at two sites for relocation. They are both between the village and Chufornek, in the area of a historical settlement called Chiching. Both spots are located on higher ground, one close to the ocean and the second one further inland. The village would have to work with Chiformit Corporation and U.S. fish and Wildlife Service to obtain ownership during the voting process. Paul and her team of four are also asking residents if they want to suggest any other sites for relocation. She says they hope to reach all tribal members within a week.

[Liz Ruskin]

It's hard, but it's doable, paul says.

[Reina Paul]

She's unsure how long the process will actually take and when the results will be announced. In Anchorage, I'm Alona Knighton.

[Lori Townsend]

Employees at Southeast Alaska's only major shipyard have been busy since a new operator took charge of the state owned facility last fall. That's because the switchover came with increases to both business volume and job opportunities. KRBD's Hunter Morrison recently dropped by the Ketchikan shipyard to see what's new and has the story.

[Hunter Morrison]

On a recent sunny afternoon, shipyard general manager Bergen Wheeler walks alongside the hull of the large NOAA Okeanos Explorer. The vessel just completed a series of expeditions in the South Pacific and shipyard workers are busy fixing it up.

[Lori Townsend]

Hi Mike, how you doing man?

[Joseph Fields]

Good.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

We'll chat to chat later. I have a tour then I have a 2 o'. Clock. So good seeing you though.

[Hunter Morrison]

This is just one employee interaction since Jack Marine Group took over the facility in September, Wheeler says the company has rehired nearly 70% of employees who worked under the shipyard's previous operator, Vigor. That's in addition to seeking out a diversified client base.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

So all of those opportunities are our growth and I've seen that change since we've gone into this new operator.

[Hunter Morrison]

Alaska's state development agency, ada, ended a two decade partnership with Vigor last year. The citing poor performance to, quote, fully utilize all of the shipyard's economic capabilities. Vigor could not immediately be reached for comment, but according to Ada's website, Vigor employed about 100 people before last year. That dwindled to less than 20 when the company demobilized last year. Wheeler says under Jag's leadership, the shipyard employs about 175 people. And he says the facility will bring in more employees this fall for work on another NOAA vessel.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

You know, it is, it's a lot of economic driving assets that'll be brought here to Ketchikan with that increase of jobs, and that will be on top of all of our current and typical jobs that we go after and pursue as well.

[Hunter Morrison]

According to ada's website, business volume under the new company is expected to, quote, increase exponentially. At a Ketchikan City Council meeting in January, Wheeler said their projected business is nearly three times what it in the last five years. He also said that JAG aggressively targets a much broader spectrum of clients. Joseph Fields has worked under both companies at the shipyard before JAG took over. He recalls working almost exclusively on Alaska Marine highway vessels.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

It's a nice change. I mean, you get tired of working on the blue canoes.

[Hunter Morrison]

And it's not just vessel maintenance the shipyard is working on. Wheeler says JAG has led repairs around the shipyard itself, including updates on a transfer slab that boats travel over. He says the company is also looking into job shadowing and mentorship opportunities for people entering the job market. According to Wheeler, more than half of JAG Ketchikan's employees are Alaskan, including him. He says the shipyard's growth will not only bring new workers to Ketchikan, but but will keep local workers in Ketchikan.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

We really look forward to, you know, just this continued success here at the Ketchikan shipyard and seeing where, where we can go and how we can grow from there.

[Hunter Morrison]

JAG also bought the former Trident bunkhouse in Ketchikan to provide short term housing for shipyard employees. And while he says there will be a future need for additional housing, Ketchikan City Mayor Bob Sivertson said in an email that growth at the shipyard will lead to increases in shopping and that bring revenue and stability to our community. Vice Mayor Judy Zinge also said via email that the recent takeover of the shipyard will be great for our community as well as the economy of Southeast Alaska. Reporting in Ketchikan, I'm Hunter Morrison.

[Lori Townsend]

After proposing to build a new cabin near Juneau's Herbert Glacier, the US Forest Service released a draft decision last month abandoning it. The cabin site was initially selected due to public interest. It would have been built within a mining claim block across the river from the proposed New Amelga gold mine owned by Grand Portage Resources. The Forest Service approved exploratory drilling at New Amalga in April. But Paul Robbins, a public affairs officer for Tongass National Forest, says the decision is unrelated to mining interests. He says it has to do with the challenging location and limited staff capacity. This comes after the agency lost a third of its staff in Alaska last year.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

The proposed cabin sites, elevation, distance from.

[Joseph Fields]

The trail, design requirements and the need.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

To move materials through difficult terrain all.

[Joseph Fields]

Add to the complexity of that cabin.

[Lori Townsend]

Project, he says the agency's landscape architects and engineers could be overwhelmed with work. But Juneau residents submitted public comments saying they don't believe those reasons are genuine. Staff from the Alaska Miners association and Grand Portage submitted comments to the agency before the draft decision saying that building a cabin near the proposed mine could lead to disputes over how the land is used. Herbert Glacier Cabin would have been part of the Forest Service's biggest public use cabin expansion plan in 50 years. The project proposed to bring around 25 new cabins to the Chugach and Tongass national forests, including five in Juneau. Robin says canceling this one won't affect the others, and he says the Forest Service plans to move forward with rerouting part of Herbert Glacier Trail and building a scenic overlook there instead. Robin says even though there is a lot of public support for building the Herbert Glacier cabin, the agency is unlikely to change course only because our decision.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

Was based on the complexity and capacity, not not on whether or not the site was popular.

[Joseph Fields]

We know the site is popular.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

That's why we wanted to initially build a cabin there.

[Lori Townsend]

A public comment period to object to the cancellation closes on March 9th. A load of young growth lumber harvested from the Tongass National Forest boarded the Kennecott Ferry from Petersburg to Sitka late last month. Its final destination? An outdoor learning shelter being constructed behind Pacific High School. KCAW's Hope McKinney rode with the shipment from the ferry terminal to the construction site and has this report.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

If you want to ride in, you're more than welcome to it's not the best ride in town, but I climb.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

Up in into the large white flatbed truck, its loud diesel engine roaring around me. The bed is stacked with hundreds of young growth Sitka spruce boards harvested from Mitkoff island in the Tongass National Forest.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

But I think there's about three and a half to 4,000ft on the, on the truck right now.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

Brett Martin co owns Alaska Timber and Truss in Petersburg, but his home base is Sitka. The company aims to provide local lumber for southeast and south central Alaska. Martin says this is the second batch of lumber shipped to Sitka on the ferry for this project. To get it ready, they let the spruce air dry for a year after harvest before it went into the kiln to dehydrate for about six more days. Martin says it's exciting to be part of this build.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

It's going to be around for decades, if not longer. You know, I mean, it may be just like one of the houses around here, the bishop's house or somebody else's, you know, that's, that's going to be here for a century or more, you know, because they take care of it and it'll be, you know, a start. It'll be the first of its kind. I don't know of anybody else that have focused on building a big timber structure like that here in Alaska.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

We park at the construction site behind Pacific High School. I exit the truck and watch as a large forklift begins to lift loads of lumber off the flatbed and places them next to the frame of a building they'll see add a roof to. Andrew Tomes stands nearby, his two schnauzers by his side. Tomes is the executive director of the Sitka Conservation Society, a collaborator on the project.

[Joseph Fields]

These boards come from some of the first timber sales that are young growth timber sales. And it's a mill that's experimenting with how we can use that resource, what we can build with it, what we can manufacture with it and how we use it here in construction in southeast Alaska.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

About a decade ago, the U.S. forest Service amended the Tongass Timber Management Plan to transition timber harvesting from predominantly old growth to young growth over a 16 year period in an effort to preserve the ecosystem and support habitat restoration. Young growth timber is wood harvested from forests that have naturally regrown in areas previously logged. The trees are around 50 years old as opposed to old growth, which can be hundreds. Tomes says figuring out how to do sustainable timber management is a key part of the work they do at the Conservation Society on the Tongass.

[Joseph Fields]

There's places that we should protect and not touch. There's places we should leave alone because they produce salmon for our fisheries. There's places that are important for wildlife and there's areas where we have to figure out how do we do timber harvest and rotational forestry.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

And that's where the learning shelter comes in. Tomes says this this project shows the potential for local timber to support community development. Once completed, it will be a 24x30 foot open air learning pavilion with hefty beams and roofing milled from young growth timber. Pacific High Principal Matt Groen says the learning shelter has been a decade in the making and is rooted in the school's experiential place based style of learning.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

We have about two two hour classes a day for eight week sessions and the reason for those extended class times are to provide meaningful hands on experiences for students where we not just read about a concept but we actually go out and get to the field.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

Groen says the shelter will be used as an outdoor classroom and a place for students to work with vegetables grown in the garden and greenhouse and learn about processing wild foods like deer and salmon.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

Whether that is on a sunny day or a rainy day. We have a guest speaker. We can go out there if we have like a kind of hands on project. We don't have to be doing that work inside classrooms and now we have a clear designated space where we can immediately access that, which I mean saves our teachers hours of additional prep work and so those additional hours then can be used for providing even more meaningful experiences.

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

And while students will be using the space to learn local skills like deer processing, it's noteworthy that they'll be doing it under a shelter made from local timber. Lumber for construction in Southeast Alaska is typically barged up from the lower 48 or Canada. Tomes says this local supply helps save on costs of shipping, materials and construction. It also supports milling and logging jobs within the state and connects local wood products to Alaska markets.

[Joseph Fields]

This wood comes from Metcoff island which is, you know, 150 miles away from us. And we're not in importing this lumber from the Lower 48, the Pacific Northwest or the southeastern United States. And we're using this lumber resource here in our state rather than exporting a bunch of round logs to China. So this is all part of how do we make sustainable communities, how do we create a robust economy here in Southeast Alaska and how do we build with resources that come from our place?

[Alaska Desk Reporters (Avery Elphelt, Shelby Herbert, Hope McKinney)]

Tomes says many partners have been involved in laying the foundation for this year's long project. They hope to finish up the shelter by this spring. Reporting in sitka, I'm Hope McKinney.

[Lori Townsend]

And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. If you missed any of tonight's stories, we're [e-mail] and wherever you get your podcasts we had reports tonight from Liz Ruskin in Washington, D.C. eric Stone and Alex Solomon in Juneau, Alona Knyden in Anchorage, Hunter Morrison in ketchikan and Hope McKenney in Sitka. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email us newslaskapublic.org Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Kristen Dobrath is our producer. And I'm Lori Townsend. Good night.

[Governor Mike Dunleavy]

This is statewide news on Alaska Public Media.