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…
Southeast
Sealaska Lands Bill Part 5 – Future Sites
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…
Sealaska Lands Bill Part 4 – Enviro Opponents
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…
Sealaska Lands Bill Part 3 – Sacred Sites
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.
Sealaska Lands Bill Part 2 – Timber Industry
If the Sealaska lands bill doesn’t clear Congress, the corporation says it could be forced to shutter its Southeast timber operations in three years. Many industry insiders say those operations are pivotal in keeping Southeast’s remaining mills and loggers working. Some say they’d also like to see Sealaska mill more of the trees it cuts…
Sealaska Lands Bill Part 1 – Why?
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…