There were more questions than answers at last night’s community meeting with representatives from the University of Alaska. The University continues negotiations with a contractor for their timber on land in the Haines borough. Area resource manager Patrick Kelly is retiring this month. He will pass the project to Laura Carmack and Elaine Main. KHNS sat in on the meeting to learn more.
The Walls of the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall are decked with maps of land owned by the university of Alaska. The hall’s red vinyl chairs fill up with about 50 curious or concerned residents.
Laura Carmack has been in the land management office for 16 years. She will be the new area resource manager. She thanked people for attending. “It was definitely worth the trip to come here,” she said.
Carmack opened the floor to questions and concerns about the pending timber sale. Haines resident Patty Brown wanted to know if the contractor would commit to local hiring and how the land will be managed, especially around riparian zones.
“Who gets the last say?” Brown asked. “If you do it right, it can sustain you forever. If you do it wrong its over.”
The future contractor will decide how to manage logging. University representatives say that the potential contractor is open to local hiring. The terms of the timber sale are confidential until the contract is final.
Morgan Howard is the liaison for the University of Alaska Land Management Office. “We have questions about trails, we have questions about access to the lands, the roads, what how does the community relationship with the contractor. These are all really good questions, questions I would have if I lived here.”
Until the sale is negotiated however, there aren’t many answers.
“Most questions are about what will take place in the future and we just don’t know,” Howard said.
Exiting area manager Patrick Kelly says suggestions and input from the Haines community will be represented in the final contract. “We drive the bus on all negotiations. It’s our property. We are the ones who determine the terms and conditions…we have the final say on what we want.”
Some of the comments suggested alternatives to logging. Elsa Sebastian is the executive director of Lynn Canal Conservation.
“If the office doesn’t have time to consider the options and predominantly has experience with timber sales…we can assume that’s the direction things will go,” Sebastian said. “So these forums feel exciting in some ways because we get to imagine what is possible on these lands, but in a another way we kind of realize that it’s a somewhat futile process.”
University representatives took notes on all comments. But what that means for community input is unclear. Business manager Elaine Maine says her office is collecting the input but doesn’t have a plan for how to use it yet.
“I don’t know. That’s a good question. That’s something we still have to figure out. We’re still getting so much input and so much information. Sorry. I don’t know,” she said.
The university representatives plan to return in March.
To follow up, contribute feedback or ask questions go to http://ualandhaines.com/