HAINES — They’ve come from Hoonah and Petersburg, Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, and more. On Tuesday, community, government and business leaders gathered at the fairgrounds here for a meeting that may shape the future of Alaska Marine Highway System.
Southeast Conference is an organization of business, community and government leaders formed in 1958 to advocate the creation of a state ferry system. After the Alaska Marine Highway System began sailing, its mission switched to a more general one: advocating for the interests of Southeast residents.
Now, it’s returned to its roots. On Wednesday, the second day of the three-day gathering here, Southeast Conference managers will discuss their draft plan for reforming the ferry system into a public corporation.
There’s plenty else on the agenda, too, but the ferries that link Southeast communities are at the top of the list.
“I think so, because of the importance of the ferry system and the crisis it is in,” said Southeast Conference executive director Robert Venables. “While all of these causes are important, the health of the ferry system is paramount.”
On Tuesday, with the main course of the conference still to come, attendees put their attention on appetizers worthy of discussion.
Matt Eisenhower, who manages Ketchikan’s hospital, talked about opioid addiction across Southeast.
“If you own a business in this room, you will probably lose one employee to lack of function in the next five years because of this,” he said. “It’s huge and it needs attention.”
Tourism, mining and timber experts each talked about the state of their respective industries.
Deantha Crockett, head of the Alaska Miners’ Association, and Liz Cornejo, of Constantine Metals, discussed the latest exploratory drilling at the Palmer Prospect northwest of Haines, near the Canadian border.
“We drilled more this summer than we ever have before,” Cornejo said.
After spending $7 million, the results were promising.
“We found a lot of shiny rocks and put them in a box, and that’s always exciting as a geologist,” she said.
Ralph Samuels, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate turned Holland America Vice President, told attendees that for cruise lines, “the industry has been booming lately, and Alaska’s booming right now.”
Bryce Dahlstrom of Viking Lumber in Klawock offered a downbeat note. After Meilani Schijvens of Rain Coast Data presented economic figures showing the decline of the timber industry in Southeast, Dahlstrom offered an analogy.
Dahlstrom manages the last significant lumber mill in Southeast Alaska.
“Imagine standing up here and the last captain of the last seafood boat working in Southeast,” he said. “It’s like losing the whole seafood industry … in 27 years.”
Anthony Mallott of Sealaska was among the speakers, as were state economic development specialists. Transportation discussions will come Wednesday, and energy will be a topic Thursday morning.
“I’ve been to a lot of conferences. This is one of the most well-balanced, informative, and it’s only the first day,” said former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski as he spoke Tuesday.
Venables said the meeting — always held away from Juneau, since a second meeting always takes place in Juneau during the Legislative session — gives attendees a chance to learn from each other, as well as from the speakers.
“We don’t have the staff and resources in the office. That’s not what Southeast Conference is,” Venables said. “We bring them together to look at the causes and issues of the day.”
• Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com or call 523-2258.
Ralph Samuels speaks to attendees of the Southeast Conference annual meeting Sept. 19, 2017 in Haines, Alaska. (James Brooks | Juneau Empire)
