I am writing to say that I think the State of Alaska’s Cascade Point Terminal is a bad idea.
But first I want to tell you about my experience with Echo Cove and Berners Bay, where the terminal would be built.
My first experience with Echo Cove and Berners Bay was in 1973 when we built the Kowee River bridge just before Echo Cove. Then we built the Echo Cove access road and campground, the first phase.
In about 2002 we opened the Echo Cove gravel pit above Echo Cove as well as logged about 2 million board feet of timber from Goldbelt’s land. In 2004-2005 we built the first phase of the last three miles of state road to Cascade Point, which ended at Goldbelt’s land where we built the existing landing for loading our barges with aggregate and process rock.
We obtained a core permit which we transferred to Goldbelt. We did much of this work during the winter, all the logs were trucked to downtown Juneau where they were loaded onto a log ship at the old Foss ramp. In 2005 we also started working on Kensington Mine Reconstruction of their access road from Slate Cove to the mine site, as well as logged the road right of way and mill site.
The logs were loaded onto our barge in November, December and barged to Viking Lumber in Klawock. While doing this work our crew was transported daily from Echo Cove to Slate Creek, weather permitting. Because we did much of this work in the winter months, we experienced a lot of bad weather conditions in Echo Cove, Cascade Creek and Berners Bay.
I can tell you it gets extremely windy and rough in all these places. It’s not just wind, the North wind blows. Southeast wind comes straight out of Echo Cove’s lot straight into Cascade Point where the proposed ferry landing, even though it’s a short distance from one place to the other. It builds four to five foot swells fast.
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, the North wind does not blow by Point St. Mary’s, it hooks around, and there is a big swell that beats on the beach at Cascade Point! Yes, there are calm days like there are in most places, but when it’s blowing, the place takes a beating and it’s not once a year, it’s quite often, especially in fall and winter.
Snow on the roads in this area is usually significantly more than in Juneau. We hauled logs in December, January and February. We had over eight feet where we logged, and the highway had between four to five plowed to the sides.
If the State of Alaska continues with the Cascade Point Terminal, I can’t figure out how it’s economically a good idea. The first phase of over $20 million is just a start. The ferry terminal is going to be another $20 million, then they will have to improve Glacier Highway from Bessie Creek out because it’s a chip seal surface that’s failing and doesn’t meet Federal Highway standards. There is no power, water, sewage or even winter road maintenance the last 12 miles.
It doesn’t seem like a good idea just to cut off a few miles of boat time. Because there is no power, I would assume there would have to be a diesel power plant, and probably a watchman caretaker on site as well, another expense.
After seeing all the other silly, expensive, dumb ideas, there are a couple that no one seems to talk about: One outside Petersburg, the other at Coffman Cove. Very nice, expensive facilities were never used, nor have they been used. Is there ever accountability for these huge expenditures?
William Tonsgard Jr. is the president and owner of Channel Construction, Inc.
