Flood Preparedness open house at Thunder Mountain Middle School on June 9. Photo by News of the North.
NOTN- Juneau residents had the opportunity to learn more about preparing for this year’s glacial lake outburst flood at a community open house last night.
The City and Borough of Juneau, along with emergency response partners, hosted the event at Thunder Mountain Middle School. Representatives from local, state and federal agencies were on hand to answer questions about flood preparedness, response efforts, volunteer opportunities and available resources.
“We’re grateful for our partners and everyone who came out.” Said CBJ Emergency Programs Manager Ryan O’Shaughnessy, “I think the message that I’d like to share with everyone is that it’s never too early to start preparing for these kinds of events. Suicide Basin, the last several years has become totally full before its release. It’s important to remember that we can go from ready to go and totally skip a step at any point, so we’d like to encourage folks to have a plan, have a go bag, and know what their emergency response plan looks like for themselves.”
Participating organizations included Tlingit and Haida, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Weather Service, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the American Red Cross and the University of Alaska Southeast.
“We’ll have more events on July 11th over at the Diamond Park Field House, that’ll be from 11 to 3, and we’ll be doing community training on how to fill sandbags, how to stack your sandbags, and we’ll also be working with some community partners to distribute and pass out filled sandbags for folks that might need that level of assistance.” O’Shaughnessy said, “We’ll have more sandbag filling opportunities on the 18th and 25th, but we’re really looking forward to that July 11th meeting where people can hear from more experts, and also get those sandbag resources.”
Residents who could not attend can find more information online, by email, or through the city’s ongoing flood preparedness updates found at #ReportfromtheRiver.
Children’s bicycles are parked outside of the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living in Fairbanks, Alaska on September 14, 2023. (Photo by Claire Stremple for the Alaska Beacon)
Alaska dropped seven places to rank 47th in the nation in overall child well-being, according to a nationally recognized survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Advocates say the decline is troubling and reflects years of declining investment in Alaska children and families.
The scoring system is part of Kids Count data book, an analysis of all 50 states to gauge how children are faring across 16 indicators in four areas — economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. The latest score reflects outcomes over a five-year period from 2019 to 2024, to compare between states and against the baseline of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Alaska received an overall score of 385 out of 1,000.
Alaska’s overall score dropped 41 points since 2019, among the largest decline of any state in the nation.
“Dropping seven spots in a single year is not a data point — it’s a warning,” said Trevor Storrs, president and CEO of Alaska Children’s Trust, in a statement highlighting the survey. The non-profit advocacy group focuses on supporting Alaska children and families and preventing child abuse and neglect.
“We have been seeing year after year the overall trend of Alaska’s investment in children and families going down, and that is automatically going to result in less success or less thriving children and families,” Storrs said in an interview Monday. “So us not doing as well as other states is not a surprise, and dropping to 47th is a major step backwards.”
Alaska saw the steepest decline in education, where the state ranked 49th in the nation, just above New Mexico. In 2024, 78% of Alaska fourth graders were not proficient in reading, and 78% of eighth graders were not proficient in math, several points worse than 2019 levels. In the five year period, 64% of young children — ages 3 and 4 — were not in school. Among high schoolers, 22% did not graduate on time in 2024.
Alaska’s Kids Count index score produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation from 2015 to 2026. The score includes 16 indicators across four domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. (Screenshot of graphic by the Alaska Children’s Trust)
In economic well-being, Alaska ranked 48th in the nation. Thirteen percent of children were living in poverty in 2024, with no change since 2019. Roughly one third, or 34% of children’s parents lacked stable employment, up from 29% in 2019. Eleven percent of teens were not working and not in school.
In the health and family and community sectors, Alaskans fared slightly better — ranking 38th and 30th respectively. However, 31% of children and teens were overweight or obese, and 9% of children had no health insurance. Teen birth rates improved slightly to 15 per 100,000, but infant mortality rates and child death rates worsened over the five year period.
Alaska continues to have among the highest rate of youth suicide in the nation. In 2024, teen deaths by accident, homicide or suicide were nearly double the national average at a rate of 70 per 100,000.
Nationwide, challenges and progress were reflected across all states: 29 states saw overall declines, 15 states saw improvements and six states were stable, across the scoring system. Education outcomes remain the most concerning across the board, according to the Kids Count analysis – nearly every state, or 47 in total, saw declines in education since 2019, highlighting the pervasive impacts of the COVID-10 pandemic.
Storrs and Alaska education advocates across the state say state funding has failed to keep up with Alaska school districts’ needs, as costs increase and budget deficits have ballooned, resulting in severe budget cuts and the closure of 12 schools statewide this year.
“Our education isn’t doing poorly because of not the right teachers or not the right system, it is literally being strangled and deprived of the options that it needs to survive, and that is the funding,” Storrs said.
Storrs said that greater investments in Alaska’s schools alone won’t improve educational outcomes, as health and socio-economic factors greatly impact how a child shows up at school.
“Children and families live in an ecosystem, and we need to make sure all aspects are well maintained, because if one goes bad, it can and will impact. And we’re definitely seeing that the educational side is not doing so well, that’s definitely impacting so many areas of our state,” he said.
Storrs said despite the decline, recent policy investments in child care and broadened access and funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been beneficial, Storrs said, as well as legislation that passed this year to expand paid parental leave, increase funding for early intervention programs, and establish a mental health curriculum in schools.
An analysis by the Alaska Children’s Trust found that the state last year reduced funding levels for services and programs to specifically support Alaska children, youth and families by an estimated 21% compared to average funding levels from FY2014–2017, adjusted for inflation.
Storrs said the group is advocating for more funding “upstream” for support services, rather than “downstream” funding for things like corrections. Storrs pointed to the all-time high budget approved for the Alaska Department of Corrections this year.
He said the organization is also urging serious consideration and development of new state revenue measures that would provide funding for social services and support for families.
“It’s a warning that if we continue to do this, our numbers are only going to get worse,” Storrs said. “Our children and families are going to suffer, and we’re going to continue to see trends, not just in the sense of poor outcomes, but people leaving our state.”
As Alaska is headed into a major election year, set to vote on a new governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. House Representative and dozens of Alaska House and Senate members, Storrs said he hopes Alaskans will ask questions and push candidates to consider these complex issues, and investing in children and families.
“Kids make up about 25% of our population, but 100% of our future,” Storrs said.
City Hall packed with Juneau residents ready to testify on the FY27 budget, courtesy of CBJ
NOTN- The Juneau Assembly held an extensive meeting last night on the FY27 budget, it was also the last opportunity for public testimony.
During the meeting, city leaders moved ahead with a strained city budget that still trims popular services, including reduced funding for the Juneau Douglas City Museum, the closure of Mount Jumbo Gym, reduced funding for Travel Juneau and Jensen Olsen Arboretum.
It does however preserve both pools, the Diamond Park Fieldhouse and the Douglas Fire station.
Early in the evening officials approved a major change to the city’s sales tax code, raising the cap on single-item purchases to $50,000.
The final version also keeps a lower effective cap in place for most vehicle purchases.
“The situation that we find ourselves in is drastic.” Said Finance Chair Christine Woll, “If we pass the budget that we have put forward tonight, we will have passed a balanced budget, but only because we have eliminated all of our savings to do so. And next year we will look at a $7 million deficit that we will have not have savings to fill.”
Woll warned that without new revenue, the city could be forced to consider closing pools, Eaglecrest Ski Area, the city museum and other services next year.
The Assembly also passed separate measures to tax more onboard cruise ship sales, end a $30 online filing credit for businesses, and advanced debate on repealing a sales tax exemption for travel agent commissions, which small tour operators say would amount to double taxation.
Public testimony earlier in the meeting again targeted the planned $9 million demolition of Telephone Hill, with residents urging the Assembly to redirect that money to schools, housing and cultural institutions instead.
“I urge the assembly to take the $9 million that has been earmarked for the demolition and site work of Telephone Hill and diverted into something that the people want and need, that money belongs to the people of Juneau, and we should get a say in how it is used.” Said Joshua Adams.
Before passage of the FY 2027 budget, residents turned out in force to defend the Juneau‑Douglas City Museum.
“At a time when indigenous land acknowledgements are being removed from public places across the country, this assembly chooses to read one at the start of every meeting. By doing so, you honor a vital part of Juneau’s history, but we must ask ourselves, are we just talking the talk, or are we willing to walk the walk? Just as families cherish their history through heirlooms and photos, our community preserves our identity through the Juneau Douglas City Museum.” Said testifier Jean Mcbride.
Residents warned that deep staff cuts would “devastate” programs, erode public trust and jeopardize thousands of volunteer hours and donated artifacts.
“We’ve all been to the City Museum, and we all love the City Museum. Why in the dickens are you cutting half of its operating budget?” One testifier, Chuck Cohen said, “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a very small percentage of a very large budget, and we have to get rid of the main director of the museum and the person responsible for public participation, that’s public participation by our children and by ourselves. I think you folks are very short-sighted.”
An effort to fully restore museum funding failed.
“I know that it’s not a large amount. I don’t know how much of an impact it will have, but I don’t feel right asking the community to give up so much.” Said Assembly Member Nano Brooks.
Members “begrudgingly” as Woll put it, passed the roughly $545 million budget, but they still did not meet their goal to cut $2 million in costs.
“I don’t want to make this cut. I don’t, I believe everything everyone said about what the impact will be long term for the museum, even if we want to live in a world where we get to bring the City Museum back, the same thing’s going to happen with Travel Juneau and Eaglecrest, they are going to suffer for the cuts that we are, right now, planning on making to them.” Woll said, “Our fund balance right now is one bad sales tax quarter away from having no funds to deal with our expenses, let alone a major natural disaster or other disaster, and we live in an uncertain world, and that’s what our fund balance is for.”
In a separate 5-4 vote, the Assembly also rejected a to shift $360,000 in marine passenger fees away from security and restroom costs at two private cruise docks and into a seawalk expansion project.
Some members argued cruise companies already collect enough in dock fees to cover those services and said residents don’t understand why the city isn’t “getting more benefit from the industry”
The Assembly moved ahead with a lower property tax rate, the long-term capital improvement plan, and several flood and wastewater projects backed by state revolving fund loans.
“This ordinance sets the mill rate at 9.29” Said City Manager Katie Koester.
With flood season approaching, officials are inviting residents to a public flood preparedness open house tonight, as they weigh costly long‑term protections for riverfront neighborhoods.
Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City and Borough of Juneau, the National Weather Service and the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska will meet with residents at 6 p.m. at Thunder Mountain Middle School to discuss risks and answer questions.
Officials said they are moving ahead on a “midterm solution” while reinforcing existing defenses this year, but warned that conditions and plans continue to shift.
The city expects annual maintenance for temporary Hesco barriers could run $6 million to $12 million, a cost that could drop if sheet piling is installed as a stronger, permanent river reinforcement.
NOTN- City officials unveiled plans for the Jackie Renninger Park and invited the public to a Park Day over the weekend to review the design and give feedback.
Parks and Recreation Director Mark and Chris of Corvus Design say the plan fits many features into about five acres: eight pickleball courts, a covered street‑style skate park to replace an aging pipeline structure, the city’s first covered playground, a dog park, restrooms, a community gathering space for food carts and events, a loop fitness trail, a small multi‑use court, and disc golf.
“We’ve actually been working on the park design for about three years, starting off with a master planning effort and a pretty robust public involvement process. It’s a lot going into a five-acre park.” Said Chris.
Saturday’s open house, community barbecue and comment period aimed to explain the importance of recreation opportunities in what Mark called an underserved area of Juneau.
“It’s really big for quality of life for all of us here in Juneau to have those recreation spaces, those park spaces, but it’s also great for property values.” Mark said, “Getting people active and involved is better for health and better for the economy in lots of ways. When we look at the whole of Juneau, it’s pretty underserved in terms of parks, so we really want to spread parks all around our community.”
Pro skaters Kanten Russell and Brandon Turner also attended, leading an open skate and skate competition.
Chris and Mark say skilled concrete work and securing funding are the biggest challenges ahead.
Members of the Senate Finance Committee convene on the first day of a special legislative session on the proposed LNG gas line project on May 27, 2026. (Photo by Corinne Smith/Alaska Beacon)
The firm developing the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline has proposed limiting the price for natural gas sold through the pipeline to Alaskans.
If accepted by legislators, the limit would prevent the cost of gas from rising if the pipeline costs more than expected.
The new proposal from pipeline developer Glenfarne comes as the Alaska Legislature continues meeting in a 30-day special session, considering a major tax break to support the AKLNG pipeline project. That project aims to build an 807-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from the North Slope to Cook Inlet for export and in-state use.
A price cap could resolve one sticking point in negotiations over the proposed tax break, but with half of the special session gone, a variety of other issues remain unresolved.
Those include basic elements about the tax break, including its size and length, as well as how municipal governments will be compensated for the impacts of construction, which is expected to bring as many as 12,000 new workers to the state temporarily.
The House Finance Committee is expected to begin voting on possible solutions to those issues next week.
Natural gas is the primary fuel for home heating and electricity in Southcentral Alaska, but officials estimate that by the end of the decade, local production from gas fields beneath Cook Inlet will be insufficient to meet demand.
Prices are already rising, and several gas-import projects have been proposed. The AKLNG pipeline is another possible solution, but because the pipeline and supporting infrastructure are so large, the project would need to also sell gas overseas in order to offset costs.
If the pipeline is built but no exports take place — something that could happen if the pipeline costs more to build than expected — the Alaska Department of Revenue has estimated that AKLNG gas would be much more expensive than imported gas.
In legislative hearings, that risk has caused some lawmakers to question the project.
Speaking to the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, Glenfarne Alaska LNG president Adam Prestidge said the company is on the verge of finalizing a firm, 30-year contract with Enstar, the largest natural gas utility in Southcentral Alaska.
That fixed-price arrangement would guarantee natural gas at no more than $16 per MMBtu, a measurement of heat capacity.
If the pipeline costs more than expected, cost overruns would not be passed on to consumers, said John Sims, Enstar’s president, when speaking to the House Finance Committee on Monday.
“Enstar’s agreement has a fixed price, and Enstar does not care if the project goes over cost. It does not impact in any way, shape, or form the price that we would be charging customers as a fixed price,” he said.
Rep. Alyse Galvin, I-Anchorage, immediately responded to Sims’ comment.
“A lot of us are very excited to say, yes, I 1,000% support this, because I want to keep low prices,” she said.
Capped price would be cheaper than imported gas
The figure given by Prestidge is equivalent to about $16.59 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas, using a standard conversion. That is cheaper than the forecast price of imports.
Dan Stickel, chief economist for the Alaska Department of Revenue, told legislators in late May that the department’s estimate for the cost of imported gas in 2033 — AKLNG’s planned completion date — “came to about $17 per thousand cubic feet price range.”
Sims told legislators on Monday that Enstar currently expects a “total, all-in cost between $16-22” per thousand cubic feet for imported gas.
Enstar’s current cost of gas is $10.80 per thousand cubic feet, but that will rise in coming years as production declines in Cook Inlet.
The $16 per MMBtu figure is a maximum, Prestidge said. If the pipeline is developed according to plan, exports would subsidize the cost of in-state gas, dropping it as low as $5 per MMBtu, he said.
Glenfarne’s $16 figure could rise with inflation, Prestidge said, but it wouldn’t be affected by cost overruns on building the pipeline.
Prestidge told the Senate Finance Committee that Glenfarne is open to applying a price cap on gas sold to other utilities and industries that might use natural gas.
“Glenfarne is supportive of language being added to any property tax bill that prohibits cost overruns on the project from being borne by either the state or the regulated ratepayers who are buying gas off the pipeline,” he said.
While a final deal between AKLNG and utilities is subject to approval by regulators, a price cap would directly address legislators’ concerns about affordability.
“I think putting that (cap) in a bill would provide a ton of reassurance, because it substantially mitigates your risk in a low-volume scenario,” said Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage.
Sen. Kelly Merrick, R-Eagle River, listened in person to Prestidge on Wednesday.
“I don’t know if $16 is the perfect cap, but it’s addressing a significant concern and protecting Alaska ratepayers,” she said.
Long-awaited pipeline cost estimate met with mixed reaction
On the same day that Prestidge discussed the price cap, he also disclosed updated cost estimates for the pipeline project, saying the first phase of the project is now expected to cost between $13.2 billion and $16.9 billion.
Building facilities needed for gas exports would raise the cost to between $44.5 billion and $54.5 billion, Glenfarne estimates.
Legislators have previously criticized a lack of updated cost estimates, saying their absence is hampering their ability to work on a tax break.
Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage, said the new data and the proposed cost cap “was kind of a tipping point” in discussions.
“I think it gives us more information to do our due diligence,” said Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel and co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee.
Alaska currently levies a 2% tax on oil and gas property. Cities and boroughs are permitted to claim some or all of that tax on property within their boundaries.
To incentivize AKLNG investors, Dunleavy proposed replacing the property tax with an “alternative volumetric tax” of 6 cents per thousand cubic feet of gas shipped through the pipeline. The change would effectively result in a 90% tax break, and there would be no tax during construction, because gas isn’t yet being shipped.
The impact of the switch would be heaviest on municipalities. They would have to deal with the consequences caused by having thousands of extra people living nearby, but they would have little (or no) new tax revenue to cover the resulting costs.
The North Slope Borough funds most of its services through the petroleum property tax and has opposed Dunleavy’s proposed change.
Rep. Robyn Niayuq Frier, D-Utqiagvik, represents the North Slope. She has deep concerns about the switch to a volume-based tax and thinks Glenfarne’s new cost estimates are still too low.
“I think there are a lot of people who are having these conversations who think that there’s no way this is actually going to happen, that this is a pipe dream,” she said of the pipeline project.
That would reduce the size of the break that Dunleavy requested and increase the amount the state and boroughs would collect in revenue.
Dunleavy has suggested that the new tax should last the life of the project. Other legislators, including Frier and Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, are suggesting shorter terms.
Lawmakers are also debating the size of a proposed “impact fund” that Glenfarne would provide to cover the costs that cities and boroughs would incur as thousands of workers gather to build the pipeline.
Legislators also haven’t decided what communities would be eligible for the fund or how the money would be distributed.
The House Finance Committee is scheduled to begin debating the unresolved issues on Monday and could advance a bill to the House floor as soon as the second half of next week.
The Senate could take up that measure on the week of the 15th, but with the special session ending on June 19, there’s a real risk that legislators will run out of time before they decide the multibillion-dollar issues at stake.
“We have to find a product that meets the polar opposite forces that are out there,” said Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham.
“The needle’s not been threaded yet, and if we don’t get the needle threaded … I think ultimately, then the 30 day special session is — I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just, quite frankly, don’t know.”
NOTN- The city is weighing two proposed bonds and finalizing a budget that city leaders say will draw down nearly all available savings as they prepare for a difficult fiscal year.
Christine Woll, chair of the finance committee, said that the assembly has discussed placing two questions on the October ballot: a just under $10 million bond to bolster water and wastewater infrastructure and about a $16 million bond to fund roof and heating system repairs at several schools.
“We have, as a community, not been keeping up with with the long-term maintenance needs of our water and wastewater infrastructure, and so this would give that fund a bit of a boost so we can do some projects there, and ideally keep rates for utilities lower as a result.” Woll said, “Then the second bond we’re looking at would help make some needed repairs to some of our school infrastructure.”
The assembly has a short period of time to decide whether to present the measures to voters.
“We have about a month to finalize whether we’re going to put that on the ballot.” Woll said.
The final vote on the fiscal 2027 budget, which begins July 1, is scheduled for Monday night, which will also be the final opportunity for public testimony.
The draft budget already includes significant cuts and is expected to draw substantial community participation.
“The draft budget that we put together for this year does have some significant cuts, but it draws pretty much all of the money left in the city savings out to fund the next year.” Woll said, “So if things continue the way they are, we will be back here in about a year talking about even more cuts. Monday is a big milestone for getting this year’s budget done, but this conversation is going to have to continue if we want to balance the budget moving forward.”
The assembly’s decision will determine whether voters will be asked to fund the proposed bonds in October, and the outcome of Monday’s meeting will finalize next year’s fiscal path.
NOTN- One of Alaska’s largest cultural gatherings is officially underway this evening as Celebration 2026 opens in Juneau.
Organized by Sealaska Heritage Institute, this event brings together more than 1,800 dancers from 34 dance groups and is one of the largest gatherings of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples in the world.
This year’s theme is “Enduring Strength,” honoring the resilience and cultural survival of Indigenous peoples throughout Southeast Alaska.
The Grand Entrance took place 5 p.m. downtown, kicking off four days of traditional dance, art exhibits, Native foods, cultural demonstrations and community events.
Celebration continues through Saturday with a final parade, and will be broadcast statewide with KTOO public Television, and streamed live online by SHI. So even if you can’t be here for Celebration, you can still participate in the event.
Photo Capture from Sealaska’s Youtube livestream
Celebration began in 1982 and remains a powerful expression of culture, heritage and community.
"I voted" stickers are seen on display in the headquarters offices of the Alaska Division of Elections in Juneau on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
By: James Brooks, Alaska Beacon
“I voted” stickers are seen on display in the headquarters offices of the Alaska Division of Elections in Juneau on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Seventeen people have registered as candidates for Alaska governor in this fall’s election, though the final slate won’t be set until June 27, the withdrawal deadline. Only four will advance in the Aug. 18 primary.
The deadline to register as a candidate was 5 p.m. Monday. Former state Sen. Lesil McGuire and former Gov. Bill Walker, both running as independents, were among those who registered on the last day.
The field of candidates, which includes 11 Republicans, three Democrats and three independents, is especially large this year. Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and unable to run for another term.
Unless they withdraw, all of the 17 candidates will compete in the Aug. 18 statewide open primary election. Voters will each pick one candidate, and the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November 3 general election.
In November, voters will rank those final four candidates in order of preference using ranked-choice voting. The winner will take office at noon Dec. 7 for a four-year term.
Dahlstrom had raised a relatively small amount of money since her announcement, according to preliminary campaign finance disclosures.
Two other independents, Jessica Faircloth and Gregg Brelsford, and one Republican, Bruce Walden, also declined to register as candidates despite filing preliminary paperwork.
Because a gubernatorial candidate must have a lieutenant governor candidate as a running mate, the days before the filing deadline brought a flurry of announcements.
Former Alaska attorney general Treg Taylor, running as a Republican, announced businesswoman Candice English as his lieutenant governor choice. Self-funded Republican candidate Matt Heilala picked former Wasilla Rep. Jesse Sumner, a fellow Republican.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Matt Claman of Anchorage picked healthcare executive Sarah Skeel, and former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins chose current Anchorage Assembly member Zac Johnson.
If a lieutenant governor candidate drops out before June 27, the candidate for governor can pick someone new to replace them. If a candidate for governor drops out, the lieutenant governor candidate may replace them and pick a new lieutenant governor.
Candidates for Governor
Former state Sen. Tom Begich (Democratic) with Lt. Gov. candidate Julia Hnilicka (Democratic)
The Alaska State Capitol in downtown Juneau.
(Photo by Greg Knight/News of the North)
The Alaska State Capitol in downtown Juneau. (Photo by Greg Knight/News of the North)
NOTN- Alaska lawmakers are in a 30-day special session to weigh a sweeping tax break for the proposed North Slope natural gas pipeline.
Juneau Sen. Jesse Kiehl, said the governor’s bill would shift the project away from the current 20-mill petroleum property tax structure and toward a volume-based tax on gas flowing through the line. He said the proposal amounts to roughly a 90% tax cut that would last as long as the pipeline operates.
“That’s one of the things we’re working on.” He said, “The governor’s proposal is about a 90% tax cut, and the governor’s proposal lasts as long as the pipeline lasts. They will not need that, right? They will not need that, past, heaven knows, past year 20 when you got almost all your debt paid off.”
Kiehl said some early tax relief is reasonable for a multibillion-dollar project that will not generate revenue immediately, but he questioned the size and duration of the proposed break.
“During the regular session, we couldn’t seem to get as many numbers, real numbers, as we needed, so we’re working on that.” He said, “A big gas line could be a huge project for the state, big for the state’s economy, a lot of jobs when it gets built. The other thing we have to make sure of is that we also protect the treasury, because the risk with these things is cost overruns, right? The oil pipeline cost could be more than double what they planned on.”
Lawmakers are seeking more complete data from project backers to determine how large a tax incentive is necessary and how long it should last.
While the gas line would not deliver gas to Southeast Alaska, Kiehl said the region’s benefit would come from new state revenues that fund public services, including schools and state troopers.
“The benefit we get from Alaska gas going to market is some money in the treasury to pay for public services, all the things we need. So, we’ve got to make sure that we watch those risks.” He said.
Kiehl also added that if the state grants a substantial property tax break, it will also need to ensure money flows to local governments along the route, such as Anchorage, Kenai and Fairbanks. Those communities would face increased demand for schools, law enforcement, road work and other services during construction.
The governor’s bill was introduced midway through the regular session and has already been vetted by House and Senate resources committees. The measure is now before the finance committees, which Kiehl said will use the full 30 day special session to scrutinize the fiscal impacts and negotiate possible changes.
If project backers do not provide the information lawmakers are seeking, he said, the Legislature could choose to “cut our losses and expenses and gavel out,” ending the special session without approving the package.
The sign at the entrance to the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus welcomes students on Sept. 20, 2023. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Officials with the University of Alaska have tapped the commander of the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command as the new permanent chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Russel “Russ” Vander Lugt is seen in an undated photo (Photo courtesy of the University of Alaska)
Col. Russell “Russ” Vander Lugt was selected from four finalists after an eight-month search process. He will be the top executive of Alaska’s leading research institution, which describes itself as “America’s Arctic university.” He will replace interim chancellor, and former U.S. Ambassador to the Arctic, Mike Sfraga, who succeeded former chancellor Dan White who announced his retirement in May of last year.
Vander Lugt is a senior U.S. Army officer, an Arctic scholar and UAF alumni, with over two decades of executive leadership experience, according to a university announcement on May 27. He has served as commander of the 11th Airborne Division’s Arctic Aviation Command at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks since Aug. 2024.
“I’m humbled to be selected to lead the University of Alaska Fairbanks during this pivotal time,” Vander Lugt said in a statement with the announcement.
“I look forward to leading through trust, transparency, and teamwork as we see Alaska and the Arctic transformed through education, research, and public service. I’m committed to building on the strong foundation Chancellors Sfraga and White have established, and working closely with university leadership and governance to support and advance UAF’s mission,” he said.
Vander Lugt will step into the permanent chancellor role on Sept. 8. Sfraga’s last day was Friday, and university officials have selected Larry Hinzman, director of the UA Arctic Leadership Initiative, to serve as interim chancellor through the summer.
Vander Lugt has had a long career with the U.S. Army in various roles in Alaska, where he is stationed in Fairbanks, and across the U.S. His resume lists deployments to Europe and the Middle East.
He served in executive leadership roles that include the Alaskan Command, a division of the U.S. Northern Command, the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat team. He also taught history and military leadership as an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was a professor of military science and department chair at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.
He holds a master’s degree and doctoral degree in Arctic and Northern Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which he completed in 2022.
Vander Lugt’s hire is the latest in major leadership changes in the University of Alaska system — former UA president Pat Pitney retired last month and former university attorney Matt Cooper was named as her successor. Cooper will begin as university president in early August, and Michelle Rizk, vice president of university relations and chief strategy, planning and budget officer, is serving as interim president. Cheryl Siemers was appointed permanent chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage in March, after serving as interim chancellor since the retirement of former chancellor Sean Parnell last year.
Vander Lugt’s base salary will be $309,000, according to the university’s announcement.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks serves roughly 7,500 students. It employs more than 800 faculty and nearly 2,000 staff across urban and rural campuses in Fairbanks, Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel and Dillingham.
