Alaska's King

ACLU Sues to Stop Illegal Spying on Americans, Saying President Is Not Above the Law

2006-01-17T18:47:00.000-09:00

Prominent Journalists, Nonprofit Groups, Terrorism Experts and Community Advocates Join First Lawsuit to Challenge New NSA Spying Program

NEW YORK – Saying that the Bush administration’s illegal spying on Americans must end, the American Civil Liberties Union today filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the National Security Agency seeking to stop a secret electronic surveillance program that has been in place since shortly after September 11, 2001.

“President Bush may believe he can authorize spying on Americans without judicial or Congressional approval, but this program is illegal and we intend to put a stop to it,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “The current surveillance of Americans is a chilling assertion of presidential power that has not been seen since the days of Richard Nixon.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a group of prominent journalists, scholars, attorneys, and national nonprofit organizations (including the ACLU) who frequently communicate by phone and e-mail with people in the Middle East. Because of the nature of their calls and e-mails, they believe their communications are being intercepted by the NSA under the spying program. The program is disrupting their ability to talk with sources, locate witnesses, conduct scholarship, and engage in advocacy. The program, which was first disclosed by The New York Times on December 16, has sparked national and international furor and has been condemned by lawmakers across the political spectrum.

In addition to the ACLU, the plaintiffs in today’s case are:

Authors and journalists James Bamford, Christopher Hitchens and Tara McKelvey

Afghanistan scholar Barnett Rubin of New York University’s Center on International Cooperation and democracy scholar Larry Diamond, a fellow at the Hoover Institution

Nonprofit advocacy groups NACDL, Greenpeace, and Council on American Islamic Relations, who joined the lawsuit on behalf of their staff and membership

"The prohibition against government eavesdropping on American citizens is well-established and crystal clear,” said ACLU Associate Legal Director Ann Beeson, who is lead counsel in ACLU v. NSA. “President Bush's claim that he is not bound by the law is simply astounding. Our democratic system depends on the rule of law, and not even the president can issue illegal orders that violate Constitutional principles.”

According to news reports, President Bush signed an order in 2002 allowing the NSA to monitor the telephone and e-mail communications of "hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States" with persons abroad, without a court order as the law requires. Under the program, the NSA is also engaging in wholesale datamining by sifting through millions of calls and e-mails of ordinary Americans.

Journalist James Bamford, a plaintiff and one of the world’s leading experts on U.S. intelligence and the National Security Agency, said that “the spying program removes a necessary firewall that would prevent the kind of government abuse seen during the Watergate scandal.” Bamford was threatened with prosecution in the 1970s as he prepared to disclose unclassified details about illegal NSA spying on Americans in his book, The Puzzle Palace.

In the legal complaint filed, the ACLU said the spying program violates Americans’ rights to free speech and privacy under the First and Fourth Amendments of the Constitution.

The ACLU also charged that the program violates the Constitution because President Bush exceeded his authority under separation of powers principles. Congress has enacted two statutes, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and Title III of the federal criminal code, which are “the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance. . . and the interception of domestic wire, oral, and electronic communications may be conducted.”

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan, seeks a court order declaring that the NSA spying is illegal and ordering its immediate and permanent halt. Attorneys in the case are Beeson, Jameel Jaffer, and Melissa Goodman of the national ACLU Foundation, and Michael Steinberg of the ACLU of Michigan.The lawsuit names as defendants the NSA and Lieutenant General Keith B. Alexander, the current the Director of the NSA.

For more information on the lawsuit, including the legal complaint, fact sheets on the case law and on the NSA spying program, and links to statements from the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, please go to www.aclu.org/nsaspying

Exploring the Limits of Presidential Power after 9/11

2006-01-03T19:47:00.000-09:00

(This was submitted by a reader) Exploring the Limits of Presidential Power after 9/11: Lessons from Abraham Lincoln's Use of Executive Power during the Civil War

Washington, DC--The use of discretionary executive power by presidents grows in times of national crisis. Constitutions can limit that expansion, but only if the extraordinary use of executive power is exercised openly and temporarily. So concludes research by political scientist Benjamin A. Kleinerman (Virginia Military Institute) that draws lessons from the use of executive power by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War.

Kleinerman's article is entitled "Lincoln's Example: Executive Power and the Survival of Constitutionalism" and appears in the December issue of Perspectives on Politics, a journal of the American Political Science Association. It is available online at /imgtest/PerspectivesDec05Kleinerman.pdf.

As demonstrated by the current NSA eavesdropping controversy, after 9/11 the Bush administration has robustly employed executive power to meet the threat posed by terrorism. These and other actions have raised questions about the proper sphere for executive power in a constitutional system during a crisis. Kleinerman's research speaks directly to this current debate as Lincoln's actions are cited by both advocates and opponents of expanded executive power. The author draws three lessons from Lincoln:

First, "justifications...should pass the 'necessity test' within which the preservation of the constitutional order itself is at stake." Accordingly, "a concern for the public good is insufficient grounds for the executive to exercise discretionary power." This, Kleinerman notes, is because "only political necessity and not popular or congressional approval can legitimate any discretionary action taken by a president."

Second, "discretionary action should only take place in extraordinary circumstances and should be understood as extraordinary." Lincoln himself articulated clear boundaries on his use of discretionary power and repeatedly emphasized that powers assumed in times of crisis must be given up when the crisis subsides. This is important, the author observes, because as in the case of Nixon "Lincoln's precedent can empower presidents to take actions they might not otherwise take, serving as their... justification for taking any action deemed necessary for the public good." Lincoln also expended significant effort to foster public attachment to the Constitution to compel presidents to justify their behavior in terms of their constitutional responsibility. To do so today would require a restoration of "the notion of executive prerogative to the sphere of public discourse."

Third, "a line must separate the executive's personal feeling and his official duty. He should take only those actions that fulfill his official duty, the preservation of the Constitution, even...if the people want him to go further." Legislation such as the Patriot Act points toward the institutionalization of expanded executive power--but once such power is entrenched, it is no longer prerogative or discretionary. "Because [Lincoln's] overriding concern was the survival of a constitutional Union," states Kleinerman, "any departure from the bounds of the Constitution must also point back to its restoration."

The question of the proper role of executive power today touches on core questions of constitutional order and American politics, including checks and balances, popular will, executive prerogatives, civil liberties, and national security. The author affirms that "we must beware of simply asserting that current presidents must "be like Lincoln'" and concludes by asking "are we...a constitutional people attached enough to the rule of law so as to prevent the overextension of executive power? In other words, are we capable of insisting upon our Constitution even when presidents do not?"

Happy Holidays Everyone!

2005-12-26T07:45:00.000-09:00

Hello, Everyone,

I have been away on a short vacation, but now I'm back. I'll be back to work after the first of the New Year.

There have been a few small changes to this site, chiefly is the addition of "Word Verification" which I hope will reduce the amount of comment spam.

Have a Safe and Happy Holidays!

Alaska Bureaucrats Display Intregrity, Principles, rather than sell out to Multinational Oil Companies

2005-10-24T23:56:00.000-08:00

Submitted via email Tom Irwin, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, said in a memorandum to the state's attorney general that he and other officials may quit rather than take part in a deal that would give too much away to ConocoPhillips, BP Plc., and Exxon Mobil Corp.

Putting department members "in a work environment where they seriously question the legality of administrative actions they are asked to participate in is so troubling that it could result in the resignation of exceedingly valuable members of our gas pipeline team," Irwin said in his memo sent last week.

Contract terms, as currently developed, could be cheating Alaska out of revenue from state-owned mineral rights and may expose the state to unnecessary financial risks, Irwin said.

The terms could also undercut terms of current oil-field leases and force unwarranted changes in the state's oil-tax structure, he said.

Irwin was not available for comment. But his concerns echoed those of some of the Republican governor's critics.

"The thrust of his argument is that Alaska is going to give up too much to get a deal that the marketplace should deliver," said House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz, an Anchorage Democrat and candidate for governor.

Murkowski released Irwin's memo late on Friday just as he was announcing an agreement with ConocoPhillips on fiscal terms for the pipeline.

The natural gas project, with a cost estimated at $20 billion, would ship 4 billion cubic feet a day down a pipeline system expected to run more than 3,000 miles through Canada to the U.S. Midwest. It would provide a transportation system for the 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas known to be held in North Slope oil fields.

Three Alaska Volcanoes Erupt

2005-10-09T22:24:00.000-08:00

Anchorage residents could see a cloud of steam from a volcano 75 miles (120 km) away -- one of three Alaska volcanoes showing signs of unrest.

The three volcanoes, including two located on remote Aleutian islands distant from any population centers, are setting off frequent tremors and minor bursts of ash or steam, seismologists said on Tuesday.

Cleveland Volcano, 900 miles (1,500 km) southwest of Anchorage, had a small eruption on Friday, said the Alaska Volcano Observatory, which monitors Alaska's more than 40 active volcanoes.

Its ash plume rose to a height of nearly 15,000 feet (4.6 km) above sea level, observatory scientists said.

A cloud of steam from the 11,070-foot (3,400-metre) Mount Spurr was visible from Anchorage over the weekend.

Cleveland Volcano has had periodic but minor ash emissions and some debris flow caused by melted snow, said Dave Schneider, a U.S. Geological Survey volcanologist and acting scientist-in-charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

Ash emissions from Cleveland Volcano "are a lot easier to see now than they were in the summer because you have fresh snow," Schneider said.

Cleveland Volcano, which comprises the western half of uninhabited Chuginadak Island, last erupted in 2001. The closest community, 45 miles (70 km) to the east, is Nikolski, an Aleut village of 36 people.

The other volcano showing unrest is 5,925-foot (1,800-m) Tanaga Volcano.

A series of eruptions in 1992 showered Anchorage and the surrounding region with ash, forcing a brief closure of Anchorage International Airport.

Discussion Topic: An Independent Alaska

2005-10-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

From time to time, we will be discussing the pros, cons, and whatever else of an Independent Alaska. Please post your comments, and you will note you can post anon. Spam will be deleted, so don't bother.

WAGNER RENOUNCES CLAIMS TO CHILE’S BURIED TREASURE

2005-10-05T22:24:00.000-08:00

Government Expected Contentious Debate Over Rights To Loot

(Oct. 5, 2005) A new twist in the story of buried treasure on Robinson Crusoe Island, which has kept Chile and the world in suspense for the last three weeks, surfaced Monday after Wagner Technologies renounced all claims to the treasure supposedly worth US$10 billion.

Wagner Technologies, the company that claims it discovered the treasure, met late Monday with government officials in Valparaíso in what was expected to be a contentious debate over the rights to the treasure.

But according to Fernando Uribe-Etxeverría, lawyer for Wagner Technologies, the company does not believe it is capable of excavating the treasure; all it wanted was the free press.

This abrupt turn of events surprised government officials, who were prepared to discuss excavation permits and decide how to divide the treasure with the company. Wagner instead agreed to turn over the coordinates to the government on the condition that if the treasure is excavated, a portion would be given to a number of Chilean charities, as well as the island’s residents.

Uribe-Etxeverría’s announcement also surprised journalists because of the commotion the company generated with threats to withhold the location of the treasure unless the government agreed to give them a cut of the loot (ST, Oct. 3).

Wagner still maintains that “Arturito,” a mobile robot designed by one of their engineers, detected the presence of 800 metric tons of gold and jewels on the west side of Robinson Crusoe Island in southern Chile. However, the company claims that the treasure is located in a very difficult-to-reach spot that requires divers to enter through sub-marine caves on the island’s coast.

Wagner representatives said the company is withdrawing from the controversy that surrounded their claims because of the difficulty involved in removing the treasure.

“There is no company in the country capable of excavating this treasure,” said Uribe-Etxeverría. “For this, you will need something bigger: the state.” He also added that for Wagner, the treasure did not represent a business opportunity. Instead, the company’s exploration was meant to publicize the extraordinary capabilities of their robot.

The robot in question, Arturito, operates like a robotic bloodhound. He can be programmed to search for a particular substance, such as water, gold, or even DNA. Using a variety of tools from geo-radar to a “gamma-camera,” capable of differentiating between atomic molecules, he searches a specified area for the presence the programmed substance. According to Manuel Salinas, designer of the robot, with the right sample, Arturito could help police find missing persons, wanted criminals, and water in the desert.

Debates have also surfaced in Chile over the history of the newly discovered treasure: what treasure is actually buried on the island and how it got there. Robinson Crusoe Island is located along the Spanish colonial navigation route that connected Spain’s Latin American colonies with Europe. At the time, Spain was mining vast amounts of silver and gold from Peru and Bolivia for transport to Europe. These ships were a favorite of pirates operating in the South Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Some treasure-seekers believe a popular legend which holds that the Spanish navigator Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echeverría, in charge of transporting the treasure back to Spain, landed on the island in 1715 and interred it instead. Sometime later, an English pirate named Cornelius Webb unearthed the treasure and reburied it elsewhere.

Others believe another legend claiming that the treasure was stolen from the Aztec Empire in Mexico by Spanish conquistadors. A third theory holds that it was the bounty taken off the Spanish galleon “Nuestra Señora del Monte Carmelo” in 1741 by the English lord George Anson.

The island first became famous for hosting the real-life character of Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe,” Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailing master marooned on the island between 1704 and 1709. Selkirk was pirating the Spanish off the coast of South America in the early 1700s when his ship was badly damaged by a series of fights with the Spanish armada.

Fearing that the ship would soon sink, he asked the captain to set him ashore at the next port and ended up stranded off the coast of Chile on an uninhabited island in the Juan Fernandez archipelago. Selkirk was later picked up by English privateers and continued pirating Spanish fleets until 1712, when he finally made his triumphant return to Scotland as a very rich man.

SOURCE: PUBLIMETRO, LA NACIÓN
By Nathan Gill (editor@santiagotimes.cl)

Weyhrauch Supports State of Alaska's Intervention in Kensington Mine Lawsuit

2005-10-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

(Juneau) - Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch (R – Juneau) announced today he strongly favors the State of Alaska's intervention in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups challenging permits issued to the Kensington Gold Mine in Juneau. Rep. Weyhrauch endorses the Kensington and feels it will be a substantial boost to the Northern Southeast region.

"I strongly support the Governor's and the State's intervention in this case on behalf of the project," said Rep. Weyhrauch. "The Southeast Conference supports this mine and the State's intervention. This last session, none of the Senators or Representatives from Southeast Alaska opposed House Concurrent Resolution 10, which supported development of the Kensington Mine. This project has demonstrated that it can proceed in an environmentally responsible manner and gained the support of the United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters and the Southeast Alaska Fishermen's Alliance. This is not a tradeoff between good jobs and or negative environmental impacts. This mine can be developed in an environmentally responsible manner and at the same time greatly contribute to our communities."

Rep. Weyhrauch noted the success of the Greens Creek Mine on nearby Admiralty Island. The Kensington Mine received all the necessary permits to begin construction in 2005 and more than 180 people are now working on the project. Southeast Alaska environmental groups filed the lawsuit in September. The Mine will employ 300 workers during construction and provide an estimated payroll of $16 million. Once underway it will provide 225 employees to our local economies including corporate income taxes in addition to generating local tax revenue.

For more information, contact Terry Harvey (907) 465-3744

Spiders migrating to Alaska

2005-09-29T00:32:00.000-08:00

Anchorage, Alaska - They make your skin crawl when you see them and Anchorage is seeing a lot more of them these days. With an increase in spiders come more reports of spider bites. Just within the last week Providence Alaska Medical Center says more and more people are coming in to be treated after being bitten. Exterminators say business is booming.

If you're in the pest control business you're doing pretty well for yourself. Exterminators are dealing with an ever-increasing bug problem.

Russell Perry is on a hunt. Searching in the darkest, wettest corners for a culprit so tiny you almost don't see it. For $300 Perry will get rid of these guys. He's been exterminating a lot of spiders lately.

“It's been extremely heavy this year compared to previous years,” said Ken Perry of Paratex Pied Piper Pest Control.

Almost two jobs a day. Ken Perry, Russell’s boss, says spiders have become big business this year. He suspects it's because of milder winters.

“We had a gorgeous beginning of summer, very dry and warm at the beginning of the summer and the insect population has exploded and the spiders follow that population explosion,” said Ken Perry.

An explosion that could affect your wallet and your health. Just ask Connie Suchan.

“I went to the doctors’ July 24 for what I thought was just a scrape that for some reason wouldn't heal,” said Suchan.

It didn't turn out to be a scrape. Suchan says it was a spider bite from a Brown Recluse, an insect not native to Alaska.

It’s one of the most dangerous spider bites you can get, but according to Ken Perry, it's not the only one. He's also seen Hobo and Black Widow spiders in Alaska.

Providence says if it is a spider bite it will become red and swollen. Some of these bites don’t go away for several months. It might be several days before you realize that you’ve been bitten. You may get sores or start itching.

For Sale: 15 National parks

2005-09-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, chairman of the House Resources committee, has proposed to raise money by selling off 15 national parks, including seven in Alaska, according to a draft bill circulating Friday.

Park supporters declared themselves outraged.

"Can you believe this Pombo guy?" said Jim Stratton, Alaska director for the National Parks Conservation Association.

But Pombo's spokesman, Brian Kennedy, said the 285-page draft is not to be taken seriously. Its purpose, Kennedy said, was to come up with proposals that would raise as much money for the federal government as oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which Pombo ardently supports.

Drilling opponents should see that if Congress doesn't open ANWR "it would be outrageous and absurd alternatives, like selling national park units," Kennedy said. "So you see the joke."

The National Parks Conservation Association obtained a leaked copy and rang the media alarm. By Friday afternoon, the story was all over the place.

The 19 million Alaska acres on Pombo's list:

• Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve

• Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

• Cape Krusenstern National Monument

• Kobuk Valley National Park

• Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

• Noatak National Preserve

• Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve

Pombo, R-Calif., included the park sell-off in a draft of the budget reconciliation bill, a tool Congress sometimes uses to reach budget goals. As chairman of the resources committee, he was charged with proposing changes to public land laws to raise or save $2.4 billion. As expected, his draft also includes a plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, which is projected to meet Pombo's revenue requirement on its own.

Kristin Pugh, a spokeswoman for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, said she likes the ANWR part. As for the Pombo's park proposal, "I can definitely tell you that Sen. Murkowski won't be going along with that," Pugh said.

Pete Schaeffer, chairman of the Cape Krusenstern subsistence resources commission in Kotzebue, doesn't think it is a joke. He sees the draft as a threat to the rural Alaskans who depend on hunting in those parks for their food.

The government needs money, and the deficit is ballooning, he said. The rest of the country might think selling Alaska parks is a good idea, he said.

"With our 'bridges to nowhere,' there's probably little sympathy for us," Schaeffer said, referring to the $450 million Alaska got this summer for two mega-spans.

Pombo is a rancher who represents the San Joaquin Valley and believes the government intrudes too much on private property owners. His congressional Web site features photos of him in a cowboy hat as well as recipes for his "BBQ marinade" and guacamole.

If a mountain fell in the Alaska wilderness . . .

2005-09-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

Jackie Caplan-Auerbach was checking earthquake activity at Alaska volcanoes from her Anchorage office on September 14th, a routine she performs every day at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, when she noticed a strange seismic signal on Mount Spurr.

A view of an enormous
rock delta from the avalanche of Mt. Steller that registered
on seismometers all over Alaska. The amount of rock and ice that
fell was equal to a pile one mile long, one-third mile wide,
and 50 yards high.

Ruedi Homberger photo, courtesy of Ultima Thule Lodge.

A large shock to the earth-not as abrupt as an earthquake-had happened somewhere in Alaska. When Caplan-Auerbach saw the odd signal was even stronger on Mount Wrangell, she suspected there was a great avalanche somewhere in the restless corner of Alaska where the panhandle of Southeast meets the rest of the state.

There was. A good chunk of Mount Steller, a razorback 10,000-foot peak about 80 miles east of Cordova, had collapsed onto Bering Glacier. Rocks and ice from the mountain tumbled 8,000 vertical feet, spilling out in a chunky black delta that reached six miles from the mountain. Christian Huggel, a Swiss avalanche specialist who happened to be visiting the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, estimated that the amount of rock and ice that shook loose was equal to a pile one mile long, one-third mile wide, and 50 yards high.

Caplan-Auerbach studies avalanches on Iliamna Volcano, but the largest recorded avalanches there are about one-fifth of the size of the recent event at Mt. Steller.

"We've seen big ones, but we've never seen them generate seismic signals like this," she said. "It's a monster."

Scientists at the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer also noticed the avalanche when it happened. They called the Alaska Earthquake Information Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to confirm.

"It showed on all our instruments on mainland Alaska," Natalia Ruppert of the earthquake information center said, adding that the amplitude of the event was about equal to a magnitude 3.8 earthquake, and more than 200 seismometers all over the state picked up its vibrations.

Scientists who monitor infrasound waves-signals with frequencies too low for humans to hear, generated by blasts from underground nuclear bombs and winter storms in the Gulf of Alaska, among other sources-also detected the avalanche from Fairbanks, 330 miles away from Mount Steller.

"It was a nice big signal here," said Daniel Osborne of UAF's Geophysical Institute.

Sometimes large earthquakes trigger massive avalanches, as happened in 2002 when the Denali Fault earthquake shook acres of rocks over Black Rapids and other glaciers, but Mount Steller broke for reasons unknown.

"It's one of those big puzzles," Caplan-Auerbach said. "A lot of these (steep mountains) probably sit right on the verge of failure."

In her studies of Iliamna Volcano, Caplan-Auerbach has found that avalanches like the one on Mount Steller sometimes rumble one-half hour to two hours before they collapse, possibly due to the fracturing of ice at the base of the avalanche material. She just submitted a paper on the curious tendency of some avalanches to move before they collapse.

"I don't think anyone's ever seen avalanches that give warnings," she said.

One of the unique features about the giant avalanche of September 14, 2005 on Mount Steller was that perhaps no one saw it or felt it. The nearest settlements, tens of miles away, were too far for people there to feel the rumbling.

"It shows how wonderful Alaska is," Caplan-Auerbach said. "Places like Iliamna could break in half and nobody would be killed."

This column is provided
as a public service by the Geophysical
Institute,

University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF
research community.

Ned Rozell [nrozell@gi.alaska.edu]
is a science writer at the institute.

Major Storm batters Western Alaska coast

2005-09-23T23:47:00.000-08:00

A major storm sweeping through the Bering Sea is causing widespread flooding in coastal villages throughout western Alaska. Some of the hardest-hit areas are communities in Norton Sound, including Nome. But the affected areas stretch for hundreds of miles.

High winds from the south, coupled with a large storm surged, brought the crashing surf into Nome, spreading water onto Front Street.

Source: http://www.ktuu.com/cms/templates/master.asp?articleid=47&zoneid=1

U.S. Senate bill has millions for Alaska

2005-09-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

Finally, some small relief for Rural Alaska Villages:

"The U.S. Senate approved an agriculture spending bill Thursday maintaining several multimillion dollar programs in Alaska that Sen. Ted Stevens developed during his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Senate bill would put $26 million into grants and loans for rural water and sewer systems during the coming federal fiscal year. That's the same amount as was provided in the current year's spending bill.

Another $28 million would go to energy projects in areas with extremely high energy costs, mostly in Alaska. Again, the figure is the same as this year's.

The third program, to build community facilities, would route $20 million to areas of extreme unemployment, again mostly in Alaska. The total would be down $1 million from the current year.

The Senate bill must still be merged with a House version and signed by the president, but Stevens has in past years succeeded in protecting such earmarks during that process.

Other Alaska earmarks in the Senate's spending plan for the Agriculture Department include:

* $3.47 million for education grants to institutions that serve Alaska and Hawaii Natives.

* $1 million for berry research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

* No change in funding to UAF for virus-free potato research, and nuisance insect management and seafood waste studies.

* $200,000 to teach gardening techniques in villages.

* $100,000 to the state to "address nuisance animals."

* Language encouraging the purchase of domestic salmon for federal food programs.

* Similar support for grants to Alaska groups to market wild salmon.

* Support for grants to the Alaska Grown program.

* Language encouraging grants to tribes to buy land within Alaska Indian communities.

* $300,000 for commercialization of Alaska's native plants.

* $500,000 to the Natural Resource Conservation Service for an inventory of resources on non-federal land.

* $1.5 million for a "cooperative agreement" involving the Alaska Soil and Water Conservation District.

* $1.3 to finish the Alaska Plant Materials Center.

* $300,000 to collect and study northern plants.

* Language directing that money for food safety be used to contract with the state of Alaska to conduct seafood inspection.

* $500,000 to Alaska Village Initiatives for wildlife management on private lands.

The Senate on Thursday also passed a military construction spending bill for the coming year, but Alaska details were not immediately available.

Coming To The Arctic Near You: The Longer, Hotter Summer

2005-09-23T16:15:00.000-08:00

FAIRBANKS,
AK--In a paper that shows dramatic summer warming in arctic Alaska,
scientists synthesized a decade of field data from Alaska showing
summer warming is occurring primarily on land, where a longer snow-free
season has contributed more strongly to atmospheric heating than have
changes in vegetation.

Arctic climate change is usually viewed as caused by the
retreat of sea ice, which reduces high-latitude albedo- a measure of
the amount of sunlight reflected off a surface - a change most
pronounced in winter.

"Summer warming is more pronounced over land than over sea ice,
and atmosphere and sea-ice observations can’t explain this," said Terry
Chapin, professor of ecology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’
Institute of Arctic Biology and lead author of the paper which appears
in the September 22, 2005 advance online publication Science Express,

Using surface temperature records, satellite-based estimates of
cloud cover and energy exchange, ground-based measurements of albedo
and field observations of changes in snow cover and vegetation, Chapin
and co-authors argue that recent changes in the length of the snow-free
season have triggered a set of interlinked feedbacks that will amplify
future rates of summer warming.

"It’s the changes in season length rather than increases in
vegetation that explains this observation," Chapin said. Summer warming
correlates with a lengthening of the snow-free season that has
increased atmospheric heating locally by an amount similar in magnitude
to the regional heating expected over multiple decades from a doubling
of atmospheric carbon dioxide, say the authors.

"Snowmelt is 2.5 days earlier for each decade we studied, Chapin said.
Two
mechanisms explain the pronounced warming over land during the summer.
First, the early snow melt increases the length of time the land
surface can absorb heat energy. Second, the increase in snow-free
ground permits increases in vegetation such shrubs and advances of
treelines.

"Continuation of current trends in shrub and tree expansion
could further amplify this atmospheric heating 2-7 times," Chapin said.

"This mechanism should be incorporated into climate models,"
Chapin said. Improved understanding of the controls over rates of shrub
expansion would reduce the likelihood of surprises in the magnitude of
high-latitude amplification of summer warming.

Researchers were funded by the National Science Foundation,
Office of Polar Programs, ARCtic System Science program--the goal ARCSS
is to answer the question: What do changes in the arctic system imply
for the future?

###

High-resolution photographs are available for download at www.uaf.edu/news/download/releasephotos/05/chapin/.

Contact:
F. Stuart (Terry) Chapin III, Professor of Ecology, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 907-474-7922, terry.chapin@uaf.edu.

Dr. Matthew Sturm, Research Physical Scientist, U.S. Army, Cold
Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory Alaska. 907-353-5183, Matthew.Sturm@erdc.usace.army.mil.

Marie Gilbert, Publications and Information Coordinator,
Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
907-474-7412, marie.gilbert@uaf.edu.

25 Mind-Numbingly Stupid Quotes About Hurricane Katrina And Its Aftermath

2005-09-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

If there was not enough evidence to support a Constitutional Monarchy (for all the right reasons) before, or if you need more evidence of the need for Alaska to have independence-then read the above link.

Arctic Shrubs Contribute to Global Warming

2005-09-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

Warming in the Arctic is stimulating the growth of vegetation and could affect the delicate energy balance there, causing an additional climate warming of several degrees over the next few decades. A new study indicates that as the number of dark-colored shrubs in the otherwise stark Arctic tundra rises, the amount of solar energy absorbed could increase winter heating by up to 70 percent. The research will be published 7 September in the first issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, published by the American Geophysical Union.

The study in western Alaska during the winters in 2000-2002 shows how the increasing abundance of high-latitude vegetation, particularly shrubs, interacts with the snow and affects Earth's albedo, or the reflection of the Sun's rays from the surface. The paper, which also analyzes the ramifications of continued plant growth in the tundra regions, written by researchers at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory and at Colorado State University. It presents the first evidence that shrub growth could alter the winter energy balance of the Arctic and subarctic tundra in a substantial way.

The authors measured five adjacent sites in subarctic Alaska. They included areas covered by continuous forest canopy, others dotted with shrubs, and some of barren tundra. They found that mid-winter albedo was greatly reduced where shrubs were exposed and that melting began several weeks earlier in the spring at these locations, as compared to snow-covered terrain. The researchers note, however, that the shrubs' branches produced shade that slowed the rate of melting, so that the snowmelt finished at approximately the same time for all the sites they examined.

Matthew Sturm, lead author of the study, notes that warming in the region seems to have stimulated shrub growth, which further warms the area and creates a feedback effect that can promote higher temperatures and even more growth. This feedback could, in turn, accelerate increases in the shrubs' range and size over the four million square kilometer [1.5 million square mile] tundra and effect significant changes over the region.

"Basically, if tundra is converted to shrubland, more solar energy will be absorbed in the winter than before," Sturm says. And while previous research has shown that warmer temperatures during the Arctic summer enhance shrub growth, "our study is important because it suggests that the winter processes could also contribute to and amplify the rate of the [growth]."

Sturm cites satellite and photographic evidence showing increasing plant growth across the Alaskan, Canadian, and Euro-Asian Arctic and notes that continued warming will likely produce thicker stands of brush that protrude above the snow. The new, brushy landscape would replace the smooth, white environment that currently dominates the Arctic during its 8-10 month winter.

In addition, the increasing shrub cover would impact more than just the energy balance in the Arctic. With nearly 40 percent of the world's soil carbon is stored in Arctic soils, any change in vegetation and energy is likely to trigger a response in the Arctic carbon budget. Scientists are still trying to understand the nature of this response, but Sturm and his coauthors conclude that the feedback effects they describe would undoubtedly accelerate its rate. They conclude that combined effects of increasing shrubs on both energy and carbon could change the Arctic in a way that affects the rest of the world.

Alaskan fish processors use fish oil for fuel

2005-09-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

OIL cooked out of fish heads, entrails and skeletons is generating heat and electricity for fish processors on the Aleutian Island of Unalaska, napanews.com has reported.

Alaska companies are among the first in the world to use fish oil on a large scale as a cheaper, and more environmentally friendly substitute for diesel fuel.

At Unisea Inc., in Dutch Harbor, thousands of gallons of pollock fish oil are mixed each day with diesel and used to power the seaside plant's electrical generators and boilers. Replacing diesel with fish oil cuts costs, as well as harmful emissions such as sulfur and particulates, according to Unisea officials. In addition, the seafood company also saves on the expensive shipping rates it would otherwise have to pay to send the fish waste to buyers outside Alaska, such as aquaculture companies who use the oil as fish feed. The research and development manager for Unisea said that the orangish hue of pollock oil comes from the tiny krill the fish feast on in the Bering Sea. Blending the oil with diesel yields a pale yellowish liquid that leaves no fishy odours. The Unisea company and several fish processors in Alaska have used fish oil to run their boilers for years, but in 2001 Unisea, with the help of state funding, became the first to power its electrical generators with the renewable fuel.

If you've lost a snake in Alaska, it might be dead

2005-09-04T23:12:00.000-08:00

There are not supposed to be snakes in Alaska, but evidence to the contrary may have been found in Haines.

An 8-inch serpent was found crushed on the side of a road, leaving residents wondering if it was wild or an escaped pet.

The snake was found on Small Tracts Road and is not an ideal specimen. Crushed by a car and found on the shoulder of the road, it's dry, discolored and missing most of its skull.

"It could be the first vouchered specimen of a snake in Alaska," he told the Chilkat Valley News. Then again, it could be an escaped pet.

The carcass was in marginal shape.

"Real mashed," Shields said. "It had been there quite some time."

He's still gathering information, however, and urged residents to contact him at the Takshanuk Watershed Council.

"I'd be very curious to hear from anyone who lost a snake," he said.

Submitted by a reader.

Survival Expert Q & A

2005-09-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we will be starting a thread featuring a survival expert. This man is a U.S. Army Instructor, and has put to the test the tips he will be providing in jungle, Arctic, desert, mountain, and other environments, both urban and wilderness. Post your questions here, and he will answer them, as well as provide tips.

Thank you SGM.

‘Computer Geeks' Get Bomb Training

2005-09-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

Submitted by a soldier: YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea — The 201st Signal Company's self-described “computer geeks” ventured outdoors Friday for familiarization training on improvised explosive devices.

Company commander Capt. Allan Goode said the global war on terror and “everything going on in Iraq” led Army leaders to direct that additional combat-skills training be given. His company belongs to the 41st Signal Battalion, 1st Signal Brigade.

That his soldiers, “computer geeks, if you will,” spend most of their time in Korea on desk jobs means the training is even more important, Goode said.

He praised Staff Sgt. James Gilbert, a former infantryman, for researching and conducting the class as preparation for a convoy live-fire exercise in November.

The 26-year-old Gilbert served as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner in Kosovo in 2000 where, he said, he experienced the threat of homemade bombs firsthand. Gilbert said that experience, plus a lot of research, helped him prepare. He said Friday's class was the first phase of a three-part crawl, walk and run learning process.

Gilbert, who now works with the company as a senior information systems analyst, said passing the knowledge on to his coworkers is important.

The homemade bombs are killing and injuring soldiers “every single day” in Iraq, he said.

His noncommissioned officer in charge, Sgt. 1st Class Kanelos, agreed on how important the training was to the troops.

He said Korea is the first duty station for many of the soldiers in the class, but when they rotate they'll find themselves in “units of action,” meaning deployments to the war on terror.

“This is good,” he said before the class.

The soldiers sat at picnic tables as Gilbert showed the mock-ups of homemade bombs.

The goal, he told the class, was to teach them to identify and react to “anything that goes boom.”

These are “all things they've seen in Iraq,” he said, pointing to the table. He told the soldiers that 87 percent of the injuries and deaths in Iraq are attributed to the bombs.

Soldiers were schooled in the best methods to search for the explosives and how they should react — including detailed instructions on cordons, entry into suspect areas and filing reports — in a real-world situation.

“Stay alert, stay alive,” Gilbert said.

U.S. Sausage Company to Make Canned Walrus Meat in Russia

2005-08-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

A sausage-maker from Anchorage, Alaska, will travel to Russia this week to help Native walrus hunters set up a cannery to preserve meat, Associated Press reported on Monday, Aug 15. Doug Drum, the owner of Indian Valley Meats, hopes to install a canning facility in Lorino, a coastal village in Chukotka, a northern region of the Russian Far East.

Lorino, which lies across the Bering Sea from Nome, Alaska, has an abundance of walrus but lacks refrigeration. Meat is stored in an ice cave dug into a hillside under the permafrost. Much of it ends up rotting, Drum said. The ice cave works during colder months but cannot keep the meat sufficiently frozen. “It kind of gets rancid,” he said.

The canning effort is sponsored in part by the Alaska-Chukotka Development Program at the University of Alaska Anchorage with a grant from U.S. Agency for International Development.

The canning line will enable the Native walrus hunters to process, preserve and distribute their catch around the region, said Andrew Crow, project director with the Alaska-Chukotka program at UAA’s Institute of Social and Economic Research.

The product will have a shelf life of about 10 years and is more practical than sausage, Drum said. Drum moved from Michigan to Alaska in the 1960s and has experience with Russian business ventures.

Technorati Tags:
Alaska

Alaska Sheep Hunters Asked to Leave Goats at Home

2005-08-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Fish and Game are asking several hunting guides who are planning on using pack goats for Dall sheep hunts this year to reconsider.

Using goats or llamas as pack animals in Dall sheep habitat could expose Dall sheep to serious or fatal diseases or parasites.

"Most populations of Dall sheep, mountain goat, and musk ox in Alaska have never been exposed to the infectious diseases and parasites of domestic animals," said Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen. "They will likely have little resistance if exposed to domestic animal diseases."

"Domestic animals are not intended to interact with wildlife species. They are fenced and intensively managed for food and fiber production," said State Veterinarian Dr. Bob Gerlach. "Domestic animals, especially sheep and goats, are adapted to several diseases and usually appear healthy even when they are carrying infections that can be deadly to wildlife."

Diseases can be passed though feces, urine, saliva, respiratory aerosol or exudates like crusts from skin or pus. These tissues, fluids or excrement can contaminate the environment and still remain infective for years.

Technorati Tags:
Alaska

Much Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth over Highway Bill

2005-08-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

Although Alaska gets less than 1% of the money in the $286 billion highway spending bill, (a mere $940 million), Alaska has been singled out for derision.

Never mind that Alaskans have been paying more than their fair share to the Federal Government for more than 50 years. While few can expect any reasonable accuracy in the mainstream media, it is interesting to note that $2.3 million is slated for landscaping of a California freeway named after former President Ronald Reagan, an opponent of big government spending, just one of 6,371 projects included in the bill.

Mule deer, mountain lion sightings reported in Alaska

2005-08-10T00:16:00.000-08:00

Interior residents are reporting varieties of wildlife that are new to the region, including mule deer, mountain lions and whitetail deer.

Here in South central, we have been hearing the call of Bobwhite Quail.

And biologists have heard about several mountain lion sightings in Tok and Delta Junction, though none have been confirmed.

According to the reports, mountain lions have been spotted on top of Donnelly Dome, on Clearwater Road, and in the Delta agriculture project, and one was glimpsed near Dot Lake between Delta and Tok.

Technorati Tags:
Alaska

Troopers find body as they look for missing miner near creek

2005-08-10T00:11:00.000-08:00

Alaska State Troopers found a severely decomposed human body Saturday in a remote area about 10 miles north of Talkeetna.

Troopers were searching from a helicopter for a missing miner in the area near Clear Creek, a tributary of the Talkeetna River, when they found the body shortly after 6 p.m.

The area is "rugged wilderness" full of mining claims, Sgt. James Helgoe said. He did not know whether the body was that of the missing miner.

The identity of the person is unknown, as is the period of time the person had been dead, according to troopers. The body will be examined by the state medical examiner.

Technorati Tags:
Alaska
Talkeetna
Mining

Various MSB land sale programs

2005-08-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Now you can explore various programs and possibly own your own piece of Alaska land:

For questions regarding Land Management please call 745-9869 or e-mail us at lmb@matsugov.us.

Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Purchasing, 350 E. Dahlia Avenue,
Palmer, AK 99645

2005 OVER THE COUNTER AGRICULTURAL LAND SALE
PROJECT PACKET # 05-204
Brochures for the 2005 Over the Counter Agricultural
Land Sale Are Now Available

The 2005 OTC Agricultural Land Sale offers borough-owned land for
sale to the public. Applications to purchase may be submitted beginning at 10 am
on June 14, 2005, and ending at 3 pm on October 14, 2005 .
Instructions for submitting applications and information for each parcel,
including maps, are available in the 2005 Over the Counter Agricultural Land
Sale Brochure (#05-204).

To Obtain a Brochure:

INTERNET: Download a complete brochure
free of charge from the Borough Website, listed as Project No. 05-204 at: http://www.matsugov.us/Purchasing/bidlist.cfm
PICKUP: Purchasing Division located at the address below, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Cost is $10.00

BY MAIL: Mail your request to PURCHASING
at the address below. Cost is $15.00 (Payable by check – Please note “2005 OTC
Agricultural Land Sale Brochure" on your check
The 2005-2006 Over-The-Counter Land Sale offers borough-owned land for sale to the public. Purchase requests may be submitted beginning at 10 a.m. on August 8, 2005, and ending at 3 p.m. on December 28, 2006. Instructions for submitting bids and information for each parcel, including maps, are available in the 2005-2006 OTC Land Sale Brochure.

Summary:
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Agricultural Land Sale Programs

Over-the-Counter Borough-Owned Land
SaleThe 2005-2006 Over-The-Counter Land Sale offers borough-owned land
for sale to the public. Purchase requests may be submitted beginning at 10 a.m.
on August 8, 2005, and ending at 3 p.m. on December 28, 2006.
Instructions for submitting bids and information for each parcel, including
maps, are available in the 2005-2006 OTC Land Sale Brochure.
To Obtain a Brochure: INTERNET: Download a complete brochure
free of charge from the Borough Website, listed as Bid No. 06-004 at: http://www.matsugov.us/Purchasing/bidlist.cfm;

PICKUP:Purchasing Division located at
the address below, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Cost is $10.00
BY MAIL: Mail your request to PURCHASING
at the address below. Cost is $15.00 (Payable by check – Please note “2005-2006
OTC Land Sale Brochure" on your check)

Over-the-Counter Tax &
LID Foreclosure Sale
Watch this site for information on the
next sale tenatively scheduled for late summer-early fall 2005:http://www.co.mat-su.ak.us/LandManagement/sales.cfmTax & LID Foreclosure Sale COMPETITIVE TAX & LID FORECLOSURES: The next competitive Tax & LID Foreclosure Sale is scheduled for early fall 2005. Watch this site for more information.

http://www.co.mat-su.ak.us/LandManagement/sales.cfm

Tax & LID Foreclosure Sale COMPETITIVE
TAX & LID FORECLOSURES: The next competitive Tax & LID
Foreclosure Sale is scheduled for early fall 2005. Watch this site for
more information.

Study Says Alaska food safe decades after nuclear blasts

2005-08-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

Submitted by a reader: Three decades after officials detonated nuclear bombs under a remote Aleutian Island, a scientific panel has determined that fish and other wild foods in the area are safe to eat, according to a report issued on Tuesday.

Scientists warned, however, that regular monitoring is necessary to check whether radionuclides have begun seeping out of the cavities that were created when bombs were exploded at Amchitka Island from 1965 to 1971.

"All of the radionuclide levels that we found were well below human health standards," said Rutgers University's Joanna Burger, who led the study's biological analysis, but added "Amchitka is not a site that's going away. The contamination is (still) there."

Scientists also noted that radionuclide levels will remain low, barring a "powerful earthquake or volcanic eruption" that could speed up the release of contaminants into the environment.

It's a good thing Alaska doesn't have any powerful earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

Technorati Tags:
Alaska
Nukes

It's Funny, Laugh: Liquor, Guns, Ammo and Alaska

2005-08-03T22:39:00.000-08:00

Submitted by a reader: "A machine gun isn't typically something you would think of packing when going fishing. Then again, most people don't expect to be hunted while fishing. We're packing up our fishing poles and waders in the rental car to go stand in a frigid Alaskan river when our host, my friend's uncle, pulls out the essential piece of gear: a very large gun. When a bear comes running, he warns, "Aim for the face and don't stop till the thing is empty." Bears are no joke to Alaskans; that is, until they maul and kill a hippie, at which point locals find it hysterical. When hundreds of thousands of salmon are running up Alaskan rivers, it attracts anglers worldwide. It also attracts bears. "Granola crunchers" also backpack here to camp out and become one with nature, and more than a few have been taken out, much to the delight of permanent residents..."

Technorati Tags:
Alaska
Bears

Alaskan seabird emits citrusy fresh natural insect repellent

2005-07-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

Crested auklets are small birds that in colonies of more than 100,000 on islands near Alaska and Siberia. They emit a citrus-like substance that effectively repels mosquitoes and other pests, researchers report in this month's Journal of Medical Entomology.

The birds seem to produce the odor in a gland and then preen the chemicals into their feathers, but it is not yet clear how they accomplish the feat.

Scientists believe some sort of fatty-acid synthesis is going on that makes the pleasant, citrus-like odour similar to the smell found in tangerines, oranges, and other fruits.

The odor is so distinctive that the bird colonies can be smelled more than a kilometer away.

The chemical may also be used as a pheromone, helping single auklets find a suitable mate. The chemical is similar to one produced by other creatures, including stinkbugs.

The discovery raises the prospect of new, all-natural insect repellents, but more research is needed to determine if the scent is suitable for human use.

Technorati Tags: Alaska
Insect
Siberia

Marijuana Group Sues Over ONDCP Montana, Alaska Visits

2005-07-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Submitted by Anon: The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a Washington, D.C.-based group that backed marijuana-related ballot items in Montana and Alaska, has gone to court with allegations that visits to the state by federal anti-drug leaders violated state campaign-finance laws.

The Billings Gazette reported July 15 that MPP filed a complaint in Helena District Court asking that the state's commissioner of political practices launch an investigation into a 2004 visit by Scott Burns, deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). MPP contends that Burns violated Montana's campaign-finance law by speaking out against Initiative 148, the medical-marijuana referendum later passed overwhelmingly by state voters, and not disclosing how must taxpayer money was spent on his visit.

MPP said that ONDCP was acting as a de-facto political-action committee. "We're not trying to say the drug czar can't campaign," said MPP government-relations director Steve Fox said. "It's merely a fact that if a federal official chooses to come to the state, they should respect the state's regulations."

In Alaska, the Associated Press reported July 14, MPP filed a similar complaint related to Burns' 2004 visit to oppose a measure calling for marijuana legalization. The group filed the suit in Anchorage Superior Court.

A previous request for the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) to investigate the Burns visit was rejected in March. "I think APOC had denied the complaint because it's a federal agency involved and it didn't have jurisdiction," said Alaska Department of Law spokesman Mark Morones.

Technorati Tags: Alaska

Planning Commission public hearings

2005-07-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone, I've been on a short vacation, and now it's back to work:

The MSB Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the following items on Monday, July 18:

PUBLIC HEARING (to begin at 6:30 p.m. - three minutes per person)

A.Resolution 05-36:Naming of an unnamed lake in the Big Lake and Houston Area as Serenity Lake, the lake is approximately 37 acres in size.

B. Resolution 05-29:MSB Title 17 language addressing flood hazard study requirements for proposed platting actions.

C.Resolution 05-28:Amendment to Title 17 (Zoning) by adding Chapter 17.xx to regulate Under-21 Entertainment Venues within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough

D.Resolution 05-01:Creation of a new Borough-wide Interim Materials District

E. Resolution 05-02: Establishing a conditional use permit for Earth Materials Extraction in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough

F.Resolution 05-03: Creating a new section MSB 17.125, Definition

Here is the full agenda for the meeting:

Here is the staff report on the Under-21 Entertainment
Venues ordinance:

Technorati Tags: Alaska Monarchy Mat-Su Borough

In Celebration

2005-07-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

We had quite a celebration yesterday. In addition to the usual fireworks, food, and other points, the main topics of discussion was the erosion of our rights, the failure of the Judicial System, the distance of the Federal Government, and the lack of representation.

For those still not up to speed, what we are proposing is not, I say again NOT, a violent overthrow or sedition of any type or kind. What we ARE proposing is the initiation of a Constitutional Monarchy for the Empire of Alaska. To say that we are displeased with a broken system of representation would be an understatement. Our honorable Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves.

Stay tuned for progress reports.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Monarchy

Alaska Yellow Cedar as Mosquito Repellant?

2005-07-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Massive Alaska yellow-cedar trees contain natural preservatives that repel mosquitoes, kill ticks, and prevent diseases from attacking other trees.

Alaska yellow-cedar has the strongest wood of any in the state, and grows on coastlines from Prince William Sound to northern California. In recent years, yellow-cedar have been dying of causes other than old age on more than 500,000 acres of Southeast Alaska, and scientists aren't yet sure why. Some think it may be warm winters and springs that are limiting snowfall accumulation, exposing shallow root systems to blasts of lethal cold air. As the trees' cause of death is investigated, scientists have come up with an innovative way to utilize the dead trees.

When Alaska yellow-cedars die, they often remain standing for more than a century. Rick Kelsey and Nick Panella are two scientists who are finding uses for the mass of dead trees, beyond lumber and firewood.

Kelsey, who works for the U.S. Forest Service in Corvallis, Oregon, traveled with Paul Hennon of the Forest Service in Juneau to collect heartwood samples from live and dead yellow-cedar trees in Southeast Alaska. From those samples, Kelsey and others looked at 16 compounds within the trees' essential oil. They tested a few of those compounds, nootkatin and carvacrol, in the lab and found they killed spores of Phytophthora ramorum, the fungus that causes sudden oak death. Sudden oak death has killed thousands of oak trees in California.

The anti-fungal compounds in Alaska yellow-cedar persist in the heartwood for up to a quarter-century after the trees die. Kelsey thinks that shavings or chips of Alaska yellow-cedar could prevent the spread of sudden oak death in some areas. He envisions spreading the chips over pathways in recreational areas where hikers and bicyclists pick up the spores that cause sudden oak death and carry them without knowing it. The chipped pathways might kill the spores before the disease can get established in a new area.

Panella is a biologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. He and his coworkers' search for all-natural pesticides led them to check out the virtues of dead Alaska yellow-cedar. In a lab where his agency raises about 10 different species of mosquitoes for use in experiments, Panella coated the inside of bottles with the essential oils from yellow-cedar heartwood and dropped 25 to 50 mosquitoes into each bottle. He found that the compounds carvacrol, nootkatone, and valencene-13-0L were effective at killing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and that the compound nootkatol was a repellant. Both compounds did the job in many cases after being in the bottles for up to six weeks. Aedes aegypti don't occur in Alaska, but the mosquitoes carry dengue and yellow fever in other parts of the world.

Panella and his colleagues have mixed up a repellant from the Alaska yellow-cedar compounds and it has worked for several hours. Yellow-cedar compounds also work against ticks and fleas, Panella said, and have low toxicity to mammals. The researchers have filed patents on their mixtures as repellants and insecticides, and are talking with businesspeople who are interested in developing and selling the final products. Some day in the near future, Alaska's most valuable lumber export may also repel its worst summer pest.

This column is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community.
Ned Rozell [nrozell@gi.alaska.edu] is a science writer at the institute.

Technorati Tags: Alaska

NOAA ISSUES PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF ACMP AMENDMENT

2005-07-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

Governor Frank H. Murkowski announced today that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) has issued preliminary approval of the State's amended Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP).

"This is a victory for State's rights. Securing preliminary approval of the state's program amendment has been a long process," said Governor Murkowski. "By asserting our vision of what is in the best interest of the state, we finally have a coastal management program that works for Alaska, and that's a huge success."

Alaska began implementing the ACMP in 1979. Dissatisfaction with the program's outdated and increasingly unwieldy and complex requirements grew until a bill was introduced to repeal the ACMP in 1997. Though that bill was never passed, in 2003 the Alaska State Legislature passed HB 191, mandating reform of the ACMP and calling for a simplified program that eliminated duplication of laws, while ensuring protection of coastal uses and resources.

Since passage of HB 191 in 2003, the state has been working with OCRM to finalize and describe the amended ACMP in a manner that satisfies the federal requirements of the Coastal Zone Management Act, while meeting Alaska's needs for management and protection of the state's coastal uses and resources. On June 2, 2005, the State submitted a formal request to OCRM to approve the program amendments. The submission of that request and program description concluded an arduous, detailed, comprehensive, and collaborative effort by the State and OCRM on the approvability of the state's coastal program.

In a letter to DNR Commissioner Tom Irwin dated June 27, 2005, OCRM responded to the State and issued preliminary approval of the amendments to the ACMP, confirming that Alaska has satisfied the procedural requirements and is likely to satisfy the applicable program approval standards of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. With preliminary approval, OCRM will initiate the process to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, and expects to complete that process and issue final approval of the ACMP amendments by December 31, 2005.

"This has been a tremendous effort on all accounts," said Commissioner Irwin. "It took the leadership of Governor Murkowski to kick-start this process, and the willingness of folks in the coastal areas to assist in the final push to get this preliminary approval."

"The ACMP program is valuable to our coastal communities," said Murkowski. "I am pleased that OCRM recognized its role to 'assist the states' in managing their coastal resources. Their preliminary approval of our amended ACMP plan is a significant victory."

Technorati Tags: Alaska Rights

Where Cabbage Is King

2005-07-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

Vegetable growing is big in Alaska. We mean really big: 39-pound turnip big, 75-pound rutabaga big. And then there's the cabbage....

It's a Bunyanesque stretch of a core truth that belies Alaska's frozen-north image: Alaska's an ideal place to grow really, really big vegetables.

As in, a 75.75-pound rutabaga. A 63.3-pound celery. A 39.2-pound turnip. World records, all.

With rich, glacier-ground volcanic soil and summer days that have 20 hours of sunshine — a lot of photo to go along with the synthesis — the fertile valleys here attract big-veggie growers the way Mt. Everest attracts climbers.

Alaska's agricultural industry is tiny. It took in about $50 million last year, ranking last among the 50 states. California grossed $27.8 billion.

But what it lacks in size, Alaska makes up for in, well, size.

Communities to Review USA PATRIOT Act Around Independence Day

2005-06-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Before Congress votes to reauthorize or amend controversial sections of the USA PATRIOT Act set to expire this year, a coalition of grassroots groups and national organizations plans to make sure Congress members hear their constituents’ concerns. From July 2 through 8, they will be holding educational and civic events dubbed “Patriot Days of Action” in cities nationwide to encourage people to consider how the Act affects civil liberties and to join in the growing national debate.

Community-based coalitions will also be visiting their Congress members’ district offices to discuss proposed legislation they see as antidotes to post-9/11 federal excesses –such as the SAFE Act, Freedom to Read Protection Act, the Restore FOIA Act, the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act, and other liberty-restoring bills. Information about Patriot Days of Action, including event postings, suggestions, materials, and endorsing organizations, is at http://www.bordc.org/involved/weekofaction.php.

“Independence Day is a good time to expose our post-September 11 laws and policies such as the so-called PATRIOT Act to the ‘rockets’ red glare’ and to ask ourselves what our founding fathers and mothers would think if they were alive today,” said Nancy Talanian, director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC), which is sponsoring Patriot Days of Action. “They would be disappointed to learn, for example, how the USA PATRIOT Act diminishes the Bill of Rights they fought so hard for, by weakening our rights to free speech and assembly, our right to be left alone if we are doing nothing wrong, and to receive due process of law. They would surely notice that the balance of power has shifted in many cases, so that the judicial and legislative branches no longer have oversight over certain executive branch actions.”

So far nearly 400 state, local, and county governments serving a combined population of 62 million have enacted resolutions and ordinances upholding their constituents’ civil liberties and criticizing laws and policies such as the USA PATRIOT Act that violate Bill of Rights protections. New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas, as well as the state legislatures of Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, and Vermont have all passed resolutions. Organizations with resolutions include the American Library Association, the National League of Cities, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the United Electrical Workers Union, and more than 50 campus bodies.

Organizations endorsing Patriot Days of Action include the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International USA, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Friends Committee on National Legislation, National Lawyers Guild, People For the American Way, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, and several state and local organizations. Talanian hopes many cities will participate. “This is a critical moment for everyone who thinks they’ll ever need their civil liberties. We are seeing movement in Congress in both directions: A win in the House on the Bernie Sanders ‘Freedom to Read’ amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State, and Science Appropriations bill, and a defeat in the Senate with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s support of an expansion of the Patriot Act providing “administrative subpoena power” for the FBI.”

Talanian warns, “The people must speak up now or forfeit the rights we celebrate on Independence Day.”

Source: Press Release

Technorati Tags: Alaska Politics Patriot Act

Alaska Governor Signs Bills to Invest Oil Windfall in Alaska

2005-06-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski signed the state's operating and capital budget bills at a ceremony in Anchorage Tuesday, investing part of the state's unanticipated $1 billion Fiscal Year 2005 oil windfall in K-12 schools and needed infrastructure around the state.

"We began this year with a clear vision to not only to craft a fiscal 2006 budget that meets our responsibilities to Alaskans, but to invest in the future of Alaska," Murkowski said. "We accomplished this with strong support for Alaska schools, a commitment to safe communities and a capital budget that puts Alaska to work."

"This budget represents a continuation of the commitment I made to Alaskans nearly three years ago to develop our resources, to develop our state and to build a better future for the next generation of Alaskans," Murkowski said.

Office of the Governor
Web Site

Technorati Tags: Alaska

Wasilla Man Offers Giant Mecha on eBay

2005-06-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

For something different: "A news flash on the Palm Springs NewsChannel informs Techies with at least 40-thousand dollars to spare can bid on a towering mecha that shoots flames and has red glowing eyes.
Carlos Owens Junior of Wasilla, Alaska has listed his 18-foot handmade hydraulic exoskeleton on eBay.

The 27-year-old apprentice ironworker says he's selling the rust-red machine to fund construction of his next project -- a mobile amphibious mecha that would run on wheels or tracks.

Owens took almost two years and more than 20-thousand dollars to construct his prototype mecha in his parents' back yard. Unlike robots, which are operated remotely, mechas are operated by the person riding inside the frame.

It stands at 18ft tall, its over 8.5 ft wide, weighs in at 3000lbs.

From his listing: "This project has received international attention from many different press/media sources such as Stars and stripes magazine, FHM, CNET, G4 Tech TV,and the Associated press just to name a few, Links to these articles and more releases can be found at the following link as well as some video footage of the mech in action.

The first machine of its creation and design in the world designed for the specific purpose of troubleshooting the mechanical aspects of the first ever bi-pedal Mecha.

The NMX04-1A Prototype is an ( X ) type chassis Mecha meaning Anthropomorphic/humanoid."

Technorati Tags: Alaska Mecha

Free Government Research Reports

2005-06-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

Submitted by an anonymous reader: "Ted Bridis of the Associated Press reports that more
than 8000 Congressional Research Service reports produced exclusively
for legislators are now available to the public for free. The Center for Democracy & Technology's Open CRS project is a Web-based central clearinghouse that features several collections of government reports. The research service has '... a staff of more than 700 and a nearly $100 million budget ...' but 'CRS Reports do not become public until a member of Congress releases the report.' The Open CRS project wants your help in obtaining and adding reports to the database."

Mystery of World's Fastest-growing Lakes Solved

2005-06-27T23:32:00.000-08:00

In Alaska, thousands of mysterious lakes are all the same shape and have grown steadily for thousands of years, the geological record shows. They are the fastest growing lakes known in the world.

Scientists have tried various ideas to explain the steady growth -- the lakes expand up to 15 feet every year -- and the lakes' consistent shape and orientation, but no theory has held up.

Now a scientist who has worked previously on puzzles as wide-ranging as the spiral shape of Mars ice caps says he's solved the terrestrial mystery.

The solution might also help explain a series of oddly similar lakes near the U.S. East Coast.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Mars Lakes

Legislators seek advice on creating boroughs

2005-06-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

We have some ideas about this: "The Alaska Legislature is forming an interim advisory commission to study the causes of economic hardships in rural communities and develop proposals to help them form local governments.

The resolution approving the Advisory Commission on Local Government says that in recent years, many small communities across the state have faced serious debt or have stopped providing local services."

The authors of the constitution had a vision for creating local government throughout the state, a vision that has been sidetracked.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Government

High court OKs personal property seizures

2005-06-24T01:28:00.000-08:00

CNN reports that The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses -- even against their will -- for private economic development.

At issue was the scope of the Fifth Amendment, which allows governments to take private property through eminent domain if the land is for "public use."

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has been a key swing vote on many cases before the court, issued a stinging dissent. She argued that cities should not have unlimited authority to uproot families, even if they are provided compensation, simply to accommodate wealthy developers.

The erosion of our rights continues. Only 6 states allow taking, Alaska has no laws either way.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Rights

Raven chicks saved from compost heap at landfill

2005-06-24T01:09:00.000-08:00

Three raven chicks likely would have been ground up for compost, along with the pile of brush in which they were found, if they hadn't been squawking for food.

The racket got the attention of Ketchikan landfill scale operator Laura Huffine who found the chicks Sunday in an intact nest.

Huffine said Tuesday that she heard "this horrendous noise coming out of the brush pile as we passed." When she checked she said, "all I saw were huge pink mouths. It was a little startling, to tell the truth."

Technorati Tags: Alaska Ravens

Mat-Su officials reject proposal concerning police force

2005-06-24T01:01:00.000-08:00

Borough officials have rejected a proposal by Mayor Tim Anderson that allows voters to decide whether the borough should have a police force. This story was posted here: Saturday, June 11, 2005 Matanuska-Susitna Borough-The Emerging Police State?

The sales tax is, likewise, postponed. At least for now. The carrot on the stick is property tax and the new cigarette tax. We'll see on July 12th.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Mat-Su

Alaska's wealthiest local government -- is shutting down Barrow's public bus system

2005-06-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

The borough includes the North Slope oil fields and northern segments of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline in its industrial property tax base. Its tax is assessed at about $10 billion.

Packer said much of the revenues are quickly absorbed in running the 88,800-square-mile borough -- the largest in the state.

"People forget this was third-world conditions just 30 years ago," he said. "We've been bringing it up to present-world conditions, with a basic level of amenities. So it's a little condescending for people outside to say, 'Oh, you're the richest.' It's very expensive in the Arctic." Alternate transportation-Click to enlarge

Barrow is the northernmost town in the United States, with a population of 4,300 people.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Bus Arctic

Higher metals prices mean boom times for Alaska

2005-06-21T00:39:00.000-08:00

Higher metals prices proved particularly beneficial for Alaska's mining industry as substantial funding was made available for mine developments and exploration.

In a recent presentation at the Minexpo in Elko, Nevada, Richard Hughes, Development Specialist for the State of Alaska Office of Mineral Development estimated that 20% of the U.S. exploration dollar is now targeted for Alaskan projects. He estimated that six new mines were under development while at least 15 exploration projects had budgets of at least $1 million.

The total value of Alaska's mining industry, which had been fairly stable at around $1 billion for the past nine years, increased to $1.47 billion in 2004, for a 32% increase over the previous year, according to Hughes. He estimated that $67.8 million was spend for exploration, more than double the $27.6 million spent in 2003, while $187.7 million was spent on development last year.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Mining

Alaska homeless shelter stops serving bear meat

2005-06-21T00:15:00.000-08:00

A Juneau homeless shelter has stopped serving donated bear meat after learning the state prohibits nonprofit groups from accepting wild game meats such as bear, fox and walrus.

"We didn't know that it is illegal," said Jetta Whittaker, executive director of the Glory Hole.

For years, the Glory Hole accepted bear meat to supplement its meals for the homeless. The meat went into many recipes, including burgers, casseroles and spaghetti.

But last year, Whittaker learned that serving it was contrary to rules set by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. This year, it has meant turning down five offers of bear meat.

"That was 250 pounds of ground meat I could use for spaghetti sauce," said Bob Thompson, operations manager of the shelter. "We are protein-poor."

The Glory Hole rarely gets offers of deer because venison is more palatable to most people while bear meat has a stronger, wild smell, Whittaker said.

Some of the people served by the Glory Hole said they miss meat of any kind. David Kelley, who is staying at the shelter, said he appreciates the three meals a day but he is tired of eating starchy vegetables.

"I will eat whatever you put in front of me," Kelley said. "But you cannot live by starches alone."

Organizations such as the Food Bank of Alaska cannot accept bear meat because of the same regulation.

State food safety officials said even if the organizations could get bear meat from hunters for free, eating it could make people sick.

Domestic pigs and certain carnivorous animals, including bears, might be infested with the larvae of a species of worm called trichinella. That can cause trichinosis, which can result in diarrhea, vomiting, breathing problems and even death in severe cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People may question why the state allows the distribution of pork but not of bear meat, but state officials said there are differences in how pork and bear meat are processed.

"Pork is raised commercially, slaughtered, inspected and processed under the regulatory guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture," said Ronald Klein, program manager of the DEC's food safety and sanitation program. "Wild game and bear meat are not."

Whittaker would like to see the agency create a method to test for trichinosis or relax the regulations.

"We serve a lot of guys who need protein to get their days going," Whittaker said.

A nonprofit with a yearly budget of $193,000, the Glory Hole has only $4,500 to churn out 54,000 meals a year for the homeless.

Dan Rasmussen, who cooks at the Glory Hole five days a week, said meat is the most popular item on the menu.

"When you serve oatmeal, probably six people show up," Rasmussen said. "The day I mixed 6 pounds of bacon with 10 dozen eggs, it was gone in 10 minutes."

Technorati Tags: Alaska Homeless Bear

Alaska men should hit the trail for breasts

2005-06-21T00:07:00.000-08:00

In the news: "I decided to run in the 5-mile Alaska Run for Women on June 11 because I thought it would be a good training run for the Mayor’s half-marathon, because my grandmother was a breast-cancer survivor and because I like breasts.

"That’s right. I like breasts. Even though our society has a hang-up about breasts, I don’t see anything wrong with anyone saying they like breasts. What’s not to like? Big, small, firm, soft – all breasts are great. They are cultural signs of femininity and maternity. We cloak them behind garments like secret treasures. They nourish our young.

"The east and west Spanish Peaks in southern Colorado rise from the Great Plains to over twelve-thousand feet. The local Indians revered them and called the twin peaks “Wahatoya,” or the breasts of the Earth. The springs that flow from these peaks brought life to the dry plains just as breasts bring life to all people."

Technorati Tags: Alaska Breasts

Warm Atlantic water comes to call on Arctic Ocean

2005-06-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

Late last summer, Igor Dmitrenko and a few other scientists returned to Alaska from the top of the world with information about an immense pulse of warm water that had entered the Arctic Ocean. The scientists believe the warm stream of Atlantic water visiting the Arctic might affect the entire planet. "It's as if the planet became warmer in a single day," Polyakov said.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Arctic Alantic Warming

Thousands of Alaskans Face Hardship

2005-06-19T00:26:00.000-08:00

In what is supposed by many to be the most advanced country on Earth, thousands of Alaskan Citizens are struggling to enjoy the basics of life enjoyed and taken for granted by the rest of the United States.

Villages in Alaska are about to be cut off from electricity in one of the richest states of the U.S. This will mean an end to the already substandard chronic medical, dental, and basic standard of living already suffered by many Alaskans.

While the usual news outlets are focused and concerned by the plight of climbers on North America's tallest peak, Denali (AKA Mt McKinley), it is again a situation of the few versus the many.

Seven villages in Western Alaska and the Aleutian Islands are in jeopardy of losing electricity to their public buildings and water and sewer utilities this year because they cannot pay their bills.

The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, which provides electric service to 52 communities in rural Alaska, sent a letter to state lawmakers and the administration earlier this month informing them that 17 villages are severely delinquent in payment of the electricity bills.

AVEC President and CEO Meera Kohler said 10 of the villages have paid or made arrangements to pay since the letter was sent. But the western villages of Chevak, Emmonak, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, Wales and the Aleutian Island village of Gambell still owe tens of thousands of dollars in some cases.

"The unprecedented increase in the cost of heating fuel and gasoline in recent years coupled with the loss of state funding has left most of the municipal governments that AVEC serves struggling to pay for their electrical services," AVEC Board Chairman Robert Beans wrote in a June 8 letter to the Murkowski administration. "These communities are in serious need of assistance and in jeopardy of losing vital community services."

AVEC already has turned off one account in Chevak, a village of about 900 on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, about 20 miles inland from the Bering Sea.
In February, the utility cut electric service to about 12 housing units in the village for unpaid utilities.

Technorati Tags: Alaska villagers energy

Our Investment in a Creative Economy

2005-06-17T23:45:00.000-08:00

We are initiating the first steps of a creative economy, and on this day, we welcome Lady Elaina. She has created beautiful stained glass and textile works of art, and now is working on 2 gardens on our lands.

We are working on developing a creative economy. We believe that this will provide the best ability for competition and opportunities for our people. The market for a creative economy is global, and will be made up of small as well as large challengers. This will also provide opportunities to add value to the raw materials that we have previously shipped off to other countries and states, where the value that we could have realized was lost.

I extend this invitation and challenge to creative people, and welcome your thoughts, ideas, and input.

Respected Anchorage doctor dies at medical conference

2005-06-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

Ironic, or coincidental? A well-respected doctor and member of the Alaska State Medical Board died suddenly while at a medical conference in the Lower 48.

According to the medical board, Dr. John Troxel (plastic surgery) died Wednesday night while at a conference with his wife, Dr. Sarah Troxel. It appears he died of some kind of aneurism.

Alaska weather creates ideal conditions for mosquitoes

2005-06-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

If you're visiting Alaska for the first time, you may think that we have a lot of bugs. And you would be right. If you've lived here for only a few years, you may be thinking that there are a lot more mosquitoes, gnats, wasps, and other bugs this year compared to previous years. Again, you would be correct.

But the fact is, there really is not an unusual number of flying, biting bugs this year. It's just that we got used to having it good.

The past few years were unusually dry and hot, and the snow cover, which mosquitoes use to survive the winter, was not sufficient to protect them. Because the summers were dry, there were fewer places for them to breed.

This past winter, we had a more normal snow cover, and that was followed by a wetter, cooler spring.

Among the upsides, the salmon, trout, and other fish, as well as some birds, will be fatter and larger than in those previous years. So get some bug dope, a head net, some fishing gear, and a license (of course), and make the best of it.

The other good news is that, so far, Alaska has not had any cases of West Nile Virus, Malaria, or Yellow Fever, all increasingly common mosquito-borne diseases. Also, we haven't had any scorpions, ticks, or snakes for a very long time.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Mosquitos Fever Salmon

Research on fossils may offer clues on when tsunami will hit

2005-06-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

Geologists studying fossils in Alaska and Oregon have discovered what they believe is a signal that occurred a few years before major coastal earthquakes in the past.

Seismologists have known for some time that really big quakes with the potential to create a killer tsunami hit the Pacific Northwest coast every 500 years on average. But the interval in between can vary from just a few centuries to 1,000 years. The last one struck the area in 1700, so it is not out of the question that another could hit in the near future.

On the other hand, there could be hundreds of tsunami-free years before the next one rolls in.

So what's a city planner to do? Ask the bugs, says a team led by geologists Jere Lipps of the University of California-Berkeley and Andrea Hawkes of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

The team studied microscopic fossils known as foraminifera that lived in coastal marshes in Alaska and Oregon. They found that a few years before several large earthquakes in the past, freshwater foraminifera died out and saltwater species suddenly appeared. This happened because the coast dropped slightly in elevation, allowing salt water to infiltrate the marshes at high tide, Lipps said.

Two to five years later, a major earthquake struck. Four of the five quakes the team studied from the past 3,000 years, including the 1964 Alaska earthquake, were followed by a tsunami, the group reports in the current issue of GSA Bulletin produced by the Geological Society of America.

The earthquakes were located in subduction zones where an oceanic tectonic plate is being forced beneath another plate. Sometimes the two plates stick together and quakes occur when they suddenly become unstuck and slip. The elevation drop the team discovered may have happened because plates stuck and the upper plate was bent down as the ocean plate tried to push under it, Lipps said.

"It's a very interesting idea that there would be these land level changes that would precede the earthquake," said Brian Atwater, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist based at Seattle's University of Washington. But Atwater would like to see evidence in more locations to corroborate the finding.

Lipps' team is working to find that evidence in mangrove swamps in Mexico and marshes in New Zealand, and Lipps also hopes to go to southeast Asia where the devastating tsunami struck in December. The hope is that by placing instruments that measure small changes in the dip of the crust known as tiltmeters in subduction zones, scientists might be able to issue a warning a few years in advance that a major earthquake and tsunami is likely.

And there may be reason to believe the Pacific Northwest is due for another wallop like the magnitude 9 that struck the region in 1700 and sent a tsunami racing across the Pacific all the way to Japan where it damaged coastal villages.

A group led by Harvey Kelsey at Humboldt State University studied the record of past tsunamis in lake sediments in Oregon. They found that over the last 4,600 years, tsunamis have tended to come in clusters of three or four every 1,000 years with quiet stretches of around 1,000 years in between. The work also appears in the current GSA Bulletin.

Prior to the 1700 tsunami, there was a period of about 700 years with no giant waves. So that event could have been the start of a new cluster of tsunamis, raising the likelihood of another big wave in the near future.

Technorati Tags: Alaska tsunami

Navy to Test Shape Shifting Catamaran in Alaska

2005-06-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Navy hopes to test a shape-shifting new catamaran, capable of zipping through stormy seas and landing on hostile beaches by putting it to work ferrying commuters from the Mat-Su Borough to Anchorage, Alaska. "It's a ferry version of the Transformers (toys) that you grew up with," said Rear Admiral Jay Cohen, who manages the Navy and Marines' science and technology program and requested this week's Anchorage meetings.

Click image to enlarge

To meet the Navy's needs, the vessel has to be able to dock almost anywhere. It has to be able handle high winds, high tides and thick ice, which Cohen says is the reason it's being tested in Alaska. The design -- initially created by Lockheed Martin -- includes hardened hulls for busting through ice.

"As far as we know, it's the only twin-hulled ice-breaker in the world," said Lew Madden, who graduated from then-Anchorage High School in 1962 and now works for Lockheed Martin as Alaska Ship Systems program manager.

Madden is one of the inventors of the ship's patented concept, which operates in three distinct modes, Madden said. For speed, it rides high above the water like a catamaran. In rough water, the hulls drop down, and it glides along as if resting on a pair of submarines. For shallow-water landings, the center section drops down, with its ramp to the beach like a barge.

Technorati tags: Alaska
Navy
Transformers

Aleutians rocked by series of big quakes

2005-06-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

One jolt after another -- the western Aleutians were hit by a series of earthquakes overnight.

The countless quakes started short after midnight. The biggest one, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, struck at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday. There were reports of items falling off shelves in Adak, about 175 miles from the epicenter.

That was followed by a 5.1 quake, which hit about 9:48 a.m., centered about 40 miles southeast of Amchitka Island.

The series of quakes occurred where the Pacific and North American plates collide. Most were in the range of 4.5 and 5.7.

Eagle crashes into living room of a Ketchikan home

2005-06-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

KETCHIKAN, Alaska -- A bald eagle crashed through a window of a Ketchikan home and landed in the living room, scattering broken glass, feathers and a salmon carcass across the floor.

Artists Rendition of Eagle with Salmon

Homeowner Jean Stack heard the crash and initially wondered if someone had thrown a dead fish through the window.

"I stopped in my tracks and thought, 'Oh my gosh," she said.

But then she heard her neighbor, Kurt Haskin, yelling. He saw the whole thing from his deck.

Haskin had been drinking coffee and watching eagles from his deck shortly before 6 a.m. Monday. He said one eagle was on his roof, and three more were in a nearby tree. Another pair occupied a tree across an alley.

"They were fighting, thrashing around; there were leaves and limbs (shaking)," Haskin said. "This was all within 50 feet of me, and I was thinking this was pretty cool."

Then one eagle swooped out of the nearby tree, up past Haskin's head, around the eagle on the roof and back behind the tree, said Haskin.

"I didn't notice it was packing a fish when it swooped over me," he said.

The eagle re-emerged and bore down on Stack's bay window, which is about 15 feet off the ground.

"It just grenaded that window," Haskin said. "The window didn't even slow it down."

But the jolt apparently shook the fish and some feathers free. A moment later, the eagle popped out the hole where the window had been.

"It was only about four or five seconds, then it must have gathered its wits and flew back out of there," Haskin said.

Stack was awake in bed when the eagle hit.

"I heard this tremendous noise," Stack said. "I thought, 'What in the world was that?' It was so loud, and I didn't know where it was."

When she reached the living room she found glass from one end of the room to the other. "There was this huge fish carcass right where my dog usually slept," she said. "It didn't have a head. It was at least two feet long - just the back bone and the tail."

There were feathers about eight feet into the room, she said.

When Haskin began calling and asking whether she was OK, Stack went outside and got the story.

"I said, 'There was an eagle in your living room,'" Haskin said. "I just couldn't believe it."

Stack said she was shocked, but soon recovered. The fish carcass went into the garbage, and a new window was on the way for replacement, she said.

Boyd Porter, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Wildlife Conservation Division, was surprised by the incident.

"We have a lot of window strikes by hawks and other birds, but it is unusual for larger birds such as eagles," he said.

Technorati Tags: Alaska Salmon Eagle

Matanuska-Susitna Borough-The Emerging Police State?

2005-06-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

Matanuska-Susitna Borough-The Emerging Police State?

The trickling erosion of citizens rights by the Mat-Su Borough 'Government' is about to become a torrent. And the Citizens will be forced to pay for that which we do not need, or want. What we have is classic taxation without representation.

Among the other poorly thought out ideas to oppress the people and use funds that are already in very short supply, the Borough Bureaucrats are planning a Police Force. Even though the Borough is already policed by the Alaska State Troopers, as well as Federal Agencies, and despite the fact that many communities already have their own police force, the Borough wants a Police Force. Why? One can readily assume it is to oppress freedom. There can be no other valid reason, except for something an aspiring politician can add to their resume. The Council, after providing a 2-day notice, intends to hold fake hearings during the summer, when most Alaskans are spending time in the outdoors with their families. Then the will slip the proposal in the October 4th Ballot, no doubt worded in a confusing way, with no price tag. Of course, anyone who would vote against the “Public Safety”, regardless of the cost either in taxes or freedom, must be “one of them”. They will try to convince you that they, the Borough Government, are your only salvation.

Next, the Council will, despite being told soundly by the voters five times that we do not want a Borough wide sales tax, again put it on the October ballot. Why do they even bother to put it on the Ballot? Why not crush the will of the people, and enact a tax? Send out the Borough police to silence any protests or dissenters.

Don't be fooled if the Council (yes, I know what they are called, but that is my chosen term) tells you that this or that tax will be used to pay for the Police. That is illegal, in violation of the Alaska Constitution.

Another idea that has been struck down in the past is the so-called 'severance tax'. Will they ever listen?

To be fair, there are those on the Assembly, and who are employed by the Borough (that is to say, by the Citizens, at least in theory), who really do care. Unfortunately, they are apparently in the minority, and lack the power to preserve our rights and freedoms.

The question then is: “What are we going to do about it?”

Here is the Notice:

The MSB Assembly will hold a special meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at 5:30 p.m., to introduce the sales and severance tax proposals for a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 23.

Here is the agenda: http://www.matsugov.us/Assembly/schedules/documents/061405spcintrosalesandseverance.pdf

Here is the legislation that is currently under consideration:

1. Ordinance Serial No. 05-065: http://www.matsugov.us/Assembly/documents/05-065or.pdf AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH TO LEVY A SALES TAX NOT EXCEEDING ONE PERCENT OF SALES, SERVICES, AND RENTALS WITHIN THE BOROUGH, AND TO SUBMIT THE QUESTION OF THE LEVYING OF THE SALES TAX TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE BOROUGH AT THE OCTOBER 4, 2005, REGULAR BOROUGH ELECTION. Ordinance Serial No. 05-066: AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING MSB 3.35, A UNIFORM SALES TAX. (1) IM No. 05-113

2. Ordinance Serial No. 05-069: http://www.matsugov.us/Assembly/documents/05-069or.pdf AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH TO LEVY A SEVERANCE TAX NOT EXCEEDING $.25 PER YARD OF MATERIAL, $.25 PER SHORT TON OF COAL AND $2.50 PER ACRE OF TIMBER, AND SUBMITTING THE QUESTION OF THE LEVYING OF THE SEVERANCE TAX TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE BOROUGH AT THE OCTOBER 4, 2005, REGULAR BOROUGH ELECTION. Ordinance Serial No. 05-067: http://www.matsugov.us/Assembly/documents/05-067or.pdf AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A TAX ON A NATURAL RESOURCE WHENEVER THE NATURAL RESOURCE IS SEVERED AND SOLD FROM PROPERTY WITHIN THE MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH AND PROVIDING FOR PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO PAY TAXES DUE BY ADOPTING MSB 3.55, NATURAL RESOURCE SEVERANCE TAX. (1) IM No. 05-114

Anchorage, Alaska Will Host National Policy Meeting on Technology

2005-06-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

Make your voice heard, see some awesome sights, and maybe catch a 20, 30, or 50 pound King Salmon within walking distance of your hotel!

Washington, DC ---- Municipal officials will discuss recent proposals by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens for a national video franchise agreement, the importance of protecting public rights of way, the ability of cities to provide broadband connections for their residents and businesses, and the upcoming rewrite of the Telecommunications Act at a meeting of the National League of Cities (NLC), June 16-18, in Anchorage at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel.

NLC’s Information Technology and Communications Steering Committee will examine and develop recommendations for national policy on a variety of telecommunications issues. The committee, chaired by Arvada, Colo., Mayor Ken Fellman, will also observe technology used in telemedicine procedures.

“The federal government should use a deliberative process in reviewing communications law,” said Mayor Fellman. “Local franchise authority, local police powers, and public interest obligations deserve protection. The federal government should facilitate local efforts to promote competition, public safety, and appropriate management of public property.”

In addition, NLC’s Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR) Steering Committee will also meet in Anchorage from June 16-18. The EENR Committee is expected to discuss issues related to alternative fuels and ways to improve water quality.

For more information on the agendas for these meetings, contact Sherry Conway Appel, 202-626-3003.

The policy recommendations developed at these meetings will be refined in the fall and presented to the full NLC membership for consideration and adoption in December 2005. These policies form the basis for lobbying and advocacy in Congress and the Administration.

The National League of Cities is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal governments throughout the United States. With a membership of more than 1,600 cities and towns, as well as 49 state associations, NLC serves as a resource and advocate for 18,000 U.S. cities that serve 225 million people across the United States.

And now for the fish: "Craig Harrison put a slam in the Slam'n Salm'n Derby at Ship Creek early Friday morning after catching a pro-class leading lunker.

Harrison, who's been stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base since 1999, snagged a 50.20-pounder at 8:15 a.m., blowing away the previous pro class leader, James Jones, who caught a 38.35-pound fish. Overall, the second heaviest fish is Davis Nashalook's 42-pounder in the senior division."

Say Goodbye to Your Rights, Hello to The Police State

2005-06-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

This article has some details about the new, expanded "Patriot Act". "The proposal appears to grant the FBI more power to seek information from banks, hospitals, libraries, and so on through "administrative subpoenas" without prior judicial oversight. The subpoenas are only supposed to be used for terrorism or clandestine intelligence cases.

One other detail: the FBI may designate that the subpoenas are secret and punish disclosure of their existence with up to one year in prison (and five years if the disclosure is deemed to "obstruct an investigation.")"

Might as well wad the Bill of Rights up and try for a three-pointer. What happened?

Our Lands Bear Fruit

2005-06-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

On this day we successfully negotiated a lease on one of our gold mines; and in another matter, a contract to sell, among other products, Rhuhbarb. Thus, our treasury will be enriched by at least $400,000 per annum.

We will use this income to expand our property holdings, to develop our agriculture, to advance our technology, and to further our exploration and development of our mineral properties. Opportunities are available, and new ones will arise for those wishing to sieze them.

by The King

Federal Government Cheats Alaska Out Of More Lands

2005-06-07T23:24:00.000-08:00

Here is the Press Release issued by the United States, gloating over their ursurping of Alaskas rights: "To: State Desk

Contact: Jim Stratton of National Parks Conservation Association (Alaska Region), 907-277-6722 ext. 23 or 907-229-9761 (cell), Web: http://www.npca.org

WASHINGTON, June 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) applauds the U.S. Supreme Court for today's ruling over ownership rights of the submerged lands and tidelands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

The ruling-in response to a five-year-old case filed by the state of Alaska, which staked claim to all of the tidal lands and submerged marine lands within Glacier Bay-finally puts to rest the state's persistent claims of ownership.

"With today's ruling, the Supreme Court has kept the 'Bay' in Glacier Bay," said NPCA's Alaska Regional Director Jim Stratton. "To think the park could function without the bay is a direct affront not only to its name, but also to the motivations of President Coolidge, who established the park in 1925."

Last year, NPCA filed an amicus brief in the case rebuking the state of Alaska's claim by detailing the impact that increased boat traffic and the reversal of the $24-million buy-out of commercial fishing permits would have on Glacier Bay, if the state were to win its case for ownership. NPCA warned these actions would detrimentally impact the park's marine mammal populations, including its humpback whales.

"Given the world class marine resources alive and well in Glacier Bay, today's ruling by the Supreme Court settles once and for all who's clearly the most appropriate organization to manage and protect these resources into the future-the National Park Service, not the State of Alaska," Stratton said.

Russians Build U.S. Giant Missile Defense Radar in Texas?

2005-06-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

Don't tell anybody, but a giant sea-based radar that looks like something out of a science fiction movie looms over the coast of southern Texas where it is nearing completion as the next piece in the controversial U.S. missile defense system.

The final touches are being put on the 280-foot (85-metre)- tall X-band radar system that this summer is expected to ship out on a 20,000-mile (32,000-km) trip from Texas around South America to arrive at what will be its home port in Adak, Alaska, by late December.

"We are well on the way to meeting our goals on schedule," project director Army Col. Mike Smith told reporters on Tuesday. "We expect to be fully operational at year's end."

The $815 million radar, a distant relative of the X-band radar used by police to detect speeding drivers, is designed to detect incoming missiles and discern whether they are decoys.

It is a critical new link in the missile defense system being pushed by the Bush administration to protect the United States from enemy attacks.

The Pentagon is spending about $10 billion a year on the system, which has many critics who say it is too costly and its usefulness and functionality too questionable.

Smith said the radar, built by Raytheon Co. , was based on proven technology, but had not been tested and was not expected to get a full try until it neared Hawaii and a missile range there on its voyage north.

The radar has been in Texas getting fitted to a huge mobile oil platform, built by a Russian firm, that normally would steam out to offshore waters and be used as a base to drill oil and gas wells.

A giant Teflon-like cover, installed last month, envelops the radar and glistens in the Texas sun like a 150-foot (46-metre)-tall white bubble. It is visible for miles (km) on the scrub-covered coast at Ingleside, 15 miles (24 km) across the bay from the seaside city of Corpus Christi.

Smith said the radar would be positioned in the northern Pacific to keep an eye on what is viewed as the greatest missile threat to the United States -- North Korea -- but could go anywhere in the world's oceans under its own power.

With a top speed about 7 mph (11 kph), it would take a while to get there.

Boeing Co. is the prime contractor on the so-called Ground-based Midcourse Defense system.

Smith said the X-band radar, also known as the SBX, was originally planned as a land-based system but that a sea-based system became possible when the Bush administration, to the chagrin of a number of other countries, withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Smith touts the flexibility the sea-based system provides and says it is designed to withstand 130-mph (210-km) winds and a "100-year storm."

The radar is by far the largest of its kind, he said, which will allow it to scan a horizon of about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) at a sensitivity so great it could detect the movement of a baseball at the opposite end of the United States.

Information from the radar would go to the missile system nerve center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which could then deploy defensive missiles from sites in Alaska and California.

Tests of intercept missiles have literally been hit-or-miss, with close to half either not getting off the ground or missing the target.

Proclamation adding "King of Alaska"

2005-06-06T00:24:00.000-08:00

Proclamation adding "King of Alaska"

By The King, Dennis Imprimis Rex Alaska, Dennis the First, King of Alaska

WHERE we be justly and rightfully King of our realm of Alaska, and ought to have the title, style, and name thereof by right of inheritance, and the non-use thereof in our style hath caused much disobedience, rebellion, dissension and sedition in our said realm, to the great impoverishing and peril of destruction of the same, if we had not for the redress thereof put to our kingly hand, as we have done, as by reason thereof our said realm is now brought to better order, peace, and civility than it hath been many years past;

And inasmuch as our loving subjects of our said realm, both the prelates, nobles, and commons, do think and determine, that the good estate, peace, and tranquility, wherein our said realm now stands, shall the better and longer continue, if we would as we ought of right, accept and take upon us the title and name of King of the same; which to do all our said subjects, of our said realm, by their mutual assents, by authority of parliament holden within the same, have agreed and assented unto, and most instantly desired us, that the said title and name of King of Alaska, together with our said whole realm, should be united and annexed to our imperial crown of our realm of Alaska:

To which their desires and humble requests, for the better conservation of the good peace of our said realm, we have assented, and have caused for that purpose our style to be altered and reformed, as well in the Latin as in the English tongue, as hereafter follows: Dennis Imprimis Rex Alaska, Dennis the First, King of Alaska.

And to the intent that our said subjects should not be ignorant of the alteration of our said style, in form as is aforesaid, we have caused this present proclamation to be made, and by the same will and command all and singular our officers, justices and ministers, and all other our subjects and residents within this our realm of Alaska, and elsewhere within any our dominions, that they shall accept, take, and use our style, in form above written, in like form, as they used and accepted our old style before this alteration. Nevertheless, to the intent that no discord, variance, occasion, trouble, impeachment, or molestation should be had or made to any our justices, officers, ministers, and other our subjects or residents, before they may have convenient knowledge of the change and alteration of our late style; we are therefore pleased and contented, that none of our said justices, officers, ministers, subjects, or other residents within our realm of Alaska, the dominion of all the Islands and Nations, for omitting of our said title and name of King of Alaska in writs, patents, process, or other writings, to be passed under any our seals, or for nonacceptation or misacceptation thereof, or for any offense touching the same, done or committed, or to be done or committed, before the last day of September next coming, shall be vexed, troubled, impeached, or by any wise molested or troubled, but that all writs, patents, process, or other writings that be passed or shall pass under any our seals, before the said last day of April, wherein shall happen our said title and name of King of Alaska to be omitted, shall be taken, construed, accepted, and admitted to be of the same force, strength, quality, and condition in all things, as they were before the said title and name of King of Alaska was annexed to our style. And that the non-acceptation or mis-acceptation of our said title and name of King of Alaska, or any acts or things done, or that shall chance to be done, before the said last day of September, by any our subjects or residents, touching or concerning our said title or name of King of Alaska, shall be construed and expounded any offense or occasion of trouble to any of our said subjects or residents; anything contained in this proclamation, or anything that shall be expressed in the same, or any other thing or things to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

Given at our Palace of Waterstone the sixth day of June, in the First Year of our Reign of Alaska.

A Case for Traditional Monarchy

2005-06-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

Reprinted with permission by the author:

" In Part I, I explained my belief that since modern constitutional monarchy is inherently evocative of the non-democratic monarchy of the past, royalists should be able to defend, at least theoretically, this older kind of monarchy and compare it favorably to democracy. In making this case I will combine arguments previously advanced by monarchists with my own thoughts and ideas I have learned from my reading. While these concepts are applicable to the entire world, I will focus on Europe since that is the area with whose history I am most familiar.

The idea that kings should reign but not rule is a relatively recent one, especially outside Great Britain. For most of European history, the primary power was held by hereditary sovereigns. This does not mean that most non-constitutional monarchs were 'absolute;' indeed, no hereditary sovereign has ever wielded the kind of totalitarian power associated with 20th-century dictators. Even modern democratic states exert more control over many aspects of their citizens' lives than kings ever did. So first of all, I must make it clear that a defense of traditional monarchy is not a defense of authoritarianism. While the powers of traditional kings may have theoretically been supreme, in practice they were usually rather limited by the aristocracy, the Church, common law, and the need not to excessively antagonize the common people for fear of rebellion.

Early European monarchs were often elected, not of course by all the people but by members of the elite. However, over time the hereditary principle became more and more entrenched until it was practically inseparable from the idea of monarchy. So when I speak of traditional monarchy, I am referring to a system in which the office of head of state and government is hereditary, usually passed on from father to eldest son.

The idea of hereditary power, even if limited by other branches of government and society, tends to bother modern people, including those who are entirely comfortable with constitutional monarchies. 'What if you get a stupid/cruel/insane king?' or some variant is the usual objection. Of course there is no guarantee that hereditary succession will assure competent leadership. But the problem with this objection is that when the alternatives (primarily democracy and dictatorship) are examined objectively, no system of government offers such a guarantee.

There are not many defenders of dictatorship today, which is not surprising since in the 20th century the totalitarian dictators (the most hated of whom, Hitler, was elected) produced bloodbaths which dwarfed the misdeeds of all kings put together. It is democracy that is widely assumed to be such a great improvement over monarchy. I do not agree. To give just one obvious specific example, I am not convinced that the present occupant of the White House offers any proof of the superior judgment and sophistication of elected leaders. Unfortunately, many American presidents have been fairly mediocre; some have been flagrantly corrupt and destructive. Far too many have abused their powers in order to violently meddle in the affairs of other countries, sacrificing thousands of American and foreign lives in the process.

Elected leaders in Europe have for some time now been primarily occupied with plans to erode their nations sovereignty with European unification and their cultural harmony with mass immigration, a dual betrayal which never would have been contemplated in the days when the monarchs were in charge and on which the populations of most countries have never been allowed to vote. This irony, as well as the EU's attempt to crush Austria's Freedom Party (while the continent's Communist parties, unapologetic heirs of history's bloodiest ideology, are uncriticized), suggests that democracy tends to produce leaders who do not actually believe in democracy, defeating its own allegedly noble purposes.

The elected leaders of both Britain and America are currently planning to launch an aggressive war against a country which has never attacked them, disproving the notion that democracies do not initiate war. The case for an invasion of Iraq is no stronger than those for wars launched by kings in the past, and I do not see how the fact that the decisionmakers have been elected will make life any easier for the unfortunate inhabitants of the intended target.

Aside from these contentious issues (which I realize are debatable), it is hard to see how the 20th century's politicians, who twice led Europe into wars which made the dynastic conflicts of old look like skirmishes by comparison, have surpassed the pre-modern hereditary monarchs in skill and wisdom. Life is certainly better in many ways. But I believe most economists would agree that today's higher living standards are the result of technological and medical advances, and may even have occurred in spite (rather than because) of the actions of elected governments. The welfare state�the democrats� major project�appeared to work wonders for Western Europeans for awhile, but now is facing major problems due to falling birth rates and other factors which have brought into question the credibility and popularity of the social democratic philosophy.

Stepping back from current events and into the realm of theory, I believe that certain qualities inherent in monarchy and democracy give the former advantages over the latter. First, a king is trained for the job from birth. He generally has many years to prepare for the task of governing his country, and when he comes to the throne can concentrate entirely on putting this knowledge to use. He will typically have had access to the best minds and most learned constitutional authorities in the country. In contrast, politicians spend the first part of their careers acquiring power and, once in office, must devote a considerable amount of time to keeping it. The constant need to curry favor with special interest groups does not necessarily coincide with what is good for the country. A king can act according to his conscience; a president must always worry about what the polls and commentators say. Too often it is assumed that the current agenda of a majority of politicians is identical to the 'will of the people,' and that a constitutional monarch best serves his or her subjects by automatically assenting to whatever is approved by the government. Unfortunately for liberty, the possibility that it might be desirable for the sovereign to act as a real check on the powers of the government is never even considered.

The fact is that there is not and has never been any such thing as 'the people,' only many individual people with as many different ideas about what is to be done. I cannot think of any proposition on which all people of any country have ever agreed. For a particular idea to gain the support of a majority in no way proves its superiority to the view of the minority. So the very idea that elected governments inherently serve the interests of 'the people' and hereditary governments do not makes no sense, because the interests of 'the people' are never a coherent agenda. What is good for some of a nation's people will be bad for others. Therefore, no government has ever served 'the people' and none ever will, so this allegedly superior aspect of democratic government is meaningless.

The universal worship of democracy in the Western world has brought about a mentality suggesting that winning an election confers some sort of almost magical legitimacy upon a person, giving him a special moral authority that no one who is not elected can possess (hence the outcry over Prince Charles's letters). I believe this belief is unjustified. First of all, winners of elections are never truly the choice of all or even most of the people; they are merely the choice (and often a reluctant, 'lesser-evil' sort of choice) of a majority or plurality of those who happened to show up at the polls that day.

Even assuming that elections genuinely represent the wishes of a majority of a country's population, one should consider whether the typical path to power of a president is really morally superior to that of a king. Politicians, even the relatively honest ones, are obliged to engage in a relentless pursuit of funds and to frequently make promises to voters. Conflicts of interest are inevitable; campaign pledges are likely to prove impossible or contradictory and consequently may be broken-the whole system invites corruption. The successful politician, especially if he is not independently wealthy, must be a smooth talker and a frequent compromiser and deal-maker, willing to sacrifice principles for politics. He must be willing to step on others to get ahead, constantly attacking his rivals. If a politician is not dishonest or mean-spirited at the beginning of his career, he runs the risk of becoming so as he immerses himself in the real world of politics. The hereditary sovereign is free from all of this. The fact that he did not have to do anything good to earn his position also means that he did not have to do anything bad. Some kings may not be admirable anyway. But while monarchy offers at least a chance that a decent and well-meaning person will achieve the top post, democracy virtually insures such a person will not.

Once a law of succession has been firmly established, monarchy provides government with an invaluable stability and also a certain fairness. When the hereditary principle is unchallenged, no one outside the monarch's immediate family, no matter how rich or powerful, can hope to be king. Everyone is in that sense equal under the throne. However, republics create divisiveness and uncertainty by encouraging prominent citizens to aim for the presidency. It is difficult to see how this system is more 'just' than monarchy, since in practice the office of president tends to be restricted to middle-aged males who have the right connections, are skilled at campaigning and fundraising (which does not imply skill at running a country), and have names that are easy to pronounce and remember.

Monarchs have often been criticized for spending large amounts of money on projects which did not appear to benefit the general public, typically constructing opulent palaces for their comfort and lavishly funding the arts for their entertainment. Yet aside from the fact that this royal "extravagance" provided jobs for generations of architects, artisans, musicians, dancers, and artists, what have been its long-term consequences? Some of the most beautiful buildings ever built (many of which are now open to the public, even in surviving monarchies), much of the greatest music ever written, incomparable art treasures, magnificent dance traditions-the unparalleled enrichment of Europe and the world's cultural heritage must rank as one of monarchy's greatest achievements. Even when the arts were not directly linked with royal patronage, it seems to me that by favoring excellence over equality, monarchy tends to foster an atmosphere which is more conducive than republicanism to high artistic achievement.

The superiority of democracy may be unchallenged by most contemporary Westerners, but it is not accepted by all. One persuasive critic is German-American economist Hans-Hermann Hoppe, author of the recent Democracy�The God That Failed. In this book Hoppe presents an economic and political analysis from a libertarian viewpoint of 'monarchy, democracy, and natural order,' concluding that while it would be better not to have a state at all, if one must have a state, monarchy is preferable to democracy, and the historical tendency to replace kings with presidents must be regarded as a negative development. Hoppe makes it clear that he is not a monarchist, but I think his book contains much of value for those of us who are and should be read by everyone interested in monarchism. To adequately summarize this important book here would be far beyond the scope of this essay (see reviews by Jared Taylor and Thomas Woods), but I will highlight some of his points which especially impressed me.

Hoppe explains how one of the disadvantages of democracy is that it persuades the people that their interests and those of the government are identical, making them far more complacent and accepting of government abuses of power. This is particularly applicable to war. When kings waged wars, the aims were always clear and limited, usually involving disputes over inheritance and land. (The Protestant Reformation added a vicious religious dimension to European warfare, but Catholic/Protestant hostilities burned themselves out after about 150 years, and Europe returned to more prosaic excuses for war.) There was no pretense that war would benefit everyone or serve 'humanitarian' interests. There were no standing armies and no conscription; kings were obliged to recruit soldiers and regard their lives as valuable. In contrast, one of the most disastrous effects of the transition from monarchy to democracy has been the development of ideological or 'total' war. The United States under Woodrow Wilson entered World War I not because Germany or Austria threatened the security of the U.S., but to 'make the world safe for democracy.' Ever since then, up to the 'humanitarian' bombing of Yugoslavia and the current war on terrorism and the 'Axis of Evil,' democratic governments have recklessly broadened the aims of and rationalizations for warfare, resulting in conflicts of far greater destruction. Under the influence of the myth that the interests of democratic government are necessarily theirs, Western populations put up little resistance and succumb to war fever. The wars waged by democracies have turned out to 'make the world safe' for nothing but more war.

More central to Hoppe's book is his theory that monarchical and democratic government are comparable to two ways of managing property, analogous respectively to 'private' and 'public' ownership. A hereditary monarch 'owns' the government and intends to pass it on to his heir. He is therefore likely to think in the long term and will want to increase the value of the state he leaves his successors. On the other hand, a democratic leader is a merely a temporary caretaker, who will be more likely to think in terms of getting the most out of the country at present. In Hoppe's words, '[i]n contrast to a king, a president will want to maximize not total government wealth (capital values and current income) but current income (regardless and at the expense of capital values). (24) Therefore, kings are less likely than presidents to misuse the wealth of their country; the hereditary sovereign will want to avoid exploiting his subjects so heavily...as to reduce his future earnings potential to such an extent that the present value of his estate actually falls. (47)

Hoppe also explains why the class-consciousness and exclusivity of a monarchical society, so often criticized by democrats, are actually an advantage. Since entry into the top levels of government is restricted to the royal family, the clear distinction between classes promotes a healthy skepticism of state power. However, since democratic government is theoretically open to everyone, in a democracy the line between rulers and ruled is deceptively blurred, and people are less inclined to be vigilant.

In spite of all the above advantages, traditional hereditary monarchy as a form of government has fallen out of favor due to wars and ideological developments which perhaps inevitably accompanied modernization. Kingship is accepted as legitimate by Westerners only when it is purely ceremonial in purpose. 'Consequently,' Hoppe concludes, 'a return to the ancient regime must be regarded as impossible. (71) I am reluctantly inclined to agree with him, as I do not see how the necessary monumental change in public opinion could be accomplished. A movement to restrict or abolish democratic government and restore royal power would probably be a waste of time. However, I am convinced that what can and must be defended is the proposition that what today's constitutional monarchs represent is worth celebrating, and that the history of their non-democratic ancestors is nothing to be ashamed of. As long as constitutional monarchies survive, they serve as an elegant tribute to the vanished but valuable heritage of traditional monarchy.

--Theodore Harvey
September 26-28, 2002"

Arctic Lakes Are Disappearing

2005-06-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

Global warming (or maybe Extraterrestrials) appears to be causing lakes to drain and disappear in Arctic regions, a UCLA-headed team of researchers report in the latest issue of Science.

If the pattern persists, it may imperil migratory birds and wreak further havoc on the region's weather, warns Laurence Smith, the article's lead author and an associate professor of geography at UCLA.

"In the Arctic these lakes are the dominant feature on the landscape," he said. "The plant and animal life depend on them as do native fisherman. The loss of these lakes would be an ecological disaster."

Along with researchers from UCLA, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, and the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Smith tracked changes in more than 10,000 large lakes by comparing early satellite imagery taken across approximately 200,000 square miles of Siberian wilderness with recent satellite data.

Between 1973 and 1997–98, the total number of lakes larger than 100 acres decreased from 10,882 to 9,712, a decline of 11 percent, the team found. Most lakes did not disappear altogether, but instead shrank to sizes less than 100 acres. The total surface area in the region occupied by lakes shrank by 359 square miles, a decline of 6 percent.

In all, 125 lakes vanished completely and became covered with vegetation, the researchers found in the study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation. Subsequent monitoring has found that none of the lakes refilled, the researchers report in "Disappearing Arctic Lakes" in the scholarly journal's June 3 issue. The researchers, therefore, consider the lakes to be permanently drained.

"What's interesting isn't that we're seeing individual lakes disappear," Smith said. "The process appears to be abrupt and irregular. From what we can tell from space, a lake is either just fine or it's gone."

State backs Adak in study of an Arctic route to Iceland

2005-06-04T23:20:00.000-08:00

The Northwest Passage, at last: "Marine transportation in the Arctic Ocean could become a reality in the next few decades as climate change thins Arctic sea ice, allowing icebreaker ships to plow through, scientists say.

Now Adak, a fishing town of about 120 on the far eastern tip of the Aleutian Islands, is set to begin plowing through the political and logistical waters of establishing the route.

This year's state capital budget, which awaits the governor's signature, sends $50,000 to Adak to study the social and economic returns of an Arctic Ocean cargo shuttle to Iceland. The route would compete with the Panama Canal.

"The question that needs to be addressed is what are the economics that would drive an arctic shuttle concept," said Ben Ellis of the Anchorage-based research group Institute of the North.

The group has worked closely with Adak officials to study the shuttle concept. Ellis said it likely would be at least a couple of decades before the ice melts enough to open the Arctic passages, but other countries such as Russia, Canada, Iceland and Greenland already are working toward using the routes once available.

"Experts from Alaska and Iceland will work with Finnish icebreaker technologists, Russian administrators of the Northern Sea Route and other appropriate sources of information in completing the study," the budget proposal states. "The study will determine what further public and private investment might initiate service this decade."

Duh: "Oil companies make money in Alaska"

2005-06-04T23:16:00.000-08:00

An Alaskan watchdog group says energy company profits from North Slope crude oil production hit $5.5 billion last year, and there's more where that came from.

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council said total industry profit was just slightly less than $5.5 billion in 2004, the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News reported Friday.

The council also found Alaska made $2.8 billion and the federal government about $1.9 billion from crude oil production. Prices for North Slope oil delivered to West Coast refineries averaged $38.84 per barrel, it said.

Rural Alaska nuclear power gets legislative backing

2005-06-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

Galena, Alaska officials' idea to bring nuclear power to the residents of their isolated Yukon River community took a step forward when the state Legislature approved $500,000 as part of the capital budget to study the plan.

City manager Marvin Yoder, in San Diego on Friday for the American Nuclear Society's annual meeting, said the state money will be used to conduct a series of 90-day studies to see if it could work.

"We think there are some real general questions to be answered before this can be considered for Alaska," Yoder said. "We are going to hire the right scientific people to answer these questions."

Among the questions Galena and Toshiba Corp., the corporate backer developing the 10-megawatt plant, will attempt to answer are what would happen to the reactor core after its 30-year life, what the safety issues would be and what would be necessary to guard it, Yoder said.

Critics previously have said they were not sure how nuclear reactors would be affected by the extreme climate of Alaska.

Because of Galena's inaccessibility and the necessity to ship diesel fuel by barge, residents pay from 20 cents to $1 per kilowatt hour, while the national average is less than 9 cents. With nuclear power, residents could pay a third of what they now pay to power their homes, Yoder said.

If it's feasible in Galena, nuclear power could be used to lower energy costs throughout rural Alaska, state lawmakers said.

"Nuclear power is something folks might frown on, but it's self- contained," said House Speaker John Harris, R-Valdez. "It has a lot of potential for areas" that have high fuel costs.

Harris and Senate President Ben Stevens, R-Anchorage, both supported the studies and pushed to include the $500,000 appropriation in next year's capital budget.

"The amount of money we spend on fuel in rural Alaska is staggering and it gets more and more expensive every year," Stevens said.

Many questions will have to be answered, Stevens said, such as how the plant would be regulated and what its security requirements would be.

Several Democratic lawmakers, when contacted Friday, said they were unfamiliar with the proposal and declined to comment. Galena's representatives, Sen. Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon, and Rep. Woodie Salmon, D-Beaver, could not be reached Friday.

The capital budget has yet to be transmitted to Gov. Frank Murkowski, but his staff already is reviewing the appropriations in it, said spokeswoman Becky Hultberg. She indicated Murkowski would not be inclined to veto the Galena study.

"Gov. Murkowski believes that affordable energy is critical to ensuring economic development in rural Alaska," she said. "He will be evaluating the Galena appropriation with that in mind."

Yoder and Toshiba representatives are scheduled to hold a panel discussion on the proposal Monday at the American Nuclear Society meeting. He said all the key players will be at the meeting.

By Tuesday, he said, "we'll have a real plan of attack on this."

Technorati tags: Alaska Nuclear

King Island village deemed endangered

2005-06-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

"Careful with that first step, it's a doozy!" A village clinging to the side of King Island in the Bering Sea and certain federal lands in Alaska were named among America's 11 most endangered historic places Thursday.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation included the King Island village of Ukivok in its annual list because the tiny old homes there are deteriorating and the former residents of the island and their descendants need help maintaining their connections to the place.

King Island is about two miles across and three miles long [Image]. It lies 40 miles west of Cape Douglas on the Seward Peninsula. The island was named in 1778 by Capt. James Cook for a lieutenant, James King.

The village Ukivok is perched on cliffs on the southern coast. The downhill sides of the homes are propped up with long support poles.

Koezuna-Irelan said most people reach the island using open skiffs with two outboards launched from Nome or a fish camp at Cape Woolley, about 40 miles west of Nome. The ride takes about 2 1/2 hours on a calm day. No one has stayed year-round on the island since 1954.

Moe said transportation is a major challenge. The island has no runway.

Greedy Dentists want to Screw Alaskans Mouths

2005-06-02T23:41:00.000-08:00

A group of greedy dentists, more concerned about paying for their lavish lifestyles than about the health of Alaskans, want the State to sue the Federal Government on their behalf. They don't even want to spend the money to screw Alaskans out of decent care, and instead expect Alaskans to pay for it. And they can't even be bothered to updte their website in the last 7 years!

This appeared in the Anchorage Daily News on 2 June 2005:

"State and national dental groups have taken a new tack in fighting the use of dental health therapists in rural Alaska. Now they want the state to sue to stop the federal-private program on the basis of state sovereignty.

And most people who've watched this issue thought the issue was healthy teeth. The state should decline to sue.

The logic in the dentists' call derives from the fact that the therapists are certified under federal rules because they're in a federal program. The dentists -- not all dentists, but the dental establishment -- argue the state has a right to police health professionals and need not defer to federal officials.

Their real goal is to stop the program. They say that allowing dental health aide therapists to perform some dental work like drilling, filling and extractions is dangerous and should be reserved to dentists.

But the need for better, closer dental care in Alaska's Bush villages is urgent. And there just aren't enough dentists in the rural hubs to do all the work there is.

That's why federal and private money -- including money from the Rasmuson Foundation -- has bankrolled two years of training in New Zealand for Alaskans to become dental health aide therapists.

The New Zealand program is a long-established one, not some fly-by-night operation. After two years of training, the therapists must do 400 hours of work with a fully qualified dentist before they can begin a limited practice on their own -- and that practice begins only with the dentist's approval.

The dental establishment, including the Alaska Dental Society, [who last updated their website in 1998], argues that this work should be done by dentists, not therapists. They say that using therapists subjects Alaska Natives to second-class dental care.

What matters to Natives and all Alaskans is decent dental care and good teeth. If the therapists can help where dentists don't ordinarily practice, let them.

If any of us go to a doctor's office or medical clinic, and a physician's aide or a nurse can do a competent job of taking care of our needs, we're glad for the help. We don't necessarily need a doctor, but we do need a trained and certified professional who knows what he or she is doing.

If a therapist can do it right -- after intensive training and rigorous work under the supervision of a dentist -- then rural Alaskans will be better off. The dental society argues they can better serve the Bush by recruiting volunteers for temporary work and bringing dentists north on longer, paid contracts. Good. State, federal and Native health officials should cooperate with dental groups to get that done.

But such a program needn't compete with what the therapists are doing. And calling for a suit over state sovereignty is a ploy to kill a program that hasn't had a real test here yet.

The dental society should lend its skills, care and energy to help the therapist program work.

BOTTOM LINE: State should say no to dentists' call to sue. No teeth will be fixed in court."

President Bush to Liberate Alaska

2005-06-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Shamelessly taken from at least two other sites, but posted here for its satire and humor value: "US president George W. Bush, in a speech to Congress today said, “Now that the situation in Iraq is under control, and after we’ve overthrown the governments of North Korea, Cuba, New Zealand, Iran and Madagascar, I’ll be asking you for a further $50 billion toward my administration’s efforts to help liberate Alaska, and give freedom to the Alaski people."

The Alaskan governor, Frank H. Murkowski has long been a thorn in the side of the federal government by frustrating their plans to grab control of the entire world’s oil reserves by the year 2010 to present to Dick Cheney as a birthday gift."

"George W. Bush said in his address and amid titters from the democratic benches, “Alaska has enough oil to last for another 50 years and I don’t see why such a small population of drunken snow mobile drivers and skiers should grow rich at the expense of the other 250 million Americans here on the mainland”.

“Furthermore”, he said “There are more big cars in California alone than in the entire country of Alaska and we need the oil more than them”. He added, “They’ve got more in the ground than they need and even if they didn’t have any, they could get enough from all the fish they catch down there”.

George W. Bush added in his address, “We believe that there is a conspiracy to play us off against the Russians and who could blame me for reaching that conclusion when Alaska’s prime minister has a name like Murkowski?”

On a more serious note, it would appear that the first steps in this 'liberation' are the closures of bases in Alaska. Maybe it's not so much satire after all. "The recommendation to include Eielson on the BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure Commission] list came from the Air Force as part of an effort to consolidate its A-10 and F-16 aircraft at bases in the Lower 48. Under the plan, Eielson's 18 A-10s would be reassigned to bases in Louisiana and Georgia and 18 F-16s would be transferred to Nevada. The Air National Guard's air tanker and rescue crew would remain at Eielson, which would be partially maintained for future training exercises"

Anchorage company seeks permits to harvest blueberries

2005-06-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

I was just hiking through the bogs on my lands, and noticed that it is shaping up to be an excellent berry harvest, not only blueberries but also cloudberries, Rose Hips, and many others, thanks to the wetter spring than in previous years. This could provide additional income to people interested in harvesting blueberries on their property as well as on public lands. I'll post some photos of the heavily-laden wild bog blueberries flowering. Here's a picture of a nice Alaska spring sunset

"An Anchorage company has applied for land use permits on large swaths of state land to commercially harvest wild Alaska blueberries.

Denali Biotechnologies produces a health supplement called AuroraBlue. The product hit markets in December. Maureen McKenzie, chief executive officer and founder of the company, said the product is being marketed as an antidote to a variety of ailments, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

McKenzie said she did not know how many acres of land they applied for to berry pick except that it was "thousands and thousands and thousands of acres."

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources also did not immediately know the number of acres applied for. Kathy Johnson, natural resources specialist for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources public information center, said land use permits do not give the permit holder exclusive rights to pick berries on state land.

McKenzie said the company also has been working on contracts with private, Native and borough land owners around the state to gain permission to harvest berries on their land. She said hundreds of people may be working for the company this summer to gather berries.

McKenzie recently said the company hopes to harvest 150,000 pounds of blueberries this summer. By 2007, they hope to harvest more than a million pounds of berries to meet their customers' demands, she said.

"We don't want to run anybody over. We're just trying to figure out where to get those supplies," she said. "It shouldn't be a problem; it's just a matter of finding them."

She said the company would hire their own crews who would gather on permitted land.

Denali Biotechnologies is recruiting people who are willing to gather for them on other allowable land, such as private and Native land.

The company also will buy berries from people who gathered for their own personal use and want to sell some, she said.

Denali Biotechnologies plans to have buying stations set up around the state to purchase berries, she said.

This year, McKenzie said the company hopes to see ranching cooperatives started around the state, including the Kenai Peninsula, where landowners will transplant wild blueberry bushes to commercially grow the product. The company has had small test plots where they have tested ranching capabilities, she said.

In the future, through the help of a $1.65 million federal grant, they hope to have a facility to dry the berries somewhere in the state so they do not have to ship them Outside for drying.

"If we could get everything in Alaska and have the Made in Alaska symbol on it that would be truly wonderful," McKenzie said."

Alaska editorial: A key to customers asking for wild fish

2005-06-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

This editorial appeared in Friday's Anchorage Daily News:

Alaska's Copper River salmon are making their usual spring splash in places where fine fish are sold. It's the most famous example, but not the only one, of how Alaska fishermen can compete against the cheaper, lower-quality farmed fish that has flooded world markets.

Yukon River king salmon have long been prized in Japan for their high fat content. This year, a big chunk of the Yukon River catch will find its way into gourmet markets in the United States.

In Southeast Alaska, fishermen are promoting their products as "Southeast Alaska Rainforest Wild." Salmon carrying that brand will have electronic tracking devices that monitor temperature during shipping to ensure high quality.

Paying attention to quality is definitely a key to success for Alaska salmon fishermen. Gone are the days when fishermen could just toss their catch into an unrefrigerated hold and still expect a big payday for warm, bruised fish. Fresh and fresh-frozen fish, especially fillets, command higher prices. Last year, quality control work and niche marketing efforts clearly paid off. The dockside value of Alaska's salmon catch rose 15 percent.

Selling straight to customers also helps Alaska fishermen boost their income. The number of "catcher-sellers" in Alaska grew 27 percent last year.

A key part of this all-important marketing effort is making sure customers ask for, and get, wild Alaska salmon. That job is a lot easier now. Federal rules that just went into effect last month require retailers to label salmon as farmed or wild and to show the country of origin.

Customers have good reason to ask for Alaska wild. Farmed salmon carry the burden of their industrial, factory-style upbringing. Besides having markedly higher levels of PCBs, farmed fish have to be fed food coloring and antibiotics. By contrast, Alaska salmon fisheries are certified as environmentally sustainable by an internationally recognized oversight agency.

For better or worse, Alaska decided not to jump into the farmed salmon business. Alaska's "ocean ranching" salmon fishermen are fighting a strong tide in the marketplace. The mystique of Alaska is a valuable business asset that offers their best hope of success.

Yukon River King Salmon Run on Its Way

2005-06-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

Last year it was considered the new fish on the block; this year Yukon River king salmon is the one of the most commercially prized wild salmon catches of the year. Yukon River king salmon harvesting is expected to commence the second to third week of June, putting the tasty, rich salmon in restaurants and grocers around the middle of June.

Early, unofficial estimates indicate the commercial catch quota could be similar or even exceed last year demonstrating a healthy and sustainable fishery resource is in place. This fresh harvest of wild Yukon River king salmon is only available for about two weeks in June, sold nationwide to restaurants and retailers. The kings arrive from the Bering Sea with a very high oil content of up to 34 percent, rich in heart-healthy Omega3 fatty acids. Conversely, the majority of other Alaskan kings have less than 14 percent oil content.

Tax Cap Petition Signatures Certified

2005-06-01T00:25:00.000-08:00

Please be advised that the Canvass Board finished their task of canvassing
the signatures on the proposed tax cap initiative petition.

The report of the Canvass Board is as follows:

Total number of signatures of persons signing petition: 4404

Total number of signatures required to approve petition: 1788

Number of signatures counted: 1797

Number of signatures not counted: 172

Number of signatures questioned: 95

The members of the Canvass Board participating were: Chair, Geraldine
Keeling, Marva Denblecker, and Vivian Smith (with staff assistance from the
Clerk's Office). The Board members began their task on Friday, May 20 and
concluded on Wednesday, May 25. The Board members choose to count nine
registered voters' signatures, in addition to the 1788 registered voters'
signatures required, in order to finish the page of the petition they were
canvassing at the time of concluding the count. I have officially accepted
the initiative petition based upon the findings and report of the Board.
Please note that the question of initiative will be drafted and will go
forward to the voters of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough during the October 4,
2005, regular Borough Election.

If you have any questions related to this process, please feel free to call
my office at 745-9683.

Michelle

If you have any questions related to the canvassing process

Michelle M. McGehee, CMC
Borough Clerk
Matanuska-Susitna Borough

KNIK ARM BRIDGE AND TOLL AUTHORITY (KABATA)

2005-06-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

(NOTE: For those just joining in, there is as yet no bridge across Knik Arm). Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) Board Meeting will be held on June 8, 2005, at 1:00pm at the Multi-Use Sports Complex (Meeting Room 1) in Wasilla, AK. This is an open meeting and the public is invited to attend. For additional information about the project, please visit www.knikarmbridge.com.
KNIK ARM BRIDGE AND TOLL AUTHORITY (KABATA)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING #2-05

Wednesday, June 8, 2005

1:00 p.m.

Multi-Use Sports Complex, Meeting Room 1

Wasilla, Alaska

THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST COMMUNITY

2005-05-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST COMMUNITY

Here are some thoughts, ideas, and other materials for your consideration, but first some more background.

I have some experience in Remote Settlements. In addition to the various jobs I have had in villages in Arctic Alaska, I have been contracted to jobs in several other countries and have been far off the tourist track, if there was one. Also, in 1998, I contracted a job to design and implement a self-sufficient community here in Alaska, and act as 'front man', for a group who were worried that their lifestyles would be dramatically affected by Y2K or some other disaster. Don't ask for details, as I signed a confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement. I have designed remote exploration and mining camps, and built one medium-sized self-sufficient mining camp. I have worked at many others.

I'm not going to give away every detail on this Blog, so that any hack can claim the work as his own. The problem is between telling enough to get you, the reader, interested, and keeping enough saved for those who are serious.

And if you are thinking that this is some sort of radical survivalist militia retreat, then you need to rethink. This is many things to many people: A place to take your family in a crises, certainly; A place to spend summers, or winters, or to get in some World-Class Fishing and Hunting, definitely; A place to move to after casting off the yoke of your oppressive and stressful work-to-pay-your-credit-cards-and-margins and live free, undoubtedly. A place of your own, where your voice will be heard. A true community, with fresh air, clean food and water, and the freedom to be yourself, to make your own way, and to be a success or failure based on your own actions.

I envision a community that diversifies at it grows. There will be those who will have much to learn, and those who have talents and experience. All will bring something to contribute and trade. Some will be artists; some will be farmers, growing fruits, vegetables, and livestock. Some will be builders, constructing stone and wood structures. Some will operate equipment: clearing land, building roads, keeping the airport and dock in good working order, mining natural resources; some will be supplying fish, game, and other wild foods or timber; others flying airplanes or driving boats that bring in supplies and carry out salable products. Some will be doing the job that they had before, such as management, technical trades, and other skills, only from a remote location, if they desire. The degree of change is up to the individual, and all will see how each is relative to the other.

This proposal is not for a primitive colony. We will have electricity, clean running water, rules and roads, medical and library facilities, a school, a community center, and communication both within and outside the community. Because we are starting with a clean slate, we can design the community as we see fit, and guide it as it grows. Thus, this is not a proposal for a 'commune', but instead something between and an amalgamation. We can expect hard work and growing pains, but we will draw upon the success and failures of those who came before us, and together, build something we can be proud of, profit from (either through personal growth, fulfillment, or progress), and be comfortable with.

If you are happy with the status quo, the way your life is, then this is not for you. If, however, you seek to challenge yourself, to grow, to live your dream, then I urge you to sign on.

Why A King?

2005-05-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

I have been emailed with the question; "Why does Alaska need a King, and Why do you think you are he?" or words to that effect.

Have you noticed the fraud that is the election process? One or two rich people, supported by Big Business, two sides of the same coin, are your choices. Are you happy with that? I, and many others, are not. Who knows how many well-qualified candidates are running, but no one ever hears their names, or their positions. Are you happy with the government? Happy with a Judicial system that is obviously corrupt? Do you enjoy the plethora of inane TV shows and the accompanying advertising? Do you subscribe to the mass-produced mass-feed productions masquerading as TV shows and public service 'messages'? Do you feel that there is something else, something that is like a cut in your mouth that you just can't stop tounging?

We need someone who will lead us into the 21st century. Someone who does not kiss the asses of Big Business, of petty Bureaucrats, someone who will tell those who abuse their limited powers to pack up and get out by sundown. Someone who represents The People.

If you like things the way they are, then this is not for you. If you seek something new, a radical change, then stay tuned. I am not advocating a violent overthrow of the Government, I am proposing an experiment.

Why me? Read this blog, and you may find the answer.

King Dennis the First

Alaska Subsitence

2005-05-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

I have been experimenting with subsistence hunting, fishing, trapping, and wild foods.

The four basic elements for survival are: Shelter, Water, Food, and Fire. Each element is involved with the other.

To have shelter near a source of water is best, as food can be eaten without fire. A shelter provides a base from which one can hunt and otherwise gather food, water, firewood, and other materials. Most importantly, it provides a shelter from the elements and a base to which one can return to.

Water is important for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that we are mostly made of water. We won't last a week, in the best conditions, without water.

I don't need to state the importance of food. In addition to nourishment, it provides a degree of comfort, as does fire.

Fire is essential for comfort, to cook and preserve food, and to ward off wild animals and insects.

I'll be posting the results of my experiments with the various elements of survival as I test them out. While this is not the first time I have been in survival situations, this will be the first time I have recorded the results of my experiments.

The Cornerstone is Laid

2005-05-22T00:20:00.000-08:00

Today I have begun construction on our stone structure. Inspired by structures I have found and visited in many countries, too numerous to name, and fortunate enough to have an excellent location situated on a high moraine, the source materials contain many stones ranging in size from sand and gravel to giant glacial erratics. The stones include rocks of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary origin.

The site is well-drained, but portions of the lower land includes wetlands, which provide water as well as berries and a defensible space. The forest is mixed willows, alder (great for preserving meat and fish by smoke curing), birch, cottonwood, and spruce. I have grown and am growing corn, beans, peas, beets, kale, mustard, sunflowers, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, tarragon, ruhbarb, oats, potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupe, pumpkin, zuchinni, carrots, turnips, dill, garlic chives, onions, and much more.

I'm not sure what the final shape of the structure will be. I'm just following the shape of the stones and the land, and taking inspiration from historic structures and Celtic Art. I have lived in and built log cabins, frame houses, a tipi, a yurt, and other structures.

I welcome you to contact me if you wish to participate, for your suggestions for construction, and for suggestions for the name. So far I suggest "Waterstone", for the role water has played in the formation of the deposits from which I am deriving the source materials.

The Celts

2005-05-21T00:46:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a very interesting account of The Celts, titled "The Celts" by Gerhard Herm. From the jacket:

"The epic story of the Western World's third great civilization-Germany's number one bestseller.

The Celts is the 2000-year epic story of the North European civilization that rivaled Greece and Rome for richness, diversity, and power. Originating with fierce naked warriors who collected enemy heads as war trophies, the Celts eventually made their influence felt from the Middle East to the Atlantic, bringing with them a unique culture and mythology, a style of art considered the greatest achievement north of the Alps after the Ice Age. The Romans called them furor celticus and at the height of their empire Ankara, Cologne, Belgrade, and Milan all spoke Celtish. THE CELTS is the remarkable story of our North European cultural ancestors, whose language is still spoken by more than two million people in Brittany, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales."

The book is filled with information I never knew, but find very interesting.

The King of Alaska

2005-05-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Alaskan Kings Weblog or 'Blog'. This blog will provide you with information about the King of Alaska and the future Alaskan Kings. If you came here looking for information about the fish, Alaskan King Salmon, then you will find it, but this site is about the past, present, and future Kings of the Empire of Alaska.

I am King Dennis, the first King of Alaska, descendant of Tiege Mor, a http://www.rootsweb.com/~irlkik/ihm/conkings.htm Celtic King of Ireland. He ruled the southern fifth of Ireland, then known as Connaught. You will notice striking similarities between the Highlands of Scotland, Ireland, and the areas of Alaska that you will see on this site. You may also be surprised to find that you are of Celtic origin, for the Celts expanded and occupied an area from the far north to beyond the Mediterranean.

The first historical recorded encounter of a people displaying the cultural traits associated with the Celts comes from northern Italy around 400 BC, when a previously unkown group of barbarians came down from the Alps and displaced the Etruscans from the fertile Po valley, a displacement that helped to push the Etruscans from history's limelight. The next encounter with the Celts came with the still young Roman Empire, directly to the south of the Po. The Romans in fact had sent three envoys to the beseiged Etruscans to study this new force. We know from Livy's The Early History of Rome that this first encounter with Rome was quite civilized:

[The Celts told the Roman envoys that] this was indeed the first time they had heard of them, but they assumed the Romans must be a courageous people because it was to them that the [Etruscans] had turned to in their hour of need. And since the Romans had tried to help with an embassy and not with arms, they themselves would not reject the offer of peace, provided the [Etruscans] ceded part of their superfluous agricultural land; that was what they, the Celts, wanted.... If it were not given, they would launch an attack before the Romans' eyes, so that the Romans could report back how superior the Gauls were in battle to all others....The Romans then asked whether it was right to demand land from its owners on pain of war, indeed what were the Celts doing in Etruria in the first place? The latter defiantly retorted that their right lay in their arms: To the brave belong all things.

The Roman envoys then preceded to break their good faith and helped the Etruscans in their fight; in fact, one of the envoys, Quintas Fabius killed one of the Celtic tribal leaders. The Celts then sent their own envoys to Rome in protest and demand the Romans hand over all members of the Fabian family, to which all three of the original Roman envoys belonged, be given over to the Celts, a move completely in line with current Roman protocol. This of course presented problems for the Roman senate, since the Fabian family was quite powerful in Rome. Indeed, Livy says that:

The party structure would allow no resolution to be made against such nobleman as justice would have required. The Senate...therefore passed examination of the Celts' request to the popular assembly, in which power and influence naturally counted for more. So it happened that those who ought to have been punished were instead appointed for the coming year military tribunes with consular powers (the highest that could be granted).

The Celts saw this as a mortal insult and a host marched south to Rome. The Celts tore through the countryside and several battalions of Roman soilders to lay seige to the Capitol of the Roman Empire. Seven months of seige led to negotiations wherby the Celts promised to leave their siege for a tribute of one thousand pounds of gold, which the historian Pliny tells was very difficult for the entire city to muster. When the gold was being weighed, the Romans claimed the Celts were cheating with faulty weights. It was then that the Celts' leader, Brennus, threw his sword into the balance and and uttered the words vae victis "woe to the Defeated". Rome never withstood another more humiliating defeat and the Celts made an initial step of magnificent proportions into history.

Other Roman historians tell us more of the Celts. Diodorus notes that:

Their aspect is terrifying...They are very tall in stature, with ripling muscles under clear white skin. Their hair is blond, but not naturally so: they bleach it, to this day, artificially, washing it in lime and combing it back from their foreheads. They look like wood-demons, their hair thick and shaggy like a horse's mane. Some of them are cleanshaven, but others - especially those of high rank, shave their cheeks but leave a mustache that covers the whole mouth and, when they eat and drink, acts like a sieve, trapping particles of food...The way they dress is astonishing: they wear brightly coloured and embroidered shirts, with trousers called bracae and cloaks fastened at the shoulder with a brooch, heavy in winter, light in summer. These cloaks are striped or checkered in design, with the separate checks close together and in various colors.

[The Celts] wear bronze helmets with figures picked out on them, even horns, which made them look even taller than they already are...while others cover themselves with breast-armor made out of chains. But most content themselves with the weapons nature gave them: they go naked into battle...Weird, discordant horns were sounded, [they shouted in chorus with their] deep and harsh voices, they beat their swords rhythmically against their shields.

Diodorus also describes how the Celts cut off their enemies' heads and nailed them over the doors of their huts, as Diodorus states:

In exactly the same way as hunters do with their skulls of the animals they have slain...they preserved the heads of their most high-ranking victims in cedar oil, keeping them carefully in wooden boxes.

Diodorus Siculus, History.

I extend this welcome to all the far flung peoples looking for a home, for a leader, and for hope. For those who chose to join, I welcome you; for those who chose to fight, I promise you a battle. Prepare yourself for defeat. No one will remember your name.

For those who wish to join, know this: I am seeking honest men and women, those that are true to themselves as well as our cause. Our motto is “Semper Fidelis”, which translated from the Latin means “Always Faithful”. “Garrett” is Celtic for “The Watcher” and Dennis is from Dionysius, the Greek God of wine, women, and song. I am the firstborn son of Garrett, Chance, and Fain families, whose combined family heritage can be traced back to their distinguished assistance in and before the Battle of Hastings in 1066 a.d, and the Legend of King Arthur. Together we have hewn a gold mine from the wilderness and wildlands of Bush Alaska, despite the opposition of petty colonial bureaucrats, bears and moose, scammers, and the wilderness itself, and have created opportunities for many others.

While you may believe that Alaska is a state of the United States, it is in fact treated as a Colony of the U.S., an Occupied Territory, a source of raw minerals, most importantly oil, and secondary for tourism and recreation. Unlike the maps you see on the television, Alaska is not a small island off the coast of Mexico, it is larger than one fifth of the rest of the U.S., and has more coastline than all the rest of the U.S. put together. It also has the most oil and other natural resources. Alaska has the largest zinc mine, and the largest contained gold resource gold, in the world. Alaska also has the most Veterans of anyplace in the U.S. And we're just getting started.

ABOUT ME: I am the son of a U.S. Navy SeaBee, the grandson of a WWII Army Infantryman and Seminole warrior, descended of Celtic chieftains and Nordic explorers, my heritage can be traced back to before 800 A.D. I carry on that tradition to this day as a warrior, scientist, explorer, artist, and leader. I am the first King of Alaska, the descendant to the throne of the Empire of Alaska. I do not aspire to be your governor, your senator, or your congressman. I am your King, the King of Alaska.

MORE FACTS OF HISTORY: Newgrange was constructed in 3200 b.c., making it more than 600 years older than the Great Pyramids in Giza, and 1,000 years more ancient than Stonehenge. It is easily one of the oldest known structures on Earth. Known in Gaelic as Uaimh na Gréine, 'the cave of the sun', Newgrange is a pagan monument, with a vaulted roof and a cruciform design.