Governor Sean Parnell has named nine Alaskans to his new Timber Task Force.
“The broad goal of the task force is to focus on economic development and jobs and different ways we can generate some ideas to increase economic development and jobs for Alaskans,” Randy Ruaro, the governor’s deputy chief of staff, said.
The administration announced plans for the task force in May after pulling out of the Tongass Futures Roundtable, which the Governor said was ineffective.
State Forester Chris Maisch of Fairbanks, who played a leadership role in the Tongass Roundtable, will chair the task force, which will meet later this month.
Other task force members include Forest Service Regional Forester Beth Pendleton of Juneau, Alaska Forest Association Executive Director Owen Graham of Ketchikan, and Commerce Department Commissioner Susan Bell of Juneau.
Other government members are Juneau’s Kyle Moselle, Tongass coordinator for the state Department of Fish and Game, and Coffman Cove’s Elaine Price, projects manager for that Prince of Wales Island city.
Industry members are Craig’s Bryce Dahlstrom of the Viking Lumber Company and Delta Junction’s Brad Cox of Logging and Milling Associates.
Ed Schoenfeld is Regional News Director for CoastAlaska, a consortium of public radio stations in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Wrangell.
He primarily covers Southeast Alaska regional topics, including the state ferry system, transboundary mining, the Tongass National Forest and Native corporations and issues.
He has also worked as a manager, editor and reporter for the Juneau Empire newspaper and Juneau public radio station KTOO. He’s also reported for commercial station KINY in Juneau and public stations KPFA in Berkley, WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and WUHY in Philadelphia. He’s lived in Alaska since 1979 and is a contributor to Alaska Public Radio Network newscasts, the Northwest (Public Radio) News Network and National Native News. He is a board member of the Alaska Press Club. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in Douglas.
