Coastal Alaskans told state officials why the ferry system needs to be maintained during a meeting Oct. 23 in Sitka.
Soldotna State Sen. Peter Micciche hosted what was called a legislative listening session. He’s chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
The context was deep service cuts slated for next summer. The proposed schedule would leave Sitka with only two port calls a week, down from the current six to eight. It would also reduce other sailings in Southeast and Price William Sound.
Joel Jackson of Kake talked about using the ferry to access doctors and hospitals.
“Sometimes that’s the only option to get elders out of the village over to Sitka or Juneau, wherever their medical care is. I’ve personally have assisted my mother and my father onto these ferries to take them to the hospital. And without doing that, I think their life spans would have been a lot shorter,” he said.
Others said the cuts would increase villagers’ cost of living by making it harder to by bulk food and other supplies from larger communities.
Sitka High School Activities Director Lindsey Jorgensen said schedule cuts would also reduce student travel.
“If the ferries get cut to this level, only 20 percent of our kids would be able to travel for the same budget. That means on a basketball team, one kid could travel out of five. If you look at music, where we travel with 100 kids in the spring, you can’t get 100 kids on an airplane,” she said.
Ferries are play a role in continuing cultural traditions in a contemporary world. Gerry Hope of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska said they’re important for ku.éex’, also called potlatches or memorial ceremonies.
“When we go to these ku.éex’, we bring cases and cases of jarred fish, jarred berries, jams, jellies, food, gifts, blankets. These are big deals. And that’s not something we really can load up with Alaska Airlines,” he said.
Coast Guard spouse Christy Newall said at least 50 service-members’ families transfer in and out of Sitka each summer. They’re moving whole households, including vehicles, kids and pets.
“A drastically reduced summer schedule really limits our options of getting here. And we have to get here in a very specific time. And we have to leave to get to our next job in a very specific time,” she said.
Some speakers criticized plans to tie up fast ferries, which have provided regular summer service linking Juneau, Angoon and Sitka. Others called for increased sailings by mainline ferries and dayboats, because they’re more reliable.
Sitka’s Doris Smith summarized many people’s concerns that the state is turning its attention away from Alaska’s marine highway.
“Our ferry system is a jewel that needs to be valued and cared for. The ferry system is of utmost importance to the entire population of Southeast Alaska. We need more and better service, not less,” she said.
State transportation officials are taking comments on the summer ferry schedule through Nov. 3. Another hearing will be held Nov. 4.
Comments can be submitted at dot.amhs.comments@alaska.gov
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.
