Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska - Juneau
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.
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.
Tongass Supervisor, Deputy, Leaving The Forest
The Tongass National Forest will soon be without its two top officials. Forest Supervisor Forrest Cole plans to retire in April after about a dozen years in the job. He’s overseen timber sales, stewardship efforts and other agency programs in Southeast Alaska. Cole’s deputy, Tricia O’Connor, is moving to a new Forest Service job in Wyoming.
Despite Spending Freeze, Juneau Access Road Effort Continues
Work continues on the Juneau Access Project, despite Gov. Bill Walker’s spending freeze. But it doesn’t involve moving dirt or pouring concrete.
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Canada Approves Controversial Mine Plan in Southeast
A controversial mine near Southeast Alaska’s border has won approval from Canada’s federal government. That worries critics, who say the development could pollute salmon-bearing rivers.
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Canada Approves Controversial Mine Near Southeast Alaska’s Border
A controversial mine near Southeast Alaska’s border won approval from Canada’s federal government on Friday.
Coastline Search Leads To First Residents’ Camps
The Earth’s crust is more flexible than you think – especially in Southeast Alaska. Growing and shrinking icefields and glaciers, and rising and falling oceans have altered the region’s coastline over time.
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Sealaska Lands Bill Passes Congress
A bill transferring about 70,000 acres of the Tongass National Forest to Sealaska has passed Congress.
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Study: Climate Change Hurting Salmon Habitat
Scientists know climate change is altering rain and snowfall patterns in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. A new study details how that could affect salmon and suggests what can be done.
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New Hoonah Dock Could Boost Tourism Numbers
Hoonah’s Icy Strait Point tourist attraction will see more visitors once a new cruise ship dock is built. That’s according to officials, who expect it to attract more cruise lines to the town 50 miles west of Juneau. But critics worry the location will not help the rest of the city.
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Report: Subsidized logging costs feds millions
A new report says the U.S. Forest Service is wasting millions of dollars by propping up a failing Southeast Alaska timber industry. It says the Tongass National Forest should instead invest in projects supporting tourism and fishing, which are growing segments of the economy.
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Mine Critics Target Investors, Government Officials
Transboundary mine opponents are trying a new tactic in their opposition to a project northeastof Ketchikan. They’re telling investors, and anyone else who will listen, that the KSM mine is a bad place to put their money.
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BC Official Says Mine Concerns Heard, Critics Disagree
British Columbia officials say they understand why Alaskans are concerned about new mines planned for transboundary rivers. But critics on this side of the border say they’re not doing anything about it.
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Appeals Court Revives Alaska Suit On Roadless Rule
Alaska will continue its court battle against a U.S. Forest Service policy that blocks logging in undeveloped areas of national forests.
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Ferry System Limits Solo Travel By Kids, Teenagers
The Alaska Marine Highway System will no longer allow children and teenagers under 18 to travel solo.
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Southeast Voters Return 4 Incumbents To Office, 1 Race Too Close To Call
Southeast Alaska voters on Tuesday returned four incumbents to the state Legislature, but the fifth race is far too close to call.
Report: Second-Growth Logging Can Start Now
Tongass National Forest officials want the timber industry to log and process fewer old trees. They’re planning a 10- to-15-year transition to harvesting younger forests. Two Oregon researchers, one an industry consultant and the other an environmental activist, say it can happen sooner.
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Is Someone Poisoning Sitka Bears?
Someone appears to be poisoning bears near Sitka’s Sawmill Creek Road. A young male found dead earlier this month may be the latest victim.
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More Big Thorne Timber Sales Announced
The Forest Service plans three more timber sales in a part of Prince of Wales Island conservationists say needs to be protected. They’re much smaller than a recent sale in the same area.
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KSM Mine Project Wins Key Permits
A controversial British Columbia mine northeast of Ketchikan has gained some key permits needed for construction.
But the KSM project still needs other government approvals – and large investments – before mining can begin. Also, a company with nearby claims says it must also grant approval.
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Southeast Ballot Issues Cover Taxes, Infrastructure and More
Communities across Alaska are voting in municipal elections today. They are electing city council and assembly members and weighing in on local ballot measures. Some Southeast Alaska voters will consider how to raise revenues and what to spend them on.
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Conservation Group Sues to Block Controversial Timber Sale
The Forest Service awarded a contract this last week to log two-thirds of a controversial Southeast Alaska timber sale. Officials say it’s the first of several contracts for what’s called the Big Thorne timber sale.
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