The attitude public facilities director Brad Ryan has about the upkeep of the Porcupine Road was off-base and one-sided. Let me tell you about the real economic impact of Porcupine Road.
Constantine Metal Resources has provided 20-30 well-paying jobs for many years. They spend between $5 million and $6 million each year doing responsible mine prospecting. My own mining activities have brought in five to eight people each year. In addition, a 15-member film crew has called Haines home four of the last six summers and falls.
Don’t forget the hundreds of locals who cut firewood, the loggers who make a living from the Porcupine forest, the berry pickers, the people who spend hours enjoying the incredible beauty the Porcupine Valley has to offer. Have you ever been to Flower Mountain? For the moment, set aside the moose, bears, wolves, grouse, and, yes, those prickly little characters, and think of all those people who work and play by way of Porcupine Road… spending millions of dollars in this little borough. Just ask the business people.
It’s time to stop treating the Porcupine Road like a red-headed stepchild, and give it the respect that it deserves.
Fred Hurt, Porcupine Creek