Haines Borough Manager Bill Seward this week offered office “space, utilities and transportation” for five years to the state’s Division of Forestry in response to plans to close the Haines forestry office.
Seward made the offer Tuesday in a meeting with state forester Chris Maisch attended by Mayor Jan Hill, facilities director Brad Ryan, assemblyman Ron Jackson and others.
Seward said in an interview the borough would incur a low cost for the offer because the municipality has open office space in the public safety building already heated, lit and maintained.
He said a borough vehicle would be provided to a forester for use in the field. He also said he didn’t want to offer any kind of financial support to the division, given the borough’s budget deficit.
If the division of forestry decides to accept the offer, Seward said he would bring the topic to the assembly to compose a memorandum of agreement. Seward said the offer would not go forward until the assembly approved it. “I’m trying to be optimistic here,” Seward said.
Assembly member Margaret Friedenauer said the offer is not in the assembly’s hands at this time. “I’m just glad the borough and chamber of commerce have an open communication with Mr. Maisch about the future management structure of the Haines State Forest.”
At Tuesday’s regular assembly meeting, the assembly adopted a resolution “requesting the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry to maintain an office and local staff in Haines to manage the Haines State Forest.”
The proposal also raised concerns at the meeting about undercutting private business, including comments from Debra Schnabel, who currently rents office space in the Gateway Building to the forestry office.
As a provider of rental space, Schnabel said she would like the opportunity to be competitive with a borough offer.