The state’s draft winter ferry schedule, which was announced on July 13, sends one ferry a week to Haines in January and February. It could be costly for Haines businesses, travelers, school sports teams and residents who rely on travel to Juneau for medical reasons or otherwise.
“You can’t support the Haines economy, or the Juneau economy for that matter, with one vessel a week,” said Sen. Jesse Kiehl.
In a spring survey conducted by the Haines Chamber of Commerce, more than 70 local entrepreneurs cited unreliable ferry service as a major concern for their businesses, according to Andrew Letchworth, director of the Chamber.
“Reducing [service] to once a week does have pretty big impacts,” Letchworth said, adding that the slim schedule in January and February is a blow to plans to grow Haines’ winter economy.
A particular impact could be on tourism in Haines. Steven Auch, Haines tourism director, said he has been working with businesses in Juneau to advertise Haines as a mecca for winter recreation, but the proposed schedule would make the Chilkat Valley harder to market as a weekend destination for snow sports.
“Everybody coming here would have to come for a week,” Auch said.
Under the proposed schedule, the Matanuska would come to Haines on Saturday in the first, third and fourth weeks of January and February and on Thursday during the second week of each month.
While three or four ferries per week would stop in Haines in October through December and March and April, there would be reduced service in January and February because the Kennicott and LeConte will be in winter overhaul, and the Columbia will be out of service to save money.
The Legislature and governor agreed, in April, to use $76.8 million in federal funds in addition to about $54 million from the state to finance AMHS for 18 months, through Dec. 31, 2022, rather than the usual 12-month spending plan. But in early July the governor vetoed about $8.5 million in the legislature’s proposed ferry operating budget.
Tyler Swinton, the 2020-21 basketball coach and former student at Haines High School, said the one-ferry-a-week schedule is “really tough” for students and staff.
Students would have to miss a week of school to travel to Juneau for sporting events, Swinton said, and the extra costs of a chartered flight or boat would create financial and logistical hurdles for the school district.
In winter 2020, when a ferry shut down and inclement weather caused flight delays, the Haines and Skagway school basketball teams hitched a ride from Haines to Juneau on an Allen Marine Tours boat that was being chartered by the crew of the reality TV show “Ghost Hunters.” In the past, charter costs have been split by the state and the borough.
“[Chartering] is not an ideal function of the school budget,” said Haines Borough School District Superintendent Roy Getchell. “As a long-term sustainable option, that won’t work.”
Moreover, unlike the state ferries, smaller charter boats do not transport vehicles and can be more vulnerable to harsh weather. “You can’t put a truck full of goods on there…or a bus full of kids,” noted Sen. Kiehl.
While the draft schedule is “not sufficient,” it “came out far enough in advance” to address concerns, said Robert Venables, director of Southeast Conference.
The Department of Transportation said it plans to release a draft summer 2022 schedule for public comment soon after finalizing the winter schedule.
“People need to turn out in droves for the public comment on this proposed schedule,” Sen. Kiehl said.