Thank you for the articles on the Haines Highway. It made me sad and disappointed, though not surprised.
Twenty years ago, I was an Alaska Department of Fish and Game habitat biologist in Haines. A primary task was working with the state Department of Transportation as they upgraded Haines Highway from past the Wells bridge to the border. I understand the challenges and frustrations of working on such a project.
But after completion, my DOT counterpart and I gave presentations about how it was possible to build the highway DOT wanted while maintaining fish and wildlife habitat.
Shortly afterward, 2005, the process was started on the current project. About this time the Habitat Division at Fish and Game was reorganized statewide, including elimination of the Haines position, with the help of business leaders and politicians. It was determined business interests were being stymied by an emphasis on fish habitat. The new standard has been to do the minimum amount of mitigation with the least amount of oversight.
The goal of the permit and mitigation process is to compensate for unavoidable habitat losses when constructing a project for the public good, such as lost juvenile king salmon rearing habitat when introducing thousands of yards of riprap along the river bank. The fact that no one seems to even know what was permitted or why is very telling, I am embarrassed for them.
While fish biology does not change with politics, how our resources are developed will have a significant effect on our fish runs into the future. The Chilkat River deserves better.
Ben Kirkpatrick