April-Issue-2 2012

The Alaska Railroad Corp. released its 2011 annual report, and while the numbers don’t change dramatically over the previous year, those small improvements are a sign of momentum the company will try to maintain in an uncertain 2012.

A long-awaited road project at the far end of the Alaska Peninsula is one step closer to fruition. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed single-lane road construction connecting King Cove and Cold Bay.

Businesses in Cordova usually get a big boost in the summers from visitors to Childs Glacier, but that boost may be put on hold for a bit longer than they thought.

A long-awaited road project at the far end of the Alaska Peninsula is one step closer to fruition. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a draft Environmental Impact Statement for proposed single-lane road construction connecting King Cove and Cold Bay.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the state’s fiscal year 2013 Capital Budget, Senate Bill 160. The budget appropriates $2.63 billion, including $1.8 billion in state funds and $830 million in federal funds.

Marathon Oil Corp. will sell its Alaska producing properties in southern Alaska to Hilcorp Alaska LLC, the Houston-based company announced Monday in a press release. Hilcorp recently acquired Cook Inlet production assets sold by Chevron Corp.

State and industry officials announced March 30 that the long-running Point Thomson litigation has been settled in an agreement featuring ironclad production requirements with North Slope producers, who also told Gov. Sean Parnell they have reached alignment on pursuing a major liquid natural gas pipeline to facilitate exports from Southcentral Alaska.

The state Senate’s proposal for state oil tax changes is slowly taking shape. An early version of the bill appeared April 3, but Senate Finance Committee co-chair Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, who is in charge of the bill, said key parts are unfinished.

NEW YORK (AP) — A big shift is happening in Big Oil: An American giant now ranks behind a Chinese upstart.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gene scans for everyone? Not so fast. New research suggests that for the average person, decoding your own DNA may not turn out to be a really useful crystal ball for future health.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the state’s fiscal year 2013 Capital Budget, Senate Bill 160. The budget appropriates $2.63 billion, including $1.8 billion in state funds and $830 million in federal funds.

Update: Actions have been delayed on the state capital budget. Lawmakers say they are working on a revised version that may be forthcoming later today.

With about a week left in the 2012 state legislative session, bills are piled up in the Finance committees of both the state House and Senate and, typically, the most pressing business is left to the last minute.

State and industry officials announced March 30 that the long-running Point Thomson litigation has been settled in an agreement featuring ironclad production requirements with North Slope producers, who also told Gov. Sean Parnell they have reached alignment on pursuing a major liquid natural gas pipeline to facilitate exports from Southcentral Alaska.

The state Senate’s proposal for state oil tax changes is slowly taking shape. An early version of the bill appeared April 3, but Senate Finance Committee co-chair Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, who is in charge of the bill, said key parts are unfinished.

The Alaska Supreme Court has given clear marching orders to the Alaska Redistricting Board — follow the provisions of the Alaska Constitution in drawing election districts.

If there’s one thing in the world that everyone can count on, it’s that you’ll be in your office by a certain time each morning.

For the first time ever, seafood industry reps were invited to brief policy makers in Congress on jobs and economic opportunities. The group presented a panel discussion March 22 called “Seafood Jobs in America” to the Senate Oceans Caucus and an audience of 80 people.

The Alaska Supreme Court has given clear marching orders to the Alaska Redistricting Board — follow the provisions of the Alaska Constitution in drawing election districts.

As I look out on Kachemak Bay, I know that the waters of the Bay, Cook Inlet, and the Gulf of Alaska are teeming with organisms that nourish the fish that I depend on to make a living and to fill my freezer.

A U.S. Marine and owner of halibut quota summed it up best in his comments to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council about the ongoing allocation fight among commercial and charter sectors.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council continued to refine its alternatives to address chum salmon bycatch by the Bering Sea pollock fleet at its meeting March 30 in Anchorage.

For the first time ever, seafood industry reps were invited to brief policy makers in Congress on jobs and economic opportunities. The group presented a panel discussion March 22 called “Seafood Jobs in America” to the Senate Oceans Caucus and an audience of 80 people.

As I look out on Kachemak Bay, I know that the waters of the Bay, Cook Inlet, and the Gulf of Alaska are teeming with organisms that nourish the fish that I depend on to make a living and to fill my freezer.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Some workers in Sweden have found a rather offbeat way to spend their lunch hour. Actually, on-beat is more like it.