Author: Angela Denning, CoastAlaska

Wrangell updates local sales tax and business license laws

One change met with some pushback. The borough initially proposed sales tax exemptions for churches and nonprofits for “occasional” business lasting less than three days per year.

44-acre solar farm to be built in Wrangell

“This is huge for our economic development potential,” said Wrangell’s Borough Manager, Mason Villarma. He said the project will help prepare Wrangell for the newly planned shipyard, which is expected to be the largest in the region.

Southeast back to an average harvest goal for king salmon after last year’s low

Fishermen in Southeast Alaska will be able to harvest about 70,000 more king salmon this season than last year.

State designates Southeast Conference as Regional Planning Organization

“There’s really not a formal seat at the table for regional communities such as we have in Southeast Alaska,” said Southeast Conference Executive Director Robert Venables. “So, this is kind of a little bit of a new thing, and this RPO will allow the communities to have a formal seat at the table.”

Pink salmon harvests in Southeast Alaska surprisingly low

The commercial salmon season in Southeast Alaska is mostly done. And while managers say enough fish made it to most spawning grounds, commercial harvests were low for most species. Pink salmon – the bread and butter for some fishermen – were much lower than predicted.