Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

University of Alaska’s communications specialist, Morgan Howard, has pulled back from interfacing with the Haines community on the timber sale in a committee format, although the University says it was never their intention to begin with. Howard has passed the torch on to the Haines Economic Development Corporation for collecting community input.

“Howard indicated that he thought HEDC was really a better vehicle for pulling together a voice that would represent the community,” borough manager Debra Schnabel told the borough assembly last week. In April of 2018, the group created a nine page scoping document, intended to guide their participation and disseminate clear information about the economic impacts of the timber sale on the community.

“HEDC would see its role as preparing the community’s reaction to the reality of the project to realize maximum benefits for the community,” Schnabel said.

Last month, Howard was hired as a communications specialist by the University of Alaska to facilitate a local working group regarding the University’s plan to harvest 13,000 acres of its land in the Chilkat Valley. Howard came to Haines, along with UA Land Trust officer Patrick Kelly, on Sept. 18 to meet with potential committee members for what had been characterized by the university as a “voluntary task force organized by local residents to exchange input.” The potential members invited to meet with Howard and Kelly were five locals who generally supported the timber sales, or supported it with conditions that it would benefit the local economy. Howard also met with Lynn Canal Conservation director Elsa Sebastian, who requested a meeting.

According to HEDC Executive Director Margaret Friedenauer, Howard passed the working group operation on to HEDC after his meetings in Haines. Friedenauer said she spoke with Howard and Kelly in a borough staff meeting she was invited to by Debra Schnabel.

When Howard and Kelly left Haines, Friedenauer said it was unclear if they were going to start the action committee they had talked about. A few days later, HEDC directors met and agreed to move forward with their scoping document’s economic analysis, regardless of Howard’s involvement.

“They said if the University and Morgan weren’t going to help coordinate this community discussion with the University, that HEDC would help with that role,” Friedenauer told the CVN. She then contacted Morgan to say that HEDC was interested in working with University of Alaska to help talk with the public. Friedenauer said she told Howard, ‘We’re not trying to step on your toes or anything, we just want to make sure the community is heard.’

Howard responded via email to Friedenauer that he thought HEDC was in a better position to lead a discussion group. “He said, the more I thought about this, the more it seems difficult for me to do this. He said there were so many interests,” Friedenauer said.

Moving forward, HEDC’s scoping document will be used as a basis of questions for the university to answer. “We don’t have any other agenda in it other than to take in information for the community, consolidate it, document it, and communicate it,” HEDC President Heather Shade said.

According to UA Public Affairs officer Robbie Graham, Howard will continue to work with the university on community engagement, including a website that will have timely content, information and opportunities to continue the conversations.

“Morgan is providing a critical liaison role for the Lands Management Office in its effort to be more engaged in the Haines community,” Graham said. Howard also told Friedenauer he’d assist HEDC as a conduit to the University.

Until the contract is drawn up, however, Friedenauer said she can’t move forward with the impact analysis.

“The problem is timing,” Schnabel said. “Nobody seems to know whether or not all this work that we’re doing in the community to try to identify opportunities will happen within a timeframe that allows us to influence the contract.”

UA land department staff Patrick Kelly and Christine Klein presented a PowerPoint for the board of regents in June on the proposed timeline, outlining July through August to be the review and approval period for the final contract. So far, no contract has been signed.

On Sept. 25, assembly member Tom Morphet made a motion that the Haines Borough Assembly request public review of the proposed timber sale contract prior to consideration before the board of regents. It passed 5-1, with assembly member Brenda Josephson opposed. Schnabel was directed to contact the board with this request.

Josephson told the assembly, “When we’re talking contract negotiations, it’s usually done in executive session because of the best interest of finances for the borough, so I could not support that. I will be voting no.”

“This basically requests that we get to weigh in before the board of regents makes a decision, because my guess is that the board of regents’ decision on that contract would be the final action,” Morphet said. Finances could be redacted, he added.

Howard declined to comment for this story.