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

The comment period for a federal permit for the Lutak Dock reconstruction has been extended by two weeks. Haines Borough is seeking to rebuild the cargo dock, which sits just south of the public ferry terminal on Lutak Road.

The project is being built with a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. The borough says the rebuild is needed for the aging dock to keep freight and cargo deliveries coming into Haines, although critics say the dock is unnecessary and presents financial and environmental risks for Haines.

The project would involve removing and installing dozens of steel pilings and building a sea wall. According to the application, there are no historic sites in the area, but there could be effects to humpback whales, Steller sea lions and the sunflower sea star, which is proposed for listing as “threatened” under federal law.