KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Jay Barrett/KMXT
Residents in Chiniak not already affected by the logging on Lesnoi land have started a petition to stop logging on nearby Kodiak Island Borough property. Complicating matters is that much of the timber in question suffered burn damage in the Twin Creeks Wildfire that tore through the area in August.
Sara Fish lives in Chiniak and is one of the residents there attempting to convince the borough assembly not to allow further logging.
“There’s about 20 properties on this end of Chiniak that would be affected by cutting this 800 acres. All our properties butted right against it,” Fish said. “And it’s caused a lot of windfall on the other side of Chiniak where they cut behind everybody’s property. It’s really affected people’s land and houses and safety.”
Fish said she and some of her neighbors worry that though the borough may have listened to their concerns, they have not heard them.
“We had a good meeting with the borough assembly, too. They all came out and had a meeting at our school with us, but it didn’t seem like they really heard what we’re saying,” she said. “You know they all kinda said, ‘okay, well we hear what you’re saying, but we’re going to get the appraisal and go a head and go forward with this.’ We’re like, ‘no, that’s not what we’re saying.’”
Fish says copies of the petition are available at the Chiniak Post Office, the AC Store in Bells Flats at the brewery in downtown Kodiak. She says signatures from anyone in the borough are welcome as a way of showing support for residents of Chiniak.
Organizers plan to present the petition to the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly early next month.
