Mead Treadwell.

Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell announced early this morning he’s running for Senate. He said he’s entering the race, instead of running for reelection, because he knows he can win.

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His announcement named neither Begich nor the GOP primary. If he wants to face Begich, he’ll need to survive what’s expected to be a rough nominating contest.

Treadwell took a swipe at fellow Republican candidate Joe Miller without naming him.

“I think Republicans know we need a credible conservative candidate to take on Mark Begich,” he said in an early phone interview. “We know we need unity to win.”

That unity was lacking in the 2010 race. Miller, then a political neophyte, stormed onto the scene and upset incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski in the primary. She went on to win the general election in a write-in campaign.

Murkowski urged Treadwell to run but out of principle will remain neutral during the primary.

“The best thing to do is steer clear of it,” she said Tuesday afternoon at the Capitol. “I learned that from my father, who didn’t endorse me for my very first race for the Alaska state legislature because I was in a contested primary. It was good advice.”

She called Treadwell the front runner.

Miller said he welcomes Treadwell’s announcement; that competition is good for the party. He said he sees himself as the anti-establishment candidate, and Alaskans will have a clear distinction in the primary.

He would not highlight those differences, but said they’ll be apparent as the race develops.

“I would consider all of the candidates that are at least contemplating getting into this race as establishment type candidates,” he said.

Many observers in Washington see Treadwell as the establishment candidate, too. He’ll be here next week meeting with party leaders – including the National Republican Senatorial Committee. That group – officially tasked with regaining control of the Senate – refuses to discuss Miller’s candidacy.

It would like to avoid another nasty primary, which doesn’t take place until August 2014.  The group has said Begich’s seat is crucial to winning control of the upper chamber.

“If you can put the Republicans back in the leadership you’d make Lisa Murkowski the head of the Senate Energy Committee. That’s going to help with ANWR. That’s going to help us with access to our lands. That’s the defining issue,” Treadwell said.

It’s hard to see a difference between Begich and Treadwell on the major issue in the state: Both support expanded oil and gas drilling.

Treadwell promised to campaign on three causes: Fighting for liberty, fighting for fiscal sanity, and fighting for Alaska.

He invokes a sacred name when he talks of his campaign: former Senator Ted Stevens. He said he’ll follow in the Stevens tradition of bringing power back to Alaska – letting Alaskans make decisions about the state, not the federal government.

“That part of his legacy, of trying to bring the decision making home is the legacy I want to work on,” he said. “We have a federal system now of spending too much, borrowing too much, taxing too much. Asking the federal government for earmarks is probably not the right way to go.”

Of course, Stevens is most remembered as the chair of the Appropriations Committee who doled out government money and projects all over Alaska.

Jennifer Duffy, senior editor with the Cook Political Report,said even though it’s early, this does not look like it will be as monumental a primary as 2010.

“You don’t see the Tea Party groups rallying around Miller like they did in 2010. The other thing is: I have not heard any of these groups having a real problem with Treadwell,” Duffy said.

Those groups don’t have any issues with Governor Sean Parnell either, and Duffy said that helps Treadwell.

And this far off, other candidates have plenty of time to enter the race.

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The legislative session is months away. But already, Sen. Pete Kelly’s office is drafting a bill that would make the signatures collected during the initiative process confidential. He sees it as a matter of urgency.

“We’re just kind of living in an odd environment right now where I believe people are pretty nervous about what happens to their names or how they get on lists. I don’t think the state should be able to sell those names, and those lists should be fairly private.”

Right now, there are a lot of petitions floating about. There’s one to legalize marijuana, and another to recall Anchorage Republican Lindsey Holmes from the legislature for switching parties. There are also propositions that would repeal a tax cut for oil companies, and make it harder to develop Pebble Mine, both issues where Kelly has taken a pro-development stance.

His office is now warning Alaskans that they should be “very concerned about giving their names to strangers with clip boards.” Kelly thinks his announcement is timely because of the number of petitions currently circulating and because discussion about data-sharing is now happening at a national level. The motivation came:

“Mostly just from conversations about the NSA thing, and then somebody mentioned to me that the initiative [signers'] names are sold. And those two events just kind of crossed in my mind, and I thought, ‘Well, that isn’t a very good idea.’”

But some are wondering if there might be other reasons for bringing up this proposal now, so far ahead of the legislative session. Pat Lavin is one of the organizers of the referendum to repeal the oil tax cut. He describes the announcement as a sort of “black helicopter” message that could make it harder to gather the 30,000-signatures needed to get on the ballot.

“I hear a message designed to make people think twice about signing a petition.”

Kelly’s office says that’s not their intent. According to his staff, they’re not trying to discourage anyone from signing any petition — they just want people to know that their names are available upon request.

Meanwhile, government transparency advocates have some reservations about the actual substance of the proposal.

“We think this legislation is not a great idea,” says Joshua Decker with the ACLU of Alaska.

Decker gets why people might bristle at the idea of political operatives or even telemarketers buying their names and addresses. But he says the consequences of making these signatures confidential would be even more serious: If there isn’t open access to these lists, there’s no way for the public to verify if a petition got the necessary signatures to appear on the ballot. Decker also says that the concern that some people aren’t having their voice heard because they’re worried about privacy is overblown.

“We as an organization are not aware of anyone who has said, ‘But for the fact that my signature would be confidential, I am not going to sign on this particular ballot initiative.’”

Kelly’s staff say they’re open to hearing about any concerns about transparency or how their legislation would affect signature gatherers as they’re drafting the bill. They have six months until they introduce it formally in January.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks in Sitka earlier this year. Photo courtesy of KTOO – Juneau.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s version of the Sealaska lands bill has passed out of its only committee of referral.

That’s a major step toward a Senate floor vote.

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But there’s no guarantee it will move any further in Congress. Its best chance is as part of a package of lands legislation. Read details of the bill.

Murkowski told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today that it’s the result of years of negotiations.

“And I recognize it has created tensions within our communities. But we have worked aggressively and tirelessly with all of the stakeholders, not just Sealaska and their shareholders,” she says.

The bill is co-sponsored by Alaska Senator Mark Begich. A similar measure by Alaska Representative Don Young passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee earlier this month.

The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council has endorsed the legislation as a reasonable compromise.

But other critics – including environmental, sportsmen’s and small-community groups – continue to oppose the bill. They say Sealaska wants to trade marginal acreage it can already claim for the most valuable timberlands in the Tongass National Forest.

Andi Burgess is rainforest program director for the Alaska Wilderness League. Her group is particularly concerned about an area on the south end of Prince of Wales Island.

“One of the most productive salmon streams in the Tongass is in Keete Inlet. It’s an area identified by Audubon and Trout Unlimited scientists as being one of the most high-value watersheds,” Burgess says.

The bill would allow the regional Native corporation to choose about 68,000 acres of timberlands from within the Tongass.

Around another 1,600 acres would be transferred for renewable energy and ecotourism development or preservation as cemetery and historic sites.

The total, a little more than 70,000 acres, is less than the 85,000 Sealaska has said it’s entitled to.

Murkowski points to acreage that would gain new protections under the bill.

“It will help the Sealaska region’s timber industry grow, while at the same time we’re working to protect more than 150,000 acres of habitat for fisheries and wildlife,” she says.

Juneau-based Sealaska has about 22,000 shareholders. More than half live outside Southeast, but have family ties to the area.

Graphic courtesy of NOAA.

A wildfire east of Fairbanks is drawing a massive air and ground response. The Kanuti fire started in a neighborhood off Chena Hot Springs Road, near Mile 17.

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State Division of Forestry spokeswoman Maggie Rogers says things are going well.

“We continue to have no evacuations,” Rogers said. “We continue to have no structures lost, and the fire is an estimated 120 acres.”

“It’s not contained, but they’re gonna be working on that today.”

Chena Hot Springs Road is open, but Rodgers warns there could be traffic delays depending on fire and suppression activities, which are occurring on both sides of the road. Rodgers says the Kanuti fire is human caused but could not provide details, as an investigation is underway.

She says numerous wild fires are being responded to as hot dry windy conditions persist. Red Flag warnings for extreme fire danger are in effect for much of the state south of the Brooks Range and Rogers encourages Alaskans to be ready.

“Creating defensive space around their home, it’s important that rehearse evacuation plans with family members,” Rogers said. “People with dog teams and horses and other things like that, it’s always good to not only plan for your family, but plan for your pets as well.”

Rogers also recommends clearly marking your home’s address, identifying any alternative routes out of your neighborhood and having non-local phone contact who can relay fire information if the power goes out.

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Ranking committee member Lisa Murkowski recorded a win after Senate Bill 155, a one page piece of legislation, passed out of committee in favor of changing the name to Denali. Senator Murkowski says she’s defending the true Alaskan name for the majestic peak.

“It deserves to be called the name that the Athabascans from the Interior have called it for decades and decades and decades. I think it’s important that we honor and tribute Alaska’s First peoples by officially recognizing ‘The Big One’ as Denali,” Murkowski said.

True to the script of this long running saga, Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman voted against the change, saying he is defending Ohio where President William McKinley was born and served as a Governor in the 1800s. Portman also says, the name of the National Park has already been changed to Denali.

“I know Athabascan’s do call it Denali, there are a couple other Native peoples who call it other things, there are two other names at least the Aleuts use and another Native group, but the point is, we’d like to keep our Mount McKinley within the Denali National Park,” Portman said.

The committee approved the bill by a voice vote. That clears it for consideration by the full Senate although it’s not certain that it will make it to the floor.

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Treadwell To Run For Senate

Peter Granitz, APRN – Washington DC

Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell is running for Senate. He announced early Tuesday he will not seek reelection and instead will try and win the GOP nomination to take on Senator Mark Begich.

Sealaska Lands Bill Passes Senate Committee

Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s version of the Sealaska lands bill has passed out of its only committee of referral.

Legislation Would Keep Petition Signatures Off Public Record

Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau

Supporters of various initiatives are out in full force collecting signatures with the purpose of getting on next year’s ballot. Those signatures become part of the public record, and anyone can access these lists. A Republican senator from Fairbanks wants that to change, but some activists are worried his proposal could have unintended consequences.

Wildfire Near Chena Hot Springs Road Prompts Massive Response

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

A wildfire east of Fairbanks is drawing a massive air and ground response. The Kanuti fire started in a neighborhood off Chena Hot Springs Road near Mile 17.

Fairbanks Natural Gas Releases Trucking Project Details

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

Fairbanks Natural Gas has released details of a North Slope to Fairbanks gas trucking project proposal.  The documents lay out costs and components of a system to treat and liquefy gas, including propane, and load it onto tanker trucks for shipment south.

Federal Regulators Crack Down On Fish Fraud

Stephanie Joyce, KUCB – Unalaska

In the wake of several high-profile cases of alleged scale-tampering by Bering Sea groundfish vessels, the National Marine Fisheries Service is revising its regulations for weighing fish at-sea. The new measures are aimed at making it more difficult for vessels to underreport their catch.

McKinley To Denali Name Change Legislation Passes Out Of Senate Committee

Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage

The long time tug of war over the name of North America’s highest peak was back in front of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today. Ranking committee member Lisa Murkowski recorded a win after Senate Bill 155, a one page piece of legislation, passed out of committee in favor of changing the name to Denali.

Chignik Lagoon Hopes To Break Ground On Hydro Project

Dave Bendinger, KDLG – Dillingham

The village of Chignik Lagoon on the Alaska Peninsula, with a year round population of around 70, hopes to break ground this season on a small, long-awaited hydroelectric project. For a price tag of about 2.5 million dollars, the simple system may produce as much power as the village typically needs. This is one of several alternative energy projects the Lake and Peninsula Borough has undertaken in an effort to lower costs and ease off of fossil fuels in its villages.

Youth Camp Teaches Rural Teens Public Safety Skills

Kyle Clayton, KYUK – Bethel

More than 20 kids graduated from Bethel’s Alaska Youth Academy’s summer camp last Friday.  The idea is to encourage kids in the area to consider law enforcement careers.

The daily bag and possession limits will remain at three sockeye salmon.

“The Department has projected that the early-run sockeye salmon spawning escapement goal of 22,000 – 42,000 sockeye salmon will be achieved,” Fish and Game said in a press release.

The department also reminds anglers to remove fish carcasses from the Russian River clear water and to be sure personal belongings and stringers of fish are closely attended.