Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska - Juneau
Ed Schoenfeld is Regional News Director for CoastAlaska, a consortium of public radio stations in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Wrangell.
He primarily covers Southeast Alaska regional topics, including the state ferry system, transboundary mining, the Tongass National Forest and Native corporations and issues.
He has also worked as a manager, editor and reporter for the Juneau Empire newspaper and Juneau public radio station KTOO. He’s also reported for commercial station KINY in Juneau and public stations KPFA in Berkley, WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and WUHY in Philadelphia. He’s lived in Alaska since 1979 and is a contributor to Alaska Public Radio Network newscasts, the Northwest (Public Radio) News Network and National Native News. He is a board member of the Alaska Press Club. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in Douglas.
New drug bag could help public health officials
Alaska has another tool in the fight against opioid abuse. Public health officials are distributing thousands of drug-disposal bags that are safe and easy to use. Listen now
Native leaders concerned over Trump presidency implications
President Donald Trump angered many Native activists by moving to restart Dakota Access Pipeline construction. Thousands have protested the line, saying it could poison the Standing Rock Sioux’s water supply. They also see the move as an affront to tribal sovereignty. Listen now
Alaska Pioneer Homes escape state budget cuts, for now
When the Alaska Legislature convenes later this month, it will consider a budget that makes no further cuts to Alaska’s Pioneer Homes. Final decisions are months away. Listen now
Bill would cut ferry costs, reinstate discharge rules
A Southeast lawmaker introduced a bill this week to help Alaska Marine Highway ferries meet state pollution-control rules. It would also exempt new ships from a law requiring a percent of construction spending go toward art. Listen now
British Columbia will clean up mine near Juneau
Canadian officials say they’ll stop polluted mine water from entering a salmon-rich river that flows into Southeast Alaska near Juneau. The work could include plugging up tunnels from British Columbia’s decades-old Tulsequah Chief Mine. Listen now
Prince of Wales deer season extended, wolf season ended
Subsistence hunters seeking deer on Southeast Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island will have an extra month to hunt. But the island’s wolf season has been shortened. Listen Now
Alaska, British Columbia detail transboundary mine pact
Alaska and British Columbia are working out details of how they will handle transboundary mine concerns. They’re figuring out how to coordinate the work of monitoring and permitting on both sides of the border. Listen Now
Funding for new Craig harbor will have to wait
A bill on its way to the president's desk authorizes most of the money needed to build a new boat harbor in Craig. But the funding itself will wait for future congressional action. Listen Now
AK: Hundreds of Douglas kids band together in music class
When you think about an elementary school music class, a choir might come to mind. The students sing choral standards with their teacher standing in front, or backing them up on piano. But these days, some of those classes are different. In Juneau, one music teacher has hundreds of kids playing guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and banjos – together, as a band. Listen Now
Alaska Mental Heath Trust looks to Icy Cape sands for resources
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority is advancing plans to mine Gulf of Alaska beach sands about 75 miles northwest of Yakutat. Listen Now
Modern ‘warriors’ protect language, water, subsistence, families
According to Southeast Alaska’s largest tribal organization, a warrior is someone who fights to preserve subsistence rights or Native languages. It's also someone who works for clean water or cares for other people’s children. Listen Now
Ferry study recommends changes
A new ferry governance study released by the Southeast Conference, a regional development organization, concluded that the Alaska Marine Highway System should break into two agencies to prepare for the future. The study examined ferry operations in Alaska and elsewhere. Listen Now
Alaska ferry system plans more fare hikes
The Alaska Marine Highway System plans its next round of fare increases to start May 1, when the new summer schedule begins. Listen Now
New House majority boosts Southeast lawmakers’ power
After years in the legislative minority, all Southeast representatives are in positions of power. Listen Now
Study downplays leaking mine’s impact on fish
State biologists say a study shows pollution from an abandoned Canadian mine upstream of Southeast Alaska does not harm fish. A chief critic of the Tulsequah Chief Mine said the research doesn’t tell the whole story. Listen Now
Fisheries panel hears transboundary mine concerns
Critics of British Columbia mining told a legislative committee Wednesday about the dangers of mineral extraction along transboundary rivers. Listen Now
Ferry storage costs close to a half-million dollars
The Alaska Marine Highway System is paying more than $1,200 a day for long-term storage of two unused ferries. Listen Now
British Columbia, Alaska sign transboundary mine agreement
Alaska and British Columbia officials signed a statement of cooperation Thursday aimed at protecting rivers that flow through the province and the state. Listen Now
Brotherhood, Sisterhood prep for convention
Alaska’s oldest Native organizations are trying to attract younger members. That, subsistence and other issues are on the table at the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood’s Grand Camp Convention this week in Juneau. Listen Now
Forest Service purchases 4,500 acres of Cube Cove forest
About 4,500 acres of heavily-logged forest will return to wilderness under a deal involving the federal government and a Southeast Alaska Native corporation. Listen Now