Economy

All Alaska economy and business news, including the Alaska Economic Report.

a man

Amid salmon crash, Alaska’s Yukon River residents say a new pact with Canada leaves them behind

In villages along the river, Tribal leaders say the state has cut them out of the process and they want federal oversight.
a sign on a building says airbnb

Divided Anchorage Assembly to vote on new requirements for short-term rentals

The vote on the measure was postponed from the Assembly's last meeting so an absent member could cast a potentially decisive vote.
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U.S. Forest Service cuts back Southeast Alaska timber sale after public comments

After years of debate, the Thomas Bay timber sale has shrunk from an initial proposal of about 22 million board feet to 12.6 million board feet.
a seafood plant

Trident Seafoods find buyers for Ketchikan, Petersburg and False Pass processing plants

Trident did not name who will buy the plants. Company officials say both Trident and the buyers are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
a smiling woman in an apron holds a baby reaching for doughs on a kitchen counter

Home bakers in Alaska find sweet success on Instagram

A growing group of Alaska home bakers can legally sell their goods, thanks to the state's cottage food laws.
a fishing vessel

USDA awards contracts for nearly $150M in Alaska salmon and pollock products

While the purchases have been characterized by some as a bailout, supporters like the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute say otherwise.
a shipping facility

2 Alaska seafood shipping companies settle suit over miniature railway for $9.5M

A 100-foot railway used by the companies to transport seafood from Maine into Canada and back violated the federal Jones Act.
a brewery

Alaska brewers sue state alcohol board on entertainment rules

Three Alaska breweries are challenging a recently weakened state ban on live entertainment at breweries and wineries, calling it unconstitutional.
A house that's under construction.

Alaska House passes bill aimed at reducing down payment requirements for state-backed home mortgages

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation said the change would allow it to reduce the required down payment from 5% to 3%.
An aerial view of green farmland with a mountainous backdrop.

Alaska will receive $2.6M towards small scale food production

The Micro Grants for Food Security Program provides up to $10,000 for residents and organizations that participate in small scale food production. The grants can be used to buy canning supplies, gardening tools and dip nets.  
Massive industrial conveyor belt and loading equipment on a dock in a cloudy harbor.

Coal loading equipment in Seward is set to be demolished, likely a permanent end to Alaska coal exports

The Seward coal loading dock has sat idle since 2016 after demand for Alaska coal exports collapsed, one sign of the global energy transition. 

Alaska House resolution calls on feds to scrap rule limiting NPR-A development

The Bureau of Land Management rule would apply “maximum protection” to more than half of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
a man looks out a window at an airplane on a runway

Ravn Alaska slashes workforce, raising questions about regional airline’s future

At this point, a Ravn Alaska spokesperson says none of its nine Alaska destinations will be eliminated, but they can expect fewer flights.
Rohit Chopra

Why a financial regulator is going after health care debt

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created after the Great Recession of 2007-09, has increasingly started policing the health care system.
a road

Unalaska pulls plug on Makushin geothermal project

Unalaska City Council members had lost confidence that the project would be completed on a reasonable timeline.
hikers

Alaska Long Trail advocates seek funding for improvements at popular recreation spots

Advocates of the 500-mile trail network say there has been enough progress to draw long-distance hikers this summer, as they seek state support for more.
Jesse Kiehl

New bill would add guardrails to Alaska property assessments

Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, says the bill aims to make the property assessment process in the state more fair and transparent for residents.
a riverbank

Alaska tribes accuse Canada of human rights violations, request international hearing on mining

The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission says upstream mining in Canada violates tribes' right to a healthy environment.
Homer City Hall

Homer City Council rejects attempt to regulate short-term rentals

The Homer City Council unanimously rejected an ordinance Monday that would require short-term rental operators to register their property.
fiber optic cables

With massive federal funding, Western Alaska fiber optic projects prepare for rollout

Multiple Alaska companies have partnered with tribal entities to secure federal broadband funds under the Biden-Harris administration.