Comments on the upcoming Annexation Vote

In terms of a "high majority" of residents in some of the villages fishing,
that is an exaggeration. In the Bristol Bay drift fishery, according to the CFEC 2009 statistics, the drift gill net permits held by local residents dropped from an initial 38% of the total at initial issuance (after passage of the Limited Entry Act) to 21% by the year-end 2008. Approximately 32% of set net permits were held by non-Alaskans in 2009. Of the remaining held by Alaskan residents, fewer and fewer of those are held by local watershed residents. So, the majority of the tax will be paid by non-resident fishermen.

I have fished for quite a few years in Naknek, as has my husband. There is a 3% raw fish tax over there that goes toward such improvements as schools, a community-owned and operated swimming pool, and an inclusive pre-school program for all of the 3- and 4-year old children in the community, not just those with disabilities or who are under income. The fisheries infrastructure that is supported by that fish tax has allowed for substantial gains in the ex-vessel price of the raw fish ­ far in excess of the 3% that supports it.

For instance, ice machines - that BBEDC purchased, that are operated and maintained by the municipality, increase the ex-vessel price paid to the fishermen based on a higher-quality fishery product. From 40 cents per pound a decade ago to over $1.35 per pound paid to fishermen for this raw fish is a much greater gain than the cost of the 3% raw fish tax in Naknek. A 2.5% raw fish tax paid in Dillingham would amount to $2,500 on a $100,000 season, which amounts to 12.5 loads of ice at $200/ton on the fishing grounds, versus 25 loads of ice purchased at the harbor at $100/ton. I couldn¹t verify the cost of ice at the harbor, but this is a fairly good
guess compared to the cost of ice at the Port of Bristol Bay in Naknek (currently $75/ton).

I grew up in a village, a village that had a raw fish tax. My mother fished, which allowed our family to afford many things that we couldn't have without the income from fishing. But, she also worked in the winter, as did my grandparents, who always did things in the winter - whether it was fur products, operating an inn, or making their own businesses.

Starts in the dirt - is it too early?

I started the following:

1/23/12 tomatoes, green peppers and basil (for Naknek greenhouse), milk thistle, lemon balm, cilantro,
2/24/12 leeks, more tomatoes and basil (for Naknek)

I've already started transplanting the tomatoes that I started in January. They are about 3-4 inches tall.

I planted the leeks in a mixture of mostly worm casings. I haven't seen any sign of them sprouting yet. I've been having difficulty getting Pro-Mix locally. The only local grower who carries it was sick when I tried to buy some more last week. I haven't heard from her since, but I hope that I can get more soon. I did send for some Cocolife blocks from Burpee's but it might take a while for that to arrive.