Letter to The Editor

To the Editor:

Help prevent the destruction of another cabin by the U.S. Forest Service as early as August.

Jens, Jake, and Carrie Hammer recently lost their father, Kenny Hammer. They inherited a cabin up Petersburg Creek that the Forest Service is in the process of forcing the family to remove. In their effort to eliminate every cabin ever built on Forest Service land, the Forest Service designed a permit plan that only allows one transfer within a family. When a family member dies, the Forest Service reserves the right to destroy that cabin. Jim Hammer made the mistake of transferring the permit to his son, Kenny, rather than to a grandson. For that reason, the Forest Service is in the process of exercising their so called right to destroy a cabin that has been in place and part of the Hammer family since 1956.

Jim Hammer, now deceased, spent several years in the Army. His son, Kenny, also now deceased, spent four years in the Navy. In recent history, Jake Hammer spent eight years in the Marine Corp overseas. His brother, Jens, spent four years as an Army Ranger in Special Operations in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Together the two young men spent 12 years of their lives risking themselves for each of us and for our country. Other family members, who are currently in the armed forces or who have served in the past, are interested in saving this site as well. Jake and Jens have returned home now and find solace, peace, and healing in the cabin the family has had for so long. They are now facing the nightmare of having that taken from them.

If there ever was a reason for exception to the rule, it is now. Let us, as a community, show our support for these veterans, who have spent years of their lives for our protection, to be able to retain the right to keep this cabin for as long as they both shall live. Let them find peace and healing in this most precious place.

A petition has been created and will be available at Lovey Brock’s store, Rayme’s Bar and possibly downtown Wrangell under the shelter. The Hammer family would hope you would support them by signing this document to prevent the Forest Service from destroying what’s so precious to them.

This Policy of Ownership transfer of cabins was crafted by folks in Washington, D.C. by Congress in the 1980 Petersburg Creek Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness Act. In my opinion, it was not created by our local Forest Service. I truly believe many of our local Forest Service personnel would sign this petition if it didn’t jeopardize their jobs. They may decide to sign anyway. This permit transfer would not negatively affect the Petersburg Creek Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness Act.

Mike Schwartz

Petersburg, AK