Southeast communities disrupted by ferry shutdown

With the M/V Matanuska going out of service last week, ferry service via the Alaska Marine Highway has completely shut down. According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Transportation, new issues have been found with the ferry's reduction gear system. The Matanuska, at the time of writing, is being towed to Ketchikan for repairs.

"AMHS is aware of travel needs for upcoming school and community tournaments in March and is exploring options for alternative service in the event Matanuska is unable to return to service as planned," the press release reads.

The ferry system is an important means of transportation for Alaskans, especially in the Southeast. With this option suddenly unavailable for the next month and a half, communities across Southeast Alaska have faced disruptions.

"Living in a rural community like this, that's off the road system, it's our highway," said Mad Hesler, one of the organizers of a Feb. 11 rally at the Wrangell ferry terminal in support of the AMHS. "It's the only way for us to get around with our cars in an easy manner. It's important for these small communities, it's important to bring tourists in, for our high schools, for us to go to places like Costco, it's so important."

Wrangell resident Dale Parkinson mentioned, on Facebook, that there is a safety recall on his car. Without the ferries, however, he cannot send it to a dealer. Many other people on Facebook commented about how they and their vehicles have become separated by the ferry shutdown, among them Jeff Jabusch and Tanner Thomassen. Jabusch said that he has been trying to find other options to get his car back to Wrangell, but other options have proven to be cost prohibitive or overly dependent on good weather.

Christie Jamieson said that the ferries have disrupted travel schedules for her B&B guests since last summer. Annya Ritchie reported that Wrangell's AAU basketball team will have to fly to Juneau for an event rather than take the ferry, which has increased their costs and reduced the ability for parents to travel with the team. Local author Vivian Prescott has also had her plans interrupted by the loss of ferry service.

"My husband and I were planning to take our RV on the ferry to visit family in Sitka with a stopover to visit family in Juneau," she wrote in a Facebook message. "We were iffy about buying tickets because we didn't want to risk getting stuck somewhere. Then the ferry system shut down completely! So now our plans are on hold."

Prescott also added she had plans for a book tour across Southeast Alaska via ferries, but now she is going to have to rethink those plans.

The school district has been impacted by the lack of ferries, as well. Secondary School Principal David Macri said that the shutdown has had a domino effect that impacts many different aspects of the schools' schedules. Travel expenses have increased for sporting events, student government, legislative fly-ins, and other events, he said. There is also an additional cost of time that the schools have had to take into account. Travel schedules that have been planned in advance have suddenly had to change, Macri said. This means that coaches, teachers, and other staff have had to scramble to rework their plans. Once those plans are changed, time then has to be spent informing students and parents, making sure everyone is on the same page. All in all, Macri said, it has been an inconvenient addition to already busy schedules.

Along with 12 other communities throughout the region, about 45 Petersburg residents gathered in front of the Petersburg Public Library at noon on Tuesday to show their support for the Alaska Marine Highway System. 

One of the organizers, Malena Marvin, encouraged those present to call Sen. Bert Stedman and Gov. Mike Dunleavy's offices to let them know that the people in Southeast Alaska need the ferry system.

"People need to really make this a priority," said Marvin. "It's not acceptable to treat people this way."

Marvin said she prefers to travel by ferry to Juneau and Seattle for medical screenings, but the reduced services this winter caused her to have to take a jet instead. She also said other communities don't have that option and traveling by jet may be too expensive for some. 

According to a press release from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, the AMHS issued a request for information to gather details from marine charter companies on services they can provide for interim passenger and freight services for Northern Southeast Alaska. Marvin said the state should bring the M/V LeConte online to service the region instead. 

"We have knowledgeable long-time ferry workers we are putting out of work right now," said Marvin. "I think the state's being quite hostile to the ferry system. It's hard to come up with another conclusion other than that they are trying to kill it on purpose." 

Scott Roberge and Karen Rosvold, who were also at the rally on Tuesday, said they would rather see the $40 million set aside for the Kake Access Road project go towards the ferry system. Additionally, Rosvold said she has been discouraged from traveling by ferry since the AMHS was paralyzed this past summer after members of the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific went on strike and left travelers throughout the region stranded. 

"I just cut out thinking about going on a trip on the ferry after what happened last summer," said Rosvold.

Viking Travel has been rescheduling travel plans for tourists who had planned on using the ferry system as a result of the M/V Matanuska going offline this month, said Dave Berg, co-founder of Viking Travel. Others have been abandoning travel by ferry all together, and at least one client canceled a tour.

"You completely eliminated that class of people that stop in towns and stay overnight and spend money in towns," said Berg "You essentially sent the money to large cruise ships."

Berg said that the final ferry schedule for the upcoming season hasn't been released yet. Normally, it's released at the beginning of December. He said people have been calling Viking Travel to book passage on a ferry, but he hasn't been able to confirm a reservation because the schedule isn't finalized yet.

According to Dr. Rosita Worl, president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, the disruptions the lack of ferries have brought are more substantial than some people may realize. It has impacted their ability to run as a nonprofit, she said, as many board and committee members live across Southeast Alaska. SHI also sends school and art supplies to partner villages across the region, Worl said. They recently held a meeting to discuss the increased costs of delivering these supplies now that ferries are not an option for the near future. She has heard from

several communities that grocery stores are having trouble stocking their shelves.

Healthcare costs for Southeast Alaskans are also impacted, she said, as people are having to pay extra for a plane ticket.

Another big point of concern for SHI, Worl added, is how the troubles with the ferries might impact Celebration 2020. The biennial event brings together native dance groups and thousands of visitors to Juneau, she said, for a large celebration of Alaska native arts and culture. Dancers from Wrangell are scheduled to lead the way this year. However, Worl said she worries that a lack of ferries might keep people away and hurt attendance numbers.

"I think we need to look for answers," she said, regarding fixing the ferry system. "I think we need to do something."

This is not the first time Southeast communities have experienced disruptions by the ferries shutting down. Hundreds of ferry workers with the Inland Boatmen's Union went on strike last summer for several weeks, causing similar travel and business disruptions across Southeast Alaska. The ferry system has faced pressure from the state government, as well, as Governor Mike Dunleavy has cut AMHS's budget in the past. However, the governor's recent supplemental budget request for 2020 is seeking about $12 million to avoid a reduction in the ferry system's operating schedule over the spring and summer and for repairs to several ferries.