In early August an ad hoc meeting was held in Ketchikan by a group consisting of knowledgeable residents who had followed the Alaska Marine Highway Service since its inception in the early 1960s. The purpose of was to discuss how to revise the system.
We addressed AMHS maintenance. We discussed using money made available to AMHS through the federal infrastructure legislation to restructure the system. Finally, we discussed the need to reestablish the run to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Operationally, we currently have only one vessel, the Kennicott, operating on the mainline to Bellingham, Washington. This vessel will be pulled out of service in November for major work. The Columbia will take its place, after it has been in the yard for repairs for more than a year.
Another issue has been crew shortages. A partial reason for crew shortages is the AMHS reduction in operational ships and the cancellation of sailings due to the inability to maintain them. This has resulted in a lack of job security for marine employees as vessels disappear from service and sailing schedules appear to be at random.
Many AMHS personnel have had to leave Alaska for outside marine employment opportunities, though many would likely come back if they had certainty of employment.
Another explanation for the lack of operational vessels and sailings is that the vessels are 60 years old and are too costly to maintain. A workable approach would be to determine the necessary costs to bring them operational for a period of three to four years.
Money to perform the maintenance has been made available by our federal delegation through the infrastructure legislation that passed Congress.
Federal funding for the marine highway totals $417 million over several years for operations, maintenance and a new ship, with the state’s required match at $123 million. Apparently, the state intends to produce its share of the funds by a potential but shaky source. This needs to be clarified.
Meanwhile, with the availability of federal funding, we now can restructure the ferry system and particularly the mainline route for year-round operation. The most satisfactory approach would be to set up two divisions for scheduling and operations.
First, after getting the Columbia and Matanuska operational, the Kennicott would move to western Alaska along with the Tustumena. The Southeast division would continue to provide service with the Columbia on the Bellingham route. The Matanuska would go to Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka and Juneau on a regular schedule, allowing a stop nearly every other day to those communities.
Haines and Skagway would be served by a day ferry out of Juneau.
This level of regular scheduling would provide a level of certainty to AMHS employment. It would also increase ridership.
It is obvious to residents of Southeast Alaska that their economy is in decline as they look at jobs and school enrollment. There is very little in the way of new payrolls and resource development. We are now highly dependent — some say overly dependent — on tourism. The most significant contribution to the economic viability of Southeast that is within reach is to again run ferries to Prince Rupert.
For over 50 years Prince Rupert served as the highway gate from the U.S.-Canadian road system to Alaska. This routing was successful and proven.
Let’s bring back the successful highway we once enjoyed and do it now. We have done a good deal of planning, now it’s time for implementation.
Frank H. Murkowski is a former U.S. senator (1981-2002) and Alaska governor (2002-2006).
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