🚨 TAKE ACTION: Don't Let Congress Sell Off Our Public Lands to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires!
We learned over the weekend about an alarming proposal in the Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill that would allow the sale of up to 3 million acres of public land across 11 states. Here in Alaska, that’s 82,831,388 acres of Forest Service and BLM lands that are eligible for sale – everywhere that doesn't have wilderness, monument, or national park protections. On the Tongass, eligible lands include all of Northern Baranof Island, Kruzof Island, Ushk Bay and Poison Cove, everything below Snipe Bay, all the land bordering Hoonah Sound, and almost the entirety of eastern Chichagof. From Yakutat to Prince of Wales, any 'interested party' can nominate a tract of land to be sold to the highest bidder with no public input. And if this bill passes, this will happen at breakneck speed - we're talking 30 days to solicit nominations, and 60 days before land is posted for sale.
This public lands sell off is being portrayed as a way to provide more land for housing. And this can sound compelling, because we all know someone who has experienced housing challenges in our community and region. But all you have to do is look outside to see that this logic doesn’t pass muster. Without funding for utilities, roads, maintenance, energy sources - any housing project would cost millions of dollars. This bill isn’t going to create houses for our community; it will auction off our national heritage to massive corporate developers and hedge funds.
This is a direct attack on our public lands, wildlife, and communities, like Sitka, that depend on these places to practice our ways of life. The bill also includes devastating cuts to clean energy, food assistance, and health care—all to pay for tax breaks to billionaires and fossil fuel corporations.
📞 Your voice DOES matter. Call your Senators and Representatives TODAY. The Senate is trying to pass this bill next week - so outreach is URGENT. Tell them to reject this bill and any proposal that sells out our lands and our future. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Here’s our fast action tools to make it happen:
This Thing We Call the Ocean – The Pioneer Bar’s First Ever Art Show
Pioneer Bar, Sitka, Alaska
Opening June 21st at 3PM | On display through July 6th
This Thing We Call the Ocean, a new art show by painter and retired Alaskan Salmon Troller, Stephen Lawrie, and curated by Maite Lorente, will debut June 21st at 3pm at the Pioneer Bar and run through July 6th. Hosted by Chris Heim and the Pioneer Bar crew, and sponsored by Roger and Mary Hames and the Sitka Conservation Society, the show is the first of its kind in the iconic bar’s long history.
Through a deeply personal collection of paintings, Lawrie honors the vital role of a healthy ocean and commercial fishing in Sitka’s culture and economy. Over time, fishermen have become unlikely, yet essential stewards of the ocean—relying on its health and vitality for their own livelihoods. This exhibit honors that evolving relationship, emphasizing the care, knowledge, and responsibility embedded in modern commercial fishing culture.
The show invites residents and visitors alike to reflect on our relationship with the ocean and to build a stronger community based around our shared dependence on a wild and healthy natural environment and the economic and cultural value it has for our community. In a moment when federal cuts threaten agencies like NOAA that steward our oceans and sustain our fisheries, this show feels both timely and particularly meaningful.
Lawrie’s work was created in part during an artist residency at the Sea Pony Farm, Sitka Conservation Society’s remote creative retreat and field station nestled in the Tongass National Forest in Pelican, Alaska. Thanks to a grant from the Rasmuson Foundation, the former machine shop at Sea Pony Farm was transformed into an off-grid art studio, complete with water, power, and sanitation systems—making this creative work possible in the heart of the wilderness.
More than an art exhibit, This Thing We Call the Ocean is a call to conversation: a space where visitors and locals, artists and anglers, environmentalists and skeptics can find common ground. It’s a reminder that our future—like our past—is shaped by this thing we call the ocean.
📖 Read More about this Show in National Fisherman and and KCAW.
Sheet'ká Splash Mountain Camp Reflections
Survival skills, confidence boosts, and lifelong friendships—just a few things that came out of this year’s Sheet’ká Splash Mountain Camp!
Over eight adventure-filled days, 21 Sitka youth explored marine safety, water and land navigation, skiff trouble-shooting, emergency shelter-building, fire-building, wild plant ID, and more.
Camper Aliceann said that the many camp activities “make me feel that boost of confidence of getting over a fear,” such as the fear of heights or the fear of falling into the water. Counselors “give a little situation” for activities, as well as a time limit, to “make it feel real” to an emergency situation, Aliceann said. “It’s a good way to overcome your fears with all the counselors around, and all the students.”
This program is possible thanks to community partnership — Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka Trail Works, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sitka Native Education Program, Sitka School District, AMSEA, Youth Advocates of Sitka, and UAF 4-H Cooperative Extension.
And a BIG THANK YOU for all of the financial support we received from RurAL Cap, City and Borough of Sitka, Allen Marine, LFS Marine Supplies, Selkie Snorkels, Shee Atiká Corporation, and Sitka Fire Department.
This program is a great example of community partners working together to help our kids be safer and more confident navigating the lands and waters of their home. But there's a challenge ahead. Federal funding cuts could put this camp and many community youth programs at risk next year. “If funding doesn’t come in, we (SCS) won’t be able to contribute to opportunities like 4-H and Sheet’ká Splash Mountain Camp,” says SCS Executive Director, Andrew Thoms. These programs teach youth not just to survive in the wilderness—but to grow into leaders in their communities. Let’s keep investing in our future. Donate to Sitka Conservation Society’s Youth Programming.
Donate to Sitka Conservation Society’s Youth Programming HERE
Read More about this program and interviews with participants in the Sitka Sentinel HERE
Welcome Cosley
Meet Cosley Bruno, our Alaska Conservation Foundation Intern helping facilitate this summer’s 4-H Alaska Way of Life Project and youth programming!
Cosley was raised in Gustavus, Alaska, and brought up with an appreciation for land based learning, and rural community connection. Cosley’s favorite parts of life are watercoloring, preparing a dish for the potluck, or beachcombing for treasures. Attending Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, she was inspired by her peers’ expression of Alaska Native heritage through dance, clothing, shared food, and moments of laughter. This education experience left her with a commitment to learn from and participate in diverse communities.
Cosley is currently pursuing a Communications degree at the University of Montana, with recent study abroad experience in New Zealand where she expanded her understanding of Indigenous policy and multicultural sustainability. She is passionate about fostering environmental education and cultural respect among youth, and is eager to contribute to the Sitka Conservation Society’s youth programming.
Sitka Electric Utility Internship Program Announces Summer Interns
The City of Sitka’s Electric Department (CBSE) is leading the charge toward a clean energy future—generating nearly 100% of our electricity from renewable hydropower and ensuring that we can continue to meet our growing energy needs with clean, locally produced power. But powering Sitka sustainably also means investing in the people who will maintain and grow this essential infrastructure.
To that end, SCS is partnering with the Electric Department to support a new Sitka Electric Utility Technical Internship Program, a key initiative to build a strong, local workforce equipped to take on indemand, high-wage energy careers. The program provides high school and post-secondary students with hands-on experience, career exposure, and professional development opportunities that will prepare them for critical roles in the clean energy sector.
This summer, we’re proud to welcome two local interns—Brandon Stevens and Calder Prussian. We’re excited to see the impact they’ll have and the skills they’ll gain as part of this program powering Sitka’s future.
Summer Cruise Season - Save the Dates
🌊 Save the Dates! Summer Boat Cruise Tours 🌿
Join us for our annual Summer boat tours exploring the natural wonders surrounding Sitka. Cruise with us as we explore low tides, experience the spectacular St. Lazaria and Kruzof Island, and learn about the Tongass National Forest. Mark your calendars:
📅 Sunday, June 29
Intertidal to Pt. Brown
Departing at 9:30 AM – Returning around 1:00 PM
Explore vibrant intertidal zones and the scenic shores of Pt. Brown.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW at Old Harbor Books
📅 Sunday, July 6
Kruzof Birds
Departing at 9:00 AM – Returning around 12:30 PM
A bird-lover’s delight! Spot seabirds and explore the rugged beauty of St. Lazaria and Kruzof Island.
📅 Saturday, July 26
Intertidal to Pt. Brown
Departing at 8:30 AM – Returning around 12:00 PM
A second chance to dive into the intertidal magic and coastal life.
📅 Saturday, August 16
Wilderness Cruise
Departing at 5:00 PM – Returning around 8:00 PM
An evening tour into wild landscapes, perfect for soaking in the serenity of Southeast Alaska.
Tickets will be available beginning two weeks prior to each cruise at Old Harbor Books.
Sitka Public Library’s Summer Snack Grab N Go Program
Sitka Conservation Society is proud to sponsor the Sitka Public Library’s Summer Breakfast program that provides free grab-n-go Summer Breakfasts for local youth every Wednesday from June 4 through July 30.
Each week, 20 bagged snacks will be available at the library’s ocean-side window—no sign-up or income requirements needed. Bags are available on a first-come, first-served basis, helping ensure kids in our community have access to nutritious snacks all summer long.
For more information, contact Maite at 907-747-4020 or [email protected].
Help Shape Sitka’s Future Marine Trails
Sitka Trail Works recently launched the Marine Trails Advisory Committee to explore the idea of creating a marine trail system in Sitka—similar to the Kachemak Bay Water Trail near Homer and the Cascadia Marine Trail in Washington. These designated paddling routes would be open to all users, from local recreationists to commercial operators, and could include future development of campsites along the way.
Right now, this project is in the early conceptual phase, and your feedback is essential. Whether you paddle regularly or just care about access to our coastal environment, please take a few minutes to complete the Sitka Marine Trails Survey and help shape what this vision could become.
Additional Background Information HERE
Thank you for being part of our wild community. Whether you give your time, your voice, or your support—you help us work towards a resilient, thriving Sitka. If you have any feedback or there is anything specific you would like to see more of in our newsletters in the coming year, please reach out to us at [email protected].