rolling and trawling are both methods of catching fish, but don’t mistake one for the other. Trawling involves a net dragged behind one or more boats, at midwater or at the bottom. Individuals rarely, if ever, go trawling, but trolling is something anyone can do. Hang a rod over the boat’s stern, let the line play out with a baited hook, travel at a low speed, and hope for a bite. That’s trolling.

Commercial trolling, then, is a larger boat and more lines and hooks with a capacity to catch many more fish. These boats have four to six main wire lines, each sporting a 50-pound lead or cast-iron sinker or cannon ball on its terminal end, as well as eight to twelve nylon leaders spaced out along its length, each of which ends in a lure or baited hook.

merica, young but vast as countries go, considers 100 years to be a long time but 100 miles to be not so far—in contrast with Europe, especially England. So goes the oft-made observation. That aphorism applies with greater force to Alaska, where the next town is 100 miles downriver or up the road, and many extant institutions have marked their first centennials only recently.

The Alaska Railroad has covered those 100-mile spans steadily for a long American time, since Warren Harding drove the golden spike at Nenana in 1923. On the occasion of the anniversary, this month’s special section highlights the railroad and its peers in the transportation industry.

new skipper is at the helm of the state ferry fleet. After twenty years as general manager of the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), Captain John Falvey retired in January. Falvey weathered budget constraints, equipment failures, and new vessels that failed to live up to their promises. His successor in the renamed position of Marine Director, Chris Tornga, must chart a course for the fleet’s nine ferries as construction begins on a new class of ship.

Since AMHS started providing essential transportation to Alaska’s coastal communities in 1963, it has been a critical part of the state’s infrastructure. AMHS connects thirty-five communities—most of which are not on the road system—and provides a means for coastal Alaskans to receive shipments of groceries and other goods. It also provides the opportunity for school children to travel for sports tournaments and social events, and it allows those needing healthcare to travel to urban centers.

oads, harbors, and airports are economic engines, not just because of the commerce they convey but thanks to the capital invested in their construction. For this reason, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is, perhaps surprisingly, one of the more robust business development agencies in the state. With millions, and sometimes billions, of state and federal dollars to spend on contractors, DOT&PF wields enormous leverage that it uses to help small firms grab a piece of the infrastructure pie.

Among the eleven divisions within DOT&PF, the Civil Rights Office (CRO) has the potential to benefit small businesses through its affirmative action programs. These programs are designed to provide small businesses owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals with a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation contracts.

n the roads, over the water, and in the air, businesses compete to provide the best transportation services to customers across Alaska. Where these rivals have common interests, though, they can set aside competition and unite for the improvement of all. The Alaska Trucking Association, the Alaska Air Carriers Association, and the Alaska Association of Harbormasters and Port Administrators represent members who move products where they need to be.

bove the northwest side of Berner’s Bay and at the foot of Lion’s Head Mountain in the Tongass National Forest, 45 miles north-northwest of Juneau, Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine has grown to become the second-largest private employer in Southeast since it began operations in 2010.

Coeur Alaska’s parent company, Chicago-based Coeur Mining, is a well-diversified and growing precious metals producer. In addition to Kensington, it also operates mines in Nevada, South Dakota, and northern Mexico, as well as an exploration project in British Columbia. But the company says it is “all in” on Alaska.

Coeur’s 2022 annual report states the company has invested approximately $245 million in exploration, leading to increases of approximately 21 percent and 49 percent in company-wide gold and silver reserves, respectively, over the five-year period.

oasting no fewer than 125 million forested acres (approximately 35 percent of the state’s territory), Alaska has supported a robust timber industry for more than 100 years. The forests are concentrated primarily in Southeast, home to the Tongass rainforest. However, since the ’90s, the timber harvest volume in Alaska has dropped, challenged by volatile global markets, logistical challenges, and lack of producible timber. Now, landowners across the state, particularly Alaska Native corporations (ANCs), have identified a new means of using timber resources for economic benefit.

With renewed focus on combatting climate change with new technology, Southeast is favorably positioned to reap the benefits of carbon programs and initiatives. Here are four things that Southeast ANCs and landowners need to know.

n one side of the valley north of Skagway, the Klondike Highway follows the Skagway River, climbs to the 2,865-foot summit between British Columbia and Alaska, and then drops down in flowing curves around scenic mountain lakes and majestic peaks. The road passes Carcross, Bennett Lake, and the headwaters of the Yukon River on its way to the Alaska Highway a few miles east of Whitehorse, Yukon. Further west, the highway continues north to Dawson City, the historic gold rush town on the Yukon River.

On the other side of the valley, a winding train track cuts into dangerously steep mountain sides, sometimes disappearing around a bend or through a tunnel before meeting up with the Klondike Highway in Fraser, British Columbia. Intimidating peaks tower above the area, some exceeding 7,000 feet in a valley just miles from sea level. These tracks started their journey in 1898, the peak of the Klondike Gold Rush.

hether you own a few company vehicles or a large number of tractor-trailers, fleet risk management should always be on your mind. Understanding the exposures of vehicles on the roads in Alaska is less about knowing the chances of a crash and more about the consequences of those occurrences should they happen.

While the majority of commercial drivers and average drivers operate their vehicles safely, the fact is that there are more than 6 million car accidents in the United States every year. Road crashes are still one of the leading causes of death in the country, and they are the leading cause of death during work hours. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in 2020 there were 4,444 fatal crashes involving trucks and 101,000 other crashes involving injuries. Last year, large-truck-involved fatalities rose 13 percent to the highest level in almost twenty years. In 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 35,766 fatal vehicle crashes, the most since 2007.

What charity or cause are you passionate about?
AWAIC [Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis] & STAR [Standing Together Against Rape].

What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Feed my children. I have three children.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Egypt and Japan.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
Maybe something cuddly… I would love a koala that just sort of hangs off you. I have held them before, and they’re very fun to hold.

almon Berry Travel & Tours punches above its weight class. For two years in a row, Alaska Business readers ranked it as the top travel and tour company in the state, above global cruise titan Holland America & Princess. Ironically, founder Candice McDonald started in the tourism industry by working for Holland America. In 2005, she spun off her own venture, offering bite-sized day trips out of Anchorage. Mandy Garcia manages sales and marketing while McDonald handles operations. Running a fleet of tour vehicles is a natural fit for McDonald, whose family was in the trucking business.