Ecology

Source: City and Borough of Sitka: Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reportt

• The emissions coefficients and methodology employed by the software are consistent with national and international inventory standards established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1996 Revised IPCC Guidelines for the Preparation of National Inventories) and the U.S. Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Reporting Guidelines (EIA form1605).
• Although the software provides Sitka with a sophisticated and useful tool, calculating emissions from energy use with precision is difficult. The model depends upon numerous assumptions, and it is limited by the quantity and quality of available data. With this in mind, it is useful to think of any specific number generated by the model as an approximation, rather than an exact value.

Discussion:

The discussion will be written after a full convening of Sitka Indicators stakeholder group.

Municipal Solid Waste Exceeds Local Capacity

How are we doing?

Per capita waste generation rose steadily from 1992 to 1999, a period that also saw the failure of the city’s incinerator and the city landfills nearing capacity. In 2000, 7,500 tons of municipal waste were shipped to a landfill in eastern Washington. Other waste streams, including building debris and biosolids, were handled at local landfills. Approximately 60 million gallons of landfill contaminated water had to be handled by the City’s wastewater treatment plant. Two recent garbage rate hikes were necessary to cover the costs of handling Sitka’s wastes.

Why is this important?

Sitka faces particular problems in handling its wastes because of geographical limitations, climate, and geological conditions. Citizen health and safety concerns are also important factors. Options for reducing, reusing, and recycling wastes are becoming more critical for Sitka residents.

Sitkans Rely on Vehicles for Primary Transportation

How are we doing?

Although Sitka has fewer registered vehicles per capita than Juneau or Anchorage, there are almost as many registered vehicles in Sitka as there are individual people. Between 1996 and 2000, Sitka’s population increased by 185 people, while the number of registered vehicles increased by 802 for a total of 8,466 registered business and personal vehicles in 2000. These vehicles are used by the 75% of Sitkans who are of driving age. There are 49 total miles of road available for Sitkans to drive on. The number of registered vehicles in 2000 amounted to 172 vehicles per mile of road.

Why is this important?

Sitkans rely on vehicles for their primary transportation. Climate, availability of public transportation, and patterns of development may be factors affecting people’s driving habits. Some people chose alternatives to individual vehicle use, such as car pooling, organized transportation, walking, and bike riding.

Biological Recovery of Former Pulp Mill Site

How are we doing?

Results of recent monitoring show that organisms are beginning to recolonize areas contaminated by pulp waste. The extent of recolonization and type of organism depends on proximity to the mill site and the depth of waste sediment. Azoic areas are places where the sediment does not have oxygen and may contain toxic gases. These locations, which lie closest to the shoreline of the mill, are the least healthy and most difficult to recolonize. When docks are reconstructed or other shoreline disturbance occurs, it will be important to minimize sediment disturbance and to monitor for gas release. Although the first recovery management milestone for the most affected area has been achieved, 62% of the area is still considered seriously impaired. However, researchers are encouraged by the extent of recovery that has already occurred and by observations of fish and other organisms in much of the area.

Why is this important?

Once considered an EPA “Superfund” site, the former APC mill site is the most acutely polluted location in Sitka. Monitoring the recovery of Silver Bay is critical to insure that pollutants are not spreading into other areas and that recovery is taking place. Operation of the pulp mill contaminated Silver Bay with pulp process liquid waste, surface water runoff, stack emissions, wood debris and log storage. Chemicals of concern include dioxin, ammonia, benzoic acid, resin acids, cadmium, nickel and 4-methylphenol. The chemicals occur in decomposition of the wood waste covering the bottom. During site clean-up studies, no significant levels of toxicity were found outside Silver Bay. Close to the mill, where wood waste deposits were thickest, levels of dioxin and other chemicals were sufficient to damage sensitive life stages of bottom-dwelling creatures. Toxins were not estimated to be present in levels high enough to harm humans. A healthy bottom-dwelling community is vital to the integrity of this important marine environment.

Peak Winter Electricity Demand Taxes Hydro Capacity

How are we doing?

Sitka’s hydrogeneration capacity is 19.4 megawatts. Total electrical usage has been down in recent years. Both usage and generating capacity are highly dependent on the weather as well as personal and business practices. January peak loads frequently exceed average hydrogeneration capacity, thus requiring use of Sitka’s diesel generation. Peak loads typically occur from 7 to 10 a.m and 5 to 7 p.m. The need to expand infrastructure depends on providing for these peak times.

Why is this important?

Electricity is a primary energy resource needed to main-tain Sitka’s economy and quality of life. The relatively low cost of electricity is largely due to hydropower facilities at Blue and Green Lakes. In future years, as the population of Sitka and commercial electrical demands grow, new solutions, whether they be innovative practices by residents and businesses or new generating infrastructure, will be needed to provide for peak consumption.

Per Capita Waste Generation Increasing

How are we doing?

The amount of solid waste incinerated in Sitka has been increasing almost every year since 1993. Both in total weight and per capita, waste generation has been on the rise. In 1998, residents and businesses sent the equivalent of 1,618 pounds per Sitka resident to the incinerator, 35% more per capita than in 1992.

Why is this important?

Solid waste disposal is an issue of growing importance to Sitkans. In the near future the municipal incinerator will be shut down and waste will be disposed of in city land fill sites and exported. Fees for disposal of waste have increased and options for local disposal are few. Community concerns about land fill locations, recycling, and waste management costs are growing.

Decrease in Halibut Prompts Local Collaborative Planning

How are we doing?

Reports from fishermen and other anecdotal information indicate that the availability of Pacific halibut in Sitka Sound has decreased. From 1992 to 1997, harvest rates of halibut in the marine sport fishery in inner Sitka Sound (i.e. Eastern Channel, Nakwasina and Krestof Sounds, Middle Island, etc.) were lower than those for surrounding areas. This situation prompted formation of a task force comprised of representatives of all major interests participating in Sitka Sound halibut fisheries. The task force successfully developed a local area management plan, outlining zones and staggered fishing openings for sport and commercial interests, in order to reduce pressure on halibut stocks in inner Sitka Sound.

Why is this important?

Halibut are an important resource for commercial, sport, and subsistence fishing. Sitka’s response to the diminishing halibut stocks is a responsible step toward conserving this natural resource on which the community depends.

Harvest of Wild Foods Important to the Community

How are we doing?

A significant majority of Sitkans supplement their grocery baskets with foods gathered in the wild. This represents an estimated value of over $2,000 per household (see chart below). Subsistence foods are not only part of important cultural traditions, but they are also part of an informal economy that helps to stretch the financial resources of many families. The information presented here is based on a random sample survey of 100 Sitka households conducted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 1996.

Why is this important?

The harvest of wild foods has significant social, economic, and cultural value to many Sitkans. The activity of gathering and the foods themselves are factors contributing to individual health. Subsistence practices are dependent on the health and productivity of the land and sea. There is an apparent abundance of natural resources around Sitka to provide for people’s subsistence needs, but it is also important that we work to sustain the life of these resources.

Subsistence Foodstuffs Reach a Majority of Sitka Households

How are we doing?

Sitkans are generous in sharing foods they gather in the wild. These links maintain important connections not only between people, but between people and the surrounding natural world. The practice of sharing appears to be a vital part of community life in Sitka.

The information presented here is based on a random sample survey of 100 Sitka households conducted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 1996.
It showed that 97% of the surveyed households used at least one wild food resource, while 83% took an active part in the harvesting of at least one of these resources.

Why is this important?

The sharing of subsistence foods helps to maintain long-standing cultural traditions. Those who can go out to hunt, fish, and gather often provide for those who can’t. This sharing is a strong catalyst for strengthening a sense of community. It also enables many Sitkans to live comfortably with modest cash incomes.