Kenai Peninsula
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Week of Jun 8
Kenai seeks federal grants for sidewalks, fish passage culverts
Kenai submitted a federal grant application for sidewalk and street lighting improvements on Lawton and Tinker, and is preparing a second application to remove fish passage barriers in local creeks by end of June.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Kenai council passes camping ordinance limiting tent numbers
Three tents is enough. / A campground, it shall be called. / Freeloaders, beware!
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Coast Guard to homeport four icebreakers in Alaska
The Coast Guard will homeport two Arctic Security Cutters in Kodiak and one in Seward starting in 2028, funded by $3.5 billion in the 2025 Working Families Tax Cuts Act.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Crystal Ball shifts Alaska Senate race to toss-up as Peltola leads eight polls
University of Virginia's Crystal Ball rated Alaska's 2026 Senate race a toss-up, shifting from lean Republican after Democrat Mary Peltola entered against incumbent Dan Sullivan. • Peltola's campaign says she leads in eight consecutive polls and unveiled a wages-focused tax proposal. • Republican super PACs committed $21 million to oppose her.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Senate Finance weighs Alaska LNG tax worth $124M a year — and whether it's enough for host communities
Governments are making compromises on the amount of property tax they'll receive - not all are happy about it
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
House Finance advances Alaska LNG tax bill, curtailing North Slope's power to negotiate
House Finance advanced Alaska LNG tax bill Wednesday: 13 cents, no side deals, double the impact fund to $80m
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
A federal expansion of hunting and fishing access on national wildlife refuges would land most heavily in Alaska
They're making changes to national wildlife refuges? We got a lot of them.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Fish and Wildlife lost quarter of staff, faces questions on refuge management
Fish and Wildlife Service lost a quarter of its staff, including 530 biologists. Nine percent of refuges now lack on-ground management. Alaska holds 16 refuges covering three-quarters of the system's acreage, but the agency has not disclosed which Alaska refuges are shuttered or how many Alaska staff were cut.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
More from Kenai Peninsula
Fairbanks spur line language added to Alaska LNG tax bill
Fairbanks North Star Borough secured a requirement for a gas spur line in the state LNG tax bill. Developers must build the spur to access tax breaks. Costs will spread across Railbelt users to keep rates affordable for 3500 local customers.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ENSTAR Caps the Price. Stedman Eyes the Debt.
ENSTAR is locking in a $16 price ceiling, but Sen. Bert Stedman argued the costs may have just moved upstream, to the tune of $3.3 billion over 30 years.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Alaska DOT programs Fairview Bypass into 2052 plan at $220M
Alaska DOT programmed the Fairview Bypass into its long-range transportation plan at $220.5 million across four phases, with construction stages starting at $60 million for a regional connection near Merrill Field.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Human ignitions cause 95 percent of Alaska's early fires
Human carelessness sparked 118 of Alaska's 124 early-season wildfires so far, a 95 percent rate that's stretching fire season into months when lightning fires rarely occur.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
North Slope pipeline company seeks to double metering capacity at TAPS
Kuparuk Transportation Company asked Alaska regulators to nearly double metering capacity at a key North Slope pipeline pump station, from 360,000 to 634,000 barrels per day, to handle crude from new oil fields coming online.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Halibut anglers on Alaska charters now pay $20 a day — and the money is funding a decades-old battle over who gets to catch the fish
Alaska charter anglers now pay $20 per day to keep halibut in Southeast and Southcentral waters, a federal fee that funds the charter sector's purchase of commercial fishing quota to expand their halibut allocation.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Four Railbelt utilities file shared-solar tariffs in two days
All four major Railbelt utilities filed tariffs for shared-solar programs on June 2 and 3, letting Alaskans buy shares in renewable facilities without installing rooftop panels and receive credits on their monthly electric bills.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 1
Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk
Alaska suspended burn permits statewide June 1-5 across Mat-Su, Kenai-Kodiak, Tok, Delta, Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt due to early heat and dry conditions, after recent escaped debris fires and burn barrels sparked multiple wildfires.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Coming up
Kenai Peninsula Borough Plat Committee
Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers, 144 N. Binkley St., Soldotna, AK 99669, and Zoom (Meeting ID 907 714 2200, toll free 888-788-0099 or 877-853-5247)
Meeting
Kenai Peninsula Borough Public Hearing on Ordinance 2026-37
Hearing
Grateful Extracts Marijuana Control Board Hearing
Hearing
Public Comment Deadline: State Underground Storage Rights Claim
Public notice
Lynx Trapping Season Opens (GMU 7 & 15)
Public notice
About Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula, governed as the Kenai Peninsula Borough, is a region of Southcentral Alaska bordered by Cook Inlet. Its communities include Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Seward, Nikiski and Anchor Point, and Kenai Fjords National Park lies within it.
Salmon fishing on the Kenai River and in Cook Inlet shapes the economy, along with oil and gas development and natural gas storage. The borough assembly and the councils and planning commissions of Kenai, Homer and Seward decide questions of land use, taxes, short-term rentals, housing and utility rates.
The Sterling and Seward highways carry traffic through the peninsula, and Kachemak Bay State Park and Kenai Fjords National Park lie along its shores. Schools across the peninsula answer to a single borough school board.
More from Kenai Peninsula
Troopers arrest Nanwalek man on domestic violence charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested Terence P. Swenning, 27, of Nanwalek on Monday on domestic violence charges including assault in the presence of three children.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska LNG seeks 90% property tax cut; Kenai Peninsula pushes back
Alaska LNG is seeking a 90 percent property tax cut to proceed, but Kenai Peninsula Borough says the cut would cost local governments about $30 million annually needed to cover project impacts.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
HEX Operating files to renew Cook Inlet spill plan
HEX Operating filed June 3 to renew its Cook Inlet oil spill response plan covering potential discharges up to 82,500 barrels. • The renewal comes as HEX expands drilling with state-backed financing, raising stakes for Cook Inlet salmon habitat and subsistence fishing. • Public comment period runs through July 6, with hearing requests due by June 22.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Kenai parent asks commission to lower weight room age limit
A Kenai parent asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to lower the weight room age limit at Kenai Rec Center from 16 to 14, saying the current policy pushes families to drive to nearby communities where younger teens can use gyms independently.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Troopers arrest Nanwalek man on domestic violence charges
Alaska State Troopers arrested Terence P. Swenning, 27, of Nanwalek on charges of assaulting his partner in front of three children.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska fire agencies open nine wildfire investigations in four days
Alaska fire agencies opened nine wildfire investigations across four regions in three days as Red Flag Warnings and dry conditions raised fire danger statewide.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Glenfarne's own cost estimate for Alaska LNG is now significantly higher than AGDC's — and the state's equity option sits in the middle of the new math
Glenfarne raised Alaska LNG cost estimate to 44.5 to 54.5 billion dollars, up from state agency's 38.7 billion. • Legislature can buy 5 to 25 percent equity stake within 180 days after final investment decision. • Property tax reform is central to project financing, with current rates costing roughly 380 million dollars yearly during construction.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
RTO schedules closed subcommittee meetings for June 10–11
The Railbelt Transmission Organization will hold three closed subcommittee meetings June 10 and 11 to discuss technical standards, transmission tariffs, and financing for Alaska's 700-mile electric grid serving two-thirds of the state's population.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Four Alaska co-ops file community solar tariffs in two-day span
Four Alaska electric cooperatives filed community solar programs this week, letting members buy shares in shared arrays instead of installing rooftop panels.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open 10 wildfire investigations as Red Flag Warnings signal critical conditions
Alaska fire agencies opened investigations into at least 10 wildfires across the state between June 2 and June 5 as the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for critical fire conditions in multiple regions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, Delta
Alaska suspended burn permits in Mat-Su, Kenai, Tok, and Delta from June 1-4 due to hot, dry, windy conditions that sparked multiple fires from escaped debris burns and unattended campfires.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Four Alaska utilities file community-energy tariffs in 72 hours
Four Alaska utilities filed tariff proposals this week to launch community-energy programs under 2024 state law, letting renters and homeowners buy shares in shared renewable projects without rooftop equipment.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Cook Inlet gas production drops 60% since 2010
Cook Inlet natural gas production has dropped 60% since 2010 to 200 million cubic feet per day, leaving winter demand unmet and forcing utilities to plan for costly LNG imports starting in 2033.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Kenai adopts $42.1M budget with swim team grant, airport upgrade
Kenai City Council adopted a $42.1 million budget for fiscal year 2027, approving $296,402 in amendments for a swim team grant, airport billing automation expected to recover $130,000 in missed revenue, and council chambers technology upgrades.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago1 min read
Kenai limits tent camping to 2 tents per property, defines 3+ as campground
Kenai allows up to two tents on private property indefinitely, but three or more tents now require conditional-use approval and are classified as a campground.
by Lucas Brown5mo ago2 min read
Federal highway chief commits to King Cove Road action
Federal Highway Administrator committed to finalize the Road, an 11-mile project connecting the community to Cold Bay's airport, and will visit Alaska in late June.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Petersburg Medical Center loses bids for facility, equipment grants
Petersburg Medical Center's two largest grant proposals for a new facility and medical equipment were deferred by the state Rural Health Transformation Program on Wednesday, though five smaller projects advanced to a second funding round.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open 11 wildfire investigations in four days
Alaska fire agencies opened investigations at 11 wildfire locations between June 1 and June 4, spanning the Kenai Peninsula to Interior and Western Alaska, as the National Weather Service issued Red Flag warnings for critical fire weather conditions.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Mat-Su, Kenai burn permits suspended as fire activity surges
Alaska Division of Forestry suspended burn permits across Mat-Su and Kenai-Kodiak starting Monday, June 1, after a surge in human-caused fires sparked by escaped debris burns and unattended campfires during hot, dry, windy conditions.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
The Mat-Su Valley's king salmon fisheries are closed — Anchorage's closest king water joins the Kenai on the bench
Alaska closed all king salmon fishing in Mat-Su Valley drainages, shutting down Anchorage's closest king fishery as the first fish arrived. • The closures follow four years of declining runs and emergency restrictions nearly every season since 2022. • Mat-Su and Kenai rivers, Southcentral's two main king fisheries, are now both closed for 2026.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
The Kenai's kings are closed again — another summer without Alaska's most iconic salmon
Another year with King closures and no easy answer in sight
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ADF&G extends yelloweye rockfish closure in Resurrection Bay through June
Second year in a row Yelloweye Rockfish are down. Don't catch em
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Soldotna fisherman files for governor on food-security platform
Soldotna commercial fisherman Hank Kroll filed to run for Alaska governor as a Republican. • He proposes acquiring 28 million federal acres and tying Permanent Fund Dividend payments to land transfers to boost food production. • Alaska imports 90 to 95 percent of its food from outside the state.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min readAnchor River, Deep Creek closed through mid-July as king salmon returns fall short
Alaska closed Anchor River and Deep Creek to all fishing through July 15 due to weak king salmon returns on the Lower Kenai Peninsula, with gear restrictions continuing through July 31.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
