Chapter 9: The Changing South

http://labor.alaska.gov/research/occtbl/pdfs/farm.pdf

Alaska

The creation of the Marine Division has strengthened the presence of ILWU in Alaska through coordination and cooperation between the IBU shoreside and maritime members, the Region 37 cannery workers, and ILWU Local 200’s longshore, health care, cold storage and general industry members. ILWU organizing in Alaska has always been difficult: distances between cities and work sites, an ever-changing workforce, shifting patterns of seasonal employment, and raids by other unions have challenged ILWU leaders and rank and filers since the first organizing efforts of the1930s. As a result, ILWU organization has sometimes been erratic, and the ability to service outlying units has sometimes fallen short of expectations. Since the 1970s, however, a new generation of workers – responding to a transformation of the state’s economy – has grappled with these problems and has developed a new and more effective structure for the ILWU in Alaska. The realignment of the ILWU in Alaska took place as the result of new growth after 1975, beginning with new organizing among seafood processing workers. Unity was given a boost in 1981, when all Alaska longshore locals were finally working under one agreement – covering both ILWU and IBU shoreside workers. Then, 1983, members of the all ILWU fish and longshore locals – which had since 1978 functioned as 16 small and separate members of the ILWU’s Alaska Council – voted to consolidate their administration and resources into one new unit: Local 200. In 1985, Local 200’s occupational jurisdiction in Alaska took on a new look when nursing, professional service, and administrative employees at Bartlett Memorial Hospital in Juneau signed up with the union. The addition of the Bartlett unit helped invigorate the local, and in 1986 led to the first Alaska area convention called to discuss strategic planning and possible restructuring. The convention decided to re-organize the Local into regional units with industrial divisions: longshore, health care, cold storage, and public service workers. This new, coordinated approach to ILWU organization in Alaska helped the units in the 1990s to meet a serious threat to ILWU jurisdiction from a new direction: the giant factory ships of foreign fishing fleets A loophole in the 1990 Immigration Act was being interpreted by foreign shipowners as license to haveseamen on foreign-flag vessels do longshore work aboard their ships when they were in U.S. ports. This loophole frequently was being used by large Japanese fish trawlers operating in U.S. coastal waters— mainly Alaska – to bypass ILWU longshore labor in the transfer of their catch to shoreside facilities or other ships.   In 1995 after a two-year battle in Washington, D.C., with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Department of Labor, the ILWU won adoption of the "Alaska Exception," which closed the loophole. ILWU longshore workers in Alaska are now assured of having first opportunity to work aboard the foreign fish trawlers.

http://www.ilwu19.com/history/the_ilwu_story/alaska.htm

Chapter 8: Appalachia And The Ozarks

Mining
Alaska often conjures up images of gold - prospectors, miners and adventurers combing the creeks of the Interior searching for the next big discovery. The town of Fairbanks, and many of its surrounding communities, among them Ester, Fox and Chatanika, were founded because of placer gold discoveries on local creeks in the early 1900's. However, the communities that survived into this century survived because their economies diversified away from gold production; others - such as Meehan and Cleary - withered and died when the miners pulled out.

Alaska's Mineral Wealth

Gold and the stampedes it caused were critical factors in the European settlement of Alaska. Therefore, gold is the metal most often associated with this state's mineral resources.

However, Alaskan geology also hosts some of the world's largest and richest deposits of lead, zinc, silver and copper. Kennecott - one of the world's largest mining companies, got its start here with the Kennecott Copper mine (now a National Park) in the Wrangell Mountains, which mined one of the richest copper deposits ever found. And Teck-Cominco's Red Dog mine, located in the DeLong Mountains 50 miles northeast of the Native Village of Kivalina, currently holds the position as the world's largest lead-zinc mine. Platinum has also been mined here, and there are ongoing searches for the diamonds and sapphires that many prospectors are convinced lie undetected in stream gravels. 


Modern Metal Mining in Alaska

Overview of Fort Knox Mine looking south by southeast. The open pit gold mine is seen in the background, with the low-grade ore stockpile and conveyor in the foreground. Photo provided by Fairbanks Gold Mining Co.

http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/dggs/sr/text/sr064.PDF

http://www.northern.org/artman/publish/mining.shtml

Chapter 7: The Bypassed East

Near Little Port Walter in Southeast Alaska.

Population distribution

Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska.

Alaska is the least densely populated state in the U.S. with 0.4247 people per square kilometer (1.1 per square mile). Population densities in the other states range from 1.97 per square kilometer (5.1 per square mile) in Wyoming to 438 per square kilometer (1,134.4 per square mile) in New Jersey. Alaska's population was estimated to be 663,661 in 2005.

Alaska's most populous city is Anchorage, home to 277,000 people (2007 estimate)—42 percent of the state's population. The city comprises 5,063 sq. kilometers (1,955 sq. miles)—about the size of the land area of the state of Delaware.

In 2007, Alaska had more than three times the people and five times the jobs it had when it became a state in 1959. More than 60 percent of the population lives in Anchorage and adjacent boroughs. Many of the Alaska natives continue to live in remote villages scattered throughout the state, generally along rivers or the coasts. The lifestyles of those in the cities and those in rural areas are vastly different. Many in the remote areas survive on subsistence farming and fishing and must contend with a lack of safe water and sewer systems. Unemployment in these areas tends to be quite high.

The vast, sparsely populated regions of northern and western Alaska are primarily inhabited by Alaska Natives, who are also numerous in the southeast. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other parts of south-central and southeast Alaska have many whites of northern and Western European ancestry. The Wrangell-Petersburg area has many residents of Scandinavian ancestry and the Aleutians contain a large Filipino population. Most of the state's black population lives in Anchorage. Fairbanks also has a sizable African American population.

Agriculture and manufacturing

Agriculture represents only a small fraction of the Alaska economy. Agricultural production is primarily for consumption within the state and includes nursery stock, dairy products, vegetables, and livestock. Manufacturing is limited, with most foodstuffs and general goods imported from elsewhere.

Environmentalism

Oil production was not the only economic value of Alaska's land, however. In the second half of the twentieth century, Alaska discovered tourism as an important source of revenue, which had become popular following World War II, when men stationed in the region returned home praising its natural splendor. The Alcan Highway, built during the war, and the Alaska Marine Highway System, completed in 1963, made the state more accessible than it had ever been. Tourism became increasingly important in Alaska, and today over 1.4 million people visit the state each year.

With tourism more vital to the economy, environmentalism also rose in importance. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 added 53.7 million acres (217,000 km²) to the National Wildlife Refuge system, parts of 25 rivers to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system, 3.3 million acres (13,000 sq km) to National Forest lands, and 43.6 million acres (176,000 sq km) to National Park land. Because of the Act, Alaska now contains two-thirds of all American national park lands. Today, more than half of Alaskan land is owned by the Federal Government.

Exxon-Valdez

Oil pooled on rocks on the shore of Prince William Sound after the oil spill.

The possible environmental repercussions of oil production became clear in the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. On March 24, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, releasing 11 million gallons (42 million liters) of crude oil into the water, spreading along 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of shoreline. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at least 300,000 sea birds, 2,000 otters, and other marine animals died as a result of the spill. Exxon spent $2 billion on cleaning up in the first year alone. Exxon, working with state and federal agencies, continued its cleanup into the early 1990s. Government studies show that the oil and the cleaning process itself did long-term harm to the ecology of the Sound, interfering with the reproduction of birds and animals in ways that still aren't fully understood. Prince William Sound seems to have recuperated, but scientists still dispute the extent of the recovery. In a civil settlement, Exxon agreed to pay $900 million in ten annual payments, plus an additional $100 million for newly discovered damages.

Tufted Puffin at the Alaska SeaLife Center.

The Alaska SeaLife Center, which opened in May 1998, was established by The Seward Association for Advancement of Marine Science and continues as a collaborative effort between Coastal America, North Pacific Research Board, University of Alaska School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, and Ocean Alaska Science & Learning Center.

The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Settlement Fund provided $26 million to help build the $56 million facility. Grants, bonds and donations supplied the remaining funds, while the city of Seward donated a seven-acre waterfront site.

The center is dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska through research, rehabilitation, and public education. Visitors are immersed in naturalistic exhibits relating to the marine ecosystems of the state.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Today, the tension between preservation and development is seen in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) drilling controversy. The question of whether to allow drilling for oil in ANWR has been a political football for every sitting American president since Jimmy Carter. Studies performed by the U.S. Geological Survey have shown that the "1002 area" of ANWR, located just east of Prudhoe Bay, contains large deposits of crude oil.

Traditionally, Alaskan residents, trade unions, and business interests have supported drilling in the refuge, while environmental groups and many within the U.S. Democratic Party have traditionally opposed it. Among native Alaskan tribes, support is mixed. In the 1990s and 2000s, votes about the status of the refuge occurred repeatedly in the U.S. House and Senate, but as of 2007, efforts to allow drilling have always been ultimately thwarted by filibusters, amendments, or vetoes.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Alaska#Agriculture_and_manufacturing

Chapter 5: The North American Manufacturing Core

Agriculture

here are only about 500 farms in Alaska, most clustered in the 880,000 acre Matanuska Valley northeast of Anchorage.

n terms of revenue generated, Alaska's top five agricultural products are greenhouse and nursery products, hay, dairy products, potatoes, and cattle and calves.

Livestock

he most valuable livestock commodity produced in Alaska is milk, followed by eggs and beef cattle. Alaskan farmers also raise chickens, hogs, sheep, and lambs. Native Alaskan Inuit maintain herds of reindeer as a source of meat and hides.

Crops

reenhouse and nursery products are the top agricultural revenue producers in Alaska.

arley, hay, oats, and potatoes are prevalent field crops.

imber, spread over 25 million acres, is also important to the state.


Manufacturing

Food processing (fish products) is Alaska's leading manufacturing activity, in terms of value added by manufacture. Ketchikan, on Kodiak Island, is considered the center of the world's salmon-packing industry.

petroleum products rank second.
Mining

il provides about 95 percent of Alaska's mining income. Other mined products are gold, zinc, silver, coal, crushed stone, lead, molybdenum, and sand and gravel.
Fishing

laska's fish catch is the most valuable among the 50 states. The most important commercial fishing ports are at Kodiak and Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.

arge catches of cod, flounder, pollock, rockfish, sablefish, salmon, and smelt drive the industry.

ungeness crab, king crab, scallops, sea urchins, shrimp, snow crab, and herring eggs are other important products of the fleet.
Services

overnment services, public schools, public hospitals and military bases. Tourism is a major sector of Alaska's economy attracting over one million visitors annually.

Sources

Claus-M. Naske and F. Patrick Fitzgerald, "Alaska," World Book Online Americas Edition, http://www.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/010640, August 14, 2001.

U.S. Department of Agriculture: National Agricultural Statistics Service, "Alaska State Agriculture Overview, 2004", 3 January 2006, <http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Ag_Overview/AgOverview_AK.pdf> (12 January 2006)

"Alaska." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 1 May 2007 <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9111277>.

Alaska is very rich in natural resources. Lakes, forests, fish, game animal and also soil are all natural resources found in Alaska. There are also below ground natural resources found in Alaska. There is gold, oil and cranium. There is also coal silver and copper. Some other ones are natural gasses, uranium, tungsten and finally jade.
Alaska grows and raises many things. Potatoes, oats, hay, cabbage, barley and many other things are all things that Alaska grows. Alaska raises many things such as chickens, hogs, cows, dairy cows and sheep.
 manufacturing accounts for 3 percent of the growth of the state! Fish products are one of the major manufactured goods in the state. Almost any where you go you can buy fish products. Furs are important, too. Paper, lumber, wood, cement blocks and concrete blocks are all things that Alaska manufactures.


Click here for manufacturing fact  about Alaska:

http://www.nam.org/~/media/D73405C0DF21413784A496A17AB32962.ashx

Chapter 4: Megalopolis

As of the 2005-2007 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, White Americans made up 68.5% of Alaska's population. African Americans made up 3.8% of Alaska's population. American Indians and Alaska Natives made up 13.4% of Alaska's population; they are the largest minority group. Asian Americans made up 4.6% of Alaska's population. Pacific Islander Americans made up 0.5% of the state's population. Individuals from some other race made up 1.9% of Alaska's population while individuals from two or more races made up 7.2% of the state's population. Hispanics and Latinos made up 5.5% of Alaska's population.^[4]

For European ancestry, German Americans are the largest single ethnic group in Alaska; they made up 19.3% of Alaska's population and they are the only ethnic group in the state with over 100,000 members. Irish Americans made up 12.5% of Alaska's population while English Americans made up 10.8% of the state's population. Norwegian Americans made up 4.2% of Alaska's population and French Americans made up 3.6% of the state's population.^[5]

The vast and sparsely populated regions of northern and western Alaska are primarily inhabited by Alaska Natives, who are also numerous in the southeast. Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other parts of south-central and southeast Alaska have many White Americans of northern andwestern European ancestry. The Wrangell-Petersburg area has many residents of Scandinavian ancestry and the Aleutian Islands contain a large Filipino population. The vast majority of the state's African American population lives in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Also, Alaska has the largest percentage of American Indians of any state.

Demographics of Alaska (csv)

By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	75.43%	4.46%	19.06%	5.24%	0.88%
2000 (Hispanic only)	3.42%	0.33%	0.45%	0.16%	0.06%
2005 (total population)	74.71%	4.72%	18.77%	5.90%	0.88%
2005 (Hispanic only)	4.32%	0.38%	0.48%	0.19%	0.05%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	4.85%	12.03%	4.27%	19.23%	5.35%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	3.49%	11.30%	4.02%	18.96%	5.86%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	33.56%	21.02%	14.52%	27.89%	-1.95%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Alaska Population Density Map

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	33,426		—
1890	32,052		−4.1%
1900	63,592		98.4%
1910	64,356		1.2%
1920	55,036		−14.5%
1930	59,278		7.7%
1940	72,524		22.3%
1950	128,643		77.4%
1960	226,167		75.8%
1970	300,382		32.8%
1980	401,851		33.8%
1990	550,043		36.9%
2000	626,932		14.0%
2010	710,231		13.3%
1930 and 1940 censuses taken in preceding autumn Sources: 1910-2010[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Alaska

Population of Alaska
By Census Bureau
Mar 28, 2006

Alaska

	Business QuickFacts	Alaska	USA
	Private nonfarm establishments, 2008	19,9341	7,601,169
	Private nonfarm employment, 2008	248,3871	120,903,551
	Private nonfarm employment, percent change 2000-2008	21.2%1	6.0%
	Nonemployer establishments, 2008	52,219	21,351,320
	Total number of firms, 2002	62,145	22,974,655
	Black-owned firms, percent, 2002	1.5%	5.2%
	American Indian and Alaska Native owned firms, percent, 2002	8.3%	0.9%
	Asian-owned firms, percent, 2002	3.1%	4.8%
	Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander owned firms, percent, 2002	0.2%	0.1%
	Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2002	2.0%	6.8%
	Women-owned firms, percent, 2002	26.2%	28.2%
	Manufacturers shipments, 2002 ($1000)	3,832,024	3,916,136,712
	Wholesale trade sales, 2002 ($1000)	3,616,674	4,634,755,112
	Retail sales, 2002 ($1000)	7,437,071	3,056,421,997
	Retail sales per capita, 2002	$11,605	$10,615
	Accommodation and foodservices sales, 2002 ($1000)	1,393,225	449,498,718
	Building permits, 2009	9161	582,963
	Federal spending, 2008	9,422,7091	2,771,782,1522

	People QuickFacts	Alaska	USA
	Population, 2009 estimate	698,473	307,006,550
	Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009	11.4%	9.1%
	Population estimates base (April 1) 2000	626,931	281,424,602
	Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2009	7.8%	6.9%
	Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2009	26.3%	24.3%
	Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2009	7.6%	12.9%
	Female persons, percent, 2009	48.1%	50.7%
	White persons, percent, 2009 (a)	70.3%	79.6%
	Black persons, percent, 2009 (a)	4.2%	12.9%
	American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2009 (a)	15.2%	1.0%
	Asian persons, percent, 2009 (a)	5.0%	4.6%
	Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2009 (a)	0.7%	0.2%
	Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2009	4.7%	1.7%
	Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2009 (b)	6.4%	15.8%
	White persons not Hispanic, percent, 2009	65.2%	65.1%
	Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over	46.2%	54.1%
	Foreign born persons, percent, 2000	5.9%	11.1%
	Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000	14.3%	17.9%
	High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000	88.3%	80.4%
	Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000	24.7%	24.4%
	Persons with a disability, age 5+, 2000	83,220	49,746,248
	Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000	19.6	25.5
	Housing units, 2009	283,878	129,969,653
	Homeownership rate, 2000	62.5%	66.2%
	Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2000	27.0%	26.4%
	Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000	$144,200	$119,600
	Households, 2000	221,600	105,480,101
	Persons per household, 2000	2.74	2.59
	Median household income, 2008	$67,332	$52,029
	Per capita money income, 1999	$22,660	$21,587
	Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008	9.2%	13.2%

	Geography QuickFacts	Alaska	USA
	Land area, 2000 (square miles)	571,951.26	3,537,438.44
	Persons per square mile, 2000	1.1	79.6
	FIPS Code	02

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/02000.html