Holtan Hills Commentary: The Fight Is Still Not Over
A vandalized sign part of the access roads to the Holtan Hills development. (Photo by Soren Wuerth)
By Julien-Didier Stiassny
Commentary Contributor
Four and a half years ago Holtan Hills was proposed as an idea. Almost 100% of Girdwood locals opposed the idea.
There was a phase of meetings and arguing over it. "Halt Holtan Hills" signs appeared and the town came together to stop the project.
In January of 2023 the Anchorage Assembly decided not to go on with Holtan Hills. For Girdwood it was amazing that our forest was not going to be destroyed.
But in January of 2024 all of a sudden Holtan Hills was happening because the developers had snuck the idea back in without Girdwood knowing. It had been denied, but a small group of people who knew they would make money from it decided that they wanted it to happen.
Another phase of meetings happened. I went to one of the meetings and can say that I was not happy with it. Connie Yoshimura, the developer, deflected challenging questions so that we didn’t get an answer about what is going to happen with the project. It just shows what people will do to get a second home or another car.
Progressing with Holtan Hills will release around 12,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to my calculations. Although this is very small compared to large emissions from fossil fuels, all developments in the past five years make up around 35 percent of global emissions. That has warmed the earth by 0.063F or 0.035C.
So, before Holtan Hills starts up again, email news companies and newspapers. If we can get national attention, the crowd will not be on the developers side but on ours. Another way to get involved is by contacting the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG).If we find something that is messing up the salmon migration or destroying wetlands that aren’t supposed to be destroyed, contact ADFG.
If nothing else, let’s protest on the day Holtan Hills starts up again. If they want to run us over with their bulldozers that will be just the way that it gets shut down.
Julien=Didier Stiassny is a middle school student and lives in Girdwood.