Rotarians Learn About Alaska

At their first meeting of the new year, Marco’s Sunrise Rotarians were excited to greet special guest, Earl Stewart from Ketchikan, Alaska. Stewart spoke to the club about his 30 years’ experience working for the National Forest Services, and shared his knowledge about the State of Alaska. 

Currently, Stewart  is a Rotarian in Ketchikan. He will be joining the Sunrise Club after he retires and moves to the area.

Stewart moved to Ketchikan from Flagstaff, Arizona seven years ago. He had served as the Forest Supervisor for the Coconino National Forest prior to accepting the post as the Forest Supervisor for the Tongass National Forest. 

The Tongass National Forest is the largest land mass forest in the United States, covering 16.7 million acres or 26,100 square miles in size.

A graduate of Oklahoma State, Stewart began his Forest Service career in 1991 after working as a biologist for Oklahoma’s Department of Wildlife Conservation. Stewart’s early posts were in Montana, Alabama and Washington, D.C.

Stewart and his wife are planning to relocate to Southwest Florida upon their retirement. They already own a condominium in Port of the Isles, and will have their retirement home built there while making plans to spend their winters here and summers in Alaska. 

Stewart’s knowledge of his adopted state astonished club members. They realized how little they knew about the 49th State of the United States. At 663,300 square miles, it is the largest of the 50 states and is the most westerly of the United States. 

Alaska, which was purchased from Russia for just two cents an acre, holds the record for being one of the most lucrative land deals ever made.

When Secretary of State William Seward negotiated Alaska’s purchase for $7.2 million, it was roundly criticized by many Americans. Today, no one would argue the strategic importance of the state or its value.

Stewart pointed out a number of interesting facts about the state. Alaska has no income or sales tax; the largest salmon on record came in at 97 lbs. 4 oz.; there are 10,500 pilots in the state; and although it is known for gold, zinc is the largest export. The coastline of Alaska covers 6,640 miles and there are three million lakes that are 20 acres or more in size. There are also 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, which cover 25,000 square miles. Alaska has 100 volcanoes.

For a size comparison, Florida is 447 miles long by 361 miles wide, while Alaska is 1,420 miles long and 2,500 miles wide.

Marco Island Sunrise Rotary meets every Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM at Stonewalls Restaurant, located at 551 South Collier Boulevard. For more information about the club, visit their website at www.marcoislandsunriserotary.org.