$ITKA SPRUCE ALASKA'S OFFICIAL TREE
Alaska jfiow lias an official state
tree.
Recently Governor William Egan
Signed a House Bill No. 325 desig
nating the Sitka Spruce, Picea
Sitchensla, as the new state’s offi
cial tree.
Alaska is the 45th state to official
ly adopt a state tree. Her sister
state Hawaii does not have one.
No other state had previously desig
nated Sitka Spruce as their state
tree, but Colorado, South Dakota
and Utah have other species of
spruce as their official trees.
Sitka spruce is the largest of all
the spruces in North America and
one of the most valuable tree spe
cies in Alaska. Its range is in the
coastal forests of Southeast Alaska,
west to Prince William Sound to
the south shore of Kackemak Bay in
Cook Inlet, and Kodiak Island. This
species extends south of Alaska
along the Pacific Coast to northern
California.
Planted by Russians
Sitka spruce trees were planted
in the early 1800s by the Russians
at Unalaska, near the eastern end
of the treeless Aleutian Islands.
Although Sitka spruce occasional
ly forms pure stands, it generally
grows in mixture with other species.
In Alaska its principal associate is
western hemlock. Young Sitka
spruce trees, when open-grown
have a pyramidal form. Forest
grown trees are tall and straight,
with open conical crowns. Those
approaching maturity typically have
long cylindrical trunks which are
often free of branches for from 30
to 40 feet of the stem.
Trees 400 to 500 years old may
! oieasuie.fuyr to'-<sht4eik%n ^amfier^
and approach 200 feet in height.
The Sitka spruce forms approxi
mately 20 per cent of the coastal
forests of Alaska with its total vol
ume in Alaska estimated at 534 bil
lion board feet.
Pulp Principal Use
The Sitka spruce wood is straight
grained. moderately light in weight,
easily w'orked and very strong—
Fairbanks USO Is
Starting Summer
Tours And Trips
Well, the Fairbanks USO tours
and trips for the summer, 1962, got
underway last Wednesday. Memorial
Day, with a full schedule of activi
ty planned until Labor Day, Sep
tember 3.
The season’s program includes
gold panning, trips to Mt. McKin
ley National Park, Midnight Sun
trips via bus to Cleary Summit and
motor trips to Eagle Summit; stern
wheeler trips on the Chena and
Tanana Rivers. Cheechako tours, in
cluding visits to the University of
Alaska Museum, Agricultural Ex
periment Station, and other local
spots of interest.
Local motor trips will include
Ester Village, gold dredge and Crip
ple Creek Resort; the ghost town
of Livengood; trips to Nenana. home
of the great annual ice classic, and
fishing trips to nearby streams.
Sounds like a real interesting
summer of enjdyiftetft.
JUMP
INTO
ADVENTURE!
EXPLORE ALASKA'S ARCTIC
WITH
ALASKA'S SENIOR AIRLINE
Discover the vast, fascinating, friendly Polar Zone
of the 49th State. See the sun at midnight, have a dog
team ride, watch the fish wheels on the mighty Yukon
River.
See the Eskimo blanket toss and authentic ceremonial
dancing. See native craftsmen at work on fur and ivory,
have a ride in an Oomiak, native made boat covered with
walrus skins.
Watch the Eskimo kayaks in action. Adventure in new
onrH Arctic Shee fish, Sourdough pancakes and
reindeer steaks.
During the 1962 tour season, Alaska’s senior airline
will operate 24 thrill packed all expense tours across the
Arctic Circle each week.
Tour A — The Arctic Coast Tour to Nome and
Kotzebue — Daily.
Tour B — The Polar Sea Tour to Nome, Kotzebue,
and Point Barrow — 3 times weekly.
Tour C — The Top O’ the World Tour to Pt. Barrow
— Daily.
Tour D — The Yukon Valley Tour to Ft. Yukon —
Daily.
For complete information and a full color picture
brochure describing the Wien Polar Tours and Polar Zone
Fantastic Fishing Tours,
SpE YOUR TRAVEL AGENT — OR
3rd and Lcey St. Phone GL 2-3355 Fairbanks, Alaska
■g W'gJLUJ.
greater strength and
toughness than any wood of similar
weight. It's principal uses are for
lumber and pulp, but is also valu
able for plywood.
The lumber is used in construc
tion and the manufacture of many
products including such specialty
items as piano sounding boards. Be
cause of the unusufcl strength for
its weight, it has been the rhost im
portant Wood for airplane construc
tion.
Sitka spruce was a logical candi
date for designation as Alaska’s of
ficial state tree. Both the common
and scientific names honor the Alas
ka town of Sitka where the species
was discovered in 1827 by the Ger
man naturalist Dr. Karl Heinrich
Mertens. It is the largest as well as
one of the most valuable tree spe
cies in the state.
The bill was introduced in the
House by Rep. Dora Sweeney,
Juneau, and Grace Johnson, Nome,
with the Alaska Federation of Gar
den Clubs also an active sponsor of
the legislation.
Kenai Oil Pipeline
Is Featured Story
In Trade Journal
Two full pages of excellent photo
graphs and description of the pipe
line from the Swanson River oil
field on Kenai Peninsula to the
terminal at Nikiski on Cook Inlet,
were carried jn the April issue of
Bulletin, published quarterly by the
Standard Oil Company of Califor
nia.
The opening paragraph is signifi
cant: “If no other barometer was
available, Alaska’s growing stature
as an oil producing state could be
measured with fair accuracy by
operations of the Kenai Pipe Line.”
From an initial output of 9,000
barrels per day in I960, today, or
1962, the capacity is now 30,000
barrels per day!
During the past year, as need for
more storage developed, construc
tion of a 200,000-barrel tank almost
doubled the storage capacity.
In the first half of 1961, 20 oil
wells were successfully completed,
bringing the total of producing wells
to 38.
Tankers calling at Nikiski marine
terminal carry the crude oil to re
fineries in Washington and Califor
nia.
Standard is now constructing the
first major oil refinery in the State
of Alaska, which will have a cap
acity of 20,000 barrels daily, of the
highest quality products. It can be
expanded readily to meet the needs
of the fast-growing Northland popu
lation.
Save time and money . . . sub
scribe to Jessen’s by the year.
FORREST HONORED —- Dr. Merrill Forrest, (center) a Fairbanks
resident for 16 years and vice-president of the Fairbanks Health and
Safety Council for the past three years, received an award In rec
ognition of his long service with the Council at the organization’s
May meeting in the Fairbanks Health Center. Dr. Forrest was pre
sented with a clock-gold panner desk set by Jim Couch, (left.1 dir
ector of public relations for the Council. The award plaque recog
nized Dr. Forrest’s “long and effective service to Fairbanks’*. Mrs.
Jay Dennis, (right) Council president, commended Dr. Forrest for
his work with the Health and Safety Council,
—Couch Alaska Archives
DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR
FEATURE FOR FEATURE . . .
You Can't Buy Better
Keating than Chrysler!
Silent Burner
Silent Blower
Fiberglass Insulation
Cabinet Design
Easy-Change Filter
The Finest Heat . . .
and Automatically!
CLEAN . . . SAFE
Efficient, Compact
and healthful.
You just can't beat
a Chrysler Furnace!
Read’s Sheet Metal Works
918 College Road Phone GL 2-3065
scon
For 1962
Boats and Motors
Are Made. For
Each Other!
Factory Matched for Total Performance
By
McCulloch
Only Scott’s Got It!
-COMPUTE SALES AND SERVICE
MOTOR INN SAFETY LANE
And
MOTOR INN MARINE
536 - 11th Ave. — GL 6-4721