he added. “Safety is the biggest thing. I was led down a road toward civil contracting, highway work and rock quarries. We have a huge influx of baby boomers leaving, so I took a line of work that is dirty and loud, that gave me opportunities at a young age. I soon had crews twice my age because I was there, took an interest and had boots on the ground.” Learning a diverse set of skills is also invaluable, he added. “Working on a crew with contractors, you have to be a little of everything—electric, diesel, aggregate. Hydrology—as well as everything the federal gov- ernment throws at you. MSHA regulations, written in blood, emissions. “But it’s an excellent way to a very hands-on ca- reer. It’s very rewarding.” It’s not always easy, he added, admitting that he’s had to learn some lessons the hard way. “I enjoy fluid power, hydrology, the nuts and bolts of engineering; everything required for mining is engineering, systems working in tandem to produce results. I’ve always liked working with equipment— understanding equipment and its capabilities, and what makes it tick. “I think I’m here to stay, to help the community. I started my business here to support industry.” Haines was lacking a good option for equipment and tool, so he decided to provide one. “What we’re trying to do here is enable the com- munity to have the resources, equipment rental, a shop for repairs that can support industries that bring in a living wage. That’s a big part of raising a family.” He has an optimistic vision for Alaska mining. “It all depends on the growth of the population of our planet. Humans consume and modern technolo- gy that tries to reduce the footprint of human beings requires precious metals. I see that as long as we have populations increasing, we will have mining.” He reflects that the future will require innovative thinking and taking some risks. “I took a huge risk,” he reflects. “I invested my life savings based on how I want to support a com- munity. I could lose everything. This is a small town of 2,300 people. It takes industry to support it. “Constantine is one of those projects that is a fairy tale project.” Large deposits of precious metals would give the mine a unique opportunity, he added. “The other thing that is great is 30 percent of the ore body, that’s 30 percent that’s directly out of the tailing pile immediately. The footprint of this project has the potential to be the smallest footprint of any mine in Alaska.”
weapon against mining, we also have a 14,000-acre timber sale pending this spring. If you log, you may kill salmon. If you build roads, you may kill salmon. Those are just broad scare tactics. “It’s forgotten that we have the Chilkat Eagle Preserve here, which was created by a cooperative agreement to create a local conservancy between the Haines Sportsman’s Association and the Village of Klukwan. We had this bill introduced and passed, to create an operating agreement for this resource to protect the natural beauty and also have the right to extract resources. “It shows a good example of how locals can get together and plan their future out collectively.” The agreement establishing the preserve provides in detail what can and can’t be done, he said. “It also clearly states that the surrounding area will continue in historic use. Here, that’s mining, going back to the Porcupine Mine in the 1800s. That’s what drove population here. Fort Seward was built here to protect the border over mining disputes with Canada. “It all ties in together.” Mining has been in his family for generations. “I was literally raised off mining dollars. My fa - ther has been at Greens Creek 22 years and once worked at Fort Knox and did the mill at Red Dog. My sister, before becoming a model, worked at Greens Creek. My wife’s family all worked at Greens Creek. And my cousin works underground, as well as an- other uncle.” His experience is a good lesson for future miners, Haynes Tormey in his Haines Industrial shop. He is an outspoken advocate for the potential colloboration of mining and fishing interests in Southeast Alaska. Contributed Photos
January 2019
The Alaska Miner
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