Morris Communications is the Georgia-based media group that owns the Peninsula Clarion, Homer News, Juneau Empire, Alaska Journal of Commerce and numerous other media holdings in Alaska. In November, company chairman William Morris III announced a special 10-part series to help Alaskans “find the facts” about declining King salmon runs.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently flooded the mailboxes of residents on the Kenai Peninsula with slick flyers from its headquarters in Chicago. The purpose of the mailer was to tell Alaskans to oppose salmon habitat protections in the Kenai Borough.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) holds itself out as “America’s largest trade association,” bigger than the influential American Petroleum Institute. So why would this deep-pocketed group from Chicago reach out to Alaskans to oppose local salmon habitat protections?

I've been watching oil and gas corporations in Cook Inlet for the past 16 years, and few things surprise me. But now Hilcorp Corporation wants to resume storing oil at the base of an active volcano on the west side of Cook Inlet.

Hilcorp is the third largest privately-held oil and gas company in the nation ("privately held" means you cannot see their books). Last year, Hilcorp bought from Chevron the major oil and gas production facilities in Cook Inlet, including facilities at Trading Bay and Drift River.