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Coffman Cove*

Coffman Cove was first settled as a logging camp in the 1950s and was owned and operated by Mike and Leta Valentine. Land was made available for private ownership through selection under the Alaska Statehood Act. Coffman Cove's pioneer lifestyle and clean, safe environment were featured on ABC's "20/20" program in 1984, prompting a deluge of mail from persons around the country wanting to relocate. Although most residents previously lived in mobile homes, these have mostly been replaced with houses residents built themselves.

Historically logging support services provided the majority of employment. Coffman Cove was one of the major log transfer sites on Prince of Wales Island. Because of the decline in the timber industry, this is no longer the case. Although there are still a few logging support services in the area, most of the employment is now tourism-based. A large number of the people in the community operate bed and breakfasts or rent cabins to people who want to hunt or fish. There are a number of charter and commercial fishermen operating out of the cove, as well. Oyster farming also occurs in Coffman Cove.

Location & Climate

Coffman Cove is on the northeast coast of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. It lies 73 miles northeast of Ketchikan and 42 miles southeast of Wrangell. It lies at approximately 56.013890 North Latitude and -132.827780 West Longitude. (Sec. 28, T068S, R082E, Copper River Meridian.) Coffman Cove is located in the Ketchikan Recording District. The area encompasses 10.4 sq. miles of land and 4.5 sq. miles of water. The area is dominated by a cool maritime climate. Summer temperatures range from 46 to 70 °F. Winter temperatures range from 32 to 42 °F. *State of AK, DOT AMHS.

2010 Population

176 (US Census)

Government

2^nd Class City incorporated in 1989. Currently the city employs 7 staff members. Regular elections are held every 1^st Tuesday in October. The City Council meets every third Thursday. There is currently no city sales tax. www.coffmancove.org

Electric Utility

Alaska Power Company (Private). Power source: diesel. Kilowatt capacity: 740. In November of 2010 the small commercial rate for 1,500kWh/month was $0.2399 with a monthly fee of $12.93. (JEDC Asset Mapping Report)

Water & Sewer Utilities

Coffman Cove uses a piped sewage system, surface water source, and water treatment system and storage tank supply the piped water system. 69 homes now have complete plumbing.

Solid Waste

Refuse collection operations: Road-Run-R Sanitation. The City burns refuse, the ash is hauled to Thorne Bay along with bales of non-combustibles.

Transportation Facilities

A State-owned float/sea plane base, boat launch and dock are available. State Highway connects Coffman Cove to most other communities on Prince of Wales Island. Inter-Island Ferry Authority (IFA) also provides service from Ketchikan to Hollis on Prince of Wales Island.

Transportation Services

Accessible by float/sea plane, Inter-Island Ferry Authority (IFA) service from Hollis to Ketchikan or small water craft.

Schools

Howard Valentine School is in the Southeast Island Schools District offering Kindergarten through 12^th grade classes. www.sisd.org Student-teacher ratio: 12.5:1. In 2009 a new facility was constructed and the school now houses a video teleconferencing room, a commercial grade kitchen, a large ball field, greenhouse, library, and a large gym with up-to-date exercise equipment that is open for community use. This facility has recently installed state of the art wood fired boilers for energy saving heat. Enrollment for the 2010-11 school year was 15.