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Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities
We support communities to address environmental threats and achieve their vision for a safe, healthy, and sustainable future.
Newsletter Issue 28, September 2019
Five Things You Should Know
The Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities (CETC) is hiring for a Community Resilience Specialist. If you’re interested, see the details below and apply as soon as possible.
Community members in Shaktoolik, Alaska are currently taking action to repair damage to their storm surge berm, which lost 350,000 cubic feet of material during an August storm. That’s equivalent to the volume of 762 Toyota Camry cars.
The Village of Kotlik, Alaska was awarded $100,000 from the Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association to elevate two homes threatened by flooding and move three homes threatened by erosion back from the riverbank.
Walter Nelson and David Andrew are leading Napakiak, Alaska’s response to the aggressive erosion threat by planning a new subdivision site.
Two funding opportunities have been announced recently: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program and the State of Alaska Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). We recommend that all communities apply to these.
Solutions Spotlight: David Andrew and Walter Nelson, the Dynamic Duo Leading Napakiak, Alaska’s Managed Retreat
David Andrew (left) and Walter Nelson (middle) are leading Napakiak, Alaska’s managed retreat to a safe site away from the Kuskokwim River. Credit: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC).
In Napakiak, Alaska, City Council member Walter Nelson and Tribal Administrator David Andrew are a dynamic duo tackling the community’s managed retreat. Napakiak is located on the Kuskokwim River, which regularly swallows up large portions of the community’s land. Currently, Napakiak is working to protect their community by developing a new subdivision site in an area safe from erosion and flooding.
Relocating buildings in Napakiak has been an “all hands on deck” situation, which has required extensive cooperation between all community entities and a variety of partner organizations. The community has moved almost all of its homes and buildings away from the river. Yet the most important building—the school—remains in place and is approximately 150-feet from the river. Currently, no plans have been made and no funding has been secured to build a new school in a safe location. David wonders, “How are our children going to be educated when – not if –the school falls into the river?”
Walter and David say that they redoubled their efforts after attending the National Adaptation Forum in Madison, Wisconsin last April. According to Walter, this was “the very first time I realized how far behind Napakiak is in adaptation to climate change and how many more barriers we face that other communities do not have to think about. We are not on the road system, so every project we do – even every gallon of water we drink – costs three times more than it would in the lower 48.”
Though erosion in Napakiak is dire, David and Walter hope that things are finally falling into place. Above all, they want to let people know that collaboration is key to solving major environmental threats. Walter said, “No matter how large or small, all local entities must work together. We must take decisions day by day and come to a conclusion together to solve the problem locally, or else the problem will not be solved.”
Recent Events
Shaktoolik, Alaska Takes Action to Repair Storm Surge Berm Damaged in August Storm
The images above compare the Shaktoolik, Alaska storm surge berm at the beginning of the storm on Friday, August 2, 2019 (above) to the damage after the storm on Saturday, August 3, 2019 (below). Credit: Gloria Andrew.
The State of Alaska Coastal Hazards Program estimated Shaktoolik, Alaska’s 7,000-foot berm experienced 350,000 cubic feet of erosion during an August storm, which is the equivalent of the volume approximately 762 Toyota Camry cars. After the storm, the community held an emergency meeting and decided to use existing funding from the Denali Commission for emergency repairs before the fall storm season arrives. A repair project is currently adding gravel from the community’s Beach Pit to the portion of the berm in front of the community. The community is experiencing challenges with keeping the old Army surplus dump trucks and other equipment up and running. Repairs will continue until freeze-up in October. Additional funding is needed to repair the entire berm and for more equipment.
Kotlik, Alaska Awarded $100,000 to Address Erosion and Flooding Impacts to Homes
In Kotlik, Alaska, the riverbank has eroded from underneath the foundation of the home shown above, which will be one of the first to be moved back with funding from the Yukon Fisheries Development Association. Credit: Village of Kotlik.
The Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association (YDFDA) has awarded the Village of Kotlik $100,000 for emergency assistance to address erosion and flooding impacts to homes. The Village of Kotlik plans to hire local labor to elevate two homes that are impacted by flooding and move three homes back from the riverbank. The community is planning to develop a subdivision at the old airport site and relocate 21 threatened homes there.
Seven Generations Environmental Planning Training Held in Anchorage, Alaska
Participants at the Seven Generations Environmental Planning Workshop learned a community-based, hands-on approach to developing local environmental plans. Credit: ANTHC.
Thirty-five participants including staff from Tribal environmental programs, Tribal Council members, and Tribal Administrators from 24 communities across Alaska participated in a Seven Generations Environmental Planning Training held September 10-12, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska. Participants learned a community-based approach for developing local environmental plans. The training focused on team building, community involvement, identifying environmental concerns that can affect health, and learning about ways to address local issues. Staff from ANTHC’s Community Environment and Health department and CETC provided training regarding brownfields assessments, air quality and healthy homes, environmental monitoring and surveillance, and planning to address environmental impacts to infrastructure.
Newtok, Alaska’s Quarterly Update on Relocation Activities
An aerial view of Mertarvik, Alaska, where the first residents of Newtok, Alaska will move to in October 2019. Credit: Daniel Martinez.
After two decades of planning and pioneering development, the first residents of Mertarvik, Alaska will move from their current community site of Newtok, Alaska in October. ANTHC, the project manager for the Village of Newtok’s relocation, published the latest Newtok Relocation Quarterly Update. This issue provides information about plans for residents moving to Mertarvik in October 2019, construction activities that occurred in summer 2019, upcoming construction and training efforts, and anticipated support needs. Click here to read the Newtok Relocation Quarterly Update.
School Fuel Tanks Moved Away from Eroding Riverbank in Napakiak, Alaska
A large tank is moved into the new Napakiak School tank farm by Faulkner-Walsh on August 30, 2019. Credit: KYUK.
The Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) met the deadline given by the U.S. Coast Guard to move 36,000 gallons of diesel fuel away from the eroding Kuskokwim riverbank in Napakiak, Alaska. The fuel was transferred into new tanks at a newly constructed bulk fuel farm, which is located where the Napakiak school parking lot used to be. No funding has been secured to plan or construct a new school in a safe location.
University of Alaska Fairbanks Releases Publication on Alaska’s Changing Environment
Notable events in and around Alaska from 2014-2019. Credit: Rick Thoman, Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.
The International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has recently released Alaska’s Changing Environment, a publication that compiles observations of physical and biological change in and around Alaska. The IARC intends to update the product every three years.
Community Profile: Hughes, Alaska
Hughes, Alaska under four feet of water during the 1994 flood. Credit: Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Problem:
Hughes, Alaska – population 77 – is located on a 500-foot bluff on the east bank of the Koyukuk River. The Koyukuk River bank is actively eroding along approximately 1,200-feet of the north end of the community in the residential area. Erosion events typically occur during spring and fall high water flood events and from spring break-up ice scour at a rate of approximately five-feet per year. Multiple homes, as well as the end of the airport runway, are now less than 50-feet from the bank. Flooding occurs once every few years due to excessive precipitation, snowmelt, or ice overflow (aufeis). An extreme flood in 1994 swept multiple structures from their foundations and into the river, destroying 13 houses. Aufeis frequently prevents residents from accessing the highway in winter months, and one aufeis event in the mid-1980s caused a few homes to flood six-feet deep and then freeze.
Solution:
According to Tribal Administrator Nick Cleveland, the community rebuilt a few homes further from the shore after the 1994 flood, but there are no plans to relocate infrastructure in response to recent erosion. No protective measures have been implemented in Hughes to prevent erosion or flood events. Residents in the community explored a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant in 2016 to address erosion impacts, but they did not submit a proposal. Cleveland hopes to apply for more grants in the future to address erosion and flooding impacts, but for now, Hughes does not have the capacity due to limited staff.
Job Announcement: Community Resilience Specialist with CETC
Are you passionate about social justice, rural Alaska, and working with communities on the front lines of environmental change?
ANTHC’s CETC is hiring a Community Resilience Specialist. This position supports highly complex projects that directly and immediately increase the resilience of environmentally threatened communities who are pursuing protection-in-place, migration, and relocation. The professional will collaborate with community leadership; funding agencies; and federal, state, Tribal, regional, and non-governmental stakeholders to successfully plan and secure funding for projects that achieve the community’s vision for a safe, healthy, and sustainable future. The position can be located in Anchorage, Bethel, or a community in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. For more information, see the online application. Apply before October 7. Contact Max Neale (mdneale@anthc.org) with questions.
Funding Opportunities
FEMA has announced the 2019 PDM grant program for 2019. PDM is an opportunity to fund projects identified in your community’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
- Eligibility: Any local or Tribal government with a valid Hazard Mitigation Plan
- Due Date: January 31, 2020
- FY 2019 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Notice of Funding Availability
- FY 2019 Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fact Sheet
2019 Community Development Block Grant
The State of Alaska Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) provides funding for public facilities and planning activities that address issues detrimental to the health and safety of local residents. You may apply for a grant up to $850,000.
- Eligibility: Any municipal government
- Due Date: December 6, 2019
- If you are interested in submitting an application, submit a notice of intent no later than October 4, 2019.
Resources
Guide for Partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
This resource provides an introduction to how non-Federal entities can partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to address water resource issues. The guide includes an overview of the USACE Civil Works Program and describes how USACE can work with local, state, Tribal, and federal agencies and other partners on activities ranging from technical services and advice to planning and constructing water resources projects. The guide is useful for anyone looking to develop a better understanding of possible partnerships with USACE.
Upcoming Events
2019 FEMA PDM Grant Program Webinar Schedule
FEMA Region 10 has announced the training and technical support schedule for Tribal governments interested in applying for PDM grants this fall. The schedule and additional application resources can be found here.
State of Alaska CDBG Application Workshop
Interested in submitting a CDBG application this fall? The State of Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA) is hosting a series of CDBG application workshops to train applicants on how to successfully complete the CDBG application packet, plan potential projects, and comply with established reporting and record-keeping guidelines of the program. The workshop is free, but no funding is available for travel or lodging costs.
The following dates are available:
- Anchorage, AK – October 9-10, 2019
- Anchorage, AK – October 13-14, 2019
- Fairbanks, AK – October 15-16, 2019
For more information, click here or contact Pauletta Bourne at pauletta.bourne@alaska.gov or 907-451-2721. Notify Pauletta by September 30, 2019, if you are interested in attending.
Alaska Region Training & Technical Assistance Center Trainings
Project Planning and Development Training
Would your community like to learn more about how to plan and develop your projects for grant applications? This three-day training will give participants a foundation for creating community-based projects and grant writing skills. Participants will be able to use their new skills and adapt them to any community, any project, and any funder. Multiple dates and locations will be offered. For more information contact Drena McIntyre at d.mcintyre@3starak.com.
FEMA Mitigation Planning for Local Governments Training
Are you interested in developing a Local or Tribal Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)? This in-person, 2-day workshop covers the fundamentals of the mitigation planning requirements for communities to develop new or updated HMPs that address community priorities and needs and meet FEMA requirements. This training would be useful for anyone who would be involved in the planning process.
- Date: October 8-9, 2019
- Cost: Tuition is free for those accepted. Travel and salary stipends are not available.
- To apply, contact Eva Edwards at (907) 428-7065 or MVA.DHSEM.Training@alaska.gov for application materials.
News Roundup
Engineers in Alaska using the sun to chill thawing permafrost: ANTHC engineers have designed a solar-powered refrigeration system to re-freeze the permafrost under critical infrastructure in rural communities. This system acts as a protect-in-place measure to prevent a slow-moving disaster.
‘The ice should have been safe’: Representatives from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) visited Nome, Alaska and Shishmaref, Alaska to hear stories from community members about how climate change has affected their lives. Their stories will be included in the upcoming IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.
About the Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities
The goal of the Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities (CETC) is to support rural Alaskan communities experiencing infrastructure impacts associated with flooding, erosion, and permafrost degradation. The team does this primarily through grant writing, technical assistance, and project coordination.
ETC@anthc.org | (907) 729-4521 | 4500 Diplomacy Drive, Suite 561, Anchorage, AK 99508
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