HomeMy WebLinkAboutCreating Our Future - IRMP Phase 2 0211091
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 2
1.0 Study Purpose & Process ....................................................................................................... 4
IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn ................................................................................................................................4
PPuurrppoossee........................................................................................................................................ 6
MMeetthhooddoollooggyy ...............................................................................................................................6
OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonn ooff PPllaann................................................................................................................. 10
Chapters IRMP – Phase 1 ................................................................................................... 10
Chapters IRMP – Phase 2 ................................................................................................... 10
AAppppeennddiicceess ...............................................................................................................................11
2.0 Vision, Goals and Objectives .............................................................................................. 12
3.0 Policies and Procedures ....................................................................................................... 14
IIRRMMPP PPoolliiccyy SSttaatteemmeennttss .......................................................................................................... 14
IRMP Policy Statements for Port Graham and Nanwalek ..................................................... 15
IIRRMMPP PPrroocceedduurreess ..................................................................................................................... 17
IRMP Tribal Policies and Procedures for Natural Resources & Land Use............................ 18
4.0 Next Steps: Options and Recommendations....................................................................... 26
LLiiaaiissoonn PPoossiittiioonn ........................................................................................................................ 27
DDrraafftt RReessoolluuttiioonnss ..................................................................................................................... 28
PPrroocceedduurreess ...............................................................................................................................28
LLoonngg--RRaannggee PPrroojjeeccttss ................................................................................................................ 29
Appendices ................................................................................................................................... 31
AAppppeennddiixx 11:: CCoommmmuunniittyy PPaarrttiicciippaannttss aanndd MMeeeettiinngg SScchheedduulleess ............................................ 31
AAppppeennddiixx 22:: DDrraafftt RReessoolluuttiioonnss ffoorr BBiioommaassss PPrroojjeecctt aanndd NNaannwwaalleekk aanndd PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm SSttaattee
ooff AAllaasskkaa AAiirrppoorrtt PPrroojjeecctt .......................................................................................................... 34
DDrraafftt RREESSOOLLUUTTIIOONN RReeggaarrddiinngg BBiioommaassss PPrroojjeecctt ................................................................ 34
DDrraafftt RREESSOOLLUUTTIIOONN RReeggaarrddiinngg NNeeww AAiirrppoorrtt........................................................................ 36
AAppppeennddiixx 33 -- PPllaannnniinngg AArreeaa OOvveerrvviieeww –– FFrroomm IIRRMMPP PPhhaassee 11 ............................................... 37
LLooccaattiioonn ................................................................................................................................ 37
AAppppeennddiixx 44 -- NNaattuurraall RReessoouurrcceess ............................................................................................. 49
AAppppeennddiixx 55 PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm VViillllaaggee CCoouunncciill SSttrraatteeggiicc PPllaann ....................................................... 57
AAppppeennddiixx 66 –– NNaannwwaalleekk IIRRAA CCoouunncciill SSttrraatteeggiicc PPllaann .............................................................. 67
AAppppeennddiixx 77:: DDeevveellooppiinngg aanndd WWrriittiinngg PPoolliicciieess aanndd PPrroocceedduurreess ............................................ 71
HHooppeess && CCoonncceerrnnss ................................................................................................................... 71
2
Executive Summary
Port Graham Village Council and Nanwalek IRA Village Council located in Port Graham and
Nanwalek, Alaska1 respectively (the Tribes), which are small, remote tribes in south central
Alaska, developed this U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs sponsored Integrated Resource
Management Plan (IRMP) – Phase 2 document to report both the process and outcome of their
efforts. The result of the effort has been to identify policies and procedures to implement their
Selected Growth strategy for land use and natural resource management. The Selected
Growth strategy was identified as the preferred natural resource management strategy by the
Tribes in their IRMP – Phase 1, adopted September 2006.
The IRMP Policies were developed by representatives2 of the Tribes in a workshop developed
the IRMP – Phase 2 policies and procedures during November 2008. Along with these
developments, these representatives identified necessary elements and steps important to
implement the policies and procedures. This identification lead to the development and
documentation of IRMP – Phase 2 Procedures3.
Some of the key features of these IRMP Policies and Procedures are:
• Port Graham and Nanwalek recognized the importance of working with the established
organizations, whose missions are to assist and support the Tribes’ efforts to improve
their quality of life culturally, socially and economically.
• Port Graham and Nanwalek recognized the importance of three important infrastructure
projects that have the immediate chance of being developed – Biomass Energy
Generation System and a joint State of Alaska sponsored Airport for both communities’
use, and the Airport roads development coupled with Nanwalek IRA Council’s IRR4
roads development. These projects hold significant promise to improve the Tribes’
quality of life. Tribal representatives also recognized the inter-relatedness of these
projects to each other and to land use and natural resource management. Tribal
representatives developed draft resolutions for each Village to consider these three
projects.
1 The terms tribes, villages and communities are interchangeably used in this document. Tribal Councils govern
both Port Graham and Nanwalek; there is no city government.
2 The list of representatives and can be found in Appendix 1 on Page 30.
3 The procedures can be found in Appendix 7 on Pages 55.
4 U. S. Bureau of Indian affairs has funded road development projects for Nanwalek IRA Council through the
Indian Reservation Roads program.
3
• Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribal representatives identified that these three important
projects, as well as future projects, if managed effectively, will allow cultural and
subsistence resources not to be harmed, and began to consider how these projects
could actually be used as opportunities to enhance cultural and subsistence resources.
• Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribal representatives further recognized and began to
identify how these two important projects can also improve their economies, safety, and
educational opportunities both during and after construction.
• Effective management of these three important infrastructure projects provides the
concept for the IRMP – Phase 3, Implementation of Policies and Procedures. To do
Phase 3, the Tribes will likely need a liaison position(s)5. If possible, this position would
seek funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ IRMP program or another allowable
funding program.
Tribal representatives also identified and talked about long-term projects over the next 20 years. This
was an important discussion to recognize that not only do projects that are being developed at the
same time have inter-relatedness, but so do those projects in the future. If near-term projects are
effectively planned and managed, they should serve as building blocks for long-term projects and
should continue to align with the Tribes’ Selected Growth strategy.
5 The recommended liaison position is further described in Chapter 4 on page 25.
4
1.0 Study Purpose & Process
IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
The Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) represents a holistic approach to resource
management that recognizes that land, sea, sea coasts, freshwater systems, their people and
multiple land uses are interconnected. It is a Tribal policy document that is based on the Tribes
vision for its resources. It describes the guiding principles, policies and broad procedures to be
undertaken by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and all federal agencies along with Tribal
Councils and staff members, including resource management personnel. It is intended to serve
as a guide for each community’s resource planning and management activities, and can be
used by the Tribal Councils, Native Allotment owners, federal, state and Borough officials,
developers, private businesses and others involved in activities that impact the natural
resources in Nanwalek and Port Graham.
In 2007 the BIA - Alaska Regional Office sponsored Port Graham and Nanwalek’s IRMP –
Phase 2 to identify policies and procedures for natural resources and land uses within the
purview. Funding for this effort was provided to Chugachmiut, Inc. on behalf of the tribes.
Chugachmiut received funding for the first phase of the IRMP in 2005 and a report on those
efforts was completed in September 2006.
Chugachmiut’s role has been as the coordinator or facilitator for the IRMP development
process, as well as the grant administrator for this BIA funded project. Chugachmiut is a Tribal
consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach
Region, including Nanwalek and Port Graham.
In 2005, the initial Plan was proposed by Chugachmiut foresters to assist them as they updated
their forestry management plans. The IRMP’s intent was to consider the communities’
preferences for management of all of their resources, including forests, and from that the
foresters could develop a more responsive Forestry Management Plan.
In IRMP - Phase 1, the communities’ efforts resulted in a Selected Growth strategy and vision
to guide resource and community development and management. This strategy and guiding
principles were the foundation for IRMP Phase 2, and community representatives spent
5
considerable time identifying policies and procedures to support this Selected Growth strategic
vision.
Figure 1Developing Land and Resource Issues IRMP Phase 2 Meeting in Homer, Alaska
Chugachmiut selected the University of Alaska
Anchorage – Resource Solutions (UAA) program
manager, Margaret King, to assist with facilitating
community meetings. These meetings were the key
actions that resulted in information necessary to
create and document the policies and procedures to
align and support Port Graham and Nanwalek’s
Selected Growth strategy.
IRMP - Phase 2 follows other efforts and work that has been conducted during this entire
decade:
• IRMP Phase 1, where UAA also facilitated community meetings;
• Integrated Resources Management Plan for Nanwalek and Port Graham completed by
ASCG Incorporated in September 2006
• Port Graham & Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan completed by The Port Graham &
Nanwalek Watershed Council in September 2001
• Port Graham & Nanwalek Area Which Merits Special Attention completed by Kenai
Peninsula Borough Coastal Management Program in March 1992
• IRR Strategic Plans, Nanwalek IRA Council, March 2009
• Port Graham Strategic Plan, created by Port Graham Village Council on September
2008
• Nanwalek Strategic Plan, created by Nanwalek IRA Council on October 2008
• Economic Development Act / Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy created
by Chugachmiut and adopted December 19, 2008
• Chugachmiut Native Allotment Forestry Manual 1998
• Chugachmiut Fire Management Plan March 20006
• Port Graham Natural Resources 5 Year Plan March 2001
• Port Graham Trial Natural Resource Action Plan – Draft
6 Chugachmiut’s Forest Management Plan and Fire Management Plan although developed are not yet approved by
BIA. Once both plans are updated, they will be presented to BIA for approval.
6
• Port Graham Tribal Natural Resource Management Plan, created by Paul McCollum, Jerry
Robart and Patty Brown-Schwalenberg, October 2003
PPuurrppoossee
By working with and bringing community representatives together, Port Graham and Nanwalek
were able to identify and develop policies and procedures for natural resource development for
their tribal villages. This augments and deepens the value and effectiveness of the initial IRMP
document (September 2006) by detailing how resource development and protection needs to
occur in these communities in order to align with their Selected Growth strategy.
The IRMP also includes components that promote education to increase public awareness and
understanding of the value of natural resource management. The IRMP considers cultural and
economic priorities while delineating, characterizing, and prioritizing resource development. The
IRMP establishes a basis for current and future natural resource and land use planning.
This IRMP document is not intended to replace the communities’ individual community strategic
plans7, but is intended to provide an additional resource management tool to help guide and
plan development in the communities of Nanwalek and Port Graham.
This IRMP – Phase 2 could be used by entities that have an interest in understanding how
these communities wish to manage their resources. In addition to policies and procedures, the
IRMP includes goals and objectives for present and future resource managers and provides a
framework for project activity planning and decision-making. It is intended to help resource
managers and the Tribes’ Councils and various resource, transportation and environmental staff
members in planning and implementing projects that need special consideration due to long-
range resource use, management requirements, and impacts. This will ensure alignment with
the Tribes’ resource management (IRMP) plan, and will greatly help to prevent conflicting uses
and unintended consequences to the natural resources and Tribes’ culture.
MMeetthhooddoollooggyy
The IRMP planning process initially began during the fall of 2005, with Phase 2 beginning in fall
2007. From 2007 throughout summer 2008, individual, on-going discussions between
Chugachmiut and the Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes were held. These discussions were
7 Port Graham community strategic plan can be reviewed in Appendix 5 on pages 56.
8 Nanwalek community strategic plans can be reviewed in Appendix 6 on pages 68.
7
critical for success to ensure that the IRMP – Phase 2 project was conducted in the context of
current and proposed efforts, such as:
• Proposed new State of Alaska and U. S. Federal Aviation Administration Airport that
may be constructed between Nanwalek and Port Graham, Alaska to serve both
communities.
• Proposed new Airport road development would connect the two communities for the first
time.
• Proposed new roads, in particular, Nanwalek’s BIA sponsored Indian Reservation Roads
planning and development project to upgrade and build new roads in their area for such
projects as the North Pacific Rim Housing Authority’s housing development for
Nanwalek IRA Council and English Bay Village Corporation’s material extraction project.
• Proposed new Biomass facility for heat and power co-generation located in or near Port
Graham may supply power and heat. The facility is intended to supply 3-phase 220 volt
power and heat for all residential and community buildings possibly in both communities.
Project may include development of small value added sawmill and greenhouse and re-
starting Port Graham Cannery operation by reducing cost of power and heat
consumption.
• Other proposed infrastructure and economic development projects in summary:
o Continued fish hatchery projects in Nanwalek and Port Graham.
o Re-starting the Port Graham Cannery
o In Port Graham – relocating the landfill
o In Port Graham – identifying and accessing a new drinking water source.
o In Nanwalek – Village Corporation’s access to sand and gravel material project
extraction that would cross Native Allotment lands.
o In Nanwalek – New housing development by purchase/use of Native Allotment
lands and adding to its drinking water source.
The IRMP - Phase 2 is based on the IRMP – Phase 1 planning document. Phase 1 included a
review of literature pertaining to the natural resources in both communities. Interviews were
conducted with Natural Resource managers and personnel from the Alaska Department of Fish
and Game in Homer and Anchorage, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies.
Phase 2 community meetings were held in August, November, and December 2008. These
meetings were conducted within the context of community representatives recognizing that
8
significant land use, infrastructure, utilities, natural resource, road, and housing and other facility
development are not only being proposed, but also most are in some planning or development
stage.
Figure 2 IRMP Phase 2 Planning Map
Port Graham and Nanwalek are both
surrounded by allotments that “land lock”
both communities except by saltwater
access. Tribal representatives, as
previously noted, voiced concerns about
Native Allotment owners recently selling
their Native Allotment property and were
concerned what the impacts are to the
communities. Discussions that were
held in 2008 to create policies and
procedures included ideas and strategies
to create alternatives to Native Allotment owners that would allow them to retain their ownership
while still making on-going revenues from their land. Another emphasis area was to provide
opportunities for local jobs and business opportunities.
• The August meetings provided time for each community to become re-oriented with the
IRMP process, purpose and steps.
• The November meeting brought representatives of both communities together to create
and begin documenting the draft IRMP policies and procedures.
• The December meeting again brought representatives of both communities together to
review their work from November and provide documents for representatives to review
with each community’s Tribal Council.
The IRMP is intended to provide an overarching strategy and guidance by recognizing the
interrelatedness of the natural environment with the needs of economic growth, cultural
preservation, Native traditional management and habitat protection, infrastructure development,
transportation, and other activities common in a small, Native Alaskan village. Due to the
IRMP’s scope and purpose, it relies on both community members and their abilities to consider
and conceptualize the opportunities and impacts from an eco-system wide and multi-
generational perspective. The Tribal and community members will need to review and rely on
documents with a more focused scope such as community strategic plans and natural resource
plans, such as the Tribes’ watershed management plan. Other plans could include forest
management plans, transportation plans, development plans, and other documentation that
collectively creates procedures and management practices for land use and natural resource
9
management for Port Graham and Nanwalek’s Native Allotment lands including those for
community use.
10
OOrrggaanniizzaattiioonn ooff PPllaann
Chapters IRMP – Phase 1
This Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) Phase 1 is organized into seven chapters. Please
refer to that document to read the complete chapters of IRMP Phase 18.
Chapters IRMP – Phase 2
This Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) Phase 2 is organized into four chapters.
Chapter 1. Study Purpose and Process. This chapter describes a BIA Integrated Resource
Management Plan (IRMP). The chapter further describes how Nanwalek and Port Graham created
their purpose and process content for their resource management plans for their area.
Chapter 2. Vision, Goals and Objectives. These items were created during IRMP – Phase 1 and
provide an overview of Port Graham and Nanwalek’s vision, goals and objectives for land use and
resource management.
Chapter 3. Policies and Procedures. This chapter provides the details and outcomes of
community discussions to develop these governing strategies and implementation tools for
natural resource and land use management
Chapter 4. Next Steps: Options and Recommendations. This chapter includes actions to
advance projects that are in some stage of planning or development. The planning included
conceptualizing next steps to implement and further detail IRMP policies and procedures, including
community input and direction on priorities. This chapter also includes draft resolutions that identify
actions for the projects that have the greatest potential for near-term economic and community
improvements by utilizing land and natural resources and that align with the Tribes’ Selected Growth
strategy.
8 Chugachmiut Facilitated Integrated Resources Management Plan For Nanwalek and Port Graham, September
2006, prepared by ASCG.
11
AAppppeennddiicceess
Appendix 1. Community Representatives Participating in IRMP – Phase 2 and Meeting
Schedules
Appendix 2. Draft Resolutions for Biomass Project; and, Nanwalek and Port Graham State
of Alaska Airport Project
Appendix 3. Planning Area Overview provides an overview of the planning area and comes
from IRMP – Phase 1.
Appendix 4. Natural Resources describe the natural resources located in the IRMP planning
area.
Appendix 5. Port Graham Community Strategic Plan
Appendix 6. Nanwalek Community Strategic Plan
Appendix 7. Steps to Develop Port Graham and Nanwalek’s IRMP Policies and Procedures
12
2.0 Vision, Goals and Objectives
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The following Goals are primarily based on information gathered through community involvement
and from past planning efforts during the IRMP - Phase 1 and have been used to develop and align
policies and procedures in Phase 2.
Goal 1. To maintain and protect the biodiversity of our natural resources.
Objective A. Analyze and summarize all available local natural resource data.
Objective B. Work to reduce threat of disease in fisheries.
Objective C. To encourage timber management and harvest methods which minimize impact on
water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, Traditional management of resources and
tourism potential.
Goal 2. To respectfully utilize our natural resources to provide social and economical
benefits to our people.
Objective A. Responsibly market fisheries, berries and natural resources.
Objective B. Continue salmon enhancement program while minimizing impact to wild salmon.
Objective C. Develop a local saw mill business.
Objective D. Create economically enhancing and viable alternatives for Native Allotment owners
other than selling their land to outsiders.
13
Goal 3. To preserve our traditional relationship with the air, sea and land.
Objective A. Develop a comprehensive record of traditional ecological knowledge regarding each
species and resource of interest including each contributor’s comments on historic
populations and characteristics over time.
Objective B. Provide education for local children and others about our traditional ways and the
nature of our dependence on our natural resources.
Objective C. Utilize local traditional ecological knowledge and cultural traditions to help develop a
natural resource program that is meaningful and effective for our traditional lifestyle.
Objective D. Develop small scale tourism.
Goal 4. To facilitate and promote individual and village involvement in natural
resource issues and management.
Objective A. Develop IRMPs in Nanwalek and Port Graham that consider this Chugachmiut
Facilitated IRMP.
Objective B. Work with the school and provide quarterly classroom presentations and projects.
Objective C. Conduct community meetings and presentations to provide program updates and
information as well as solicit and document input from all participants.
Objective D. Provide education, public information and community outreach to local citizens on
natural resource issues and information
Objective E. Record community input on flip charts at meetings or on community natural resource
survey forms, summarize and enter into the tribal natural resources data base.
Objective F. Contribute information to the village newsletter about the natural resources and the
salmon hatchery program.
Objective G. Coordinate the implementation of IRMP with other village groups, government
agencies and other stakeholders.
Objective H. Monitor and report on the implementation of Integrated Tribal Natural Resource
Management Plan action plans to the Councils.
Objective I. Review tribal strategies and provide the Councils with accurate information regarding
local issues and projects.
Objective J. Review the IRMP at least every five years and coordinate with other natural resource
agencies and update as needed.
Objective K. Create and develop open channels of input and information sharing from village
residents, elders and others who are interested in natural resource issues or local
traditional ecological knowledge.
14
3.0 Policies and Procedures
Port Graham and Nanwalek created policies and procedures allowing them to augment their initial
IRMP from September 2006 by adding details to that work and formally recognizing the need to
coordinate with other plans and documents. These details and coordination will enable the Tribes to
implement and conduct projects in a manner that aligns with their Selected Growth strategy and the
goals and objectives identified in the 2006 document.
IIRRMMPP PPoolliiccyy SSttaatteemmeennttss
Developing the policy statements during the November 2008 meeting was a four-step process.
Step 1. Identified and talked about the various projects and proposed projects in both
communities (listed on page 3)
Step 2. Identified what is important to their communities, by reviewing and revising
issues/major elements originally identified in September 2006 report (Chapter 5,
page 37).
Table 1. Important Community Issues
Important Community Issues
Cultural
Economics
Energy (Infrastructure)
Subsistence
Environment
Land
Safety
Connectivity
Step 3. Discussed the potential negative impacts and hoped for opportunities of the various
projects in relation to the Important Community Issues.
Step 4. Drafted policy statements to be forward looking, to address/prevent potential
negative impacts and to encourage hoped for opportunities.
The following two pages identify the policy statements which resulted from these discussions.
15 Table 2. IRMP Policy Statements for Port Graham and Nanwalek Policy Area Policy Statements Important Topics the Policy Should Speak To Energy It is the energy policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek: • To find and implement innovative options to reduce energy costs, • To reduce fossil fuel emission, • To improve quality of power • To provide greater opportunity for jobs and attracting members back to our communities. • Reduce costs, • Reduce Emissions from fossil fuels, • Three-phase power, • Reliability of power, • Efficient power, • Improve quality of power, • Provide jobs • Subsistence It is the subsistence policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: To protect ancestral habitat areas and our traditional foods and preserve and reinstate and manage for increased pressure access. To ensure safe consumption of our traditional foods for generations to come. • Protect our area for subsistence • Protecting access to lands • Safe consumption some of our fish travel to different parts of the state and they come back and we eat them. • Habitat • Enhance subsistence areas* Culture It is our cultural policy: To preserve and be able to practice our way of life for time immemorial. • Preserve • Being able to practice traditional ways and inherent right. Environment It is our environmental policy to protect our water, wetlands and our traditional harvesting areas. We will use planning as a tool to achieve this policy. • Protect Wetlands • Protect Water sources • Protect traditional harvesting areas • Maximize natural resource management – to ensure we have a forest in 100 years. (use planning as a tool)
16 IRMP Policy Statements for Port Graham and Nanwalek Policy Area Policy Statements Important Topics a Policy Should Speak To Economics It is our economic policy to be self-sufficient. We will do this by balancing resource development with potential social and community impacts that result in a sustainable community and attracts community members back through jobs. • Self sufficient • Tribal members migrating to the hub communities because of cost of energy and living. • Attract community members back – by providing jobs • Sustainable communities – along with sustainable resource development (look at all impacts) • Land Management – sustainable work so that you are not working 24 hours a day and trying not to westernize the community, they are use to seasonal work. • How development occurs • Impacts social and community issues Land It is our land use policy to achieve community viability by accommodating and managing growth for housing and economic development and by ensuring subsistence opportunities through the use of land and game/habitat management plans. The purpose and outcome of these approaches will provide allotment owners with new revenue opportunities. • Need more of it for growth, general economic development, housing, community viability, • Allotments – protection them so that land owners are not selling them some sort of economic development to keep land owners from selling their land. • Revenue sources for native allotments • 14 c3 – Transfer of land • Game management plan to help protect/prevent outside ownership/selling allotments Communications Safety and Connectivity Policy It is our communication policy: • To enhance our ability to protect our community and residents from natural disasters and to provide safety/health care emergency services • To improve our access to technology to effectively pursue economic and resource development opportunities. To improve human safety. • Phone lines in the village are outdated – help enhance economics • Safety – search and rescue • Community Safety • Better access to land management information • Improve education opportunities
17
IIRRMMPP PPrroocceedduurreess
After creating policies, the Tribal representatives from Port Graham and Nanwalek turned their
attention to how the policies would be implemented. The following five-step process was used:
Step 1: The Tribes took a long-term – 20 year- look at the communities’ needs, resource assets,
as well as other assets such as the Village Corporations holdings and roles, and the State
of Alaska’s interest to ensure the communities have an airport that meets FAA safety
standards. Those projects and efforts identified as potentially available for development
over the next 20 years can be found on Page 29.
Step 2: Next, community representatives reviewed and considered projects currently proposed
for the communities – those likely accomplished within 5 years (listed on page 29).
Step 3: Community representatives then detailed hopes and concerns for each of these projects
that may come to fruition within the next 5 years. See Page 30, along with key points for
procedures.
Step 4: Community representatives identified important points that should be addressed in a
procedure. By focusing on projects that may be developed within the next 5 years,
community representatives found it easier to identify elements of procedures to align
with the policies. Although these procedures were crafted specifically to address the 5-
year projects proposed for Port Graham and Nanwalek, they will also have broader,
longer-term applicability, as these projects are significant.
Step 5: Procedures were then written in statement form to reflect the important points identified
in Step 4.
Figure 3 IRMP Phase 2 Working Group Members
18 IRMP Tribal Policies and Procedures for Natural Resources & Land Use Table 3. IRMP Tribal Polices and Procedures for Natural Resources and Land Use Title Policy Statement Procedures Natural Resource& Land Use Collectively, the Natural Resource and Land Use Policies of Port Graham and Nanwalek are to balance the development and use of its resources with its traditional and cultural practices, while advancing the economic and social well-being of its community members. In order to implement Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Natural Resources and Land Use Policies, the communities will continue to work collaboratively with each other, and the regional organizations of the Chugach area: ‐ Chugachmiut ‐ Chugach Alaska Corporation ‐ Chugach Regional Resources Commission ‐ North Pacific Rim Housing Authority ‐ Port Graham Corporation ‐ English Bay Corporation ‐ Port Graham Village Council ‐ Nanwalek IRA Council ‐ Federal Agencies in partnership with the Tribes ‐ State Agencies and Local Governments Additionally, to implement our natural resources and land use policies we will call upon the Chugach area organizations to help develop strategies and implement action plans that achieve the desired end goals by utilizing their talents, energy and focusing resources on the Tribes high priority projects.
19 Title Policy Statement Procedures Energy It is the Energy Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek: • To find and implement innovative options to reduce energy costs, • To reduce fossil fuel emissions, • To improve quality of power, and • To provide greater opportunity for jobs that will attract members back to our communities. In order to implement Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Energy Policy, the communities will focus on developing a biomass energy facility, which both communities will share benefits from. Implementation will be advanced through using the procedures, standards and actions that are detailed and described in the following documents: • The Potential for Biomass District Energy production in Chugachmiut Communities, Kerryanne M. B. Leroux, Kirk D. Williams, Sheila K. Hanson, Erick J. Zacher; Energy & Environmental Research Center University of North Dakota, 15 North 23rd Street, Stop 9018, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9018, 2007-EERC-07-07, July 2007. • Building Tribal Energy Development Capacity for Port Graham Village Council, current study for U. S. Department of Interior Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development Tribal Energy Resource Agreement (TERA) by Port Graham Village Council and Chugachmiut9. • Chugachmiut Native Allotment Forestry Manual, 1998, Gene Long, Chugachmiut • Chugachmiut Fire Management Plan for Native Allotments, February 2000, Gene Long, Chugachmiut • BIA 53 IAM Forestry Manual, October 15, 2003 (and revisions) • BIA 54 IAM Native Allotment Manual, 2006 (and revisions) 9 ‘The Secretary of the Interior is promulgating final regulations providing that Indian tribes, at their discretion, may enter into business agreements and leases for energy resource development and grant rights-of-way for pipelines or electric transmission or distribution lines on tribal land without the Secretary’s review and approval. Indian tribes entering into such business agreements, leases, and grants of rights-of-way must execute them under an approved tribal energy resource agreement (TERA) between the Secretary and the tribe. These final regulations provide the process under which a tribe may apply for, and the Secretary may grant, authority for an Indian tribe to review and approve leases and business agreements and grant rights-of-way for specific energy development activities on tribal lands through an approved TERA.
20 Title Policy Statement Procedures Subsistence It is the Subsistence Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To protect ancestral habitat areas and our traditional foods by preserving and reinstating land parcels for Tribal subsistence use, and by managing resources for anticipated increased pressure on subsistence resources, including new access that will likely result in increased pressure to these resources. • To ensure safe consumption of our traditional foods for generations to come. • To balance responsible community and economic development for generations to come. Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Subsistence Policy will be implemented and advanced through using the procedures, standards and actions that are detailed and described in the following documents: • Port Graham/Nanwalek Area which Merits Special Attention, by Kenai Peninsula Borough Coastal Management Program in March 1992 • Port Graham/Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan, The Port Graham and Nanwalek Watershed Council in September 2001 • Chugachmiut Native Allotment Forestry Manual 1998 (Intent is to update this plan to maximize this management tool to ensure a viable and healthy forest always looking out over the next 100 years) • Chugachmiut Fire Management Plan for Native Allotments, Feb. 2000 • Chugachmiut Forest Management Plan—in development • BIA 53 IAM Forestry Manual, October 15, 2003 (and revisions) • BIA 54 IAM Native Allotment Manual, 2006 (and revisions) Tribal representatives also expressed interest in exploring whether a • Game Management Plan in cooperation with adjacent land owners including allotments, village corporations and other private land owners should be created, which may include a large game guiding program/permit system on private lands • Medicinal Plants, Edible Vegetation and Berry Management Plan should be created using an ecosystem strategy and working with other adjacent land owners. Culture It is the Cultural Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To preserve and be able to practice our way of life for time immemorial. Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Cultural Policy will be implemented and advanced using the procedures, standards and actions that are detailed and described in the following documents and programs: • IRMP • Chugach Alaska Nuuciq Spirit Camp • Developing cultural programs using programs from the Nuuciq Spirit Camp • Working with other Alaska Native and Tribal organizations such as AFN, First Alaskans Institute, Kodiak -Dig Afognak Archaeology and Cultural Immersion
21 Title Policy Statement Procedures Environment It is the Environmental Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To protect our water, wetlands and our traditional harvesting areas. Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Environmental Policy will be implemented and advanced through the use of local planning efforts and authorities, along with state, federal and local laws, regulations, programs, procedures and ordinances as tools to achieve our policy. The Tribes will also use the procedures, standards and actions that are detailed and described in the following documents: • Port Graham/Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan, created by the Port Graham and Nanwalek Watershed Council on September 2001 • Chugachmiut Native Allotment Forestry Manual 1998 (Intent is to update this plan to maximize this management tool to ensure a viable and healthy forest always looking out over the next 100 years) • Chugachmiut Fire Management Plan for Native Allotments, Feb. 2000 • BIA NEPA Handbook, 2005—based on the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 For those standards and procedures most important to meet the policies and vision of the Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes, ordinances may also be adopted. Tribes will work with agencies, their consultants and Chugach area organizations to ensure environmental impacts are avoided, minimized or mitigated to the greatest extent practicable. This includes utilizing procedures adopted in the IRMP process, which formally recognizes previously developed standards and procedures in numerous documents. Tribes will require a Tribal liaison, who lives in at least one of the villages and is knowledgeable about subsistence practices as well as other environmental concerns such as source water and riparian standards. • Protect Wetlands • Protect Water sources • Protect traditional harvesting areas • Maximize natural resource management – to ensure we have a forest in 100 years. (use planning as a tool)
22 Title Policy Statement Procedures Economics It is the Economic Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To be self-sufficient. • To balance resource development with potential social, environmental and community impacts. • To result in a sustainable community, which attract community members back through jobs. • To use a 5 to 10 year planning horizon to identify jobs needed to design, build, construct, and operate projects being developed in the Port Graham/Nanwalek areas, by working with agencies, Chugach area organizations and others. Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Economic Policy will be implemented and advanced through the use of the following procedures: • To identify community improvement and safety projects to employ youths and others • To work as full participants in developing the detailed plans, environmental and design documents, budgets and to help determine what local capabilities are needed to construct and then operate and manage the projects once completed. • To work with project proponents to provide local jobs throughout project planning and construction. • The Tribes will work with agencies; their consultants and Chugach area organizations to ensure environmental impacts are avoided, minimized or mitigated to the greatest extent practicable. This includes utilizing procedures adopted in the IRMP process, which formally recognizes previously developed standards and procedures in numerous documents. • Priority projects to ensure self-sufficiency and economic viability are to develop: - Biomass Energy for the benefit of both Tribes - New Airport to be used by both communities - Roads to access materials Other Considerations to include in Policy and Procedure Development • Self sufficient • Tribal members migrating to the hub communities because of cost of energy and living. • Attract community members back – by providing jobs • Sustainable communities – along with sustainable resource development (look at all impacts) • Land Management – sustainable work so that you are not working 24 hours a day and trying not to westernize the community, they are use to seasonal work. • How development occurs - Impacts social and community issues
23 Title Policy Statement Procedures Land It is the Land-Use Policy of the Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To achieve community viability by managing for growth and ensuring subsistence opportunities. • To ensure effective land and resource management by providing opportunities for new revenues on Tribal, allotment, private, and corporation lands that can be used to manage lands as a comprehensive ecosystem. For the near term (5 years) Port Graham and Nanwalek will continue its local involvement to develop and bring to operational status the 3 priority projects of: ‐ Biomass Energy ‐ New Airport ‐ New Roads to Access Materials In order to implement Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Land Use Policy we will: • Accommodate and manage growth for housing and economic development through the use of land management plans, which align with game management, plans to respect and ensure subsistence opportunities. • Ensure effective land and resource management by providing opportunities for new revenues on Tribal, allotment, private, and corporation lands that can be used to manage lands as a comprehensive ecosystem. We will utilize the following plans: • Port Graham/Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan, created by the Port Graham and Nanwalek Watershed Council on September 2001 o Port Graham/Nanwalek Area Which Merits Special Attention (March 1992, etc) o Port Graham/Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan (September 2001, etc.) • Chugachmiut Native Allotment Forestry Manual 1998 (Intent is to update this plan to maximize this management tool to ensure a viable and healthy forest always looking out over the next 100 years) • Chugachmiut Fire Management Plan for Native Allotments, Feb. 2000 • BIA NEPA Handbook, 2005—based on the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Tribal representatives also expressed interest in exploring whether a • Game Management Plan in cooperation with adjacent land owners including allotments, village corporations and other private land owners should be created, which may include a large game guiding program/permit system on private lands Medicinal Plants, Edible Vegetation and Berry Management Plan should be created using an ecosystem strategy and working with other adjacent landowners. What other documents/details can be identified? • Need more of it for growth, general economic development, housing, community viability, • Allotments – protection them so that landowners are not selling them some sort of economic development to keep landowners from selling their land. • Revenue sources for native allotments 14 c3 – Transfer of land
24 Title Policy Statement Procedures Community Safety Policy It is the Community Safety Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To identify and work with others to support, develop and build infrastructure projects, including communication systems, which improve the safety of the community and the health of its members. • To enhance our ability to protect our community and residents from natural disasters and to provide safety and health care emergency services. • To identify and work with others to support, develop and implement social projects and programs that improve the safety and health of community members. In order to implement Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Community Safety Policy we will: • Work to develop the three priority projects of Biomass Energy, New Airport and New Roads to Access Material, which will provide the following safety upgrades • Biomass Energy project will help to reduce wildfire potential by providing an economic and energy incentive to harvest wood fuels • New Airport development includes upgrades to utilities, increase ability to medivac injured/sick • New roads from the Airport to Nanwalek and Nanwalek IRA Council developed roads from Nanwalek to cross English Bay Valley Native allotments and English Bay Corporation lands to access material extraction site. • We will also seek: • Service providers for communication upgrades such as cell-tower and high-speed internet providers in conjunction with these project upgrades • Key potential partners in communication upgrades are the school district and Homer Electric Association.
25 Title Policy Statement Procedures Communications and Connectivity Policy It is the Communication and Connectivity Policy of Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes: • To improve our access to technology to effectively pursue economic, education and resource development opportunities. • To improve human safety. In order to implement Port Graham’s and Nanwalek’s Communications and Connectivity Policy we will improve access to technology by • Work to develop the three priority projects of Biomass Energy, New Airport and New Roads to Access Material, which will provide the following safety upgrades • Biomass Energy project will help to reduce wildfire potential by providing an economic and energy incentive to harvest wood fuels • New Airport development includes upgrades to utilities, increase ability to medivac injured/sick • New roads from the Airport to Nanwalek and Nanwalek IRA Council developed roads from Nanwalek to cross English Bay Valley Native allotments and English Bay Corporation lands to access material extraction site. • We will also seek: • Service providers for communication upgrades such as cell-tower and high-speed internet providers in conjunction with these project upgrades • Key potential partners in communication upgrades are the school district and Homer Electric Association. What other documents/details can be identified? • Phone lines in the village are outdated – help enhance economics • Safety – search and rescue • Community Safety • Better access to land management information • Improve education opportunities
26
4.0 Next Steps: Options and
Recommendations
The communities of Port Graham
and Nanwalek recognize there is
still much to do. There are two
purposes addressed in this
chapter. The first is to add more
specific detail to the IRMP. The
second purpose is to make the
IRMP more useable. Both
purposes are developed in
consideration of applying the
IRMP and its land use and
natural resource policies and
procedures to projects being
developed in these Tribal
communities.
Effective management at the
Tribal level would necessitate
a Tribal liaison position to
oversee the implementation
and practical use of the IRMP.
Figure 4 IRMP 2 Development
Charts
An immediate next step, which
the Tribal representatives
identified and drafted, are
Resolutions supporting two of the
near-term projects, while
identifying important
considerations the Tribes feel are
important to align with the
Selected Growth strategy.
A near-term action step is to apply the IRMP Policies and Procedures and identify lessons
learned in order to improve both the procedures and the application of the procedures.
A longer--term action step is to continue to converse and consider the long-term projects
identified during the IRMP – Phase 2 process. These projects need additional consideration and
understanding of how they will impact the communities. If they are beneficial to the Tribes,
ensuring they are developed in a way to align with the Selected Growth strategy will be needed.
The next several years will be an interesting time, and likely present some exciting,
opportunities for Port Graham and Nanwalek.
Figure 4 IRMP Phase 2 Planning
27
LLiiaaiissoonn PPoossiittiioonn
Figure 6 BIA Forester Bryan Rice and Working Group Members
Effective management of these two important infrastructure projects provides the concept for
the IRMP – Phase 3, Implementation of
Policies and Procedures. To do Phase 3, the
Tribes will likely need a liaison position(s). If
possible, this position would seek funding from
the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ IRMP program or
another allowable funding program. As
conceptualized, the primary role of this
position is coordination. The following
describes key areas where coordination would
be most effective.
• Provide coordination between the
communities, contractors, and
Chugachmiut, and possibly state and
federal agencies.
• The coordination will focus on:
o How local knowledge can ensure projects are constructed to ensure safety to
subsistence and cultural habitats by providing contractors and others with local
information about water sources, land, and natural resource concerns and
preferences, along with cultural concerns.
o How the communities expect the projects to benefit and utilize resources from each
other. For example, clearing the land for the Airport runway and new roadway will
result in logs and timber that can be used for a number of purposes, such as bio-
mass energy feedstock to value added timber products – depending on the quality of
the timber harvested. By working together, appropriate timber harvesting, transport
and storage practices can be used.
o How educational opportunities can be integrated into the projects being developed.
This could occur by having monthly or every six-week programs and presentations for:
Community Orientations for contractors and construction workers about the
area, the villages, their traditional subsistence and cultural practices. This
should include information about what the Communities’ rules/regulations
are about contractors’ and their employees’ behaviors and use of the land
and natural resources when off-duty and on their own time.
Contractor Orientations about the projects. These orientations should identify
what the communities can expect, the timing of activities and information
about potential local jobs, as well as other economic benefits that the
communities can expect (e.g. the accommodations and food).
School Orientations to provide students with hands-on look and opportunities
to see what kinds of jobs are available and needed to construct these large
projects. For years, the construction trades have identified that they don’t
have sufficient workers. Providing young people with a sense of potential jobs
28
is greatly needed in these small communities and stands to benefit both the
construction industry and the communities over the long term.
o How IRMP implementation is working. This would be documented in partnership with
Chugachmiut by:
The local liaison(s) participating in frequent calls with Chugachmiut to talk
about how the coordination activities are actually being conducted, any
problems or hurdles, what is working well, and if Chugachmiut might be able
to assist in any way to ensure effective management and implementation.
Chugachmiut can then provide an administrative function by documenting
these conversations. This will provide a record of what’s working, what needs
improvement, and if there is a need for a federal agency to intervene on
behalf of a Tribe to ensure the IRMP is being implemented according to the
Tribes’ policies and procedures. If there is, then Chugachmiut being located
in Anchorage can provide that coordination and the documentation to bring
the federal agency up-to-date.
This documentation then provides the ability to further detail IRMP
Procedures.
DDrraafftt RReessoolluuttiioonnss
Two resolutions were drafted based on community representatives meetings and discussions on:
- Proposed New Airport
- Proposed Biomass Project
These resolutions are an immediate next step calling on those organizations that are leading or
coordinating some of the most near-term and important projects for Port Graham and Nanwalek, and
enlisting their assistance to ensure these projects are aligned with their Selected Growth strategy.
The significance of these two projects are identified here, and draft resolutions are in Appendix 2.
The Airport is viewed as critical by the communities because the placement and development may
have:
- Impacts on fresh and drinking water supplies, and salmon;
- Clearing may provide feed stock for the Biomass project;
- Significant positive economic impacts, during and after construction; and
- Opportunities for increased tourism.
The Biomass project is viewed as critical by the communities because it holds the potential to
- Reduce the extremely high energy costs in these communities;
- Develop local jobs through feedstock development, greenhouse and produce
production,
- Reinvigorate forest-products production; and
- Implement best management practices for innovative forest management.
PPrroocceedduurreess
The next step to further detail the IRMP Procedures is to actually apply them to the near-term
projects and to document the challenges and lessons learned about using the procedures. These
lessons learned can then be incorporated to improve the IRMP Procedures as well as better
understanding how to effectively apply other procedures, such as those in the BIA Allotment Manual.
29
The level of potential infrastructure development in these small, remote villages, warrant a “liaison”
position. This type of position can help ensure contractors and consultants are aware and utilize
IRMP policies and procedures. The “liaison” can also help to facilitate communications between
contractors and consultants, and the villages, as well as with Chugachmiut.
A local liaison would understand local priorities; including cultural issues and eco-system processes
to help ensure traditional values and public and environmental health are protected. By coordinating
with Chugachmiut, the local liaison would have support to assist him/her:
• If problems arise, as Chugachmiut is located in Anchorage, where most consultants,
contractors, and both state and federal agency representatives are located; and
• To help document challenges and lessons learned, as administrative support is difficult
for many organizations to find, but even more so in communities with less than 400
people.
LLoonngg--RRaannggee PPrroojjeeccttss
Another option for implementing IRMP policies and procedures are to consider the long-term, 10 - 20
year projects the Tribes have identified. These projects will require additional thought and
consideration about if the communities want to advance them, and if so how they will align with the
Selected Growth strategy. Indeed, within the next 20 years, Port Graham and Nanwalek will need to
revisit whether or not the Selected Growth strategy is still their preferred strategy. These projects are
identified on page 29.
Figure 7 IRMP Phase 2 Members Planning the Long-View
30 Table 4. Potential Long-Term Development Projects in Port Graham and Nanwalek 5 Years 10 Years 15 years 20 years • IRMP lands designated for special purposes and trespassing issues • Game Management plans and procedures • Tri-community planning – Port Graham, Nanwalek and Seldovia • New proposed Airport • Forestry • Biomass utility good for about 20 years, with an 8 year payback • Upgrade power lines • Gas lines for heating • Sawmill • Value added products • Waste- to - Heat • Road access to sand & gravel - Concern close to English Bay - Concern noise - All roads built to 18-20 yards - With truck usage cost more per mile • Hydro power – on north side of Port Graham • Tidal power at Kennedy - fish concerns • Planning for Kenai Refuge parcel tourism Lodge - Four activities per day if linked with princess or large • Cultural impacts • Fishing charters • Hatchery - value added fish market with new airport • Port Dock (Port Graham) - Old Cannery – new life - Ferry – new service • “City” designation (rather than village) - explore upside/downside • No taxed land; currently Kenai Peninsula Borough taxes developed land, research is needed on how to develop land w/o taxation • Subdivision expansion • Sewage/Water Upgrades • Wind Generation - Island on Pacific Side – wind gusts a challenge • Export /Sell power • Cannery on Pacific side (Nanwalek area) • Anticipate larger tourism industry • Subdivision expansion • Water/Sewer upgrades • Gravel material o Granite o Sand and Gravel o Chrome • Port Lock Lodge potential • Reconsider “City” • Subdivision expansion • Water/Sewer upgrades
31 Appendices AAppppeennddiixx 11:: CCoommmmuunniittyy PPaarrttiicciippaannttss aanndd MMeeeettiinngg SScchheedduulleess Table 5. IRMP Meeting Schedule Meeting Date and Location Comments Participants 1. U. S. Department of Energy Tribal Energy Program October 6 & 7, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska Presentation of Port Graham Biomass Feasibility Study by Chugachmiut’s Charles Sink to Tribal participants from around Alaska including Nanwalek and Port Graham members. Charles Sink, Chugachmiut; Meg King, contractor; From Port Graham: Fran Norman, Village Administrator, Violet Yeaton, Environmental Planner, Melvin Malchoff, Herman Moonin, Jr. 2. State of Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) with DOWL Engineers as contractor to DOT and U. S. Federal Aviation (FAA) Administration Meeting with Nanwalek IRA Council and Port Graham Village Council January 25, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska DOT and FAA formally met to discuss proposed Port Graham Airport Project that would possibly connect Port Graham and Nanwalek, Alaska to use one airport. Port Graham Village Council: Chief Pat Norman, Fran Norman, Herman Moonin, Jr., Walter Meganack Jr, Violet Yeaton, Lydia McMullen; Port Graham Village Corporation: Walter Meganack, Jr. Chair, Lloyd Stiassny,CEO; Nanwalek IRA Council: Chief Wally Kvasnikoff; Jerry Demas, Priscilla Evans, Jeff Evans, Gwen Kvasnikoff, Nina Kvasnikoff, Lisa Jimmy, Tammy Kvasnikoff, Leo Ash, Sally Ash; English Bay Village Corporation: Don Emil, President; DOT representatives: Morgan Merritt, Joselyn Biloon; DOWL Engineers representatives: Tom Middendorf, Project Manager, Nan Llewellyn, Brandy Hoffmeister; Chugachmiut representatives: Charlie Sink, Elmer Moonin, Jackie Avery, Margaret King, Contractor to Chugachmiut
32 Meeting Date and Location Comments Participants 3. U. S. Department of Energy Tribal Strategic Energy Planning Meeting April 21-23, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska Several core team members attended workshop from Nanwalek and Port Graham to begin looking at developing their own strategic energy plans From Port Graham: Fran Norman, Violet Yeaton, Herman Moonin, Jr., Melvin Malchoff 4. U. S. Department of Energy Wind/ Diesel Power Generation Meeting April 23-25, 2008, Girdwood, Alaska Workshop specifically targeted wind power backed by diesel power generation as an alternative energy solution. From Port Graham: Herman Moonin, Jr., Melvin Malchoff 5. State of Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) with DOWL Engineers as contractor to DOT and IRMP Planning Meeting with Nanwalek IRA Council and Port Graham Village Council August 27, 2008, Port Graham, Alaska And August 28, 2008, Nanwalek, Alaska Update on Port Graham Airport given. IRMP meeting discussed impact of Airport development, roads building, and land use to each community and Tribal members. Port Graham – Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Fran Norman, Herman Moonin, Jr., Walter Meganack, Jr., Violet Yeaton Nanwalek – Thursday, August 28, 2008 Wally Kvasnikoff, Chief, James Kvasnikoff, 2nd Chief, Thomas Evans, Gwen Kvasnikoff, Jerry Demas, Dave McComack, Kathy Brewster, Vivian Ukatish, Kelly Yeaton, Nancy Yeaton, Irene Ukatish, Elder, John Kvasnikoff DOWL/DOT August 27th & 28th, 2008 Tom Middendorf, DOWL Brian Hanson, DOWL Morgan Merritt, DOT&PF 6. IRMP Core Group Policy and Procedure Development November 12 & 13, 2008 Homer, Alaska UAA and Chugachmiut will initially develop suggested policies and procedures as a result of the survey conducted by UAA in August 2008 Port Graham Fran Norman, Herman Moonin, Jr., Violet Yeaton, Simeon Kvasnikoff, Elder; Nanwalek Jerry Demas, Tom Evans, Lisa Jimmy, Virginia Moonin, Alyssa Romanoff, Jade Huntsman; Chugachmiut Charlie Sink, Sabrina Savo, Wanda Kvasnikoff, Margaret King, Consultant; Bureau of Indian Affairs Bryan Rice Alaska Region IRMP Coordinator
33 Meeting Date and Location Comments Participants 7. BIA Annual Providers Conference December 1-5, 2008 Anchorage, Alaska Core Group will make presentation of developed policies and procedures developed at the Homer, Alaska meeting. Port Graham: Fran Norman, Walter Meganack Jr., Violet Yeaton, Herman Moonin Jr., Mary Malchoff; Nanwalek: James Kvasnikoff, Ephim Moonin Sr., Lisa Jimmy, Gwen Kvasnikoff, Jerry Demas, Alma Moonin, John Kvasnikoff; Chugachmiut: Charlie Sink, Wanda Kvasnikoff, Jan Larsen, Sabrina Savo, Margaret King, Contractor 8. State of Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) with DOWL Engineers as contractor to DOT Meeting with Nanwalek IRA Council and Port Graham Village Council December 4, 2008, Denali Commission Meeting Room Anchorage, Alaska Update on Airport project and a recap of Homer, Alaska IRMP meeting. Port Graham Village Council Fran Norman, Violet Yeaton, Herman Moonin, Jr., Walter Meganack Jr; Nanwalek IRA Council Jerry Demas, Ephim Moonin Sr., Lisa Jimmy, Tammy Kvasnikoff; State of Alaska DOT representatives: Jasper Blair. Judy Chapman; DOWL representatives: Tom Middendorf Project Manager, Nan Llewellyn, Brandy Hoffmeister, Linda Finn Yarborough, Cultural Resource Consultant; Chugachmiut Charlie Sink, Elmer Moonin, Wanda Kvasnikoff, Jan Larsen, Sabrina Savo, Margaret King, Contractor
34
AAppppeennddiixx 22:: DDrraafftt RReessoolluuttiioonnss ffoorr BBiioommaassss PPrroojjeecctt aanndd NNaannwwaalleekk aanndd PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm SSttaattee ooff AAllaasskkaa AAiirrppoorrtt PPrroojjeecctt
DDrraafftt RREESSOOLLUUTTIIOONN RReeggaarrddiinngg BBiioommaassss PPrroojjeecctt
This resolution addresses the priority need for the proposed Biomass Energy Project for the tribal
communities of Port Graham and Nanwalek.
We are calling upon our Chugach-area organizations and federal agencies as partners, along with
state and local governmental agencies to expedite, support, help, guide and convene those
necessary to achieve a renewable energy facility for Port Graham and Nanwalek within 5 years.
This resolution specifically calls upon:
• Chugachmiut
• Chugach Alaska Corporation
1. Energy Committee
• Chugach Regional Resources Commission
• North Pacific Rim Housing Association
• Port Graham Corporation
• English Bay Village Corporation
• Nanwalek Village Council
• Port Graham Village Council
• Federal agencies as partners
• State and local agencies
Whereas, time is of the essence as all Tribes in the Chugach area - and Alaska - are facing similar,
soaring energy costs; and
Whereas, the proposed approach could serve as a model and pilot for other Chugach and Alaska
Tribes.
Therefore, be it resolved the XX Village proposes that at the January 2009 Chugach Summit a
Biomass Strategic Planning Group be appointed from each of the Chugach-area organizations to:
Work together to develop a strategic plan to ensure a Biomass Facility is operational
within 5 years, and
Report back to the two Tribes and the boards of each of the Chugach-area organizations
within 6 months.
The strategic plan should include a funding strategy; identify points of contacts and liaisons in
various federal and state agencies, and local governments. It will also identify and create the ability
to move both Port Graham and Nanwalek communities towards self-sufficiency by realizing the
following hopes and benefits to both communities:
• Lower energy costs for both:
o Electricity
o Heating
35
• Create jobs in:
o Sawmill (expanded facility)
Woodchips for biomass facility
Value-added products
o Biomass facility
o Timber harvest management
o Green house (new facility)
New tree seedlings and Local produce/food
• Ensure local forest sustainability by:
o Using effective practices by managing the forest based on a 100-year time horizon,
which meets both the capacity of the biomass facility while ensuring a sustainable
forest and ecosystem resource
• Reduce fire hazard through thinning and reducing:
o Dead trees
o Grass, willows, garbage, alders and other unwanted organic fuel matter
This strategic plan will also include following concerns:
o How to ensure the operations and maintenance of the biomass facility are sustainable
o How to ensure timber harvest practices are effective and respect local environmental, access
and subsistence policies and practices, including
Reducing fire hazard
Replanting with seedlings
Manage impacts due to increased traffic on logging roads
Protect specific habitat (use of green zones, Eagles, etc.)
Land, Timber and Game management practices that align with Port Graham and
Nanwalek’s preferred selected growth management strategy, identified in their IRMP
o Funding
Reconfirm and identify 25% of project is needed to attract private financing
Currently, anticipated that $1.5 million is approximately 25% of the project’s costs
36
DDrraafftt RREESSOOLLUUTTIIOONN RReeggaarrddiinngg NNeeww AAiirrppoorrtt
This is a resolution regarding the proposed new airport between Port Graham and Nanwalek,
submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration, Alaska Department of Transportation & Public
Facilities and its contractors by the Port Graham Village Council.
Whereas the X Village Council is the recognized government operating as a federally recognized Tribe
and providing services for over X members within our tribal jurisdictions; and
Whereas the proposed new airport is being funded in large part by federal funds through the Federal
Aviation Administration, and the state of Alaska through its Department of Transportation is acting
cooperatively with FAA; and
Whereas the X has developed and adopted a joint Integrated Resource Management Plan with the
community and its neighboring village, X, and this IRMP is recognized by the federal government as
the Tribes’ Natural Resource Planning document, and is formally recognized and described in CFR
XXX; and
Whereas the proposed new airport will provide for one joint airport for both communities, which is a
major change to the current operations as there is an airport for each community; and
Whereas both the Port Graham and Nanwalek Tribes are acting in a collaborative manner with FAA,
ADOT&PF and their contractors, to identify and support a proposed new airport site.
Therefore, be it resolved that the X Village Council, with the following conditions, support the
proposed Romanof site for the new airport:
• Ensure water source supply for both communities are protected and safe for drinking by
ADOT&PF situating the runway so it is sited northwest from current drawings and slightly
closer to Nanwalek;
• Ensure minimum or no runoff to streams and beaches results from either construction, or
operations and maintenance of the runway and road system by using Port Graham and
Nanwalek’s Watershed and Wetlands Plan as part of the standards for planning and
constructing both the airport and road, and where more stringent, the Tribe’s Watershed Plan
takes precedence;
• A memorandum of agreement with appropriate agencies is developed to address the
following concerns:
o Local Economic Development and Employment Opportunities
o Local Environmental, Subsistence, Land Use and Public Safety Policies and
Procedures, including enforcement
Including public education regarding increased access and potential
trespassing due to increased general aviation and increased access to
private and allotment lands and subsistence resources
o Condemnation of allotment land if owners do not wish to sell
o Maintenance contracts for the airport and roads to ensure benefit to both
communities
Upgrades to the power line are included in the design and construction of the road system
37
NNaannwwaalleekk aanndd PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm NNaannwwaalleekk aanndd PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm
AAppppeennddiixx 33 -- PPllaannnniinngg AArreeaa OOvveerrvviieeww –– FFrroomm IIRRMMPP PPhhaassee 11
LLooccaattiioonn
Nanwalek is located at the mouth of
Kachemak Bay between Shelikof Strait
and the Kenai Mountains, approximately
17 air miles southwest of Homer and 175
air miles southwest of Anchorage. The
geographical position is approximately 59
degrees 22 minutes north, 151 degrees
55 minutes west. Nanwalek is contained
within the boundaries of the Chugach
Regional Corporation and the Kenai
Peninsula Borough.
The community of Port Graham is located
at the southern end of the Kenai
Peninsula on the shore of Port Graham
Bay. It is about three miles northeast of
Nanwalek, 7.5 miles southwest of
Seldovia and 28 air miles from Homer. It
lies at approximately 59.351390 North
Latitude and -151.82972 West Longitude.
(Sec. 32, T009S, R015W, Seward
Meridian.) Port Graham and Nanwalek
are located in the Seldovia Recording
District.
The two communities, Port Graham and
Nanwalek, are both Alutiiq villages with populations of 175 and 200 people, respectively. English
Bay and Port Graham Village Corporations own lands within the watersheds surrounding the villages
and Native allotment lands. Individual Native ownership was provided through the Native Allotment
program under ANCSA. There are 59 Native allotments in the area. Nanwalek IRA and Port Graham
Village Councils are the federally recognized Tribal entities. They also manage their communities
serving as the village councils.
38
CClliimmaattee
Nanwalek and Port Graham lie within the Maritime Climactic Zone of Alaska. This zone is dominated
by the moderating effects of a marine environment and is characterized by high humidity,
precipitation and fog cover as well as warm winters and cool summers. In addition, the communities
experience frequent winds from the inlet. Winter temperatures range from 14 to 27; summer
temperatures vary from 45 to 60. Average annual precipitation is 24 inches.
Nanwalek
Port Graham
39
HHiissttoorryy
NNaannwwaalleekk Of the two neighboring villages, Nanwalek is the older. This site holds one of the oldest
villages in the North Pacific. It was also used as a summer fish camp by prehistoric coastal peoples
from villages along the southern coast of the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound.
Nanwalek’s rich recorded history can be dated back to 1741, when Russian explorers noted Native
occupation of the site. In 1781, a fur trader from Siberia named Gregory Shelikov first established
the American Northeastern Fur Company here, because the location was a strategic point for
observing the ships of competitive fur traders. He named the fort “Alexandrovsk.” This site became
the first Russian settlement on the mainland of Alaska, and for nearly a hundred years it provided an
outpost for the Russians to observe the sea-going movements of rival fur traders. The Russians
maintained the fort until 1867, when the United States along with the entire area of Alaska
purchased it.
When the Russians departed, they shipped all of the local company records, including those from all
the other Russian outposts in Alaska, to Saint Petersburg, Russia. Unfortunately, all these records
were later dumped into a river, and much of the early written history of Alexandrovsk was washed
away with them. The interests of the American Northeastern Fur Company were taken over by the
Alaska Commercial Company (ACC), whose operations continued there until 1900, when it
reorganized.
After the Russians abandoned Alexandrovsk, the Native population stayed on. The eruption of Mount
Augustine volcano in 1883 sent residents of
at least seven other native villages in the
region fleeing to the relatively high ground
here.
In the 1860s, John Moonin and his wife,
Helen, moved to Alexandrovsk and devoted
their lives to the people of that community
as volunteer missionaries. When the
Russian Orthodox Church built in 1870
burned down in 1890, the ACC agreed to
sell its old trading post to the community for
$500 in cash. The community had no
money to pay for the building, so ACC accepted two sea otter pelts donated by the late Riley
Meganack as payment. The church was quickly reconstructed and still stands today. Now listed on
the National Register of Historic Places, the church is in such a dilapidated and unsafe condition that
it is not usable. In 1930, a second church was built which joined part of the local store and local
dance hall to form the gable roof. Both Nanwalek and Port Graham remain active seats of the
Russian Orthodox faith.
In 1909, Alexandrovsk was renamed “English Bay” when it was misidentified by a USGS survey and
mapping party. The body of water bearing this name is actually found at Port Graham, but the
erroneous name stuck to the village until recently. Today, the Alutiiq Native name of “Nanwalek” is
the officially recognized name. “Nanwalek” originally meant, “place by a lake.” After the 1964
Alaskan earthquake, the coastal lands dropped eight feet, and the tidal waters entered the lake,
creating a lagoon. So the meaning of the name was changed to “place by a lagoon.”
40
PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm Port Graham was
probably a seasonal hunting and food gathering site when it was first recorded in 1786 by Captain
Portlock of the Cook party. Portlock found unoccupied huts there and also noted a large coal vein at
the mouth of the harbor. Within ten years, the Russians had mined some of this coal for fuel to heat
iron for the construction of a ship at Resurrection Bay. The Russian-American Company opened the
coal mine at Port Graham in an attempt at a new business venture.
At its peak, the coal mine company employed 100 people. The company built a small town on the
site and after a year’s work exported 88 tons of coal to California. By 1857, the mine produced
enough coal to support the “colony”. Surplus coal was taken to San Francisco but it was ultimately
sold at a loss. The export venture failed because the coal could not compete with that obtainable
from Canada, Australia, England and Chile. Never commercially successful, the mine did supply
Russian ships for some years before closing in the early 1860s. Metal lead shackles have been
found in the area, which indicates that forced
labor was used by Russian mining industry. The
mine continued to remain idle until just after the
turn of the century, when a Seldovian named
Whorf rediscovered it and operated it briefly.
The Aleut name for Port Graham is “Paluwik,”
which means, “where people are sad.” It was
named with this descriptive word because the
Native residents who settled it in 1897 often
became homesick or lonesome for the villages
they came from. Port Graham’s first school was
opened in 1930 at the log house of Jesse
Carlough; and subsequently moved to a pool hall
the following year. The Johnson O’Malley School
was built in 1933. In 1935, the Bureau Indian
Affairs (BIA) constructed a new school; adding a
classroom in 1937. Since 1965, the Kenai
Peninsula Borough has administered schools.
In 1970, the Homer Electric Association (HEA)
constructed electric lines through a contract with
the Port Graham Village Council. On December 23, 1971, HEA turned on the first electric powering
Port Graham, 1940s. (Left to right: unknown, Phillip Anahonak,
Murphey Meganack, Marvin Norman, Johnny Malchoff).
Photograph by John Poleng. Copyright Chugach Heritage
Foundation
View of Volcano taken from Coal Harbor
Coal Harbor, near Port Graham, 1786
41
the village, and for the first time, Christmas lights shone in Port Graham. In 1972, the U.S. Public
Health Service (PHS) designed and constructed the community’s water and sewer systems; these
were upgraded in 1979-1980. In 1988, the PHS built a new village dam and a new water treatment
plant, and replaced a portion of the water line between them.
Today, the two communities, Port Graham and Nanwalek, have populations that approximately
number 175 and 200 respectively.
SSooiillss aanndd TTooppooggrraapphhyy
Nanwalek is located in a small bay near the mouth of Nanwalek Creek. Upland from the shoreline,
the ground rises sharply into the Kenai Mountains, reaching elevations above 3,000 feet within one
and one-half miles of the settlement.
In the early 1990s, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service mapped soils in the area. The following seven soil
map units are described within their soil survey report.
SSooiillss oonn FFlloooodd PPllaaiinnss,, SSppiittss,, SSttrreeaamm TTeerrrraacceess,, aanndd
AAlllluuvviiaall FFaannss::
These soils are found on approximately four percent of
the Lower Kenai Peninsula Soil Survey Area.
PPeettrrooff--PPoorrttddiicckk These soils are nearly level on flood
plains and low stream terraces. Petrof soils are very deep,
moderately well to somewhat poorly drained, loamy in
texture, and formed in stratified alluvium. Portdick soils
are very deep, moderately well to somewhat poorly
drained, loamy over sandy textured, and formed in
stratified alluvium.
These soils have a mixed forest of Sitka spruce and
cottonwood with an under story of riparian willow. Moose
use this habitat throughout the year; black bear use it as cover for feeding and reproduction; hawk
and bald eagle use it for nest sites; and a variety of other small mammals such as beaver, river otter,
and mink live here as well.
JJaakkoollooff--TTyyppiicc CCrryyaaqquueennttss--IIssmmaaiillooff--TTaalluuwwiikk These soils are nearly level to moderately sloping on
flood plains, spits, stream terraces, and alluvial fans. Jakolof soils are very deep, moderately well
drained, loamy over sandy textured, and formed in a mantle of volcanic ash over alluvium, with a
mixed forest of Sitka spruce and cottonwood. Typic Cryaquents soils are very deep, poorly drained,
loamy over sandy textured, and formed in stratified alluvium, with stands of willow and grass.
Ismailof soils are very deep, moderately well drained, sandy textured, and formed in marine deposits.
They have a forest of Sitka spruce bordered by stands of beach wild rye. Taluwik soils are very deep,
well and moderately well drained, loamy over sandy textured, and formed in volcanic ash over
alluvium, with stands of grass and forbs. This unit is utilized by black bear for foraging, by bald eagle
for nesting, and by mountain goat as a spring range for those sites that are close to other mountain
goat habitats. Other species present include snowshoe hare, porcupine, and spruce grouse.
Waterfowl and a variety of furbearers inhabit the wetland sites.
SSooiillss oonn MMoorraaiinneess,, BBeeddrroocckk BBeenncchheess,, aanndd MMoouunnttaaiinn SSiiddeessllooppeess
These soils are found on approximately 28 percent of the Lower Kenai Peninsula Soil Survey area.
KKaassiittssnnaa--NNuukkaa These soils are nearly level to hilly on moraines. Kasitsna soils are very deep, well
drained, loamy textured, and formed in a mantle of volcanic ash over glacial till or colluvium, with
stands of Sitka spruce. Nuka soils are very deep, very poorly drained, peaty, and formed in layers of
organic material over glacial till. They have stands of low shrubs and moss. Black bear use is
common in these sites during summer and fall; snowshoe hare and mountain goat spring range on
these sites at higher elevations.
42
KKaassiittssnnaa--SSeellddoovviiaa These soils are rolling to very steep on moraines and mountainside slopes.
Kasitsna and Seldovia soils are very deep, well drained, loamy textured, and formed in a mantle of
volcanic ash over glacial till or colluvium. They have stands of Sitka spruce. Black bear, spruce
grouse, and snowshoe hare utilize these habitats. Wintering moose make use of these sites at lower
elevations, and higher elevations are used by mountain goats during spring.
KKaassiittssnnaa--TTuuttkkaa These soils are rolling to very steep on moraines, bedrock benches, and mountain
sideslopes. Kasitsna soils are very deep, well drained, loamy textured, and formed in a mantle of
volcanic ash over glacial till or colluvium. Tutka soils are shallow and very shallow, well drained,
loamy textured, and formed in a mantle of volcanic ash and glacial till over bedrock. These soils have
a forest of Sitka spruce. Snowshoe hare, porcupine, spruce grouse, Northern goshawk, and black
bear use these habitats. Marbled murrelet nesting may occur within these habitats.
SSooiillss oonn CCooooll UUppllaannddss aanndd MMoouunnttaaiinnss
This group is found on approximately 46 percent of the Lower Kenai Peninsula Soil Survey area.
NNaannwwaalleekk--KKaassiittssnnaa,, ccooooll--TTuuttkkaa These soils are moderately steep to very steep on uplands and
mountain sideslopes. Nanwalek soils are very deep, well drained, loamy textured, and formed in a
mantle of volcanic ash over reworked glacial till and colluvium. They have stands of alder and grass.
Kasitsna, cool soils are very deep, well drained, loamy textured, and formed in a mantle of volcanic
ash over glacial till or colluvium. They have stands of stunted Sitka spruce. Tutka soils are shallow to
very shallow, till over bedrock. These soils have a forest of stunted Sitka spruce. These habitats are
used by moose for summer range and by black bear throughout the summer for feeding and
reproduction. Ptarmigan, snowshoe hare, and mountain goat also utilize these sites, along with a
variety of passerines.
SSooiillss oonn CCoolldd MMoouunnttaaiinnss
These soils are found on approximately 22 percent of the Lower Kenai Soil Survey area.
CCrryyoorrtthheennttss--CCrryyooddss--RRoocckk OOuuttccrroopp These soils and miscellaneous areas are gently sloping to very
steep on mountain summits, cirques, and talus slopes. Cryorthents soils are shallow to moderately
deep, well drained, loamy and sandy textured, and formed in glacial till, colluvium, and residuum.
Cryods soils are moderately deep to deep, well drained, loamy textured, and formed in glacial till,
colluvium, and residuum. These soils have alpine tundra vegetation. Black bear utilize these
habitats during the early summer months, along with ptarmigan and mountain goat.
GGeeoollooggyy
The terrain of the planning area is a result of
intense glaciating during late advances of the
Pleistocene epoch. There are thin moraine
deposits on hills and in valleys. Valley walls
have exposed bedrock and there is a very
irregular coastline. This lower end of the
Kenai Peninsula, along with the rest of the
Cook Inlet region, is located on the edge of the
North American Plate and is converging with
the Pacific Plate. The movement of the Pacific
Plate beneath south-central Alaska has
resulted in Alaska’s frequent and sometimes
devastating earthquakes, explosive eruptions
of Cook Inlet volcanoes, and both uplifting and
subsidence of the Kenai Mountains.
The bedrock geology of the area consists of
two different tracts of rock, which originated
far from each other and were later faulted
together. These groups are separated by the
43
Border Range Fault system that bisects the watershed along a north/south axis (from Seldovia to
Dogfish Bay). To the west of the fault are mildly folded sedimentary and volcanic rocks, the oldest of
which are referred to as the Port Graham Formation
(Triassic). This 1500+ meter thick formation crops out
along the shores of Port Graham Bay and in the
adjacent highlands, and consists of carbonaceous silty
limestone plus less abundant rock types including
chert, mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, and volcanic
rocks. The Talkeetna Formation (Jurassic), which
overlays the Port Graham Formation to the west near
Cook Inlet, consists of at least 5,270 meters of volcanic
rocks, volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks (conglomerate,
sandstone, mudstone), and minor coal and limestone.
To the east of the Border Range Fault system, lies an
area of extremely complex geology that is divided up
into six rock units. Within the planning area, the McHugh Complex is the most dominant of these;
consisting of sedimentary and volcanic rocks scraped off the deep-sea floor. The main rock types
are argillite, greywacke, chert, and pillow basalt, plus minor limestone, gabbro, and ultramafic rocks.
A broad but poorly defined tract of probably Jurassic-age greywacke underlies much of the high
country in the Port Graham drainages.
Augustine Volcano
Photo by Richard Waitt, U.S. Geological Survey, 1988
Steam and ash billow from Augustine Volcano
January 17, 2006
Recent earthquake activity on Mount Augustine
44
Ultramafic rocks (probably Mesozoic) occur in fault-bounded blocks at Snow Prospect, along the
Seldovia-Port Graham divide. Mainly dunite, pyroxenite, and serpentite, these rocks warrant special
mention because of their stark effects on vegetation. They are nearly devoid of the so-called
incompatible elements, including potassium, and therefore not much will grow on soils derived from
their breakdown.
The surficial geology of the area shows abundant evidence of glacial erosion from a series of
Pleistocene glaciations. The mountains are heavily carved by cirques, although none is currently
occupied by glaciers. The cirques drain into broad valleys that have U-shaped profiles and are
typically filled with Quaternary sediments, including glacial, fluvial, alluvial fan, and lacustrine
deposits. The U-shaped valleys reach all the way to the coast. Port Graham’s valley is inundated
with seawater and is therefore a true fjord.
The planning area lies within 100 km of three active volcanoes: Douglas, Augustine, and Iliamna.
Explosive eruptions are common at these and other volcanoes of the Aleutian-Alaska Range
magmatic arc, and occasionally ash has been laid down as a blanket across the area. There is
probably one major ash fall about every 500 years; about 5 cm of ash accumulates per 1000 years.
Because wind, water, and other agents redistribute thin ash blankets, the resulting distribution of
ash has become very patchy.
In early January 2006, Mount Augustine woke up and began to spew ash as far as eight miles in the air.
Smaller eruptions continued for several weeks not causing damage to life or property.
The geology of the coastal lowlands along the south side of Kachemak Bay is somewhat distinct from
the Kenai Mountains immediately behind it, typically structured with sandstones and shales inter-
bedded with volcanic flows and sediments. Local soil is essentially bedrock overlain with an organic
mat. There is no permafrost in Nanwalek or Port Graham.
Additionally, both communities lie very near the Border Range Fault system and experience
significant seismic activity. The communities are also vulnerable to flooding from tidal waves.
TTrraannssppoorrttaattiioonn
Neither Nanwalek nor Port Graham is accessible by
road. Boats are the primary means of local
transportation. The State Ferry provides service to
nearby Seldovia. Seldovia is also making plans to
design and build a ferry for travel in Kachemak Bay
which might include service to Nanwalek and Port
Graham. Port Graham also offers docking facilities.
A state-owned 1,975-foot by 45-foot dirt/gravel airstrip
is available at Port Graham. Nanwalek has a 1,850-
foot by 50-foot gravel runway that follows the contour of
the spit and is exposed to storm surges, high tides, and
winds from storms originating from the southeast. The combination of storm surge, waves and high
tides routinely causes flooding, overtopping and
erosion of the runway, and results in closing the
runway until repairs can be made. Repairs of winter
storm damage and ongoing maintenance are a
concern at the Nanwalek airport. Variable winds and
high terrain in the vicinity of the airport create
turbulent and unpredictable conditions. Nanwalek’s
airport has a well-documented history of air accidents,
including two that involved fatalities. Strong cross-
winds were a factor a number of the events. The
45
State of Alaska is currently analyzing airport relocation options for Nanwalek.
Homer Air and Smokey Bay Air pick-up passengers and deliver mail in each community. Travel time
by air between the communities is about 10 minutes, and costs about $35 round trip. To Homer,
travel time by air is about 25 minutes; to Seldovia, about 15 minutes.
It is also possible to travel by all-terrain vehicle trail between Port Graham and Nanwalek which can
take 20 minutes to an hour. Trucks and cars cannot be used to travel between communities
because of the trail size. The trail crosses native allotment land, village council land, village
corporation land, and village water sources.
LLaanndd OOwwnneerrsshhiipp
Native villages, village corporations, regional corporations, and individuals own land within the
planning area. The three Native village corporations formed under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 that own land in the planning area include; the Port Graham
Corporation, the English Bay Corporation and the Seldovia Native Association.
Nanwalek Village Council has a 119-acre federal town site, and Port Graham Village Council has a
327-acre federal town site. Within the village town sites, individuals own lots. All remaining land
within the town sites is owned by the two villages, except for the airport, school, and church sites.
The airports are owned by the State of Alaska. The Kenai Peninsula Borough owns a 3.54-acre
school site in Nanwalek and a 1.5-acre school site in Port Graham. In Port Graham the Port Graham
Corporation owns the Port Graham Cannery.
Most of the private ownership sites are Native allotments. Within the planning area, there are 59
Native allotments totaling 7,660 acres (the maximum size of a Native allotment is 160 acres).
Native allotments are lands given to individual Natives with restrictions on the title, which is held by
the federal government. Native allotment lands include 42 allotments near Port Graham Bay and
17 allotments near Nanwalek.
Chugach Alaska Corporation, the ANCSA regional for-profit corporation, owns subsurface resources.
EEccoonnoommiiccss
The school, traditional management activities, and summer employment at the Port Graham cannery
provide income. Seven residents hold commercial fishing permits. A new $4.5 million fish cannery
opened on June 19, 1999 in Port Graham. The former plant and salmon hatchery were destroyed by
fire in January 1998. Locals organized funding to rebuild the facilities because insurance covered
only part of the loss. The cannery provides seasonal employment for 70 Port Graham and Nanwalek
residents. The hatchery was rebuilt in a separate but adjacent building during the summer of 1999.
Employment in Port Graham and Nanwalek fluctuates seasonally and yearly. The amount of work
available depends on needs associated with projects such as construction, logging, and fishing in
each community. Some positions with the village councils and corporations are more permanent.
Some of the potential employers are listed below:
• Port Graham Village Council
• Port Graham Corporation
• Nanwalek IRA Council
• English Bay Corporation
• Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• North Pacific Rim Housing Authority
• Chugachmiut, Incorporated
• Chugach Regional Resource Commission
• Homer Mental Health
• Smokey Bay Air and Homer Air
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Alaska Fish and Game
46
• United States Postal Service
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 5.1% are unemployed in Nanwalek and 22.4% in Port Graham.
The median family income in Nanwalek is $45,750 and in Port Graham it is $43,438.
47
““BByy pprraaccttiicciinngg oouurr ttrraaddiittiioonnaall lliiffeessttyyllee wwee ccoonnttiinnuuee ttoo
cceelleebbrraattee oouurr rriicchh ccuullttuurraall hheerriittaaggee,, iinncclluuddiinngg tthhee
pprruuddeenntt uussee ooff oouurr hhuummaann aanndd nnaattuurraall rreessoouurrcceess..””
Port Graham Strategic Plan, 2001
CCoommmmuunniittyy PPllaannss
Port Graham and Nanwalek have completed
several planning efforts that considered
their natural resources. In 1992, the Alaska
Coastal Management Program received
funding by the State of Alaska and the
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource
Management, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. This funding
was used to develop a report for Port
Graham and Nanwalek that documented this area’s status as an Area which Merits Special Attention
(AMSA). The report focused on the area’s importance for
subsistence hunting, fishing and food gathering by area
residents and its unique cultural value and historical
significance.
In 1997 the federally recognized tribes of Port Graham
and Nanwalek, with approval and support of all tribes in
the region, began a planning process for local wetland
management and education. The planning process
included an inventory of resources, an account of
dependent species on local wetlands, identification of
stakeholders, a legal review of applicable laws and
regulations affecting wetlands, and an outline for a
management plan. A community education program was
also part of the program. The result was the 2001 Port
Graham/Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan.
Port Graham began to develop the Tribal Natural
Resource Management Plan in 1999. The draft plan
contains a vision statement, goals, objectives, issues,
background, inventory and an action plan. This plan was completed in 2000, and revised in 2002
and again in 2003.
In 2001, the Port Graham IRA Council prepared the Port Graham Strategic Plan. In 2003, the
Nanwalek IRA Council published the Nanwalek IRA Council Strategic Plan. The plans included a
vision statement and an outline of community goals, objectives and priorities.
See below for a select list of Nanwalek and Port Graham community plans. This list is not inclusive
but provides a summary of recent or relevant planning documents reviewed in preparation of the
IRMP.
SSeelleecctteedd NNaannwwaalleekk PPllaannnniinngg DDooccuummeennttss
Nanwalek Transportation Plans, 2005 and 2006
Nanwalek Airport Site Reconnaissance Study, 2006
Nanwalek Emergency Preparedness Plan, 2006
Nanwalek Wastewater Discharge Dilution and Mixing Zone and Sludge Disposal Plan, 2004
Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan, 2001
Nanwalek Sanitation Plan
48
SSeelleecctteedd PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm PPllaannnniinngg DDooccuummeennttss
Port Graham Hatchery/Cannery Feasibility Study, 2005
Port Graham Community Response Plan, 2005
Port Graham Sanitation Plan
Port Graham’s Tribal Natural Resource Action Plan, 2003
Port Graham’s Tribal Natural Resource Management Plan, 2000 (revised in 2002 and 2003)
Port Graham Strategic Plan, 2001
Port Graham’s Tribal Natural Resource Action Plan, 2001
Port Graham Natural Resources Five-Year Plan, 2001
SSeelleecctteedd PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm//NNaannwwaalleekk PPllaannnniinngg DDooccuummeennttss
Port Graham/Nanwalek Watershed Plan, 2002
Port Graham/Nanwalek Wetland Conservation Plan, 2001
Port Graham/English Bay Area Which Merits Special Attention, 1992
SSeelleecctteedd RReeggiioonnaall PPllaannnniinngg DDooccuummeennttss
Chugachmiut Fire Management Plan for Native Allotments, 2000
Kenai Peninsula Borough Hazard Mitigation Plan
Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste Management Plan
49
AAppppeennddiixx 44 -- NNaattuurraall RReessoouurrcceess
The natural resources in the planning area are vast, diverse and abundant. This section provides
details about water, wetlands, minerals, forestry, fishermen, wildlife and subsistence.
WWaatteerr
The streams, lakes, and wetlands of the project area are clear
water systems with water quality characteristic of pristine
watersheds. The streams support native populations of
anadromous and resident fish species. Several threats to
these conditions have been identified, including road building,
planned timber harvest, and community
development; however, there is no documented
degradation of water quality conditions at the present time.
Since the historical trail between the two villages crosses
water sources, its potential impacts on both villages’ water
quality must be considered.
NNaannwwaalleekk Nanwalek has a piped water and sewer system which serves all homes in the village;
most are fully plumbed.
WWaatteerr CCaappaacciittyy//DDeessiiggnn CCrriitteerriiaa.. The current water system in Nanwalek is designed to use
approximately 48,500 gallons per day, with a design population of 220 people at 175 gallons per
person per day. Additional commercial demand is included within the design flows, at an average
commercial demand of 5,000 gallons per day. The village’s daily requirement is 0.07 cubic feet per
second.
WWaatteerr CCaappaacciittyy.. Community potable water storage totals 200,000 gallons, with one 150,000
tank and one 50,000 wood stave tank.
WWaatteerr SSoouurrccee.. Nanwalek’s water source is a small dam located northeast of the village
adjacent to a watershed. Consequently the flow depends on precipitation levels. Rain and snowmelt
from the watershed collects in the dam where the water is then treated, disinfected and stored in a
water tank. In 2002, Nanwalek began experiencing water shortage due to an unusually warm
summer and low winter snowfall which reduced the amount of water in the watershed. In 2002 and
2003 the dam water level dropped so low that serious water rationing had to take place and water
eventually had to be delivered from outside of the community. Working with Alaska Native Tribal
Health Consortium engineers, the community identified Switchback Creek as a viable option to
supplement the current water supply. Local workers constructed a pipeline from Switchback Creek
and the water behind the dam quickly filled up ending the 2002 and 2003 water crisis.
PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm Port Graham water is derived from a surface source that is treated and stored in a
50,000-gallon redwood tank. Port Graham has a piped water system and sewage disposal in a
community septic tank. A sludge lagoon was completed that serves 66 homes and facilities of which
almost 90% of households are fully plumbed.
WWaatteerr CCaappaacciittyy//DDeessiiggnn CCrriitteerriiaa.. The water system is designed to use approximately 100,800
gallons per day, with a design population of 215 people at 400 gallons per person per day.
Additional commercial demand is included within the design flows, at an average commercial
demand of 10,800 gallons per day. Community potable water storage totals 246,000 gallons, with
one 246,000 gallon bolted steel tank. The water source for the community is raw water reservoir
located on an unnamed source within the Port Graham watershed.
WWaatteerr SSoouurrccee.. The watershed that feeds Port Graham is approximately 424 acres in size, and
includes numerous streams that branch down from the mountains. The streams to the west of Port
50
Graham feed a reservoir that has an intake structure for the water treatment plant. The average
flows in those streams ranged from 2.7 to 3.2 cfs. This is more than adequate flow for any needs
the community may have. In the winter, intake structure icing has caused problems with the
treatment plant receiving water.
The village is currently investigating their outfall system to prevent freeze up.
WWeettllaannddss
The Port Graham/Nanwalek Watershed Council was formed to protect and preserve an area that
includes two adjacent watersheds; English Bay River and Port Graham River and their tributaries.
The two watersheds consist of approximately 100,000 acres of steep mountainous terrain and
glacially developed river valley with elevations ranging from 3,000 feet to sea level. The valley
bottoms and lower slopes are covered with Sitka spruce old growth forests; alpine tundra meadows
occur in the higher elevations.
The planning area represents a typical pristine marine coastal ecosystem of South-central Alaska.
There is a large number of wetlands that provide high-quality spawning and rearing habitat for silver,
king, pink, sockeye, and chum salmon as well as for Dolly Varden.
Marine, estuarine, riverine, palustrine and lacustrine type wetlands are represented in the two
watersheds. A large number of these wetlands provide high-quality spawning and rearing habitat for
resident and anadromous fish.
MMiinneerraallss
No major gravel deposits have been identified in the Kenai Mountains. There is assumed to be a
good quantity of sand available from the beaches around Nanwalek, although the actual quality of
this material is unknown. The most likely source of material for road construction in the area is from
the fragmenting of local rock outcrops either through blasting or, in cases where weathering has
created usable fracture plains, mechanical reduction equipment. Additional processing will probably
be necessary to develop acceptable material gradation.
The community reports that a borrow source, owned by the Port Graham Village Council exists to the
west of the village.
FFoorreessttrryy
The relatively long growing season, high annual precipitation, and mild temperatures of this area
support a large variety of coastal forest, scrub, wetland and alpine communities. The area is
dominated by plant communities of forest, tall alder shrub, halophytic grass wet meadows,
halophytic sedge wet meadows, sedge moss bog meadows, tundra, bog meadows, and intertidal
vegetation. The forest cover type is found from sea level to mountain slopes, up to elevations of
1100 feet; the upper elevations can vary depending on slope, aspect, and other conditions. The
forest cover is found on a variety of soils from poorly drained to well-drained. Intermixed with the
forest cover type are communities of tall Sitka alder, bogs, and grasslands. Above tree line, the
vegetation consists of a mosaic of Sitka alder, grasslands, alpine scrub and herbs.
Beginning in the 1960s, commercial timber harvest performed by South Central Timber
Development, Inc. occurred extensively across approximately 8,000 acres of Port Graham
Corporation ownership in the vicinity of Rocky and Windy Bays. Originally operated under a "clear-cut"
forest management scheme, these formerly harvested timber stands have successfully regenerated
and generally exist in an "overstocked" condition today.
Though no comprehensive intensive forest inventory has been performed by Chugachmiut or other
entities on these lands, past timber inventories of individual parcels indicate average volumes of 13
MBF per acre. Current overseas (traditional) market revenues for pulp and low grade sawlogs
51
originating from this Region are insufficient to attain harvest cost recovery. Future market forecasts
do not indicate that this situation will likely change for the better. A definitive study does not exist
for the direct evaluation of a net percentage growth but certain Chugachmiut timber inventory
appraisals, spanning a 13-year time span, detail this growth percentage at approximately 0.5% per
year.10
The following is a brief description of the most common plant
communities within the planning area:
FFoorreesstt Sitka Spruce (naparpiaq) dominates the overstory.
Mature spruce range in height from 60 to 120 feet and 12 to
32 inches in diameter at chest height. Mature dominant
trees are more than 200 years old. Sitka Alder usually
dominate a tall shrub layer 10 to 20 feet high and can be
found throughout the forest type. A low shrub layer 2 to 6
feet in height is dominated by devil’s club (cukilanarpak),
salmonberry (alagnaq), blueberry (atsaq), highbush
cranberry (qalakuaq), and rusty menziesia. Lady fern, oak
fern, lace flower, rose, and various species of moss
dominate the forest floor. Yellow skunk cabbage (tuqunaq) is found in wet, poorly drained
depressions. Sitka spruce forest occurs at low elevations and along coastal lines. Sometimes the
mature forest is found on steep mountain slopes. Generally the forest community occurs below
1000 feet in elevation. Cottonwood (ciquq) occurs infrequently along waterways.
TTaallll AAllddeerr SShhrruubb These communities have an open canopy of tall shrubs, primarily Sitka alder.
Trees species occur occasionally and provide less than 10 percent of the cover. Associated low
shrub species are blueberry, salmonberry, and devil’s club. Sedges and fescue dominate the herb
layer. Tall alder communities are found intermixed with the forest communities and above tree line.
HHaalloopphhyyttiicc GGrraassss WWeett MMeeaaddoowwss These are communities dominated or co-dominated by salt-
tolerant forbs and grasses on beaches. Woody plants, mosses, and lichens are absent here but are
found at the seaward edges of coastal marshes subject to regular tidal influences.
HHaalloopphhyyttiicc SSeeddggee WWeett MMeeaaddoowwss These communities form the main coastal marshes. Tidal
inundations are less frequent, ranging from several times per month to once per summer. Stands of
coarse sedge are found at the seaward edges of coastal areas and border grass wet meadows
communities. Farther inland the communities form a broad ecotone with freshwater wetlands.
SSeeddggee MMoossss BBoogg MMeeaaddoowwss Mosses dominate these communities. Sedges, other herbs, scattered
low shrubs, and lichens grow out of a matrix of sphagnum moss. Low shrubs and lichens are not
dominant. Stunted Sitka spruce is found as scattered individuals and small thickets.
AAllppiinnee SSccrruubb Dwarf scrub is found on mountain slopes and ridges in the alpine zone. Scrub cover
ranges from open to closed, and scrub height is generally less than about 6 inches. Shrub
composition varies widely depending on soil and site characteristics: black crowberry, mountain
heath, bog blueberry, arctic willow, and luetkea dominate most stands. Sedges are the most
common herbs. Ground surface cover varies widely and consists of patches of moss and lichen,
litter, and rock fragments. Dwarf scrub is found on mountain slopes in the alpine zone above 1400
feet elevation.
BBlluueejjooiinntt RReeeeddggrraassss--FFoorrbb MMeeaaddooww Herbaceous
communities dominated by bluejoint reedgrass and a wide
variety of forbs are found in forest openings below elevations
of about 400 feet. Principal forbs include common fireweed,
goldenrod, boreal yarrow, and northern geranium.
PPoonnddlliillyy The aquatic community is dominated by
pondlilies, although a variety of other aquatic plants may be
present. Pondlilies (qaltuutesaaq) are common in ponds,
10 Native Village of Port Graham, Renewable Energy Development on Tribal Lands grant, February, 2006.
52
shallow lakes, and bog pools scattered throughout the forest. Water depths range from 10 to 30
feet. The substrate is usually a well-decomposed organic-rich muck.
MMaarriinnee HHaabbiittaatt aanndd MMaarriinnee RReessoouurrcceess
Phytoplankton are the plant life of the sea upon which all marine life is sustained. They are the food
source for shellfish and invertebrates, and small animals, called zooplankton. Phytoplankton are
essentially free-floating creatures, whereas zooplankton have some motility in the water column.
The review and synthesis published by Sambrotto and Lorenzen (1987) on studies of the primary
productivity of Cook Inlet led them to conclude that, during the summer months, the lower Inlet was
one of the most productive high latitude shelf areas in the world. Lower trophic-level communities
can be thought of as either planktonic (floating or drifting in the water column), pelagic (swimming in
the water column) or benthic (living on or in the sea bottom). Plankton populations include both
animals (zooplankton) and plants (phytoplankton) (AEIDC, 1974:151). The abundance and
distribution of plankton depend on many factors associated with the physical environment such as
available sunlight, wind, currents, turbidity, temperature, nutrient availability, competition, and
predation.
Estuaries and some bays and coves are important nursery sites for juvenile fishes, shrimp, and crabs
and also provide an important food source for sea birds, fish, and marine mammals. In Cook Inlet,
marine species diversity generally decreases to the north with increased siltation and fresh water
input. The intertidal communities include a rich environment suitable for this wide variety of sea life.
BBrroowwnn aallggaaee ((FFuuccuuss sspp..)) aanndd rreedd aallggaaee Brown algae (Fucus sp.) and red algae dominate benthic
plant communities of lower Cook Inlet tidelands. Filamentous green algae (Urospora sp.), sea lettuce
(Ulva sp.), and Laminara also inhabit the inter-tidal zone and provide important housing, food, and
predator protection for many marine creatures. Kelp are present in the low intertidal areas out to
about three meters in depth but are absent beyond the five-meter depth. The movement of winter ice
is a possible cause for the lack of seaweed within the midtidal zone (Lees et al. 1986).
EEeellggrraassss Communities dominated by eelgrass normally occur as
pure stands of this species. Eelgrass communities occur in subtidal
and lower intertidal zones in protected bays, inlets, and lagoons with
clear water along the coast. The substrate is usually marine silts
and clays, but sometimes cobbles.
MMaarriinnee AAllggaaee Marine algae communities are dominated by various
species, including Fucus, Laminaria, Gigartina, Porphyra, and Ulva.
Plants other than algae are not present. Marine algae communities are widespread on subtidal and
intertidal rocky shores.
MMaarriinnee RReessoouurrcceess Dominant animal species inhabiting the intertidal and sub-tidal fringe south of
the Forelands include sea urchins, chitons, limpets, whelks, mussels, clams, cockles, polychaetes,
bryozoans, sponges, sea stars, sea cucumbers, snails, octopus, skate, barnacles, crabs, forage fish,
and small flat fishes (Feder and Jewett, 1987) (Kessler, 1985).
Marine invertebrates of nearshore and offshore waters include sea
cucumbers, many species of sea star, nudibranches, octopus,
tunicates, worms, and sea leeches (Kessler, 1985).
Shellfish begin life as planktonic eggs released into ocean currents by
gravid females. Mollusks usually settle to the bottom and with the
exception of snails and octopus, permanently attach themselves to a
suitable substrate in the sub-tidal zone. Most crustaceans sink to the
bottom and spend their adult life there where they must find protection
or be consumed by cod, halibut, flounder, octopus, skate, and other
shellfish.
53
Razor clams (Siliqua sp.) are abundant in commercial quantities in Cook Inlet. Stocks are
concentrated in the Polly Creek area on the west side, and along the east side from Anchor Point to
the Kasilof River, although harvest in the latter vicinity is limited to sport and personal use (Ruesch
and Fox, 1995:2) (See Figure 3.1). Littleneck (Protothaca sp.) and butter clams (Saxidomus sp.) also
settle in Kachemak Bay to the south of the area. Other clams (Axe sp., Mya sp., Tresus sp., Spisula
sp., Telina sp., Macoma sp.) inhabit beaches of Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska (Kessler, 1985).
Migrating birds and resident shorebirds may depend on Macoma stocks of saltwater marsh habitat.
A small stock of scallop (Patinopecten caurinus) inhabit Kamishak Bay and some may be found in
outer Kachemak Bay (Kessler, 1985) (ASMI, 1995).
Historically, commercially significant populations of tanner, king, and Dungeness crab; and several
species of shrimp have inhabited the lower inlet. Kachemak Bay once supported healthy commercial
harvests of shrimp and king crab during peak fishing efforts in the 1970s and early 1980s (CFEC,
1995). However, populations of these species have
been depressed since the middle 1980s (Trasky,
1995:5, citing RPI, 1994) (ADF& G, 1995a).
FFiisshheerriieess
The Port Graham/Nanwalek fisheries include five
species of salmon, halibut, cod and trout. These
fisheries are managed by the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game’s commercial, subsistence and sports
fish divisions, which take direction from the Board of
Fisheries. The Board of Fisheries meets to consider
changes to the regulations every three years, with the
next meeting scheduled for 2007.
Current commercial management allows fishing on or after June 1st to the end of September with
two 48-hour open periods per week. The commercial fishing industry ends their fishing by the middle
of July, after the sockeye run is essentially over.
The subsistence fishery is generally open from about April 1st to the end of September with one long
weekly open period from Thursdays at 10 pm until Wednesday at 6 am. When escapement numbers
are low, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has the authority to close the commercial
and sports fishery and as a last resort, if needed, the subsistence harvest. Closures are done when
the escapement numbers are determined to be too low to meet the demand.
Most salmon spawn in freshwater streams between June and September, although some pink
salmon also spawn intertidally. Eggs and juveniles are present in freshwater year-round, and smolt
migrate to the ocean from mid-April through mid-July. Young salmon may be found in marine waters
throughout the year (Trasky, 1995:4, citing to Bucher and Hammerstrom, 1993; Ruesch and Fox,
1995; USCG/EPA/ADEC, 1995). Pacific salmon spend up to seven years in the open ocean before
migrating back to freshwater in Alaska to spawn and die.
Ten million adult salmon returned to Cook Inlet (1995), beginning in early May and continuing into
October. Sockeye salmon are the most numerous species (7 million), followed by pink, Coho, chum,
and Chinook. Three-fourths of these fish return to or pass through the area (Trasky, 1995:4).
NNaannwwaalleekk SSaallmmoonn EEnnhhaanncceemmeenntt PPrroojjeecctt In 1985, escapement of the English Bay River system
sockeye salmon was at a low of 5,000 adults. The historical high exceeded 40,000 adult sockeye
returning to the English Bay lakes. At that time, the ADF&G had closed the fishing season,
recognizing that the sockeye salmon run needed to return to levels that could support subsistence
and commercial fishing again.
To meet the need, the Nanwalek Salmon Enhancement Project was developed. Its goals are to
produce one million fry, which will be reared in English Bay lakes and later released into them to
produce a returning run of 200,000 to 400,000 adult sockeye salmon. With these returns, the
54
village should ensure that subsistence and commercial fishing needs are met; additionally,
marketing the fish and their products should create significant economic development opportunities.
Project operation consists of pen rearing in twelve net pens
in the Second Lake of the English Bay system. The egg-take
phase takes place in Second Lake in the fall, when 1.35
million eggs are taken from spawning sockeye. The eggs
are then transported to the Port Graham Hatchery to hatch.
In June of the following year, the hatchlings are transported
back to Second Lake to be reared in the twelve net pens.
The pre-smolt are usually released in early winter. In 2004,
a few were kept over winter to try to increase the over
winter survival rates. During the outmigrating season of the smolt, a weir is set up in the lower river
to count the smolt and record data before they go out to sea. Just above the smolt weir, an adult
weir is set up during the return of the adult sockeye salmon for counting and data retrieval.
Project operations began in 1990 with the direct release of fry into the English Bay lake system. In
1991, with only a few people working, about 100,000 fry were released into a net pen in Second
Lake. In 1996, approximately 20 people were employed on a part-time basis, with one person
employed throughout the year.
The return of 1996 was estimated at over 34,000 adult sockeye salmon; for 1997, a return of
approximately 44,000 was expected. The first year of cost recovery for the project was 1996. Cost
recovery is one way for the project to support itself as grant funding disappears. In the future, as the
runs increase, the project is working towards marketing the surplus fish and establishing a hatchery
as an economic development activity for the village. Keeping in mind how critical this natural
resource is for Port Graham and Nanwalek, one must also be mindful of the need to sustain and
protect the larger environment on which it depends, and of the importance of using all natural
resources sensibly so that their renewal is assured.
PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm HHaattcchheerryy The Port Graham Hatchery Program was developed in 1990 when the Port
Graham Village Council worked together with the Community Economic Development Corporation
(CEDC) to provide construction and operating funds for a hatchery. CEDC is a State chartered
corporation whose mission is to assist communities in rural Alaska in developing their economies.
The hatchery’s aim was to rebuild local pink salmon runs and provide economic development
opportunities for village residents. The hatchery program initially used a scientific/educational
permit and then applied for a private non-profit hatchery permit on July 3, 1991. The hatchery was
located in an old cannery building. A new rearing building was added for a Coho salmon program,
which now serves as the hatchery warehouse and Council apartments. The hatchery currently
produces Port Graham River Pink Salmon and English Bay River Sockeye Salmon, both of which are
principal sources of subsistence food and commercial fishing income for Port Graham and
Nanwalek.
Port Graham River pink salmon escapements have ranged from 2,000 to 50,000. They averaged
15,100 from 1960 to 1989. The commercial pink salmon catches have ranged from lows of 1,000
in 1971 and 1972 and 1,600 in 1961 to highs of 124,700 in 1979 and 45,900 in 1981. The chart
below summarizes the annual commercial salmon catches since 1959. Please note that during the
years of 1990 through 1996 no commercial fishing occurred. This is
because the Port Graham River Pink Salmon and the English Bay
River Sockeye salmon runs were so low during those years that no
commercial openings occurred. No one knows for sure what
happened but this was clearly the impetus for the Port Graham
Hatchery project.
The new hatchery has a capacity of 110 million pink salmon eggs, 5
million sockeye eggs and 2 million Coho eggs. The current permit is
for 110 million pink salmon eggs and 1.35 million sockeye salmon
55
eggs. The hatchery has a contract with the Native village of Nanwalek to incubate sockeye salmon
eggs for its Nanwalek Salmon Enhancement Project. This project has resulted in restoring yearly
returns of approximately 40,000 adult pink salmon in the English Bay Lakes.
The Port Graham Hatchery Board guides the Port Graham Hatchery Program with oversight and
administration from the Port Graham Village Council. This board is comprised of Council members,
elders, and commercial and subsistence fishers. Their responsibility is to oversee the broad scope of
the project, ensuring that the project staff is carrying out their duties in concert with the wishes of
the community. Their input in various key aspects of the project is vital to the success of the project,
in that community members can only maintain ownership through direct involvement.
Commercial fishing boats and set nets provide the primary income for many Nanwalek and Port
Graham residents. Fish buying and process have taken place in Port Graham when the processing
facility was open, but no dock or cold storage facilities exist in Nanwalek.
Personal use set gillnets are used along the coastline from Cape
Dangerous to Point Pogibshi. There is some commercial purse seining for
all five species of salmon and commercial harvest of rockfish and
Dungeness crab takes place in Rocky and Windy Bays. Red king crab is
also harvested commercially along the coast.
WWiillddlliiffee
Numerous types of shellfish, waterfowl such as duck and geese, marine
birds, eel, harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters moose, black bear, mountain
goat, porcupine, rabbit and otter are present. Other wildlife species of
importance include moose, mountain waterfowl, goat, ptarmigan, and
grouse. Trappers previously hunted land otter, mink, and weasel. Marine
mammals such as orca and seals and are important resources to the two villages’ traditional
management based economies.
TTrraaddiittiioonnaall MMaannaaggeemmeenntt
Subsistence resources include king salmon, chums, silvers, humpies, halibut, gray cod, greenling,
flounder, herring, tom cod, black bass, Irish lords, eels, shellfish, Dolly Varden trout and clams (five
different kinds, but no razor clams).
From the Upper Cook Inlet residents harvest crabs (Dungeness crabs and king crabs), shrimp,
mussels, snails, chitons (bidarka), sea urchins, Chinese hats, octopus, seaweed, and goose tongues.
They also hunt and use seal, sea lion, sea otter, black bear, goat, moose, groundhog, porcupine,
grouse, ptarmigan, and ten different kinds of ducks. Some of these resources need special attention
because prevalence is becoming scarce or, in some cases, are not available any longer.
Plant communities include Sitka spruce forest, tall alder shrub, halophytic grass wet meadows,
halophytic sedge wet meadows, sedge moss bog meadows, alpine scrub, bluejoint reedgrass-form
meadows, pondlily, eelgrass, and marine algae. Each one of these plants and animals constitutes
an integral part of the two villages’ Traditional management-based economies. Medicinal plants and
berries in the area are important culturally as well as providing medicine for village members.
56
Medicinal plants and berries found in the two areas include:
• yarrow
• Bethlehem star
• devil’s club bark and root
• licorice fern
• mountain ash
• rose petals and hips
• cranberry
• salmonberry
• blueberry
• mossberry
• trailing raspberry
• nangoon berry
• watermelon berry
• fiddleheads
• wild celery
• goose tongues
• wild onion
57
AAppppeennddiixx 55.. PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm VViillllaaggee CCoouunncciill SSttrraatteeggiicc PPllaann
Location/Description
Port Graham is located at the Southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, 30 miles south of Homer,
and lies 59 degrees 21 minutes North Latitude, 151 degrees 49 minutes West Longitude
(Sec.32, T009S, R015W, Seward Meridian). The community is located in the Seldovia
Recording District. The area encompasses 6 sq. miles of land and 1 sq. mile of water.
According to the 1990 census data, there were 166 people residing in Port Graham in that
year; the current population is 178 (1999 Alaska Department of Labor). Port Graham is not
accessible by road. It can only be reached by boat or plane. A State-owned 1,975 foot gravel
airstrip is available. The community offers a marine docking facility owned by the local
ANCSA Village Corporation. There is also a 4-mile trail that connects Port Graham to
Nanwalek. Mail service is available three times a week by plane via Homer. Travel in and
out the village is primarily by air taxi (small plane). The climate in this community is
moderate considering the ranges that are experienced in Alaska. Winter temperatures
range from 14 degrees to 27 degrees Fahrenheit; summer temperatures vary from 45
degrees to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Average annual precipitation is 24 inches.
History and Culture
The residents of the community are Aluutiq, some of Russian lineage. Many of the residents
migrated either from Nanwalek, some three miles away, or from such places as Rocky Bay,
Port Chatam, Yalik, all along the coast of the tip of the Kenai Peninsula, and as far away as
Nuchek and Kodiak. Whitney Fidalgo Island Packing Company built a salmon cannery in
1912, which essentially established the location of the community. Families began to settle
in the bay near the cannery. The earliest Western settlement was by the Russians who had
established a trading post in Nanwalek, called Alexandrovsk. In Port Graham near the
entrance of the bay and across from Nanwalek, a Russian-American company mined coal in
1850, but this was abandoned because it did not prove to be economical. A post office was
opened and has been in operation since 1938. The cannery burned down in late 1959 and
was later rebuilt and operated by Whitney-Fidalgo in 1968. It was eventually purchased and
is currently owned by the Port Graham Corporation (an ANCSA village corporation). In 1991,
a salmon hatchery was also built in the cannery facility that is owned and operated by the
Port Graham Village Council through its Port Graham Hatchery Corporation. In January of
1998, a fire once again destroyed the cannery including the hatchery. The cannery plant
and hatchery were both rebuilt and re-opened for operation in1999. The cannery has since
provided some seasonal economic benefit to the area residents, but because of the decline
in product and industry, it has been very limited despite the restocking efforts of the
hatchery.
Although Port Graham is a traditional Aluutiq community, the influence of the Russian
traders is apparent in some of the family surnames as well as their church. Aluutiq people
of the community refer to their village as “Paluwik” which is akin to “a place to be sad.”
Maybe this was because the village is located on the south shore and doesn’t get as much
exposure from the sun as the north shore because of the surrounding mountains. The
Native language spoken is Aluutiq, also called Sugpiaq, a dialect related to the Yupik Eskimo
language. However, the number of Aluutiq speakers in the community continues to decline
with the passage of years. Particularly since the United States bought Alaska from Russia,
58
and the Bureau of Indian Affairs was responsible for the education of the Natives of Alaska,
the school system discouraged the use of any of the Native languages in and around the
schools.
Traditionally and culturally, despite the dramatic impact Westernization has had on the
community, subsistence hunting and fishing continue to have an important role in the
activity of the people. Particularly fishing, which provides a staple to the diet, but equally
important is the activity of fishing that the families and the community participate and share
in.
Economy
The commercial activities in this community have always centered on the commercial fishing
industry and the timber industry. In the earlier years there was some trapping for fur.
During the years the Russians maintained trading posts, the trade centered on sea otter
pelts. For a lot of years since Fidalgo Island Packing Company built a cannery in Port
Graham, the commercial fisheries have provided the mainstay for the cash economy in this
small community. In recent years, the decline in the fish products in the area and a decline
in the market value for the canned salmon product created an economic hardship in the
community forcing the members of the community to look for other sources of income. The
fresh-frozen market has also dominated the market, which the local cannery is not fully
equipped to do. During the heydays of fishing and canning, people could either work in the
cannery or fish commercially. A few still do, but the dependence on the industry is no longer
possible. The hatchery continues in its efforts to build up the pink salmon stock, but the
market for pink salmon, which the hatchery raises, continues to be soft or remains in a
slump. The current economy is held up mostly by a number of service driven functions. The
school system and other government agency sponsored services provide several full-time
jobs in the community. The regional not-for-profit, Chugachmiut provides health and social
related services that have created full-time employment for the community e.g. health aides,
outreach workers, alcohol and drug counselors, etc. The North Pacific Rim Housing
Authority, through the construction or modernization of houses and apartments, has created
construction, management, and maintenance jobs for their rentals. The Port Graham
Hatchery Corporation manages a hatchery that employs several full time people and up to
20 seasonal employees. The management of the local government also provides several
full-time positions. The ANCSA village corporation requires a number of people for the
management of its affairs such as its general store, and fuel depot. In the past it also
administered timber sales on its land holdings, which employed many of the local residents.
A few of the residents find seasonal employment outside of the community, but return to
make Port Graham their home.
Governance
The village is unincorporated under State law, but is governed by a federally recognized
Traditional Council, made up of a village Chief and four council members all elected by the
tribal membership. The Council either provides or authorizes many of the services that exist
and are necessary; including housing, water, sewer, solid waste disposal, and other health
and safety related programs.
59
Critical Issues
• Maintain traditional & culturally relevant community lifestyle.
• Continue to develop & refine the local government infrastructure.
• Expansion, development & maintenance of locally available community services.
• Deep-water dock/harbor facilities
• Additional capital improvement & operating funds for the hatchery.
• Waste oil burner
• Tribal court development
• Sugcestun language program
• Youth program (drug & alcohol prevention)
• Youth and elders involvement
• Landfill
• Airport
• Maintain local land ownership
Issues Resolved since the Previous Plan
• Local environmental program
• Natural resources program
• Fire hall renovation
• Community hall renovation
The People
131 Total current population (BIA self governance census 07/06)
109 Number of Alaska Natives
19 Number of people under18
18 Number of people over 60
171 Total population in 2000
32 Students in school (2001)
6 Students in high school (2001)
1 Infant birth per year
Education, Jobs and Income
Number of full-time jobs 21 Number of part-time jobs 19
Number of season jobs 24 Number of people looking for work 10
Number of families on public assistance35
$40,250 Median household income (2000 Census data)
Tribal government is paid in full to the IRS
Number of high school graduates last year 3
Number of students who went to college last year 2 of students that went to
Trade school last year 1 Year 2000
What jobs are available for high school graduates 10 Seasonal
60
Employers in the community:
1. Kenai Peninsula School District_____________________4
2. Tribal Council__________________________________20
3. Chugachmiut____________________________________6
4. Village Corporation_______________________________4
5. Village corporation store___________________________2
6. The North Pacific Rim Housing Authority_____________2 part-time
7. Privately-owned general store_______________________ 1.5
8. Airport Maintenance_______________________________1
9. Home health-care (State of Alaska)___________________1
10. Commercial fishermen/seasonal______________________5
11. Cannery workers/seasonal_______ Temporarily not operational
12. Hatchery/seasonal________________________________15
13. Chugachmiut Headstart____________________________2
14. Private community service as-needed_________________5
15. Post Office______________________________________1
16. B&B’s/private___________________________________2
17. VISTA_________________________________________1
The Land and Environment
1. Is your community an Alaska Native Town site? Yes.
2. Who are the major landowners in the community? Tribal Council, Village Corporation,
School District, Native allotees, Orthodox Church, private landowners.
3. What was the land entitlement of your village ANCSA Corporation? 92,160 acres.
4. What is the status of 14(c) re-conveyances? They’re open.
5. Are there special local issues, e.g. land trades, native allotments? There are timber
sales currently pending on the Native allotments as well as sales of the same. Two
privately held parcels sold as well a couple of possible allotment sales.
6. Is there a river or a bay where your community is located? The community is located
in a bay which has two rivers at the head end.
7. Does your community have erosion problems? Erosion occurs along the banks of the
bay.
8. Where is the community water source? Water is derived from surface water source
which flows into a steel water dam then stored in a 150,000 gallon storage tank and
treated. Port Graham has a piped water system and sewage disposal which flows in
to septic tanks and the gray water flows into outfalls in the bay.
9. Where does the community get its gravel? Local gravel pit.
10. Are there any contaminated sites in your community? Yes, oil-spill at the cannery
facility, which has been remediated.
11. Are there any old landfills? Yes, on the west end of the airport runway.
12. Do you have an environmental and/or natural resources person employed in your
community? Yes, three.
13. Does your community have an environmental plan? In progress.
61
Community Values and Vision
1. Continue to maintain a traditional Native community.
2. Make education one of our primary focuses.
3. Continue to be self-sufficient and independent (self-determination).
4. Celebrate our Native culture/teach our children.
5. Promote our Native activities, arts and crafts.
6. Continue the practice of subsistence hunting and fishing.
7. Maintain our spiritual needs.
8. Respect for ourselves, and others.
9. Make our community a safe and healthy place to live.
10. Take care of our natural resources.
11. Take care of our elders.
12. Develop and support our Tribal government.
13. Continue to develop the social and physical infrastructure of our community.
14. Be prepared for emergencies.
15. Share knowledge, abilities and resources.
16. Intertribal support (unity).
Community Vision Statement
We are a sovereign traditional Native community that continues to be self-sufficient and
independent. By practicing our traditional lifestyle, we continue to celebrate our rich cultural
heritage, including the prudent use of our human and natural resources. We have mutual
respect for each other and others, for their values, beliefs and spiritual needs, regardless of
the lifestyles they may choose.
We continue to identify and support growth for our tribal members that will allow us to
maintain our traditional inherent values, while keeping a high standard in protecting the
health and safety of our people.
62
Table 6. Goals & Measures of Success
Goals Measures of Success Barriers
Community Economic
Development
1. Council
2. Community Center
3. Local Hire
4. Fully Use Infrastructure
5. Daycare Center
6. Value Added Processing
7. Sawmill
8. Cannery
9. Deep water dock
10. 2 stores
11. Bulk Fuel
12. Stay open to large project opportunity
Affordable Childcare
Individual Economic
Development
1. Small Business Development
2. Daycare Center
3. Tourism
4. Bed and Breakfasts
5. Community Committee to address needed
resources & rules
6. Shop/garage
Affordable Childcare
Community Buy-In
Capital Projects &
Infrastructure
1. Tourism related infrastructure
2. Roads & Utilities
3. Replace end-of-life utilities
4. Water for hatchery and cannery
5. New airport
6. School
7. Increase landfill capacity
8. Elder Facility services
9. Expand options with Greg’s house
10. Daycare Center
11. Communication (Internet, TV, cellphone, radio,
local TV show over RATNet, replace landline phone
lines, local calls to Homer & Nanwalek)
12. Video & Weather Station
13. Deep water dock & boat harbor
14. Upland facilities for commercial and pleasure
boats
15. Increase Road Inventory
16. Road maintenance equipment & facility
17. Combine marine outfalls
18. Large shop/garage
19. Increase infrastructure for future large projects
20. Keep open to large project opportunity (negotiation
tactics)
Maintain separate
Village Identities
Need experienced
administrator
63
Goals Measures of Success Barriers
Maintaining a Safe &
Healthy Community
1. Traditional Healing Option
2. Higher education for health aides
3. Local Behavioral Health Option (w/measures)
4. Mental Health Measures
5. Holistic Health (mind, body & spirit)
6. VPSO through regional organization
7. Ongoing support for emergency services (EMT, ETT
& disaster prep)
8. Ongoing support for volunteer fire fighters,
including equipment
9. Alcohol & Drug Intervention & Interdiction with
Tribal Court
10. Youth Program
11. Naturopathic Doctor
12. Maintain health outreach & prevention activities
13. Elder Assisted Care services
Local Government & Self-
determination
1. Recognized Tribal Council
2. Tribe is responsible for all program and activities in
the community, both social & government related
3. Promotion and encouragement of Tribal activities
4. Maintenance of the water and sewer utilities
5. Locally staffed Tribal offices
6. Tribal representation and involvement at the
regional, statewide and national level
Education/continue to
maintain high standards in
higher learning and
education
1. Continued community and parent involvement in
education, and support
2. Pursue high school to the 12th grade in the
community
Continue to support
Traditional, Cultural &
Spiritual activities and
practices
1. Subsistence/enhancement program
(hatchery)/continued enjoyment of the uses
2. Sharing of locally obtained foods (fish and game)
Traditional potlucks
3. Language program in school
4. Dance group
5. Support of the churches
Environmental concerns
1. Promotion of recycling
2. Concern for erosion
3. Environmental remediation e.g., oilspills
64
Table 7. Past Accomplishments
Goals Measure of Success
Economic Development
1. Council
2. Community Center
3. 2 stores
4. Bulk Fuel
5. Bed and Breakfasts
Capitol Projects and Infrastructure
1. Increase Road Inventory
2. Road maintenance equipment
& facility
3. Elder Facility services
4. New Fire Hall
5. Community Center Renovation
and Expansion
Maintaining Safe and Healthy
Community
1. Higher education for health
aides
2. Elder Assisted Care services
3. VPSO through regional
organization
Local Government & Self-determination 1. Recognized Tribal Council
Table 8. Capital Projects And Infrastructure Priorities
Project Name Potential funding source(s) Projects or programs that relate
to this project
Floating Skiff Dock
Completion
• DCED • Transportation
Electrical utilities to the
new Duncan heights sub-
division
• HEA
• Developer (TNPRHA?)
• Roads
Protection of the
water shed
• Needs to be designated by
the Tribal Council
Erosion containment • USDA
• Army Corp
• Roads and utilities
Phone system • Phone company
• Anything having to do with
communication
Emergency shelter, in
the event of tsunamis
• USDA
• ICDBG
• Roads
Assisted care for
elders/handicapped
• Housing authority already
has the facilities built
• State special needs program
• Health outreach program
Snow removal
equipment
• ICDBG
• Dotpf
• Roads/airport
65
Project Name Potential funding source(s) Projects or programs that relate
to this project
Sanitary landfill • Kenai Borough
• Roads
• 14 (c) 3 transfer by the village
corp
• Heavy equipment
New fire truck • ICDBG
• USDA
Creation of parks &
recreation area
• USDA
• Kenai Borough
• Public Health
Table 9. Social & Cultural Services Priorities
Project Name Potential funding Source Projects or programs that relate
to this project
Subsistence activities
• Cultural and traditional
hunting and fishing activities
Energy assistance for
those on low fixed
income
• Public assistance
• State energy authority
Culturally relevant
programs, e.g.,
language, history,
arts and crafts
• Chugachmiut
• Chugach Heritage Program
• ANA
• School
• Tribal Council
• Community Elders
• Cultural & Traditional
activities
Local land sales
• Cultural & Traditional
activities
Table 10. Job Training, Education & Capacity Building Priorities
Project Name Potential funding source(s) Projects or programs that relate
to this project
Job fairs • Chugachmiut
• Employers
• School district
• Job corp
• Avtec
• Education
Automotive and
marine engine repair
• Chugachmiut
• Job corps
• Avtec
• Chugach Heritage
Foundation
High school in
community to the
12th grade
• Tribal and community
advocacy
• School District
66
Table 11. Economic Development Priorities
Project Name Potential funding resource(s) Projects or programs that relate
to this project
Deep water dock • State of Alaska
• Corps of Engineers
• Shipping
• Cannery
• Fishing industry
Optimum return for
the salmon hatchery
• CRRC
• Subsistence
• Commercial fishing
• Cannery
Salmon smokery and
value added
processing capacity
• USDA
• ICDBG
• Hatchery
• Commercial fishing
Maintenance shop • ICDBG
• USDA
• Village equipment
67 AAppppeennddiixx 66 –– NNaannwwaalleekk IIRRAA CCoouunncciill SSttrraatteeggiicc PPllaann Table 12. Nanwalek IRA Council Strategic Plan # GOALS/OBJECTIVES LEAD COLLABORATE WITH STATUS COMPLETED BY 1 Council/Tribal Administration: Council - Build Capacity of Council Members 01.a Plan ongoing schedule of training for Council members Tribal Administrator Chugachmiut On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 01.b Conduct self evaluation of Council Council Members On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 01.c Develop annual report Tribal Administrator Jerry Luken, Chugachmiut Current 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 01.d Identify funding for administrative assistant Tribal Administrator Chugachmiut Current October 2008 2 Council/Tribal Administration: Finance - Improve ability to monitor financial health of organization and recover more indirect costs 02.a Develop annual budget prior to beginning of budget year Bookkeeper Completed December 2007 02.b Obtain indirect cost allocation with area accountant Bookkeeper Newhouse CPA On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year
68 3 Council/Tribal Administration: Tribal Enrollment - Create sustainable Enrollment Program 03.a Identify funding to pay for half-time position Tribal Administrator Completed October 2008 03.b Generate annual report of tribal enrollment Tribal Administrator Enrollment Coordinator Current October 2008 4 Public Works: Water/Sewer - Develop sustainable water source, improve water quality, reduce outflow hazards 04.a Fencing for Sewer Outlet & sign for outflow at beach IGAP Kelly Y. and Priscilla E. On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 04.b Finalize Sludge Lagoon Development and Funding Tribal Administrator Dept. of Commerce & DEC Looking at 3 sites 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 04.c Develop permanent water source beyond First Lake Tribal Administrator ANTHC On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 04.d Develop water conservation plan IGAP ANTHC On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 04.e Install new water pipe system throughout village Tribal Administrator ANTHC On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 04.f Bring sewer outflow into compliance IGAP ANTHC On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year
69 # GOALS/OBJECTIVES LEAD COLLABORATE WITH STATUS COMPLETED BY 5 Public Works: Roads - Develop sustainable road maintenance and road creation program 05.a Obtain BIA monies for Roads ($212,000 per year) Tribal Administrator Artic Slope Consultants Completed December 2007 05.b Conduct study to fund and build bridge over creek Tribal Administrator Artic Slope Consultants On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 05.c Conduct study to fund and build road around second lake Tribal Administrator Artic Slope Consultants On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 05.d Meet with allotment owners to plan intra-allotment roads Tribal Administrator On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 05.e Resurface existing roads with new material Tribal Administrator On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 6 Public Works: Landfill - Maximize current landfill use and improve efficiencies in how the landfill is used 06.a Develop 3-5 year expansion plan until new landfill is sited IGAP Jim Narcosse Kenai Borough On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 06.b Develop plan to relocate landfill IGAP On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year
70 # GOALS/OBJECTIVES LEAD COLLABORATE WITH STATUS COMPLETED BY 06.c Work with homeowner to relocate away from dump & survey others regarding smoke Tribal Administrator NRPHA Completed 2008-2009 Fiscal Year 06.d Require all contractors to remove debris rather than dumping in landfill Tribal Administrator Completed January 2008 7 Public Works: Public Buildings - Reduce or reuse Council owned buildings for highest and best use 07.a Develop new use for "old post office" Tribal Administrator Completed October 2006 07.b Determine water and sewage needs for old post office building Tribal Administrator Completed October 2006 8 Public Works: Equipment - Develop tracking system for equipment 08.a Develop inventory and maintenance schedule Equipment Operators Bookkeeper On going 2008-2009 Fiscal Year
71
AAppppeennddiixx 77:: SStteeppss ttoo DDeevveelloopp aanndd WWrriittee PPoorrtt GGrraahhaamm’’ss aanndd
NNaannwwaalleekk’’ss IIRRMMPP PPoolliicciieess aanndd PPrroocceedduurreess
This section describes the hands-on development of how the tribal representatives drafted the IRMP
policies and procedures. The core development occurred at the November 2008 joint meeting of
Port Graham and Nanwalek tribal representatives. Included in this section is the result of a series of
exercises the community representatives undertook, which resulted in the IRMP Policies and
Procedures.
The overarching process included the following five steps and we refer to information identified
earlier in this report, and describe how the Tribes crafted the IRMP Policies and Procedures.
1. On page 13 we describe the first steps, which lead to IRMP Policies
2. Next the tribal representatives identified what the potential long-term (20 year)
projects, which have a good likelihood of being developed are (page 29). This
provided grounding for the extent of potential natural resource use and impacts, and
how this long-term thinking and planning ties to today’s decisions and near-term
projects.
3. Then, by only focusing on the three near-term (5 year) projects, which are significant
in size, natural resource and community impacts, the tribal representatives identified
their hopes and concerns about these three projects. (page 73)
4. Finally, based on these hopes and concerns, tribal representatives identified key
themes that needed to be clarified and detailed in procedures, then written
procedures were drafted (page 16).
HHooppeess && CCoonncceerrnnss
- Proposed New Airport
- Proposed Biomass Project
- Proposed Roads
This exercise was important, not only because it helped to lead community representatives to
thinking about and identify land use and natural resource procedures that are needed and
practical, but it also leads to thinking about immediate call-to-action to others, whose roles are to
support and assist these two small, isolated Tribal communities.
These call-to-actions are also included in this section as draft resolutions.
72 Hopes and Concerns This discussion with community members, which is encapsulated in these next three tables, also lead to identifying key points for resolutions to the other organizations in the Chugach Alaska region, along with key state and federal agencies leading these and/or funding these projects. The draft resolutions regarding the airport and biomass project can be found in Appendix 2 on pages 33 - 35. Table 13. Airport Hopes and Concerns AIRPORT – Hopes & Concerns Hopes Concerns Draft Procedure Draft Resolution • Hope it gets done • Safety Improved – Medivac capable – Larger Planes – Lighted Runway • Infrastructure Improvements benefit both communities • Communities being connected via roads • Road in between villages means power line moved upgraded (included in airport capital costs) • Increase tourism – needs to be managed. • 6 pack fishing guide local ordinances to manage • Public Education – Media tool regarding limited access • MOA between tribes-DOT to address issues/concerns • Port Graham Watershed supply • Environmental Impacts on Wildlife Subsistence runoff to stream beach • Maintenance Contracts • May Increase General Aviation Traffic Private Pilots • Trespass on private allotment lands • Condemning land if allotment owners don’t want to sell Ensure watershed and water quality is preserved and maintain utilize port graham and Nanwalek watershed plan to build develop project standards for acceptable buffer zones. (example 400 foot buffer zones. As stated in Water Shed Management Plan) Ensure watershed supply is protected and safe – Port Graham and Nanwalek recommend to DOT that runway is situated so it does not impact the current watershed. (Example: move it more NW from current drawings slightly closer to Nanwalek) Develop an MOA between the State and Tribes to cover Enforcement, regulations
73 BIOMASS – Hopes & Concerns Hopes Concerns Draft Procedure Draft Resolution • Lower Energy Costs - Electric/heating • Provide Jobs - Sawmill - Biomass facility - Timber harvest management - Green house • Sustainable - Size of Biomass to manage timber harvest • Community Self sufficiency • Reduce fire hazard through thinning get dead trees out. (grass, willows, garbage, alders) • Develop Greenhouse o Jobs o New tree seedlings o Local produce/food • Develop Expand Sawmill o Jobs o Value added products o Wood chips for biomass • Sustainable how to make sure it is sustainable. • Timber harvest practices – Reduce Fire hazard • Replanting • Increased traffic on logging roads • Protect specific habitat (Green zones, Eagles, etc.) • Land Timber Game Management • Funding - 25% to attract -$1.5 mil down payment Forest Management Plan (Still needs approval) Includes increased road use Need to develop a TERA Tribal Environment Resource Agreement Chugach Summit in January 2009 Energy • Chugachmiut • CAC (Co-chair Charlie) • CRRC • NPRHA (Co-chair Olen) • Village Corps • Village Councils 1. To expedite biomass facility/alternative energy for Port Graham and Nanwalek – Less than 5 years 2. Develop strategic plan to meet timeframe Funding Concerns are addressed Hopes realized Resolution needs to be really tight and specific (What are they asking of them) Funding/Pilot Program for region and benefit the region as a whole.
74 ROADS – Hopes & Concerns Hopes Concerns Procedures Resolution • Access to o materials, o community growth, o subsistence areas, • Economic opportunities o Jobs – Honey Buckets as example • Easier to hire from either community for jobs • Safety is improved with road in place • Management with State DOT to address concerns/access • Open to anyone • Get agreements from allotees for access • Management of Access to Allotments concerned with anyone having access • Enforcement of management rules (VPSO) • Can get tribe talk with trespasser • Road Maintenance – Tribes responsible • Allotment owners did not want council to have a say in what happens to their allotments, but they want the council to enforce trespassing issues • Liability on Private Lands • Increased garbage/sewage associated with roads • Wetlands are protected • How do you enforce speed limits • How do you address air quality with dust? Use Standard Regulations in Watershed management Plan Develop a Road Management Plan to include hopes and concerns. Port Graham is starting to address some of these issues as they happen We are just taking a snap shot in time and issues and concerns change as time passes. Self-management is a powerful tool that Port Graham is using. Start with current MOA between DEC, EPA, and villages within the Chugach region on environmental issues – reference this when developing an moa