HomeMy WebLinkAboutNorthwest Inupiat Housing Authority letterNorthwest Inupiat Housing Authority
P.O. Box 331
Kotzebue AK 99752
To Whom It May Concern,
The Northwest Inupiat Housing Authority (NIHA) is pleased to present you with this Renewable
Energy Fund Grant Application for a woody Biomass project for the Upper Kobuk River valley. This letter
is to act as NIHA’s formal approval and endorsement for this project. This work will focus on the
communities of Kobuk, Shungnak and Ambler and will analyze the best way to reduce and stabilize their
heading costs. Preliminary work indicates that a woody biomass project is sustainable for the region.
The Northwest Inupiat Housing Authority has developed a number of partners for this project including
NANA Regional Corporation, Maniilaq Association, the City and Tribal governments of each community.
We also have several technical resources available to assist us in completing this project. Several entities
have already made substantial investments to date. Maniilaq has been preparing a Forest Management
Plan that includes a massive aerial mapping component that will be useful for this project. NANA
Development Corporation has funded other parts of the project as well, including an initial
reconnaissance study to determine the viability of a wood energy project for the three villages.
We believe that that by working together with the Alaska Energy Authority and our partners we
can develop a long term sustainable energy project that will meet the regions’ energy vision and reduce
the negative economic impacts currently being experienced in the communities due to the high fuel
costs.
Thank you for your review of this application and we look forward to further discussions
regarding this important project.