SC Alaska News

Washington, D.C.— On April 19, Representative Peltola announced the 15 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests that she will submit to the relevant House Appropriations subcommittees in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget cycle.

CPF requests are budget requests submitted by members of the House of Representatives to support specific projects in their districts. Only certain accounts which are designated by the House Majority are eligible to be used for funding. Each member can submit up to 15 projects for consideration, and project requests must meet a variety of requirements including non-profit origin, proof of community support, and agreement to audits. The CPF process is governed by federal law and House rules to ensure transparency.

“I am proud to support these projects which would provide important benefits to their communities and Alaska as a whole,” said Representative Peltola. “I’d like to thank my legislative team, who worked many long hours reviewing hundreds of requests for eligibility, coordinating with Senator Murkowski’s office to avoid duplication, and ultimately selecting 15 projects to advance. Alaska has many unique needs, and the CPF process is a valuable way for me to advocate directly for projects that would help meet those needs. I will continue to work with Senator Murkowski to coordinate our support for Alaskan projects in this budget cycle.”  

After submission to the relevant House Appropriations subcommittees, the projects will be evaluated by subcommittee members. Representative Peltola’s office will continue to advocate for their inclusion in the final FY2024 appropriations bills.

Summaries of Representative Peltola’s 15 final CPF requests are below and disclosure information is available on the Representative’s website. This list is not ordered or ranked in any way.

1.     Port of Nome: Funding from this project would be used for construction of Phase 1 of the first Arctic deep draft port in the United States, which would enhance regional cargo transportation, search and rescue, emergency and oil spill response, scientific research, and national security.

2.     Indigenous Studies Center at UAF: Funding for the Troth Yeddha’ Indigenous Studies Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks would provide a gathering place for classes, services, and activities related to this growing field.

3.     Cordova South Harbor Reconstruction: Funding from this project would support maintenance and expansion of Cordova’s South Harbor, an important regional hub that berths large commercial fishing and oil spill response fleets.

4.     Bethel YKHC Employee Housing Facility: The funding would be used for the construction of a multi-family housing facility, which would enable YKHC to recruit and retain additional employees, improving health care delivery in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region.

5.     Old Harbor Hydroelectric Facility: Funding for this project would help construct a run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility with a diversion structure, pipeline, powerhouse, and electric transmission line. This hydroelectric project would help decrease the use of diesel fuel for electrical generation and stabilize energy costs.

6.     City of Seward Ocean Thermal Energy Project: Funding for this project would support the City of Seward’s goal to use ocean thermal energy to heat and cool its city buildings. This would reduce the use of diesel and energy costs for the city.

7.     Akutan Harbor Access Road: Funding for this project would support a 1.5-mile gravel access road connecting the Native Village of Akutan to the community’s boat harbor and seafood processing facility. The road would provide safe access to the harbor while creating jobs and economic opportunities for this rural Alaskan community.

8.     Scow Bay Vessel Haul Out Project in Petersburg: Funding for this project would support a small vessel haul out and work yard for multi-purpose use by a variety of vessels. The project addresses a critical need in Southeast Alaska for better marine infrastructure and would allow Petersburg to meet existing demand for vessel haul-outs, saving vessels a months-long wait for a haul-out slot.

9.     Homer Spit Coastal Erosion Mitigation Project: Erosional damage is threatening the Homer Spit as a regional commerce and transportation hub for Southcentral Alaska. Supplemental federal funds from the US Army Corps of Engineers would allow for a General Investigation related to Homer Spit Erosion Mitigation and create a Spit Erosion Maintenance and Management plan. 

10.  Soldotna Field House: The Soldotna Field House would provide recreational and event space for Kenai Peninsula residents, who presently lack a local, large scale indoor recreational facility. The Field House would bolster community health and wellness by ensuring year-round access to an indoor track, turf field, and hard courts.

11.  Bering Sea Research Facility: This funding would support upgrades and capacity building at the BSRF, a strategically located multi-purpose center in St. Paul that helps to meet regional goals of the Department of Homeland Security, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and other Federal partners.

12.  Kelp Processing Using Combined Renewable Energy Resources Project: This funding would help grow Alaska’s mariculture industry by supporting the study of sites in Southern Alaska for combined renewable energy-based kelp drying.

13.  Invasive Green Crab Eradication and Control Project—Invasive European Green Crabs (EGC) were discovered by Metlakatla Indian Community Fish and Wildlife (MIC-DFW) staff in 2020. Since that time MIC-DFW has conducted a targeted trapping campaign in Tamgas Harbor on Annette Islands Reserve. Funding will support continuing this trapping effort to prevent the spread of EGC in Alaska.

14.  Newhalen Maintenance Facility: The Newhalen Maintenance Facility project would improve public services and safety in Newhalen by providing a well-equipped and secure location for maintenance workers to store and maintain their equipment.

15.  South Tongass Fire Station Improvement Project: Funding for this project would strengthen the capacity of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough to respond to emergencies in Saxman and Ketchikan by providing more maintenance space for the Borough’s emergency response fleet.

Original source can be found here.