SC Alaska News

This week, the U.S. Senate passed the Thomas R. Carper Water Resource Development Act of 2024 with a significant bipartisan majority of 97-1. The legislation, known as S.4367, aims to authorize projects for the construction and improvement of ports, harbors, and waterways across the United States. It also includes policy changes for the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite their work and enhance tribal partnerships.

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed her support for the bill, highlighting its importance for Alaska's communities facing severe flooding and erosion challenges. "Communities across Alaska are facing increasingly intense flooding and erosion that must be addressed with urgency," stated Senator Murkowski. She emphasized the delegation's efforts in securing essential provisions for Alaska that would help make communities more resilient.

The legislation incorporates several Alaska-specific provisions within the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA). These include increasing federal funds authorization for the Denali Commission from $15 million to $35 million and establishing a new housing fund to address rural housing shortages in Alaska.

Additionally, it extends federal cost-sharing for Lowell Creek operations and maintenance in Seward while work continues on enhancing flood diversion systems. Another provision authorizes Akutan’s Akun Harbor project under the Corps’ Tribal Partnership Program to construct an access harbor protected by a breakwater.

Further clarifications were made regarding the North Slope Borough’s National Flood Insurance Program enrollment to facilitate timely progress on Barrow Coastal Erosion projects. Amendments were also made to storm damage prevention provisions from WRDA 2022 to include "riverine erosion" specifically for Alaskan projects, allowing them to qualify for more favorable federal/local cost shares.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the conference bill last week, and it is now set to be presented to the President for signing into law.