Alaska DOT's draft 2010-2013 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) is available and ready for public review. According to DOT Commissioner von Scheben, this STIP was developed in a period of uncertainty as Congress prepares to make major changes to the transportation authorization legislation that governs the efforts of the Department. Comments to the draft are due October 18. The STIP can be found by clicking on the logo above.

In other transportation news, the Denali Commission is requesting project nominations from city, borough, and tribal governments, and state/federal agencies for rural road and waterfront development projects. Project nominations are accepted until November 1, 2009. You may contact the Denali Commission with questions at (907) 271-1414.

After meeting and collaborating off and on for the better part of 2009, a committee of tourism stakeholders from southwest Alaska worked with the SWAMC staff to release a new logo and tagline for the region. The image represents the shape, the colors, and the heritage of southwest Alaska. We're proud of the logo and plan to use it extensively to promote the area. In addition, we have a regional contractor working on a complete update of our southwestalaska.com tourism website due out this year, and both efforts should mesh to produce a high-quality tourism marketing package. In the mean time, keep an eye out for the logo, and tell your friends!

In other news, AMHS, DNR and the Department of Fish and Wildlife have released the Master Interpretive Plan for the Alaska Marine Highway, Kodiak and the Aleutians Segment. This document provides recommendations for projects - both on-board and on-shore - to enhance passenger experiences along the ferry ride. Copies are available in each of the communities along the southwest ferry run, and found online by clicking here.

Katie Abbot joined the SWAMC team this week as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. Katie will pick up on some ongoing SWAMC efforts as she focuses on three infrastructure-related elements core to the economic development of the region: energy, transportation, and broadband delivery. We expect Katie to: continue to work with the Southwest Alaska Energy Task Force as they research strategies to reduce the costs and usage of energy in the southwest region; advocate for broadband opportunities and policy recommendations to expand access to Southwest (if not all of) Alaska; and facilitate a strategy to get SWAMC engaged in rural transportation planning. Feel free to call the office or email Katie to welcome the South Carolinian as she embarks on her year of work with Southwest Alaska.

The Bristol Bay Native Association will be hosting the Bristol Bay Energy Summit on October 8-10 in Dillingham. The theme of the summit is Energy Efficiency: The First Step to Renewable Energy, and you can guess from the title that these three days will be packed with information on efficiency, conservation, and renewable and alternative energy technologies. Confirmed presenters include the National Renewable Energy Lab, the Alaska Center for Energy & Power, the Alaska Energy Authority, and SWAMC, among others. Workshop topics will include energy audits, retrofits, biomass, advanced lighting technology, and much more. For more information, contact the BBNA Tribal Energy program at 907.842.6231 or 800.478.5257.

On September 22, the community of King Cove will celebrate its 60th year as an incorporated city. The milestone is a particular point of pride in this Aleut fishing village. From where it sits, perched on the remote rim of the Alaska Peninsula, edged by volcanoes on one side, and the fish-rich waters of the Pacific Ocean on the other, the success and sophistication of the community and its residents are a testament to this milestone.

At the time of its incorporation in 1949, with statehood still a contested dream, King Cove became one of only 20 incorporated cities in the entire Territory of Alaska. Only two other southwest communities, Kodiak (1940) and Unalaska (1942), were incorporated before King Cove. The celebration will include music, food, and performance from Aleut dancers. SWAMC plans to be there for what promises to be a fun day, and King Cove invites all to take part in their milestone!