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Economic Development and Advocacy for Southwest Alaska
| July 2010 |
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Greetings!
Hello and welcome to this latest edition of e-Tidings, SWAMC's monthly newsletter for friends of the region. Summer is in full swing- the fish are back, the fireworks and solstice have come and gone, and things are busy in the SWAMC office. There's a lot to get to this month, so let's get started. Make sure to note some of the relevant regional events and dates to remember at the end of this newsletter. Thanks for reading.
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Southwest Alaska Broadband Consortium
In
response to proposed and existing projects to expand broadband infrastructure
throughout the southwest region, SWAMC is creating the Southwest Alaska
Broadband Consortium. We are inviting stakeholders from throughout the
region to collaborate on a broadband strategy specific to the needs of
Southwest Alaskans. Potential partners could include educators, health professionals, e-commerce businesses, governments, broadband providers, and more. With the development of a cohesive strategic plan,
Southwest Alaska will be prepared to benefit from the potential economic surge
through this expanded technology for years to come. In addition, this
plan will be shared with policymakers, agencies, funders, and other developers
as we look for solutions to advancing our regional and state economy. If
you or your organization/entity is interested in joining this consortium or
finding out more information please contact SWAMC at vista@swamc.org or by calling 907.562.7380.
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NPFMC Schedules Special Meeting on Steller Sea Lion BiOp
At their June meeting in Sitka, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council received an update from NMFS on the schedule for preparation and release of the draft status quo Biological Opinion on Steller sea lions. The agency still intends to release the draft BiOp in late July. In order for the NPFMC to provide input to NMFS on potential 2011 fishing management measures related to the draft, the Council has scheduled three August meetings in Anchorage. The meetings are scheduled for the week of August 16-19 at the Captain Cook Hotel, with the SSC meeting August 16-17, the AP meeting August 17-18, and the Council meeting August 18-19. Following the August meeting, NMFS would
complete an analysis of alternative management measures, and those would be available for potential Council final action at their October meeting. SWAMC will continue to monitor the SSL BiOp issue and report back to our members.
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A Tour of the Copper River Seafoods Campus in Anchorage
 SWAMC recently toured the Copper River Seafoods Campus in Anchorage to see how the company is preparing to become more involved in coastal fishing communities, primarily those in Southwest Alaska. CRS hopes to train hundreds of Alaskans in all things related to fish processing, from the clerical and technical side to the mid- and upper-level management positions. "We react to our markets," said Joe Egemo, CEO for the company, "and everything we try to do here is about adding value and delivering the best looking fish possible to our customers."
By training workers through all aspects of the system, CRS is vertically integrating their operations and managing for quality at all levels. This emphasis on quality includes getting public buy-in from the communities they operate in, something the company takes very seriously. "We're looking to form long-lasting community partnerships," said Egemo, and their business plans focus on social aspects as well as economic development. With support from the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., Copper River Seafoods is currently partnering with the traditional community of Togiak to fine-tune their business model, and the plant is producing higher quality fish and higher prices for the local fleets. "It's a real win-win," according to Egemo. CRS hopes to expand their operations to several Bristol Bay communities and beyond in the near future. The training campus is located in downtown Anchorage and available for tours.
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NOAA to Hold Regional Meeting to Improve Fishing Community Profiles
NOAA Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) is inviting coastal Alaskans to attend their regional meetings to be held during summer 2010 and provide information on how to enrich their Community Profiles for North Pacific Fisheries -Alaska publication (originally published in 2005). These one-day meetings will focus on engaging Alaskan fishing community leaders and the public to provide meaningful information on how to revise the community profiles so that they are better representative of communities. Two meetings will be held in the SWAMC region: Unalaska/Dutch Harbor on August 25 and Kodiak on September 27. Some of the themes that will shape the discussion include:
- An exchange of local stories that best illustrate the way in which fishing shapes the fabric of your community;
- Information that fishery managers need to know about Alaskan communities that is not currently represented in the community profiles;
- Ways to best gather or compile this new information for each community.
AFSC is asking participants to RSVP if they plan to attend a meeting. You can register by email to amber.himes@noaa.gov or by calling (206) 526-4221. Find out more about the Community Profile meetings by visiting their website.
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Stopping the 'Gag Law' in the August Primary
Measure 1 on the August primary ballot is called the "Alaska Anti-Corruption Act," but it can be very dangerous to municipalities, trade associations, and organizations like SWAMC if passed. Among other things, this initiative could adversely affect public policy by:
- Outlawing municipal-funded lobbying, which is typically how our local
government communicates our needs to the Legislature in Juneau.
- Prohibiting board members of non-profits who receive city or state
funds from advocating for their non-profit and making
contributions to certain candidates for office.
- Prohibiting any Alaskan who had a government contract larger
than $500 from making political contributions.
The ban extends to the citizen's 'immediate family', including parents,
aunts, uncles, and cousins.
- Silencing public employees like firefighters, police, nurses,
teachers and educational professionals who would not be allowed to talk about their
jobs unless summoned by an elected body. This attack on speech endangers us all
as they will not be free to talk about the impacts of cuts to their
departments.
Clearly, Ballot Measure 1, also known as the 'Gag Law,' has serious flaws and could lead to even more corruption and distrust in Alaska. Several entities have teamed up to fight the misguided measure, and you can find out more by visiting the Stop the Gag Law website to aid in the effort of defeating Measure 1. These folks can provide you and your community an excellent 'toolkit' for educating citizens on why the 'Gag Law' is an assault on free speech. Make sure to spread the word that come August 24, folks should Vote NO on Measure #1!
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Southwest Alaska Air Traffic
A characteristic setting Southwest
Alaska apart from most other regions of the US is  that roads
do not link the communities. Like most of Alaska's
rugged & rural territory, the best way to get there is by boat or plane. Flying
is by far the most common form of travel between communities. Upon
investigation into the passenger enplanements, one can
identify a number of interesting facts.
The Chart displayed here shows
average monthly enplanements at 4 communities in SW Alaska.
The largest community in the region, Kodiak, has substantially more activity
than the other communities and is reflective of the increased fishing and
tourism activity during the warmer months. Dillingham's flight activity appears
to be focused around the driving force for the region, the summer fishing season;
although a trend could also be established showing tourism activity during the
warmer July and August months. Dutch
Harbor and Cold Bay are much more driven by the winter commercial fishing season,
where crew are moving around to get good jobs on the boats that port in those communities.
The spike in January could be attributed to the beginning of the cod and tanner
crab fisheries; some weight should also be giving to the proximity of the
holiday season, where crew would be returning from time away from the boat. Dutch Harbor
also shows a spike in activity during June, which could reflect both the
commercial activity of salmon and halibut, and also tourism.
Closer investigation into
individual years shows that the communities of Kodiak and Dillingham, which
rely to a greater extent on tourism to drive the air traffic, showed a measurable
decline in 2009 during the warmer "tourist months." Further analysis reveals that each of the communities listed is a hub community, where
passengers arrive and conduct regional air traffic with the surrounding
communities, on a smaller scale.
Source: http://www.transtats.bts.gov/DL_SelectFields.asp?Table_ID=259&DB_Short_Name=Air%20Carriers
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Click here to become a member.  |
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Some of our Partners
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Have a small business question? If so, visit
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City
of Adak
AIDEA
City
of Akutan
AK
Groundfish Data Bank
Alaska Permanent Capital Management
AK
Village Electric Coop
Aleut Enterprise
Aleutian
Housing Auth.
Alyeska Seafoods, Inc.
City
of Atka
Beaver Creek B & B
BBEDC
Bristol
Bay Housing Auth.
BBNA
BBNC
Commercial Fish & Agriculture Bank (CFAB)
Crowley Maritime Corp.
Curyung
Tribal Council
Denali Commission
Eastern
Aleutian Tribes
City
of Egegik
First
National Bank AK
Grand Aleutian Hotel
Katmailand
King Cove Corporation
City
of Kodiak
Kodiak
Area Native Assoc.
Marine
Advisory Program
Marine
Conservation Alliance
Mundt
MacGregor LLP
Nushagak
Cooperative
Ounalashka Corporation
Pacific
Seafood Processors Association
Pebble Limited Partnership
Pedro
Bay Village Council
Petro
Star Inc.
City
of Pilot Point
PND
Engineers Inc.
City
of Port Lions
Qagan
Tayagungin Tribe
City
of St. Paul
SAVEC
City
of Sand Point
Shumagin
Corporation
Spruce Island Dev. Corp.
UniSea,
Inc.
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Upcoming Events & Dates to Remember
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- FY12 Municipal Harbor Facility Grant Applications Due, July 15.
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Special NPFMC Meeting on Steller Sea Lion Biological Opinion. SSC: Aug. 16-17; AP: Aug. 17-18; NPFMC: Aug. 18-19, Anchorage.
- Alaska Municipal League Summer Legislative Meeting, Kodiak. August 18-20.
- NOAA's Fishing Community Profile Meeting, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. August 25.
- Institute of the North's Alaska Dialogue, Talkeetna. September 17-19.
- 2nd Foraker Group Leadership Summit for Non-Profit Board & Staff, Anchorage. September 20-21.
- NOAA's Fishing Community Profile Meeting, Kodiak. September 27.
- Bristol Bay Native Corporation Annual Shareholders Meeting, New Stuyahok. October 2.
- North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting, Anchorage. October 4.
- Univ. of Alaska Workshop on Cooperative Development, Anchorage. October 15-16.
- 2010 Elders & Youth Conference, Fairbanks. October 18-20.
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As always...
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Thanks for your support of SWAMC. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts, ideas, concerns and events. For previous newsletters, click the link below.
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