Usdot Build Grant Application 2019
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USDOT BUILD GRANT APPLICATION 2019 PROJECT NOATAK TO DELONG MOUNTAIN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM HAUL ROAD PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL LINKAGES STUDY SPONSOR NATIVE VILLAGE OF NOATAK WWW.NOATAKPEL.ORG CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ..............................................................................3 SECTION 2.0 PROJECT LOCATION ....................................................................................7 SECTION 3.0 GRANT FUNDS, SOURCES, AND USES OF PROJECT FUNDS .......8 SECTION 4.0 SELECTION CRITERIA ..................................................................................9 a. Primary Selection.............................................................................................................9 b. Secondary Selection ....................................................................................................14 SECTION 5.0 PROJECT READINESS ................................................................................17 a. Technical Feasibility .....................................................................................................17 b. Project Schedule ...........................................................................................................20 c. Required Approvals .....................................................................................................20 d. Assessment of Project Risks and Mitigation Strategies ........................26 SECTION 6.0 PROJECT READINESS...............................................................................27 NOATAKPEL.ORG • 2 NOATAK TO DMTS HAUL ROAD 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION (Fay, Schworer, Mouhcine, & Armagost, 2013). In 2018, the Ted Stevens International Airport was High fuel prices have a broad impact on Alaskan the 5th busiest hub for air cargo in the world (Alaska communities. When prices of gasoline and other Public, 2018) 75 large cargo jets landed daily and vehicle fuel go up, households immediately face the cemented Anchorage as a world-class cargo hub. If higher costs associated with the increase in the price Alaska were a country, it would rank 33rd largest out of gasoline. Furthermore, transportation industries of 239 countries in the world. Alaska’s division and pay more for fuel and in turn, increase the rate sheets distance from other U.S. states, its resource-based for passengers and freight (Fay, Schworer, Mouhcine, economy, the 6,640 miles of coastline, a vast area & Armagost, 2013). of over 663,300 square miles, extreme weather, Despite the dependency on fuel prices, air travel and rugged terrain make the transportation system remains the most efficient form of transportation in globally unique (ADOT&PF, 2008). The estimated and out of the state. Residents in Anchorage may feel population of Alaska in 2018 is over 730,000 people connected to the rest of the world as they have flight with about 240,000 (33%) living in rural Alaska and options available to them at reasonable prices. Alaska 67% living in urban Alaska (Research and Analysis, Airlines is the only major airliner providing travel 2019). It is costly to build roads in rural Alaska for from the Railbelt to rural hub communities. Residents the reasons given above. The current connected road in these hubs, such as Bethel, Dillingham, Kotzebue, system covers only parts of Southcentral and Interior Nome, and Barrow, are a massively removed from Alaska. Juneau, the state capital, is not accessible by that due to the steep cost of travel from a hub road. This results in a disconnected Alaska in terms of community into Anchorage or Fairbanks. Although surface transportation. smaller airliners fly out to the remaining communities, To help resolve this disparity, Alaska uses other these residents may find travel to the lower 48 an forms of surface transportation. The Alaska Railroad impossible prospect. runs from Seward north to Fairbanks along the In the interim, resources in rural communities ‘Railbelt’ which carries both passengers and cargo are not always plentiful as subsistence harvests are while the Alaska Marine Highway provides access to being affected by climate change which is causing a communities in Southern Alaska. variety in changes in harvest cycles, production, and Beyond the Railbelt, hundreds of small isolated distribution (Chapin et al. 2014; Griffith and McGuire communities with low population density reside on 2008). The most significant negative climate impacts the coast and along rivers, which may freeze in the stem from melting sea ice and associated ecological winter. Cargo is delivered seasonally via barge, but fluctuations in western Alaska (Hezel et al. 2012; otherwise, the communities depend on airplanes to Huntington et al. 2016). Shrinking seasonal sea ice carry people and most consumer goods. Shipping can cover and shifting weather patterns increase the risk of require up to four modalities, multiple handlings, and travel in small boats and reduce the time when walrus various warehousing functions before the product and other sea-ice dependent species are available arrives at the final destination. Alaska transportation for harvesting (Berman & Schmidt, 2018). Outside of industries used about one billion gallons of fuel in subsistence foods, rural communities such as Noatak 2010, of which 961 million gallons cost $2.5 billion depend on goods flown in from other places. NOATAKPEL.ORG • 3 NOATAK TO DMTS HAUL ROAD In Noatak, a man gets on a four-wheeler and school, water/sewage treatment plant, and fuel travels on gravel roads to get dropped off at the tanks. The impact of even one changing variable, local unsheltered runway. There he waits for Bering such as increasing temperatures, on one mode Air to pick him up, in a small propeller plane, to fly of transportation, such as winter trails, is difficult 30 minutes to Kotzebue for $342. The plane can to analyze. Warmer temperatures cause a loss of carry only a few other people as mail and food for overland winter transportation, which is challenging Kivalina, a neighboring community, fills the rest to quantify in terms of human safety, construction, of the plane. In Kotzebue, he carries his things to and subsistence. Increased risk undoubtedly equates Alaska Airlines where two flights come in daily to to increased cost. Considering the multi-variable and Anchorage. A roundtrip ticket for this journey costs multi-modal transportation system such as Noatak, about $650. Once in Anchorage, the Noatak man gets it becomes apparent that the planning of any surface a taxi and shops at Walmart, Costco, eats out, and transportation project should be equally adept. stays overnight somewhere. At the store, he buys Sustainable living for this growing community will not things not readily available at home such as certain happen unless transportation infrastructure is built. consumer goods, fresh fruit, and vegetables. All his The Noatak Community Comprehensive Development goods are packed in Rubbermaid totes, coolers, or Plan 2006-2016 articulates Noatak’s residents’ goals heavy cardboard boxes packed up with zip ties and to develop and maintain public infrastructure and duct tape. Coming back, 150 pounds of luggage is free services for accommodating community growth. to ship. Otherwise, freight costs $1.00 per pound at These goals include: any airliner from Anchorage to Kotzebue plus another $1.10 from Anchorage back to Noatak. He hopefully • Building and maintaining new ground, air, and marine does not have to overnight in the Kotzebue hotel, transportation facilities and services that will create Nullagvik, because it costs about $280 a night if there local jobs, while enhancing safety, accessibility, and is space. Such trips happen for this Noatak man for affordable costs for the community; and shopping, medical appointments, or any other reason. • Ensuring the safe movement of fuel, goods, people, and Imagine the cost that an entire family might incur for services; and such a trip. • Investigating the benefits, costs, and economic impacts Noatak residents face various upcoming changes of developing surface transportation projects; and such as the rising costs of living coupled with lower • Evaluating transportation options that will make Noatak funding availability, impacts of climate change, sustainable. pressures on subsistence resources, and lack of jobs for young people. The Noatak River is actively eroding CENSUS DESIGNATION the bank that will soon impact the airport runway. No Archaeologists believe that people have inhabited the roads connect to the village, and a barge port site is Noatak area for over 11,000 years. Historically, two not possible due to shallow waters and the pristine separate nations lived along the Noatak River. The status of the watershed. Despite these challenges, Nuataaġmiut occupied the headwater regions from people in Noatak stay in the village cemented in Howard Pass to the upriver portion of the Noatak place by expensive infrastructures such as the K-12 Canyon. The Naapaqtuġmiut occupied the region NOATAKPEL.ORG • 4 NOATAK TO DMTS HAUL ROAD from the downriver portion of the Noatak Canyon facilities, on-site power generation, and residential to just below where the Eli River joins the Noatak quarters for up to 96 workers. While the Study Area (Satterthwaite-Phillips, Krenz, Gray, & Dodd, 2016). does not include the port facilities, it does include a These groups would remain separate until spring sizable portion of the DMTS gravel haul road. when they would gather to hunt seals and beluga. The eastern boundary follows