The community of Kivalina has been working for decades with a variety of local, state, and federal agencies to address threats of coastal erosion and Borough Assembly Members Elmer Armstrong Jr. The airstrip in Kivalina cannot be used for evacuation: severe storms make it too dangerous, and erosion continues to threaten its existence. The nearby Red Dog Mine, which employs some Kivalina residents, is providing funding for the project's reactor, demonstrating how public-private partnerships can help both parties thrive. Two versions of the resolution would have awarded the contract to Kotzebue-based Remote Solutions LLC, owned by former Iditarod champion John Baker and his fiancee, fellow Iditarod musher Katherine Keith. The team delivered the project to the construction phase in just 22 monthsputting Kivalina residents on the road to a more secure future. The FINAL NWAB 2030 Comprehensive Plan Page is available. Township 27 N, Range 26 W, of the Kateel River Meridian. The Kivalina Evacuation Route and School Access Site project, completed in 2021, was recognized by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for a national Quality of Life award for a medium sized project. The school site is eight miles from Kivalina, which is only accessible by air or two annual barges. O'Brien said that in the past, the district and borough worked together on school construction projects. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. As of last week, it became a nationally award-winning evacuation route. 8 Miles of line doubled the number of poles in Kivalina. At a Glance . But now the ice is too thin; they can go anywhere., The meaning of "season" in coastal Iupiaq communities is different than in the western context. "Permafrost was protected by leaving the tundra in place and constructing the road embankment in winter - placing frozen material on top of frozen ground," she said. The Kivalina replacement school cost the state $63-million, including a $12.6 million local share, and was the final of five projects on the school construction grant list that were identified in the consent decree as required for completion by 2016. also includes construction of a second permanent pad near the inland side of the lagoon crossing used for contractor staging. In March 2009, a snowstorm in Kivalina, Alaska, lasted for three days. The Kivalina Evacuation and School Site Access Road project would provide Kivalina residents a safe and reliable evacuation route in the event of a catastrophic storm or ocean surge, allowing evacuees to temporarily mobilize to safe refuge at an assembly site on K-Hill. You cant have a school without a road to build the school, says Olson. Bill Walkers budget because of the states legal duty to pay for it. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Erosion and wind-driven ice have resulted in plans to relocate the village to a new site 2.5 miles away. The new school was one of the first projects completed. within these areas have been determined feasible and are carried forward for further evaluation (K-Hill, Wulik River Channel Source 1, Wulik Relic Chanel Several material source locations within these areas were evaluated for feasibility based on proximity to potential routes, quantity and In recent years, the Native Village of Kivalina has engaged diverse federal, state, regional, and local partners in quarterly planning meetings and has involved community members in all relocation efforts. (907) 451-5479 Kivalina is located between the Chukchi Sea and Kivalina River at the tip of an 8-mile barrier reef. The project initiated a modelling process involving various stakeholders, both from the village and the government, who are attempting to deal with the various political, legal, and environ- mental transformations that shape the island of Kivalina today. A new rock revetment wall has a projected lifespan of 15 to 20 years. However, building the Kivalina road was urgent and necessary "to establish a safe and reliable means of evacuation for the community," so the state officials and the Kivalina community completed the project sooner. She said the district agreed to support the road project, while working with the borough to come up with the match funding for the new school. The residents of Kivalina have also engaged non-profit organizations and the international community in their plight, and have sought new sources for future funding of their relocation effort. Another condition to start school construction was the completion of the road to access the location. The need for a concerted effort to mitigate these The feasibility of several potential route alignments were evaluated within a project study area encompassing Kivalina Island, the southern portion of Kivalina Lagoon, and the lower Wulik and Kivalina River drainages in Townships 27N and 28N, Ranges 25W, 26W and 27W of the Kateel River Meridian. In the meantime, there are deficiencies in sanitation that must be addressed in order to support the health needs of community residents. See links to these resources in the sidebar, under Additional Resources. Numerous study, concept, and planning documents exist on potential solutions, which range from: erosion protection around the city; to relocation of the entire community; to a new mainland site. The Re-Locate project is coordinated and funded by Three Degrees Warmer, a non-profit . adjacent to the Kivalina Airport, immediately cross the lagoon with a 3,020-foot long causeway, and follow lowlands and relic channels of the Wulik River While Alaska DOT&PF knew that the Kivalina project could have qualified in multiple categories, Quality of Life was the strongest nomination category. Erosion and wind-driven ice have resulted in plans to relocate the village to a new site 2.5 miles away. Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor Clement Richards Sr. said the borough was attempting to "think outside the box" and move forward with the school project, estimated to cost $63 million and result in the construction of a new school building on higher ground. The proposed road project origin would be at the City of Kivalina, which lies within the Kotzebue Recording District and is located in Section 21, Township 27 N, Range 26 W, of the Kateel River Meridian. Kivalina incorporated as a second-class city in 1969. "The rush is very confusing.". jonathan.hutchinson@alaska.gov (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News). The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 33 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. Diminishing fish on the Wulik River, changes in caribou migration routes, reduced availability of berries and greens, and the inability to hunt sea mammals due to loss of sea ice have raised concerns about the village's food security: not only do residents fear for their safety due to erosion and ocean storms, growing numbers of families also face hunger. None of the resolutions included a specific price for the sole-source contract. Borough officials said in interviews this month that they didn't expect the school district to push back against the no-bid contract proposal. Alena Naiden can be reached at anaiden@adn.com. Through this program, the Army Corps completed a rock revetment in 2010. While the school is a new beginning for the students, it's the culmination of a long planning process and a lighting-paced construction process for both the school, which will serve as the community's emergency shelter in the event of a storm or flooding . "They've been in the news for years and years, they've been studied over and over and over and it's time that we take action and move forward. the southern portion of Kivalina Lagoon, and the lower Wulik and Kivalina River drainages in Townships 27N and 28N, Ranges 25W, 26W and 27W of the The Kivalina Evacuation Route and School Access Site project, completed in 2021, was recognized by the American Association of State Highway Officials for a national Quality of Life award for a medium sized project. Photo by Candy Deardorff Richards said Remote Solutions had worked with the borough and he said he had pushed the resolutions "as a way to move forward." On the island where Kivalina is located, three ancient bodies and artifacts were discovered belonging to a people who went extinct over a millennium ago. "The village sits there because, in 1905, the Bureau of Indian Affairs came and built a school on the island . As sea levels rise, the practicality of traditional Inupiaq migration is revisited. It was the last of three special meetings called in three different cities over one month's time to discuss the controversial contract proposal. The costof the road project could range from $40 million to $70 million, according to the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Residents would continue to be exposed to environmental The road would be designed to accommodate both general purpose and emergency evacuation vehicles over a two-way road with shoulders, multiple turnouts, and safe side slopes that include guard rails or other safety features as required. Alternative contracting, utilizing the Construction Manager General Contractor (CM/GC) method provided further innovations, with ASRC Civil Construction building the project for $43 million. Washes objects by hand or with cleaning equipment. The project reported was to construct a system to harness the winds of an Arctic site to generate electricity that would power a greenhouse where fruit and vegetables could be raised for local consumption. The Alaska Legislature set aside $43.2 million in 2015 for the replacement school in Kivalina, about 80 air miles northwest of Kotzebue and home to about 400 people. Four days earlier, the no-bid contract was pulled from the agenda at a special meeting in Anchorage. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated November 3, 2017, and Project Value. ", Bowhead whale bones greet visitors to the town of Kivalinain December 2012. In 1992, Kivalina residents voted to move, and in 2003 and 2006, U.S. government reports said Kivalina had to be relocated within the next 10 to 15 years, due to erosion from warming temperatures. The new road will provide Kivalina residents with a reliable evacuation route in the event of a catastrophic storm or ocean surge. Kivalina is on track to get both a new school and an access road two things the community's been asking for for years. Kivalina (Kivalliiq in Iupiaq) is a city in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska, United States. While Alaska DOT&PF knew that the Kivalina project could have qualified in multiple categories, Quality of Life was the strongest nomination category. NAB within the Study Area (Community Proposed Alternatives). As a consequence, there would The state committed to building the school in 2011, as part of a long-fought education lawsuit known as the Kasayulie case. 2023 and limited reproduction rights for personal use are Location 0 0 0 other reviews that are not currently recommended Few places in the world have been as rocked by climate change as Kivalina. Then were spending a lot more money, and were already in a financially strapped time.. executed by FHWA and DOT&PF. The Pledge of Allegiance, translated into Inupiaq, on the wall of the special education classroom in Kivalinas McQueen School in 2012. It would be very detrimental to the students and the school here in Kivalina, says Hawley. Beaversan invasive species in this regionbuild dams that make river travel to upstream food sources challenging for residents. Kivalina, Alaska, in August 2009. Such heavy snows also increase extended school absences. Meet in front of the main office. 3,200. Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) officials recently accepted the award. The community of Kivalina was founded at its current location in 1905 An earlier vote was even closer a 5-5 tie, which also meant it failed to pass. The school test scores in Kivalina are 100% lower than the national average. Adak Aleut Corp Housing Demo 1-Time Inert. Last Monday morning in Iupiaq Alaska, at Kivalina's McQueen School gymnasium, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell stood from her seat at a table surrounded by community elders, hunters and search and rescue volunteers. Kivalina shares many similarities with other global communities heavily impacted by climate change, due to common historic injustices, Kivalina also faces . Adak Husky Road Landfill. High School freshman Lazarus Adams, wearing a polar bear fur ruff, walks home with a group of middle-school girls after classes at Kivalinas McQueen School in a 2012 file photo. In the face of this increased threat, Kivalina needs a safe and reliable means of evacuation. "Rock had to be blasted, and big rocks crushed in little rocks and little rocks into gravel before the civil work could begin.". (800) 478-1110 (in AK) Some preliminary studies have been completeda lagoon causeway study, a reconnaissance study, and an aerial mapping projectbut state budget constraints have slowed others. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Evacuation routes considered to date by Kivalina and the NAB have included. The FINAL NWAB 2030 Comprehensive Plan Page is available. Anchorage Daily News. The consequences are both sudden and gradual for the people here powerful storms are sweeping . Adapted from the report "Climate Change in Kivalina, Alaska: Strategies for Community Health" published by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the blog post "Re-Locate Receives 2015 ArtPlace America Grant" published by Re-Locate Kivalina. K-Hill is an active . Options involving community relocation have been problematic, as they are neither culturally preferable While in the past year, the community did not have a need to evacuate, the road has been used for access to construct the new school, said Danielle Tessen, DOT information officer. Invalid password or account does not exist. However, the planning for this project began almost 20 years ago. The village is home toabout 450 residents, 97% Alaska Native. Tim Mearig, state education department facilities manager, said Kivalina is the last of the five schools named in the settlement to receive full funding. Millie Hawley, President, Native Village of Kivalina. The Climate Foundationwinner of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Reinvent the Toilet Challenge" grantwill work with Kivalina leaders and Re-Locate, a group of social artists formed to help with Kivalina's relocation efforts, to apply its success at developing innovative waste management technology around the world to benefit Kivalina and other Arctic communities. Box 104 Noorvik, AK 99763Email, Seat B- Kivalina, Noatak, Baird Mountains, Kiana & NoorvikP.O. However, until homes are built at the relocation site, the school children in Kivalina will ride their new bus out the dark snow-covered newly constructed gravel road to attend school. Kivalina is a poster child for climate change it is on a barrier island on Kotzebue Sound, and it is experiencing steady erosion. the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). There are approximately n/a public schools in Kivalina. The awards are sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. An alternative evacuation and relocation road is being studied. Create a password that only you will remember. Background. Women and elders use baited wire to catch crab through ice. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 33 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. In late March or early April, flocks of snowbirds are migrating and in the ice leads, bowhead and beluga. The new road, bridge and causeway were designed to accommodate all modes of transportation for all seasons, and residents began using the new route immediately after opening. 2010). Funding Cut To Kivalina School Could Pose Legal Problem For Legislature By Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN - Juneau - April 9, 2015 On Wednesday, the Senate Finance committee slashed more than $40. risks became more evident during an evacuation event in October 2007, when debris-laden storm waves overtopped the barrier island. "We're back at looking how to move forward following the guidelines established by the state.". Choose wisely! 163 Lagoon Street Along Alaska's west coast, about 80 miles above the Arctic circle, sits the village of Kivalina, situated on a narrow strip of land between a lagoon and the Chukchi Seaone of . The third, voted down in Seattle, would have simply allowed the borough to award a no-bid contract. forward for further evaluation (detailed in Section 3 of the Final EA). The event resulted in Men go caribou hunting inland. 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