Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission – 2016 Project

NOTE: Project pages are being updated regularly to reflect changes, if any; however, some of the information may be dated.

Summary

The Ahtna Tribal Energy Planning and Technical Assistance Project (ATEPTAP) will address the need to plan and coordinate renewable energy resources in a vast and sparsely populated region. The project is designed to coordinate with the tribal administrators and village staff of eight federally recognized tribes across the 27 million-acre Ahtna Region to educate, plan, and bring project ideas forward to development. Currently the Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission (AITRC) priority is to develop an integrated biomass program that will incorporate sustainable biomass production that fits with building fuel breaks and fuel reduction projects around our communities while creating moose habitat wherever possible. This is our Food, Fuel, and Fire Protection (FFFP) initiative.

The Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission, doing business as the Copper River-Ahtna Intertribal Resource Conservation District (CRITR), as incorporated in 2011 to be a regional coordinating body for customary and traditional resource use in the Ahtna Region. The total 2010 census population for the Ahtna Region is 3,682, and the American Indians and Alaska Natives 2010 census population for the Ahtna Region is 890. The eight tribes in the region covered under this project are Mentasta Traditional Council, Native Village of Cantwell, Cheesh’Na Tribe, Native Village of Gakona, Gulkana Village, Native Village of Tazlina, Native Village of Kluti-Kaah, and Native Village of Chitina.

Currently, these Villages are developing many renewable energy projects, but technical assistance and information sharing is needed. Energy prices are high, and there are no coordinated village energy plans to develop underutilized biomass and other renewable resources. At the same time, wildland fire danger and low moose populations threaten the local food source for the village people.

AIRTC, the eight Villages and participating partners have already assessed the region’s habitat and forest resources and developed various renewable energy projects. This proposed technical assistance program project will enable the coordination of energy planning and resource development opportunities for the Villages and region at an accelerated pace.

This project addresses four regional needs: energy, food security, community fire protection, and community development. The goals of this project are to reduce energy costs, improve community wildfire readiness, provide local food security, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, and reduce outmigration from the Ahtna Villages.

The objectives and deliverables of this project are:

• Develop an integrated biomass/moose browse/fire protection plan for each Village
• Update the regional energy plan and develop an integrated energy plan for each Village’s high-priority energy opportunities, focused on weatherization and renewable solutions
• Develop a Regional Tribal Energy Technical Assistance and Outreach Program
• Provide on-site training, outreach, and planning assistance to each Village Council as requested
• Sponsor quarterly regional training sessions in community energy and resource stewardship planning.

To achieve these objectives, AIRTC will:

• Hire a professional project planner to coordinate the overall project and provide technical assistance and outreach to each Village based on specific identified needs
• Develop the integrated biomass/moose browse/fire protection part of the plan and provide technical assistance on biomass-related projects
• Update the Ahtna regional energy plan and identify and develop priority Village energy plans for weatherization, solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal.

The project team will attend Tribal Council meetings and also provide on-site outreach and technical assistance training in each community; host quarterly regional training sessions in community energy and resource stewardship planning; and establish a regional electronic information-sharing system to share project development ideas, information, and resources with our villages and regional organizations.

It is anticipated that this program will be sustainable, since each Village will have a blueprint to develop its projects, and the integrated energy planning for the region will enable efficient and effective project funding. Knowledge sharing and relationship building as part of this project will also serve to empower the Villages to develop and maintain their projects.

This Ahtna Tribal Energy Planning and Technical Assistance Project will serve the eight member Villages in the Ahtna territory located in southeast Alaska: Mentasta Traditional Council, Native Village of Cantwell, Cheesh’Na Tribe, Native Village of Gakona, Gulkana Village, Native Village of Tazlina, Native Village of Kluti-Kaah, and Native Village of Chitina. The total 2010 census population for the Ahtna Region is 3,682, and the American Indians and Alaska Natives 2010 census population for the Ahtna Region is 890.

The project is complete. For additional details, see the final report and project status reports. 

The project was competitively selected under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy’s Fiscal Year 2016 funding opportunity announcement “Establishment of an Inter-tribal Technical Assistance Energy Providers Network” (DE-FOA-0001453) and started in September 2016.