Project Lead:
Northwest Arctic Borough | Dickie Moto, Mayor | (907) 442-2500 | dmoto@nwabor.org
Overview/History:
The Northwest Arctic Borough is comprised of 11 villages and spans 36,000 square miles. The area experiences frigid cold winters with temperatures hovering from minus 52 to zero degrees most days. Shelter cabins are located on trail systems throughout the region as a safe refuge for travelers during the winter months. The cabins are sparse, as they are not used for camping or other long-term stays, but instead for emergency protection. Throughout the years, these cabins have been the lifeline for distressed travelers giving them a sheltered place to wait for rescuers to locate them. The Northwest Arctic Borough is requesting $500,000 to upgrade existing shelter cabins and construct three new cabins.
Additionally, search and rescue facilities and functioning equipment in each village are greatly lacking. In the event of an emergency, equipment must be safe and ready for immediate use, however, in our extreme climate, equipment that is left outside freezes and it takes precious time to get the equipment up and running. Having a place to store fire and rescue equipment, snowmachines, boats and heavy equipment is paramount to having a functioning search and rescue program in each village. The Northwest Arctic Borough is requesting $1,500,000 to construct public safety/heavy equipment facilities in the communities of Ambler, Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Selawik, Noorvik, Shungnak and Kobuk.
Funding Needed: $2,000,000 | Project Status: Shovel Ready