FY2026-13 Identifying Federal Project And Program Priorities For Federal Fiscal Years 2026 And 20271
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KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH VERSION 2
RESOLUTION NO. FY2026-13
A RESOLUTION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH IDENTIFYING
FEDERAL PROJECT AND PROGRAM PRIORITIES FOR FEDERAL FISCAL YEARS 2026
AND 2027
WHEREAS, the Alaska Congressional Delegation has requested the views of the Kodiak Island
Borough on which Federal projects and programs should be considered priorities, in no particular
order, for rural Alaskan communities and their residents.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND
BOROUGH that the Kodiak Island Borough's views and recommendations on priority Federal
programs and projects for FY2026 and FY2027 are as follows. These recommendations are
submitted understanding that Congress has not yet enacted a number of important FY2026
appropriations bills that include Borough priorities and therefore are reiterated below.
1. Community Project/Congressionally Directed Spending Requests: The Borough submits
the following FY2026 and FY2027 Community Project Funding (CPF)/Congressionally
Directed Spending (CDS) requests, consistent with guidance issued by the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees.
• St Hermans Harbor Infrastructure Replacement: St. Hermans Harbor has been a vital
harbor facility for Kodiak's large and diverse commercial fishing fleet for 40 years. The
facility provides safe moorage for over 400 vessels from all over Alaska and the West
Coast. Unfortunately, its float system is aged, decrepit, and starting to fail. The City applied
for MARAD Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant funding for Phase One
of the float system replacement project and was awarded funding in 2024 in the amount
of $11.2 million. Pending in the final FY2026 appropriations bill is $5 million in CPF for the
project. We thank Senator Murkowski and Representative Begich for securing these
funds. These CDS/CPF funds combined with the PIDP grant will enable significant
progress in the rebuild and upgrade of St. Hermans Harbor. Given the cost of the full
renovation of the Harbor, the Borough is supportive of additional CDS/CPF funding
requests as well as Delegation support for any other grant applications submitted to DOT,
MARAD, or other relevant Federal agencies.
• Russian River Erosion Control Project: Over a number of years, the Russian River has
experienced significant erosion due to flooding, shifts in and bifurcation of river channels,
and increased sedimentation. This erosion in areas has reached the point where it is
damaging and will further damage public and private property in the Bells Flats
neighborhood in the Borough. This threat extends to homes, public and private land that
borders the Russian River, and a public road which is the only road access into and out
of the neighborhood. The Borough needs the Corps' expertise to develop both short and
long-term solutions to mitigate this threat to this important and vital community on Kodiak
Island. The Corps has informed us that this early study work would cost $200,000 through
its Flood Plain Management Services Program. The Borough would like to resubmit a
request for funding for this project in FY2027 as well as submit a project authorization
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expedited study request for the Water Resources Development Act which Congress is
due to consider in 2026.
2. Broadband Service To Rural Areas: Establishing or improving broadband service to the
Borough's rural communities has been a high Federal priority for us for many years. We
support continued deployment of high-speed broadband to rural areas through NTIA's Tribal
Broadband Program; USDA's Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program &
Community Connect Grant Program; and the State Broadband Grants Program created by
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
3. Groundfish Surveys: Our Federal resolutions over the years have consistently called for
maintenance of effort of Federal groundfish trawl surveys in Alaska. This maintenance of effort
is needed as part of the Federal science and data -driven fishery management process to
establish sustainable groundfish quotas. It has been supported by the Alaska Congressional
Delegation for which we are appreciative. This baseline is for six surveys, one of which is
dedicated to movement of fish out of historical survey areas. That funding/directive is included
in the Senate's FY2026 appropriations bill funding NOAA. We respectfully request that six
Alaska groundfish trawl surveys be continued and funded in the final FY2026 appropriations
bill, and for the FY2027 funding cycle as well.
5. Russian Seafood Import Ban: The dumping of seafood products by Russia into the U.S. and
international markets has driven down the price of Alaska seafood and hurt Alaska harvesters,
processors, and fisheries -dependent communities like Kodiak. In March of 2023, the Biden
Administration issued an Executive Order to ban direct Russian seafood imports into the U.S.
as part of its sanctions for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Unfortunately, Russia succeeded
in bypassing the sanctions by routing its seafood through reprocessing in and export from
China to the U.S. To tighten this loophole, in the Biden Administration issued another
Executive Order to further ban Russian imports even if it is processed and sold from another
country. We thank the Delegation for pressing the Biden Administration to take action and for
persuading the Trump Administration to keep the two Executive Orders in place. Rerouting of
Russian seafood through or for sale in other countries, including Europe, remains a concern.
We urge the Delegation to remain vigilant and encourage State Department and U.S. Trade
Representative engagement with these countries.
6. Fisheries Disaster Relief: Congress provided $300 million in fisheries disaster relief funds
earlier in this year but unfortunately the Department of Commerce has not approved any of
the submitted fisheries disaster relief requests over the past year. This includes multiple
disaster relief requests submitted by Governor Dunleavy for a number of Alaska's fisheries,
including for Kodiak's 2024 pink salmon fishery disaster. Our pink salmon fishery that year
experienced a 68 percent in value when compared to recent annual averages. We urge
the Delegation to press the Department to expeditiously review and approve eligible requests
so that fishermen and fishing business can be compensated for their losses, including to the
Borough for any foregone raw fish tax losses.
7. North Pacific Observer Program: Observers are an important part of managing the halibut
and groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. Gulf of Alaska fishery participants pay into the
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92 North Pacific Observer Fund to cover the costs of "partial coverage" for Gulf fishing sectors
93 but there has been a shortfall in funding to cover observer costs in recent years. The Senate
94 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill level funds the program for FY2026. We
95 request that an additional $2 million in funding be provided in FY2027 above base funding
96 along with carryover of language concerning the cost -burdens on the fixed -gear fleet.
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98 8. U.S. Coast Guard Base -- Kodiak: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes major investment
99 in Coast Guard activities and programs totaling over $24 billion. This is the largest infusion of
100 funding for the Coast Guard ever. These are additional funds on top of regular appropriations
101 which are about $13.5 billion/year. The next step in the process is for the Coast Guard to
102 develop a detailed spending plan of how, when, and where the funds will be allocated. We
103 are already excited about prior Coast Guard decisions and funding to homeport two Offshore
104 Patrol Cutters and two Fast Response Cutters along with supporting housing and shoreside
105 infrastructure projects at USCG -Kodiak. The additional funding from the OBBBA provides the
106 opportunity for potential homeporting of a future icebreaker in Kodiak. We urge the Delegation
107 to support that possibility with the Coast Guard. The Borough is aware that the depth and hard
108 rock bottom of Womens Bay could be impediments. If dredging to the proper depth there is
109 not feasible, the Borough supports other locations for a possible icebreaker including an effort
110 by the City to seek Army Corps of Engineers construction of a breakwater and future deep
111 draft dock off Near Island.
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113 9. Defense Community Infrastructure: The Senate version of the FY2026 National Defense
114 Authorization Act (NDM) for the third straight year included a provision that would have
115 included the Coast Guard in the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, thus making
116 local infrastructure projects like renovating our elementary school eligible for DCIP funding;
117 unfortunately, the provision was again dropped from the final bill due to opposition from the
118 Armed Services Committees over use of DOD funding for projects from another Department.
119 We thank Senator Sullivan for authoring and pressing for enactment of the provision and urge
120 its resubmission for the FY2027 cycle.
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122 10. Payment -In -Lieu -of -Taxes (PILT): PILT is a very important revenue source to the Borough,
123 given that there are over 2.8 million acres removed by the Federal Government from local
124 taxation within our boundaries. This is land that would otherwise be available to the private
125 sector to develop, creating jobs for the residents of Kodiak and our rural Kodiak Island
126 communities. PILT funds supplement Borough resources to provide basic social services,
127 including medical facilities, emergency fire and rescue services, roads, and schools to our
128 island communities. In FY 2025, the Borough's PILT payment was $1,924,386 - an all-time
129 high. We thank the Delegation for its long-standing support for PILT and urge continued
130 support for full funding in FY2026 and FY2027.
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132 11. National Wildlife Refuge Fund ("Refuge Revenue Sharing"): While not as significant as
133 PILT, the National Wildlife Refuge Fund is a critical source of replacement revenue to
134 communities like ours that have the presence of a large Federal wildlife refuge within their
135 boundaries. The Obama, Trump I & II and Biden Administrations have all sought to terminate
136 appropriations for the Fund but thankfully Congress has rejected these requests, including
137 level funding for the Fund in the pending FY2026 appropriations bills. The Kodiak Island
138 Borough opposes the termination of appropriations for this important program from which it
139 received $180,258 this year. The Borough thanks the Delegation for its on-going support and
140 seeks continued level funding in FY2027.
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142 12. Essential Air Service (EAS): The Borough's communities are highly reliant on the EAS
143 program, its support to air carriers and its requirements for island community service that
144 otherwise wouldn't exist or would be provided at much higher rates. The FY2026 President's
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Budget Request requested no appropriations for EAS. Fortunately, both the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees rejected the request and include full funding for EAS in
their respective appropriations bills; in fact, the Senate includes a 12 percent increase. The
Delegation has strongly supported EAS funding and opposed an earlier proposal under
consideration for the One Big Beautiful Bill that would have terminated its funding derived
from overflight fees. Overflight fees account for approximately 40 percent of total EAS funding,
with the remaining 60 percent coming from regular appropriations. We thank the AK
Congressional Delegation for sustained support of EAS. The Borough wants to reiterate the
need for that support for full funding in annual appropriations for the program in FY2026 and
FY2027.
13. U.S. Military Arctic Presence: The Borough appreciates the Delegation's prolonged effort at
urging and directing the Department of Defense to further examine the Arctic's strategic
interest to the U.S. Russia and China continue to aggressively push their security interests in
the region as evidenced in recent years by the joint convoys of their military vessels that
entered the U.S. EEZ in the Bering Sea as well as aggressive Russian flight incursions into
Alaska -area air space. As has been included in our past Resolutions, selection of Kodiak as
a potential military base or staging area as the U.S. expands its security presence in the Arctic
is a long-term goal for the Borough. We understand this is a multi-year effort, but the Borough
urges that Kodiak stay under consideration with the Delegation and Department of Defense
for future Arctic security investment.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH that
the Kodiak Island Borough administration is hereby instructed to advise Congress, and the
appropriate agencies of the United States Federal Government of the Capital Improvement
Program and other Federal program priorities adopted by the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly.
ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
THIS TWENTY SECOND DAY OF JANUARY, 2026
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
ed Griffin, y
VOTES:
ATTEST:
Nova M. Javier, MMC, Bor gh Clerk
Ayes: Woods, Ames, Gardner, Johson, Roberts, Smiley, and Whiteside
Absent: None
Resolution No. FY2026-13
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