FY2007-08 Urging the Federal Subsistence Board to designate Kodiak RuralKODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
RESOLUTION NO. FY2007 -08
Introduced by: Mayor and Assembly
Requested by: Mayor and Assembly
Drafted by: Mayor Selby
Introduced: 09/072006
Adopted: 09/072006
A RESOLUTION OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH ASSEMBLY
URGING THE FEDERAL SUBSISTENCE BOARD TO DESIGNATE KODIAK RURAL
WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed into Law, in 1980, Title Eight of the Alaska
National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in order to protect the subsistence rights of
rural Alaskans, by making subsistence a priority use of federal lands and waters for rural
Alaskans; and
WHEREAS, Congress indicated in Title Eight that protecting subsistence was essential to
Alaska native culture and a rural lifestyle, and that Congress was applying its trust responsibility
to Alaska natives in requiring a subsistence priority; and
WHEREAS, the federal government assumed authority over subsistence management on
public lands in Alaska because they determined that the State of Alaska was not in compliance
with Title Eight of ANILCA; therefore the federal government through the Federal Subsistence
Management Board is responsible for protecting subsistence and implementing the
congressional intent of Title Eight; and
WHEREAS, Congress recognized that an Alaskan community with a population of more than
7,000 can be rural if it possesses significant characteristics of a rural nature, and this recognition
is documented in federal regulations; and
WHEREAS, both the Federal Subsistence Board and the State of Alaska determined that the
City of Kodiak and the adjacent road system had significant rural characteristics and therefore
was designated rural for State and Federal purposes in the early 1990s; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Subsistence Board is required to review rural determinations every
ten years to evaluate changes within a community that justify changing its rural status; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Subsistence Board has recently recommended that Kodiak be
changed from rural to non -rural status, thereby eliminating Kodiak's qualification for the rural
subsistence priority; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Subsistence Board appears to be basing its recommendation for
changing the status of Kodiak primarily on the basis of an aggregate road system population
exceeding 7,000, which was true when Kodiak was first designated rural; and
WHEREAS, the basic nature of Kodiak Island as an isolated island in the North Pacific that
sometimes has no transportation on or off the island for several days due to weather makes it a
very rural community; and
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. FY2007 -08 _.
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WHEREAS, there has been an approximately 10 percent decline in the City of Kodiak's
population between 1990 and 2005 (from 6,787 to 6,088) moving the City of Kodiak further away
form the benchmark population of 7,000 people and no other community has more than 400
people, and the other communities on Kodiak Island have all lost population since 1990
contributing to the Kodiak Island Borough population decline since 1990; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kodiak and the Kodiak road system continues to possess significant
characteristics of a rural nature, including a remote location, cultural and geographical isolation,
a high cost of living, and limited access to goods and services; and
WHERAS, the entire population on Kodiak Island has both a historic and current dependence
on fish and wildlife for family food sources and this use has increased since 1990 due to the
economic down turn of the Salmon fishing industry, two of the four largest stores went out of
business and the cost of food continues to increase; and
WHEREAS, the United States Coast Guard Base does not eliminate or reduce the rural nature
of Kodiak, since the Base functions as an independent community, located well outside the
boundaries of the City of Kodiak with its administrative authority based in Alameda, California;
and
WHEREAS, the City of Kodiak, along with each of the individual road system neighborhoods
have individual and unique characteristics that define them, including separate service area
boards, and they should not be "lumped" together for rural designation purposes, in an effort to
establish a "community" population greater than 7,000 people; and
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island economy has seen significant decline in the villages which
impacts the entire Island economy which has demonstrated no overall growth and there has
been no infrastructure expansion of new roads, water, or sewer projects in the last ten years;
and one of the significant carriers of goods, the Western Pioneer, discontinued service to Kodiak
with no replacement carrier; and
WHEREAS, the Halibut/Black Cod IFQ program significantly reduced the number of halibut
fishermen and now the Gulf rationalization program could significantly reduce the number of
fishermen again; and
WHEREAS, the City of Kodiak serves as a hub for outlying villages, whose elders often spend
their winters and latter years living in town, returning to the village during the summer; and
WHEREAS, many hundreds of Alaska natives reside in Kodiak and are strongly dependent on
subsistence for their cultural and nutritional survival, as are many more residents of the
community, due to their economic status or lifestyle choices; and
WHEREAS, the subsistence characteristics of Kodiak have not significantly changed, since
Kodiak was originally designated rural, to the point where Kodiak residents should be denied
their cultural heritage and access to subsistence resources; and
WHEREAS, if there has been a change, it is toward increased dependence on subsistence
since 1990; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND
BOROUGH strongly opposes the preliminary recommendations of the Federal Subsistence
Board that Kodiak be changed from a rural to a non -rural community and urges the Board to
make a final decennial determination that Kodiak is rural; and
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska
Resolution No. FY2007 -08
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Kodiak's significant rural characteristics have not changed
since 1990 and that Kodiak should remain a rural community for subsistence purposes; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
requests the Federal Subsistence Board hold its final December hearing in Kodiak, Alaska, for
the purposes of listening to local residents' testimony concerning the importance of confirming
Kodiak's rural status.
ATTEST:
ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
THIS SEVENTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2006
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
1- 1
ome M. Selby, Borough
. Javier, CMC :orough Clerk
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. FY2007 -08
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