| Project Detail |
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. |
