Great American Outdoors Act investments will advance the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to create good-paying, union jobs and build back better by improving recreation facilities, water and utility infrastructure, schools and other historic structures, as well as projects to increase visitor access by restoring and repairing roads, trails, bridges and parking areas.

The National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration (LRF) fiscal year 2021 investments provided $26.1 million to the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and National Park Service for projects in Alaska, including:

$19.27 million for Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve to replace concessioner housing units. This project will address deferred maintenance, safety, and accessibility issues in the Glacier Bay Lodge concessions housing. It will allow the Lodge rooms to be returned to public-use and increase the economic viability of the Lodge.

$3.5 million for Campbell Creek Science Center to rebuild the parking lot to eliminate pedestrian-vehicle conflicts.

$1.9 million for Sourdough Campground Bridge to replace an aged road bridge that is deteriorating.

$636,000 for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to modernize facilities and repair seismic issues for phase one of the design, which includes the replacement of water and sewer lines and seismic and architectural building rehabilitations.

$440,000 for Fort Egbert National Historic Landmark to remove asbestos and lead materials and repaint the exteriors of five buildings.

$276,000 for Glennallen Log Bunkhouse to dispose of unneeded buildings in poor and unrepairable condition.

$100,000 for Campbell Tract Recreation Access repairs to realign public trails to provide safer public access.

The LRF fiscal year 2022 investments provided $30.6 million to the Service and BLM for projects in Alaska, including:

$13.5 million to modernize outdoor recreational access facilities and transportation assets to eliminate deferred maintenance, improve the visitor experience, and increase pedestrian safety at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

$10.4 million to access repairs at White Mountains National Recreation Area. The project repairs the Nome Creek Road, which provides year-round access to the White Mountains National Recreation Area and sole access to Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River. The 18-mile road will be repaired by grading and restoring lost aggregate and surfacing, repairing culverts to improve drainage, and repairing the site roads providing access to Mt. Prindle and Ophir Creek campgrounds and other spur roads.

$6.6 million to modernize facilities and repair seismic issues at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

Read the full release here.

The EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program provides below-market rate loans for the construction of drinking water treatment facilities and other projects and activities vital to ensuring the delivery of clean and safe drinking water at the tap. The loans help communities keep water rates more affordable while addressing local water infrastructure challenges. Similarly, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund helps states fund large wastewater and other water quality projects.

Some of the projects to be funded in the state’s 2021-2022 drinking water plan include:

•    $509,167 to the city of Homer to extend the water distribution system to provide piped public water to 27 central business district zoned properties, all of which currently are served by hauled water from city watering points.

•    $1,600,00 to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough to design and construct a 100,000-gallon storage tank and booster pump station.

•    $5,000,000 to the city of Nome to construct a building to support both the drinking water and sewer utilities. 

The state’s list of wastewater projects to be funded include:

•    $1,450,000 to the city of Fairbanks to construct a new 10-inch water main to the Wastewater Treatment Facility and replace the failing process water system within the facility. 

•    $2,000,000 to the city of Cordova to remove 135 creosote pilings in the South Harbor and install a marine sewage pump station.

•    $3,900,000 to the Skagway Borough to extend sanitary sewer to an unserved area.

•    $5,600,00 to the city of Homer to extend piped wastewater service to unserved properties in five separate project areas. 

•    $44,125 to the city of Dillingham to design utility upgrades to the waterfront area. 

The sources of funding for Alaska’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $9.5 million grant from EPA, $1.9 million in state matching funds, along with $114.6 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous CWSRF loans.

Similarly, the sources of funding for projects on Alaska’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Intended Use Plan include a $11 million grant from EPA (of which $7.3 million will be used directly for project-related loans), and $2.2 million in state matching funds. An additional $87 million in interest earnings and repayments from previous DWSRF loans will also be available to fund project loans.

Read the full EPA release here.

Alaska is receiving $45 million in FY22, and a total of $225 million over the next five years to go towards fixing the 141 bridges in poor condition across the state. Statewide, these bridges account for more than 100,000 average daily users. Read the US DOT press release.

ACE released $14 billion for 500 infrastructure projects nationwide for FY22. Alaska projects can be found in the work plans for Construction, Investigations, and Operation & Maintenance:

Port of Nome, $250 million to initiate and complete West Causeway Extension.

Moose Creek Dam (North Pole), $88.54 million to physically complete and fiscally close out project.

Kenai River Bluff Erosion, $28.05 million to complete and fiscally close out project.

Lowell Creek Flood Diversion (Seward), $185.225 million to initiate, physically complete and fiscally close out project.

Elim Subsistence Harbor, $3.335 million to complete preconstruction, engineering and design phase.

Ninilchik Harbor, $4.3 million for damage Repair – Rock erosion protection for the seaward side of the harbor.

St. Paul Harbor, $50,000 for dredging surveys.

Alaska received the 8th most FY22 funding for airports across the country, totaling $80,110,118 f0r 235 different airports across the state. All airports received a minimum of $110,000 and 30 airports received over $1m, headlined by Ted Stevens International Airport’s nearly $17m allocation. 

View the funding for all Alaska airports or explore an interactive map of eligible airports via the FAA portal. 

Alaska is receiving over $32 million of the $1.15 billion announced by the Department of the Interior for the cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells. DOI will release detailed guidance for states to apply for this grant funding in the coming weeks. 

The Department of the Interior announced $25 million for the Denali Park Road as one of the first DOI investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  The principal goal is to create a long-term solution for the Pretty Rocks Landslide.