HSC : September Meeting Discuss 30K Funding for Community Priorities and Climate

The Hoonah Stewardship Council met on September 21st with Elizabeth Figus to discuss an developing partnership program in Hoonah. In attendance: Elizabeth Figus, Jackie Dick, Dennis Gray Jr., Ryan Smith, Julian Narvaez, Ian Johnson, Jeromy Grant, Robert Page, Kathleen Dilley, Erica Drahozal

This meeting focus on a developing partnership between HIA and Elizabeth Figus. Elizabeth is with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy and has $30,000 dollars in funding to help Hoonah advance a project of their choosing forward. This meeting was aimed at thinking about projects, but also the steps we’d like to take through the winter to choose a priority and then carry that project forward.

What can be funded? Almost any project could be funded, but projects with an environmental aspect and climate change the the most fitting for this funding.

Ideas that were brought forward:

1. Watershed assessment for water storage capacity in Gartina
2. Hazard planning and response
3. Blueberry risk modeling in future cliamtes
4. How UAF can increase rural capacity for data analysis
5. A hoop house for food growing
6. Developing opportunities for youth – there may be extra funding from UAF for this
7. Establishing “meaningful” service projects. For instance, linking restoration and healing (personal healing, cultural healing)
8. Curriculum development for healing
9. Herring reintroducting
10. Black seaweed establishment closer to Hoonah
11. Building more smokehouses in Hoonah
12. Establishing a terminal harvest area for local fisherman

The next thing we talked about was whether these discussions should be held as a “sub group” outside of the regular Hoonah Stewardship Council time. We agreed that it should be and proposed that these meetings be held at 2:30PM on the 3rd Thursday of each month before the regular HSC time.

At that meeting we’ll focus on co-developing expectations for the group.