35426 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 117 / Friday, June 17, 2011 / Notices 

Dated: June 14, 2011. 

David B. Olson, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers. 

[FR Doc. 2011–15084 Filed 6–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3720–58–P 

DENALI COMMISSION 

Denali Commission Fiscal Year 2011 

Draft Work Plan 

AGENCY: Denali Commission. 

ACTION: Notice 

SUMMARY: The Denali Commission 

(Commission) is an independent federal 

agency based on an innovative federalstate partnership designed to provide 

critical utilities, infrastructure and 

support for economic development and 

in training in Alaska by delivering 

federal services in the most costeffective manner possible. The 

Commission was created in 1998 with 

passage of the October 21, 1998 Denali 

Commission Act (Act) (Title III of Pub. 

L. 105–277, 42 USC 3121). The Denali 

Commission Act requires that the 

Commission develop proposed work 

plans for future spending and that the 

annual Work Plan be published in the 

Federal Register, providing an 

opportunity for a 30-day period of 

public review and written comment. 

This Federal Register notice serves to 

announce the 30-day opportunity for 

public comment on the Denali 

Commission Draft Work Plan for Federal 

Fiscal Year 2011. 

DATES: Comments and related material 

to be received by July 13, 2011. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the 

Denali Commission, Attention: Sabrina 

Hoppas, 510 L Street, Suite 410, 

Anchorage, AK 99501. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Sabrina Hoppas, Denali Commission, 

510 L Street, Suite 410, Anchorage, AK 

99501. Telephone: (907) 271–1414. Email: shoppas@denali.gov. 

Background: The Denali Commission 

(Commission) is an independent federal 

agency based on an innovative federalstate partnership designed to provide 

critical utilities, infrastructure and 

support for economic development and 

training in Alaska by delivering federal 

services in the most cost-effective 

manner possible. The Commission was 

created in 1998 with passage of the 

October 21, 1998, Denali Commission 

Act (Act) (Title III of Pub. L. 105–277, 

42 U.S.C. 3121). 

The Commission’s mission is to 

partner with tribal, federal, state, and 

local governments and collaborate with 

all Alaskans to improve the 

effectiveness and efficiency of 

government services, to develop a welltrained labor force employed in a 

diversified and sustainable economy, 

and to build and ensure the operation 

and maintenance of Alaska’s basic 

infrastructure. 

By creating the Commission, Congress 

mandated that all parties involved 

partner together to find new and 

innovative solutions to the unique 

infrastructure and economic 

development challenges in America’s 

most remote communities. 

Pursuant to the Denali Commission 

Act, as amended, the Commission 

determines its own basic operating 

principles and funding criteria on an 

annual federal fiscal year (October 1 to 

September 30) basis. The Commission 

outlines these priorities and funding 

recommendations in an annual Work 

Plan. The Work Plan is adopted on an 

annual basis in the following manner, 

which occurs sequentially as listed: 

• Commissioners first forward an 

approved draft version of the Work Plan 

to the Federal Co-Chair. 

• The Federal Co-Chair approves the 

draft Work Plan for publication in the 

Federal Register providing an 

opportunity for a 30-day period of 

public review and written comment. 

During this time, the draft Work Plan is 

also disseminated widely to 

Commission program partners 

including, but not limited to the Bureau 

of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Economic 

Development Administration (EDA), 

and the United States Department of 

Agriculture—Rural Development 

(USDA–RD). 

• Public comment concludes and 

Commission staff provides the Federal 

Co-Chair with a summary of public 

comment and recommendations, if any, 

associated with the draft Work Plan. 

• If no revisions are made to the draft, 

the Federal Co-Chair provides notice of 

approval of the Work Plan to the 

Commissioners, and forwards the Work 

Plan to the Secretary of Commerce for 

approval; or, if there are revisions the 

Federal Co-Chair provides notice of 

modifications to the Commissioners for 

their consideration and approval, and 

upon receipt of approval from 

Commissioners, forwards the Work Plan 

to the Secretary of Commerce for 

approval. 

• The Secretary of Commerce 

approves the Work Plan. 

The Work Plan authorizes the Federal 

Co-Chair to enter into grant agreements, 

award grants and contracts and obligate 

the federal funds identified by 

appropriation in the chart below. 

FY 11 Appropriations Summary 

The Denali Commission has 

historically received several federal 

funding sources (identified by the 

varying colors in the table below). These 

fund sources are governed by the 

following general principles: 

• In FY 2011 no project specific 

earmarks were directed. 

• The Energy and Water 

Appropriation is eligible for use in all 

programs, but has historically been used 

substantively to fund the Energy 

Program. 

• The Energy Policy Act of 2005 

established new authorities for the 

Commission’s Energy Program, with an 

emphasis on renewable and alternative 

energy projects. No new funding 

accompanied the Energy Policy Act, and 

prior fiscal year Congressional direction 

has indicated that the Commission 

should fund renewable and alternative 

Energy Program activities from the 

available Energy and Water 

appropriation. 

• All other funds outlined below may 

be used only for the specific program 

area and may not be used across 

programs. For instance, Federal Transit 

Administration funding, which has in 

the past been appropriated for the 

Transportation Program, may not be 

moved to the Energy Program. 

• Final transportation funds received 

may be reduced due to agency 

modifications, reductions and fees 

determined by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation. Final program available 

figures may not be provided until later 

this spring. 

• All Energy and Water 

Appropriation funds, including 

operational funds, designated as ‘‘up to’’ 

may be reassigned to the Legacy Energy 

Program, Bulk Fuel and Rural Power 

System Upgrades, if they are not fully 

expended in a program component area 

or a specific project. 

• Total FY 2011 Budgetary Resources 

Provided in the Continuing Resolution 

These are the figures that appear in 

the rows entitled ‘‘FY 2011 

Appropriation’’ and are the original 

appropriations amounts which do not 

include Commission overhead 

deductions. These funds are identified 

by their source name (i.e., Energy and 

Water Appropriation, USDA–RUS, etc.). 

The grand total for all appropriations 

appears at the end of the FY 2011 

Funding Table. 

• Total FY 11 Program Available 

Funding 

These are the figures that appear in 

the rows entitled ‘‘FY 2011 

Appropriations—Program Available’’ 

and are the amounts of funding 


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available for program(s) activities after 

Commission overhead has been 

deducted. The grand total for all 

program available funds appears at the 

end of the FY 2011 Funding Table. 

• Program Funding 

These are the figures that appear in 

the rows entitled with the specific 

Program and Sub-Program area, and are 

the amounts of funding the Draft FY 

2011 Work Plan recommends, within 

each program fund source for program 

components. 

• Subtotal of Program Funding 

These are the figures that appear in 

rows entitled ‘‘subtotal’’ and are the 

subtotals of all program funding within 

a given fund source. The subtotal must 

always equal the Total FY 2011 Program 

Available Funding. 

Denali Commission FY 2011 Funding Table Totals 

FY 2011 Energy & Water Appropriation ......................................................................................................................... $10,700,000 

FY 2011 Across the Board Reduction ............................................................................................................................ $21,400 

FY 2011 Energy & Water Appropriation—Administrative Funds ................................................................................... $2,558,250 

FY 2011 Energy & Water Appropriation—Program Available ....................................................................................... $8,120,350 

Energy 

Emerging Energy Technology Program ......................................................................................................................... $2,400,000 

Bulk Fuel/RPSU Planning, Design & Construction ........................................................................................................ $3,770,350 

Renewable Energy Technical Assistance ...................................................................................................................... Up to $300,000 

Total Energy Projects ..................................................................................................................................................... $6,470,350 

Health .............................................................................................................................................................................. $700,000 

Training Program—emphasis on building maintenance for an array of facilities to include health clinics ................... $500,000 

Economic Development .................................................................................................................................................. $250,000 

Solid Waste Program ...................................................................................................................................................... $100,000 

Sponsorship Program ..................................................................................................................................................... $100,000 

Sub-total $ ............................................................................................................................................................... $8,120,350 

FY 2011 USDA, Rural Utilities Service (RUS)—pending estimate ................................................................................ $0–$5,350,000 

FY 2011 USDA, Rural Utilities Service (RUS)—Program Available (less 4% overhead) ............................................. $0–$5,136,000 

Bulk Fuel/RPSU Planning, Design & Construction ........................................................................................................ $0–$5,136,000 

Sub-total $ ............................................................................................................................................................... $0–$5,136,000 

FY 2011 Trans Alaska Pipeline Liability (TAPL) Trust ................................................................................................... $7,010,000 

FY 2011 Trans Alaska Pipeline Liability (TAPL)—Program Available (less 5% overhead) .......................................... $6,659,500 

Bulk Fuel Planning, Design & Construction ................................................................................................................... $6,659,500 

Sub-total $ ............................................................................................................................................................... $6,659,500 

FY 2011 Federal Transit Administration (FTA)—Estimate ............................................................................................. $5,000,000 

$5,000,000 from section 3011 (FTA) for docks and harbors 

FY 2011 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)—Estimate ...................................................................................... $14,025,000 

For necessary, expenses for the Denali Access System Program as authorized under Section 1960 of Public Law 

109–59 

FY 2011 Transportation Program Available—(less 5% overhead)—Estimate .............................................................. $18,073,750 

Transportation Program: Docks & Harbors—Estimate .................................................................................................. $4,750,000 

Transportation Program: Roads—Estimate .................................................................................................................... $13,323,750 

Sub-total $ ............................................................................................................................................................... $18,073,750 

Total FY 2011 Federal Program Available—Estimate ..................................................................................... $32,853,600–$37,989,600 

FY 11 Program Details & General 

Information 

The following section provides 

narrative discussion, by each of the 

Commission Programs identified for FY 

08 funding in the table above, in the 

following categories: 

• Program History and Approach; 

• FY 2011 Project Description; 

• FY 2011 Project Selection Process; 

• FY 2011 Program and Project Policy 

Issues (as applicable). 

Government Coordination 

The Commission is charged with the 

special role of increasing the 

effectiveness of government programs 

by acting as a catalyst to coordinate the 

many federal and state programs that 

serve Alaska. In FY 2011 the 

Commission will continue its role of 

coordinating State and Federal agencies 

and other partner organizations to 

accomplish its overall mission of 

developing Alaska’s communities. 

Particular focus will be given to the 

collaborative efforts of the 

Commission’s Federal and State 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

and the Sustainable Rural Communities 

initiative. Strategies and next steps for 

this effort will be formulated as the 

Denali Commission leads this unique 

collaborative effort. No funding is 

dedicated to this activity. 

Energy Program 

The Energy Program is the 

Commission’s original program and is 

identified as a ‘‘legacy’’ program. The 

program focuses on bulk fuel facilities 

(BFU) and rural power system upgrades/ 

power generation (RPSU) across rural 

Alaska. About 94% of electricity in rural 

communities is produced by diesel 

generators and about half the fuel 

storage in most villages is used for these 

power plants for distribution. 

Alternative means of generating power 

can reduce the capacity needed for fuel 

storage and ultimately reduce the cost of 

power to the community. 


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Alternative/Renewable Program 

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 

established new authorities for the 

Commission’s Energy Program with an 

emphasis on alternative and renewable 

energy projects. Although the 2005 

Energy Policy Act did not include 

appropriations, the Commission is 

expected to carry out the intent of the 

Act through a portion of its Energy and 

Water Appropriation funding. To date, 

the Commission has co-funded a 

number of renewable projects and each 

year new initiatives are considered. In 

2007, the State of Alaska passed 

legislation and funded the Renewable 

Energy Fund (REF) which modeled the 

project selection process set forth by the 

Commission’s early investment. 

Emerging Technologies 

With the advent of the REF, more 

resources to meet commercial-ready 

renewable technology needs are now 

available. The area of emerging 

technologies, meaning pre-commercial, 

yet post-research/development, has 

become an appropriate role for the 

Commission in keeping with the 

congressional direction in 2005. A 

solicitation was conducted in FY 2009 

identifying over $50 million in project 

requests (and only $4 million in 

available funds). In FY 2010, the 

Commission provided $3.1 million in 

funding to the program and a 

solicitation process is currently 

underway. Similar to the REF, this 

initiative is a leveraging opportunity 

with State of Alaska’s recent legislation 

for an emerging technology fund that 

could accept funds from multiple 

sources to meet needs. The goal of the 

program is to fund demonstration 

projects for applied research and further 

technologies focusing on replication in 

rural Alaska so they are commercially 

viable. 

Other Renewable Initiatives 

In addition to the emerging 

technology program, the Commission 

has funded energy efficiency efforts 

with the goal of energy cost reduction 

and leveraging of funding sources. For 

example, in FY 2009 the Commission 

provided match funding to tribes that 

submitted group applications to the 

Energy Efficiency and Conservation 

Block Grant program under the 

Department of Energy. The Commission 

received 8 eligible group applications, 

representing 106 Alaskan tribes, totaling 

$456,710 in Commission funding and 

leveraging over $4 million of federal 

funding. While the FY 2011 Work Plan 

allocates all renewable funds toward 

emerging technologies, it also 

recommends that if funds become 

available to support efforts to 

incentivize energy efficiency or other 

coordination opportunities around 

energy for rural Alaska, it be considered 

allowable. No funds are currently set 

aside for these needs. 

The FY 2011 Work Plan outlines a 

strategy to balance the Energy Program 

in both legacy and renewable 

components, providing up to $2.4 

million of available program funds 

specifically toward the emerging 

technology program pending state 

match. If match for this program is not 

provided, this funding shall be 

reallocated to legacy projects. 

FY 2011 Program & Project Policy 

Issues 

Cost Share Match 

The approved FY 2008 Denali 

Commission Policy Document requires 

and prioritizes cost share match for 

funded projects. In implementing this 

policy, 10%, match was required in FY 

2010. In FY 2011, in anticipation of 

mandated match language through one 

version of the appropriations process, 

Energy Advisory Committee (EAC) 

concurred with this direction of 50% for 

non-distressed and 20% for distressed 

communities. Since that language was 

not included in the final passed 

Continuing Resolution, the minimum 

10% match will be required and 

projects with greater match may be 

prioritized for funding as in prior years. 

It is expected that future year 

appropriations will statutorily require 

match in the amounts of 50% for nondistressed and 20% for distressed 

communities. 

Sustainability Policy 

All energy construction grants will 

proceed after business plans are 

reviewed and approved by Commission 

staff. Additionally, Commission staff is 

expected to be engaged throughout the 

planning process of projects to assure 

policy requirements are adhered to 

earlier in the process. 

Construction Contingency Pool 

The Commission has historically 

handled construction cost overruns on 

an ongoing basis, with the requirement 

that those in excess of 10% be reported 

to Commissioners via an ‘‘exceptions 

report’’. No funding for contingency is 

recommended for FY 2011. 

FY 2011 Project Selection Process 

The Energy Advisory Committee 

(EAC) provides guidance to 

Commissioners and staff on the 

program, and is comprised of members 

involved in energy development in 

Alaska. Members include 

representatives of Associated General 

Contractors, Alaska AFL–CIO, 

Department of Energy National 

Renewable Energy Lab, the University of 

Alaska Institute of Northern 

Engineering, USDA, Kotzebue Electric 

Association and two public members 

representing rural Alaska. The EAC 

provided general recommendations 

supporting the ongoing priority for 

funding Bulk Fuel/Rural Power System 

Upgrade planning, design and 

construction, providing match funding 

for the emerging energy technology 

program and for renewable energy 

regional planning in coordination with 

the Alaska Energy Authority’s initiative 

to meet statewide energy infrastructure 

needs for all of the above. 

Legacy Program (Bulk Fuel/RPSU) 

Due to the nature of the due diligence 

requirement of energy projects, seasonal 

logistics in Alaska and funding 

restrictions (i.e. TAPL funds may only 

be used for bulk fuel projects)—a project 

may not progress as quickly as another. 

Given the late timing of funding in FY 

2011, summer construction grants are 

not anticipated. A final project list will 

be developed based on available funds, 

project readiness, available match and 

other due diligence. EAC feedback on a 

final project list will be solicited prior 

to final grant execution. 

Emerging Technologies Program 

Newly passed state legislation creates 

a project selection process involving a 

Governor-appointed technical advisory 

committee to develop selection criteria 

and review proposals. Final project/ 

grant approval for Commission funds is 

subject to final approvalby the Federal 

Co-Chair. 

FY 2011 Energy Funding Strategy 

The energy funding strategy for the 

Energy Program allows for an estimated 

range of funds available for this legacy 

program with other areas fixed. 

Commissioners recommended funding 

strategy including $3,770,350 (Base), 

$5,136,000 (pending RUS) and 

$6,659,500 (TAPL) for legacy program. 

Following summarizes the total energy 

program funding strategy: 

Bulk Fuel and RPSU Legacy Program.$10.4M–$15.6M 

Renewable Energy Planning.$300K (up to) 

Emerging Technology 

Fund.

$2.4M 

Total Estimated Energy Funds.∼$13.1M– 

$18.3M 


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Health Facilities Program 

The Denali Commission Act was 

amended in 1999 to provide for the 

‘‘planning, constructing and equipping 

of health facilities.’’ Since 1999, the 

Health Facilities Program has been 

methodically investing in the planning, 

design and construction of primary care 

clinics across Alaska. 

Primary care clinics have remained 

the ‘‘legacy’’ priority for the Program. 

However, in 2003 the ‘‘Other Than’’ 

primary care component of the Program 

was adopted in response to 

Congressional direction to fund a mix of 

other health and social service related 

facility needs. Over time, the Program 

has developed Program sub-areas such 

as Behavioral Health Facilities, 

Domestic Violence Facilities, Elder 

Housing, Primary Care in Hospitals, 

Emergency Medical Services Equipment 

and Hospital Designs. The Program has 

utilized a ‘‘universe of need’’ model for 

primary care and a competitive 

selection process for other sub-program 

areas. In 1999 the Program created a 

deficiency list for primary care clinics, 

which totaled 288 communities 

statewide in need of clinic replacement, 

expansion and/or renovation. Over the 

course of its history, the Commission 

has invested approximately $300 

million in health projects, contributing 

to the repair, renovation or replacement 

of more than 115 clinics. This 

substantial investment represents 

progress in meeting the universe of 

needs; however, the facility work 

accomplished to date leaves a number of 

projects with the greatest need, limited 

local capacity, and in many cases low 

population. 

The Program is guided by the Health 

Steering Committee, an advisory body 

comprised of the following membership 

organizations: The State of Alaska, 

Alaska Primary Care Association, the 

Alaska Native Tribal Health 

Consortium, the Alaska Mental Health 

Trust Authority, the Alaska Native 

Health Board, the Indian Health Service, 

the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing 

Home Association, and the University of 

Alaska. 

Consistent with the decrease in 

funding, the Health Program proposes 

one major project in FY 2011: 

Small Clinic Program 

Partner: Alaska Native Tribal Health 

Consortium (ANTHC) 

Several small communities and 

villages across Alaska remain identified 

with prioritized health facility needs. 

High energy costs and small populations 

create a dilemma for these communities 

that need new clinics. The newly 

developed small clinic prototypes (all 

under 1,000 SF) are suitable for many of 

these communities. The Health Program 

will provide technical assistance, 

planning and design for a small number 

of communities. 

Funding Summary 

For historical context, the following 

reflects the past allocations of Health 

Facilities Program appropriations across 

the program component areas: 

Fiscal year Primary care 

clinics 

Primary care 

in hospitals 

Elder 

supportive 

housing 

Behavioral 

health 

Other program 

areas 

2007 ..................................................................................... $37,119,040 $2,500,000 $0 $5,063,000 $637,000 

2008 ..................................................................................... 23,319,040 4,000,000 5,840,890 5,000,000 0 

2009 ..................................................................................... 14,758,102 1,526,746 1,901,420 1,017,831 0 

2010 ..................................................................................... 7,267,400 734,700 805,000 492,900 0 

2011 ..................................................................................... 700,000 0 0 0 0 

Training Program 

Consistent with the Commission’s 

sustainability policy, the Training 

Program was instituted in 1999 as a core 

focus area of the Commission to ensure 

local residents were trained to 

construct, maintain and operate 

Commission investments in rural 

Alaska. The Training Advisory 

Committee (TrAC) provides guidance to 

Commissioners and staff on the 

program, and is comprised of members 

involved in rural job training. Members 

include representatives of Associated 

General Contractors, Department of 

Labor, Bristol Bay Area Health 

Corporation, State of Alaska Office of 

Economic Development, Alaska AFL– 

CIO, Alaska Native Coalition on 

Employment and Training, and the 

University of Alaska. 

Primary Training Goals 

The Training Program is based on two 

primary goals. First, the Training 

Program supports the Denali 

Commission’s Sustainability Policy 

through workforce development. In 

rural Alaska, jobs are seasonal and rural 

residents are versatile in taking on a 

wide range of job types based on 

availability. Often rural residents move 

from construction to administration to 

allied health and other lines of work to 

sustain their families and remain in 

their community. It has been a 

longstanding goal of the Commission to 

create and sustain local jobs as a result 

of infrastructure development. 

The second goal is to assure rural 

training systems can stand-alone and/or 

are upheld by federal, state, regional 

and local collaboration. These training 

systems have augmented a community’s 

ability to remain competent on the 

management and operations of public 

facilities. The Commission continues to 

provide a nexus to federal, state, 

regional and local entities for improved 

coordination between project 

development and job training. 

Program Partners 

• Department of Labor and Workforce 

Development is the administrator of the 

Denali Training Fund (DTF), a public 

competitive grant opportunity targeted 

at training for Denali Commission 

projects, energy conservation and public 

facility operation, maintenance and 

management. 

• University of Alaska develops and 

facilitates the delivery of allied health 

training to rural communities via distant 

and on-site learning methods. 

• Alaska Works Partnership develops 

and facilitates the delivery of 

construction trade training and 

registered apprenticeship programs to 

rural Alaska. 

• Associated General Contractors/ 

Construction Education Foundation 

(CEF) is developing access to 

construction trades through the 

enhancement of construction career 

pathways and the development of Rural 

Construction Academies in Nome, 

Bethel, Kodiak and Bristol Bay. 

• First Alaskans facilitates a 

successful leadership development 

project for young Alaskans. 

Training Funding Strategy 

Commissioner recommendation for 

FY11 Training Program funding totals 

$500,000 of Energy & Water 

Appropriations. These funds are 

intended to accomplish the specific goal 

of protecting the Commission’s 


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infrastructure investment by providing 

both training and financial support 

toward all phases of facility 

maintenance in rural Alaska. This 

activity shall include, but is not limited 

to, a focus on the ∼125 Commissionfunded health facilities, multi-use and 

community facilities, energy facilities or 

other rural infrastructure. The funds 

shall be allocated through a clear 

strategy that is not duplicative of 

existing programs, yet may identify 

existing programs that may be 

supplanted to accomplish this objective. 

The strategy may identify existing gaps 

in current systems while emphasizing 

protecting Commission-funded 

infrastructure through building 

maintenance and construction activities. 

Transportation 

Section 309 of the Denali Commission 

Act 1998 (amended), created the 

Commission’s Transportation Program, 

including the Transportation Advisory 

Committee. The advisory committee is 

composed of nine members appointed 

by the Governor of the State of Alaska 

including the Chairman of the Denali 

Commission; four members who 

represent existing regional native 

corporations, native nonprofit entities, 

or tribal governments, including one 

member who is a civil engineer; and 

four members who represent rural 

Alaska regions or villages, including one 

member who is a civil engineer. 

The Transportation Program 

addresses two areas of rural Alaska 

transportation infrastructure: Roads and 

waterfront development. There is 

consensus among agencies and 

communities that the program is 

successfully addressing improvements 

to local and regional transportation 

systems. This is largely a function of the 

TAC’s success at project selection and 

monitoring, and the success of the 

program’s project development partners. 

The program is generally a 

competitively-bid contractor or 

materials-based project opportunity 

grounded in Title 23 CFR. These strict 

project development and construction 

guidelines have presented some 

challenges to the Commission’s ability 

to respond quickly to targets of 

opportunity, but they have also had the 

positive effect of ensuring project design 

and construction is executed at a 

professional level. The program operates 

under a reimbursable payment system 

that requires local and program partner 

sponsors to pay close attention to 

accounting procedures prior to their 

payments to contractors and vendors. 

This system helps ensure project 

payments are eligible when submitted to 

the Commission. 

In FY 2011 the program will continue 

its focus on barge landings and mooring 

points in rural communities. These 

projects range from one or two mooring 

points to secure a barge, to small dock 

structures, depending on community 

size and barge operation characteristics. 

The value of these structures lies in 

improved fuel/freight transfer 

operations and improved worker and 

environmental safety. The Commission 

and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE) will continue to work through 

the prioritized list of barge landing and 

mooring point projects which were 

identified in a formal analysis 

conducted in FY 2009 and FY 2010. The 

universe of need for the first generation 

of projects is in the range of 

$40,000,000. 

The TAC met on January 18–20, 2011 

to select waterfront projects and March 

3–4, 2011 to select road project 

priorities for FY 2011. Final project 

approvals and funding amounts have 

been approved by the Federal Co-Chair 

and are available on the Commission’s 

Web site. 

Economic Development 

One of the purposes of the 

Commission is to support economic 

development activities across Alaska. 

The Commission supports the 

development of public infrastructure 

upon which allows for job creation and 

strategic wealth reinvestment. 

Additionally, the Commission supports 

projects which can ensure that good 

business ideas have a chance to become 

long-term, self-sustaining enterprises. 

Over the history of the program, the 

Commission has supported and 

advanced a wide-array of Economic 

Development Program activities ranging 

from community profile mapping to 

supporting innovative models for 

lending, and equity investment in 

Alaska. 

The program is guided by 

Commission staff and the Economic 

Development Advisory Committee 

(EDAC), which provides general policy 

guidance and funding recommendations 

in broad categories. The EDAC met on 

April 20, 2011 to recommend projects 

and program funding amounts to the 

Commission for FY 2011. 

Other Program and Policy Issues 

Solid Waste Program 

In Fiscal Years 2004 through 2009, the 

Denali Commission received annual 

funding to address deficiencies in solid 

waste disposal sites threatening to 

contaminate rural drinking water 

supplies. Annual funding reached than 

$1.5 million in FY 2005. By FY 2008 

program funding for the Solid Waste 

Program was $437,000. Solid waste 

continues to be a major health and 

safety issue in rural Alaska. 

In keeping with the Commission’s 

goal of intergovernmental coordination 

and leveraging of funding sources, an 

opportunity in FY 2011 to leverage 

funds for the Solid Waste Program has 

been identified. Through partnerships 

with the USDA-Rural Development, 

RuralCap, Rural Community Assistance 

Corporation (RCAC) and the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), funding in the amount of $250– 

350k can be leveraged with $100k in 

match from the Commission. The FY 

2011 Draft Work Plan document 

includes $100,000 in Energy and Water 

funding for this purpose. Grants will be 

awarded through a competitive Request 

For Proposal (RFP) process utilizing a 

multi-agency review panel to score and 

select projects to fund. Of note, this 

investment in solid waste may be an 

example for future Commission program 

funding. Historically, the solid waste 

projects were largely funded by the 

Commission. With this FY 2011 solid 

waste effort, the Commission funding 

will be a minority funder to the USDA 

community facilities program (which is 

one of few USDA programs that can be 

‘‘matched’’ with other Federal funding 

sources). 

Sponsorship Program 

The Commission plans to continue 

conference sponsorships in FY 2011. 

Commissioners reinstated Conference 

sponsorship funding for events that 

were consistent with the Commission’s 

mission and values in 2006. 

Sponsorship activities provide a 

positive venue for communicating 

Commission activities. Sponsorship 

opportunities also provide Commission 

outreach to a wide variety of events and 

audiences. Events sponsored by the 

Commission promote key programmatic 

areas that are in alignment with the 

Commission’s values and mission, 

including efforts in alternativerenewable energy conferences, health, 

training and leadership and 

transportation. 

In FY 2011 this program will be 

funded in the amount of $100,000. 

Events funded will be in line with the 

major program areas at the Commission 

and will have a statewide focus. 

Corrine Eilo, 

Director of Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2011–15051 Filed 6–16–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3300–01–P 


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