The agreement provides funding to the chugach regional resource commission (crrc), an intertribal consortium representing eight tribes, to connect patterns of subsistence use to wetland habitats…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 awarded $323,079 to the Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) on October 1, 2025, under the Regional Wetland Program Development Grants program (CFDA 66.461) to develop integrated wetland and subsistence use resources for Alaska Native communities. Under this two-year cooperative agreement (completion date September 30, 2027), CRRC will compile and synthesize subsistence use information in partnership with the Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS) to connect culturally important plant and animal species to specific wetland habitat types in the Lower Kenai Peninsula villages of Port Graham and Nanwalek.

The primary deliverables include a geodatabase and ArcGIS StoryMap linked to updated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory data, plant community descriptions for each wetland and deep-water habitat type, two-page subsistence summaries for identified habitats, and a series of science-based educational videos highlighting local subsistence practices in these remote coastal communities. All products will be made publicly available on the CRRC website and disseminated to stakeholders at annual gatherings, enhancing shared knowledge of local wetland ecosystems to support and improve traditional subsistence activities within these important habitats. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement.

The agreement provides funding to the chugach regional resource commission (crrc), an intertribal consortium representing eight tribes, to connect patterns of subsistence use to wetland habitats around the alaskan villages of port graham and nanwalek on the lower kenai peninsula. The goal of the project is to increase shared knowledge of local wetland ecosystems to improve traditional subsistence activities within these important habitats.activities:the activities to be performed include using the updated U.S. Fish and wildlife service (USFWS) national wetland inventory (NWI) map to provide important wetland and watershed information, including subsistence use, in both printed and digital geospatial formats. Under direction of crrc, the alaska center for conservation science (accs) will compile subsistence use information pertinent to the plants and animals present in the area of interest. Plant community descriptions will be developed for each of the wetland and deep-water habitats occurring in the project area. Accs will connect habitat types to culturally important plant and animal species using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Crrc will create a geodatabase and arcgis storymap that includes subsistence use by wetland type. Additionally, two-page subsistence summaries will be developed for each of the wetland and deep-water habitats occurring in the project area. Lastly, a series of science-based educational videos highlighting subsistence use in these remote coastal communities will be produced to effectively communicate our findings to a broader online audience. These products will be made public on the crrc website and shared with stakeholders at annual gatherings.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include a geodatabase that will link recent national wetland inventory data from southcentral alaska to plant communities and subsistence activities in wetland and deep-water habitats, along with harvest records and technical reports. This information will be incorporated with local knowledge and used to produce printed and digital multimedia educational outreach materials. The expected outcomes include a better understanding of usage patterns, increased awareness of local resources, and tools that can be used when planning future development in order to maintain ecosystem resilience. The intended beneficiaries include members of the chugach regional resource commission, the alaska center for conservation science, tribes and residents in lower kenai peninsula.