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26339 Eklutna Village Rd. • Chugiak, Alaska 99567 |
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Tribal Departments & Services Land and Environment Our mission is to understand, protect, restore, secure and enhance traditional lands, environment and uses while maintaining cultural integrity. Eklutna Tribal Land Trust was formed to address our environmental concerns, subsistence, and cultural values, and the need to protect our traditional lands by working to place them under conservation easements. The Eklutna River assessments and restoration program is in it’s 4th year. Several problem areas were identified during assessments. The Railroad operated a gravel mine, and left the area un-restored. These are hills with cultural, environmental, and scenic significance to the village. “Eklutna” came from the Dena’ina Native word for these two knobs and a river. Several ponds that serve as salmon habitat could benefit from dredging, and re-vegetation. Another problem area is Eklutna Lake. Three power companies have rights to all the water and divert it from the river for power generation. For three years we have measured the remaining river flow and submitted an application to help reserve it for fish and wildlife. Our Eklutna River Watershed Council brings together parties interested in the watershed for its benefit. In an Agreement, the Army is facilitating NVE to work on cultural and natural resource assessments and management on Fort Richardson. This should lead to a broadened sphere of beneficial activities for Eklutna on our traditional lands. The woodlands around the village were occupied by the military before being conveyed to Eklutna Incorporated under ANCSA. Termed Camp Mohawk, military debris and contaminants (barrels of lead base paints and petroleum products) were left behind. NVE is now working with the military to have this area cleaned up and restored. The Land and Environment Department addresses projects likely to impact NVE traditional lands and resources. We are consulting with EPA in trying to reduce the toxic petroleum industry discharges to the Cook Inlet waters. This is the only place that oil platforms are allowed to discharge produced waters and drilling mud containing toxic heavy metals and other contaminants into coastal waters. The new general permit for this industry will disallow such activities, honoring the Clean Water Act. Our Department strives to maintain an educational component in all its activities. We are instrumental in the village recycling program and take every opportunity to educate the community on recycling benefits. Village members are encouraged to accompany staff on investigative field trips, learning fish counting and other river monitoring techniques. Staff works with the Wellness Department to develop educational projects for youth groups, help with subsistence camps and cultural tours, and provide educational displays at various events to inform others of environmental projects. We assist with the tribal educational fish net, and produced an educational moose hunting video to pass along traditional hunting and fishing knowledge. The contact address is 26339 Eklutna Village Road
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