Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
AK Delegation Applauds $227.5 Million Investment in USCG Projects in Alaska
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, released the following statements after the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) released a spending plan for funding received through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Over half of the total funding allocated to the USCG through the IIJA will be used for Alaskan projects.
“I’ve been a long-time advocate for all of America’s military members, including Alaska’s Coasties. The work our Coast Guard men and women do can literally be the difference between life and death for some Alaskans. But even beyond that, our servicemembers, their spouses, and their children become an important part of our Alaskan family—valued parts of the communities in which they live. We must continue to do all we can to ensure that their livelihoods are supported and that they have the tools and infrastructure they need to carry out their important missions,” said Senator Murkowski. “Through my work to help author the bipartisan Infrastructure bill, the men and women of our military remained front of mind. I’m encouraged to know that the funding I helped secure will support a number of projects in Alaska—from Kodiak to Seward and Ketchikan—which the Coast Guard has sought for decades, but has never been able to complete. I look forward to now seeing these important projects get underway.”
“When I first came to the Senate, the U.S. Coast Guard had plans to reduce its footprint in Alaska—the state with more coastline than the other 49 states combined. As a member of the Commerce Committee, I worked hard to halt this dubious and misguided proposal, and helped set our great state on track for more vessels and personnel,” said Senator Sullivan. “Our coastal communities now need the critical infrastructure and necessities to support this important build-up of American sea power. I’m glad to have worked with Senator Murkowski and Congressman Young to include critical Coast Guard priorities—housing, a childcare center, and pier-side support—within the bipartisan infrastructure bill. These new facilities will give our patriotic Coast Guard members and their families peace of mind, knowing their spouses and kids are being taken care of, as they fulfill their wide array of important missions to our nation.”
“The millions of square miles of ocean off Alaska’s vast coastline – which dwarfs the total coastline of the Lower 48 – is kept safe under the watchful eye of the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard. Alaska is home to both the nation’s largest Coast Guard district and the world’s largest Coast Guard base in Kodiak. Many of us have experienced firsthand how essential their mission in Alaska is to protecting the safety of our waters. The Coast Guard’s role continues to expand as the nation asks it to take on an even greater profile in border protection, maritime commercial security, and the ever-present need for search and rescue missions. Alaska is this country’s gateway to the Arctic, where I believe the world’s future lies. Changes in the Arctic will only increase vessel traffic and activity off of Alaska, and I am confident the Coast Guard will rise to the occasion as they always have,” said Congressman Don Young. “As Congress drafted what is now the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I worked hard to advocate for Coast Guard funding in Alaska. The bill is delivering on this front by making serious investments so that Alaska’s installations receive the support necessary to improve docks, upgrade fuel infrastructure, provide housing for servicemembers, and more. I am very pleased to see that a $227 million investment is on its way to Alaska to support urgently needed USCG projects. But this is just the beginning. I will continue pressing for additional Coast Guard infrastructure north of Kodiak and the homeporting of new Polar Security Icebreakers in Alaska. It is the Last Frontier that makes this great country an Arctic nation, and I will continue working to ensure the Coast Guard is front-and-center in the coming Arctic Century.”
Alaska Projects Details:
- Fuel Pier Recapitalization – Kodiak: $130 million for Base Kodiak’s fuel pier upgrades. This pier will support fueling requirements for National Security, Offshore Patrol, Fast Response, and other cutters. The upgrades include rebuilding the current pier and replacement of existing fuel piping infrastructure, ensuring safe over-the-water transfer of fuel, keeping our waters safe.
- Housing Construction Phase IV – Kodiak: $40 million for the forth phase of Base Kodiak’s housing project. This phase will provide new housing to Coast Guard families.
- Fast Response Cutter (FRC) Crew Housing – Seward: $13.5 million for new housing construction in Seward, Alaska. This housing will support FRC crew and associated Coast Guard families, as the Coast Guard looks to upgrade their 110-foot Island Class cutters to the new FRC platform.
- Afloat Maintenance Support Improvements – Ketchikan: $4 million for the Ketchikan industrial facility, which supports Coast Guard cutters and boats in Alaska. This funding includes installment of a 65-ton crane for FRC engine maintenance and 45-foot Response Boat-Medium dry dock services.
- Child Development Center Facility – Kodiak: $40 million for Base Kodiak’s new child development center. The existing facility cannot meet current childcare demands – this funding will increase the capacity by relocate the facility outside of the tsunami threat zone.