Empowering Southeast Alaskan Communities to reach cultural, ecological and economic prosperity.
March 11th, 2016 | Winter Newsletter
Welcome to The Sustainable Southeast Partnership (SSP) .  We are a diverse network of organizations and individuals working together to meet the challenge of sustainable community development in Southeast Alaska.

It is our collective mission to empower rural Alaskan communities to reach cultural, ecological and economic prosperity.

It has been a long, dark winter here in the Southeast. The Sustainable Southeast Partnership however, has not been in hibernation! Our partners are working hard and we have many accomplishments to share.

Please continue to follow along on facebook , our  website and  blog and subscribe for future newsletters .

"If you want to discover the true character of a person, you have only to observe what they are passionate about."
-- Shannon L. Alder

Building a More Energy Independent Region
Klawock joins eight Southeast communities moving forward in Alaskan energy competition

Written by Quinn Mas-Aboudara
Klawock joins 64 Alaskan communities in the second phase of the Remote Alaskan Communities Energy Efficiency competition (RACEE). RACEE is facilitated through the Department of Energy to empower remote Alaskan communities to develop and implement solutions that advance the use of reliable, affordable, clean-energy and energy-efficient solutions.

From the Southeast, the communities of  Kasaan, Kake, Yakutat, Pelican, Saxman, Haines and Angoon will all be competing for implementation grants of up to $1 million dollars!

Before even receiving news that their pledge had been accepted, the Klawock Cooperative Association took action and promptly began to implement energy efficient lighting throughout the tribe's buildings. As of last month, 90% of the administrative office's lighting had been converted from conventional fluorescent lighting to energy efficient LED. Additionally, 80% of inefficient ballasts in lighting fixtures were removed by the Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy.



The Traveling Greenhouse Heads to Kake!
Community partners to use classroom on wheels

Written by Lia Heifetz

The Traveling Greenhouse Project provides an inspiring environment for teaching a community how to grow food and improve local food systems in Southeast Alaska. Each year, the greenhouse will travel to a different Southeast community where it will stay for a growing season. The greenhouse will be delivered via Alaska Marine Highway System and will be equipped with a teacher guide, and an activities manual for students K-12.  At the end of the season, the community will be supported in next steps to ensure long-term sustainability of the project and continued food production.

Last fall, SSP communities had the opportunity to submit an application to use the greenhouse for its first growing season.  The community of Kake submitting the winning application. The Kake City School District, Organized Village of Kake, SEARHC, and the Kake Senior Center are partnering to bring the the Traveling Greenhouse to life this spring! The greenhouse arrived in Kake today by ferry where it will be used by the school, senior center, and will be open for special community events.
  

The Sustainable Southeast Partnership Begins Work in Yakutat
Partners travel to community strategic planning event 

Written by Alana Peterson

Four Sustainable Southeast Partnership partners traveled to Yakutat in November to participate in the Yakutat 2020 Strategic Planning Event. This meeting was hosted by Yakutat Tlingit tribe and brought together a diversity of perspectives from the community including representatives from the Yakutat Kwaan, City & Borough of Yakutat, Yakutat School District, Indian Health Services, Rasmuson Foundation, and the USDA Rural Development and Action Strategy.  For two days, the group developed a strategic plan around Housing, Technology/Education, Healthcare, and Economic Development.  

During this event, it became clear that for Yakutat to successfully build a new health clinic, improve housing shortages, grow the economy, and provide quality education to youth, the community will need to continue forging relationships among organizations and finding creative ways to work together to solve those challenges. 

It also became clear that the community of Yakutat could benefit by tapping into the larger SSP network. Yakutat has since brought on a Community Catalyst, Paul Harding, to work directly with SSP partners. We are all very excited to continue working with this vibrant community!


Hydaburg Stream Survey Crew Gears Up for their 4th Season
Crew works to protect important salmon streams on Prince of Wales Island

Written by Melanie Kadake

The Hydaburg Stream Survey Crew  includes Tony Sanderson, Melanie Kadake, Donald Bell, and Jeff Peele. The team spend their summers walking, monitoring and documenting important salmon streams that surround their home community of Hydaburg. By documenting salmon activity in these watersheds, the team are able to use this information to nominate stretches of streams for the Anadromous Waters Catalog. This Catalog, maintained by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game helps land managers determine the size of stream buffers (to protect streams during development and timber harvesting) and other conservation measures that protect fish habitat. For example, stretches of streams that are documented as being actively used by salmon for mating, egg-laying and rearing are awarded additional protections against development activity that could impact fish populations.

Salmon are a critical resource for the community of Hydaburg who honor these fish as a foundation for culture, as nutrition to feed loved ones, as critical for maintaining a healthy environment and also, as a means for growing a local fishing economy.

The team's 2014 work resulted in 20 miles of stream being added to the Anadromous Waters Catalog!

This summer, the Hydaburg Stream survey crew are planning on surveying the North Kasook Inlet Lake, will finish up stream 7 in Dunbar inlet, and will survey 2 streams on the Northeast Side of Sukkwan and Coffman Cove River at the North end of Prince of Wales.
The Sustainable Southeast Partnership is Growing!
Community Catalysts hired in Yakutat, Kake and Klawock

We welcomed Quinn Mas-Aboudara and the community of Klawock into our partnership in January. Quinn is working with the Klawock Cooperative Association and is already hard at work finding ways to integrate the many resources SSP offers into community projects. Loretta Gregory is our new community catalyst for Kake. She has lived in Kake for most of her life and is looking forward to hosting the Traveling Greenhouse this spring. She brings years of experience to the Organized Village of Kake and is working as the Community Economic Development Specialist. In Yakutat, we welcomed Paul Harding as the community catalyst working with Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. Paul has been working in Yakutat for three years developing small businesses, growing economic attractions and assisting other entrepreneurs in reaching their goals.

We are excited to bring new enthusiasm and new perspectives into our work! Welcome Loretta, Quinn and Paul!


Building a Robust Regional Economy: The 2016 Innovation Summit 
Annual Summit cultivates energy for sustainable change

Written by Bethany Goodrich & Paul Hackenmueller

Optimism for building a more diverse and robust economy was high throughout this year's Innovation Summit. The Summit is held annually by the Juneau Economic Development Council and made possible through the support of many statewide partners including the Sustainable Southeast Partnership.

The two-day event brings together diverse perspectives from across Alaska and the nation. Participants collaborate and develop economic strategies that create positive change for our region and state. Keynote speakers present their global experiences, Alaskan entrepreneurs and innovators share their work, participants collaborate during breakout sessions and this year, four local startups competed for a cash prize while pitching their business concepts to a diverse audience over breakfast.

This year, Haa Aani and the Nature Conservancy celebrated two businesses with the annual Path to Prosperity Sustainable Business Plan Award. The Sawmill Farm (Sitka) and The Salty Pantry (Petersburg) were honored at the Summit and presented with their awards. Each winner receives up to forty thousand dollars in grant funding for technical assistance or consulting services to help grow their business. 

Applications for the 2016 competition are available online www.p2pweb.org/apply.


(Below) The 2015 Path to Prosperity winners were honored at this years Innovation Summit in Juneau
What Is the Sustainable Southeast Partnership?

The Sustainable Southeast Partnership is a diverse network that includes both regional and community-based organizations that are working together on sustainable development in Southeast Alaska. 

The Sustainable Southeast Partnership includes the rural Alaskan communities of  KakeKasaan Hydaburg   Hoonah   Sitka, Klawock  and  Yakutat   .
 


Regional Opportunities

Climate and Culture Correspondent Job Opening
The Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska is seeking qualified candidates for a short-term position (April-September 2016) to explore the impacts and implications of climate change on culture, lifestyle, heritage, and economies in Southeast Alaska.

Find out more and apply online at http://iialaska.org/hiring

Path to Prosperity Business Plan Competition
Applications for the 2016 Path to Prosperity Sustainable Business plan competition are open! Do you or does someone you know have an existing business or business concept that will have positive social, economic and environmental impacts for the region? Compete for a grant prize of $40,000 to help support your business. 

Find out more and learn how to apply at www.p2pweb.org
 
Check us out at www.sustainablesoutheast.net