Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference

Newsletter - June 2022

SWAMC Membership spans each fiscal year and membership for FY23 runs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. We are starting our annual Membership Drive today and will continue through the summer and fall. If you live, work, serve in a leadership position or do business in Southwest Alaska a SWAMC membership is an investment in a strong economy and sustainable communities in the region.

Please join us as we work to create new economic opportunities, advocate for our member communities, and connect with our state legislature and agencies to improve the quality of life in Southwest Alaska with projects and programs that benefit you. SWAMC’s municipal and associate members vote on a variety of governance, advocacy, and program issues at regular membership meetings and our annual Economic Summit and Membership Meeting in Anchorage each March. Our members use SWAMC as a forum for sharing information on issues critical to the region, and connecting directly to public and private partners across the state. We link you directly to your legislators each year at our conference and provide a regional platform that focuses on the unique challenges of Southwest Alaska. The primary reason to invest in SWAMC is to express your interest and commitment to ensure a vibrant, sustainable economy and strong, healthy communities in Southwest Alaska, and we simply cannot do this without your financial support as members. Without our membership dues, we are NOT eligible for the annual EDA funding that keeps our doors open!

We will be sending out a membership invitation letter to encourage current and past members to renew, as well as encourage new members to join, but you can always renew online at our website by July 1. We are here for you, and we need to you more than ever to be there for us.

Shirley Marquardt

SWAMC Executive Director

Renew Your Membership

Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan

SWAMC contracted with McKinley Research Group in 2021 to develop a resiliency and recovery plan for Southwest Alaska. This plan builds on lessons learned during the pandemic and provides strategies to build resiliency to future economic shocks. This plan is for SWAMC and Southwest communities to use in strategic planning, building resiliency, and developing economic opportunities. We hope you bookmark this page to review the highlights presentation and review (and use!) the full report as a planning document for your community or organization.

RELIEF PROGRAMS

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission recently provided an updated on the status of Round 2 of the CARES Act fisheries relief:

The application for Round 2 relief is not yet available.

Alaska’s “Round 2” spend plan was approved on 10/26. The Commission is currently drafting applications. It is anticipated that “Round 2” applications will become available by early July 2022. Applicants will need to know their Round 1 relief amounts in order to apply for Round 2 funds.

Additional guidance will become available once applications have been finalized and approved by ADF&G staff. For more information regarding Alaska’s Round 1 or Round 2 spend plans, please contact the ADF&G. Please, if not already doing so, continue to monitor our website for updates. This will be our primary source for publicizing information and updates.

https://relief.psmfc.org/alaska-cares-act-information/

State of Alaska's Round 2 spend plan - updated May 5, 2022

Alaska’s Round 1 application period has closed to all sectors.

Relief checks for Alaska’s Round 1 have been mailed.

Commercial Harvesters........$3,208.00 per share

Sport Fishing Charter ...........$10,895.15 per share

Seafood Processing Sector...$101,927.62 per share

Subsistence Users.................$380.68 per share

Please note the share price was calculated using the total number of eligible shares within a sector divided by the total amount of available funding. Individual payments may be smaller based upon your calculated absolute loss (maximum relief amount) or due to additional funding as a carryover from those limited by their absolute losses.