Fairbanks: Noyes Slough Bridge Retirement, Willow and Protecting Alaskans

March 15, 2023

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’ve all been staying warm during the recent cold snap in Fairbanks. Despite the weather advisory winds, my office has been keeping warm down in Juneau. Some exciting headlines this week include the Iditarod, the Willow Oil Project was sanctioned, the Noyes Slough Bridge is finally being retired and I will introduce a bill to protect Alaskans rights against discrimination in housing. Check out this weekly edition of the Juneau Note!

Willow Project Accepted-with Modification

An oil rig

The Willow Project has just been approved by the White House after many decades of study and permitting hurdles. The administration also limited future developments on the North Slope as a compromise to retain the high value of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska to oil independence but also keep on track to become a renewable nation.

The Biden Administration approved 3 of 5 requested drilling pads while moving to prevent 16 million acres from future fossil fuel leasing. Oil was first discovered in the Prudhoe Bay earlier this week in 1968 and is the largest oil discovery in North America. It has brought forward great prosperity to Alaska. As oil production may be welcome in the near term, Alaskans know that fossil fuels will continue to be phased out in favor of new energy and a new vision.

Noyes Slough Bridge Replacement – Finally!

The Noyes Slough Bridge

Growing up in the Aurora Neighborhood near the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds was terrific. But crossing the Noyes Slough Bridge was a daunting task for an uncoordinated child on a bicycle headed to the local 7-11 on a narrow bike path with a limited sight distance! The long-awaited bridge replacement is finally happening.

The Alaska Department of Transportation, in cooperation with HC Contactors is working to replace the Noyes Slough Bridge on Aurora Drive. Construction is expected to start during the last week of March and will repair roadside hardware, water and sewer lines, drainage improvements and ADA improvements. The construction should be completed by the end of October 2023. An open house will be held on March 22^nd from 4:30-6:30pm at Randy Smith Middle School Commons. Project staff will be available to share information about what can be expected for summer commutes and a new bus route. Updated information on the bus route will be at: https://www.fnsb.gov/349/Metropolitan-Area-Commuter-System-MACS as soon as the new route is announced.

Ending Discrimination (in Housing) and in Alaska

About two weeks ago, the Attorney General advised the Alaska Commission for Human Rights to only investigate complaints about discrimination towards LGBTQ individuals if they originated from employment. It means that if a member of our community were to be discriminated against (i.e., refused housing) they would not be able to pursue a legal remedy through the Alaska Commission on Human Right. The AG advisory affects some of our most vulnerable Alaskans. Studies done by the Trevor Project have shown that 28% of LGBTQ youth have reported experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in their lives. In that same study, the Trevor Project found that nearly half of Native/Indigenous LGBTQ youth experience homeless at some point in their lives.

Last week, Representative Jennie Armstrong introduced HB99, a bill to ensure the protection of LGBTQ Alaskans and discrimination in housing. This week I will be introducing the senate counterpart to this bill. Please email griffen.sukkaew@akleg.gov for more information.

Alaska Children’s Trust Tier 1 Grant Application

Alaska Children's Trust Banner

Applications remain open for this year’s Alaska Children’s Trust (ACT) Tier 1 grants, which provide up to $10,000 to eligible organizations in support of projects that prevent child abuse and neglect.

Alaska Children’s Trust (ACT) recognizes that our future is influenced greatly by the types and level of trauma our children are exposed to, and the amount of resiliency they are equipped with to handle these traumas. Alaska has struggled with some of the highest rates (per capita) of child abuse and neglect in the nation for decades.

Organizations throughout Alaska working to prevent child abuse and neglect are invited to apply for grants up to $10,000 through our Tier 1 process. These grants are awarded to new or existing projects that help prevent child abuse and neglect, prioritizing grants that support an upstream, primary prevention approach. Applications are accepted from qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, or equivalent organizations located in Alaska. Equivalent organizations may include Tribes, local or state governments, schools or Regional Educational Attendance Areas.

For more information or to apply, click HERE

PFD Deadline Approaches

Click the image above to be forwarded to the online PFD application.

The 2023 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend filing deadline is midnight on March 31st… but don’t wait! To be in the first batch of PFD payments this October, apply online at pfd.alaska.gov and request direct deposit. The PFD is our share of the state resource wealth and is important for Alaskans – like myself – who use it to save for college, buy fuel for a cold winter, put food on the dinner table and donate it to charities.

Important to note - A portion of the PFD is NOT taxable. If you have filed your 2022 taxes already this year, then you may qualify for a rebate or credit. Click here to find out more!

Want Help to Attend College? FAFSA Training!

We currently have the lowest rate of students enrolled in FAFSA this year with only 19.8% of Alaskan students having completed the 2023-2024 FAFSA. If you or your student have not applied for federal financial assistance this year, please visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The class of 2021 left nearly $6 Million dollars in unused Pell Grant funding. Students will not receive the Alaska Performance Scholarship, the Alaska Education Grant, and many other Alaska institution based financial aid awards without completing FAFSA.

ACPE's Master the FAFSA Training flyer

I know the FAFSA application can be confusing, but there are resources to help. The Alaska Commission of Postsecondary Education has created a Master the FAFSA training. This training runs every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00-3:00 pm during January through March. These trainings will be held on zoom and will go over the FAFSA process for Dependent Students. A Dependent Student is defined as high school seniors and perspective college/career training students under 24 with access to parents’ tax information. March 23^rd being held specifically for independent students which are defined as foster youth, homeless youth, individuals with dependent children or other dependents, and individuals over 24.

My Staff and I are Here for You

As always, I and my staff are are still working for you. Feel free to contact my office and we will assist you with issues important to you and your family.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,