Program Overview
The Eyak Preservation Council first started working to address the US Navy’s Northern Edge trainings in the Gulf of Alaska in September, 2014. What has grown into a successful and dynamic program started with a public meeting held by Naval representatives in Cordova, Alaska on September 12th, 2014. At that time, the Navy’s Draft EIS (2017–2022) was open for public comment. EPC began spreading the word and reaching out to others with subject matter experts to see what could be done to stop Northern Edge. Throughout the rest of 2014 and into the first part of 2015, EPC worked diligently on researching, relationship building and community based advocacy with the goal to stop Northern Edge. With EPC’s mission related work to protect and preserve wild salmon habitat and culture in their region of Alaska, they could not turn away from this challenge.
After Northern Edge ’15 in June 2015, and after the settlement of NRDC’s landmark case EPC changed tack and began to work to minimize environmental impacts from the Naval activities through time and area closures within the Gulf of Alaska. EPC’s advocacy work paid off when, in April 2017, the Navy did not receive their preferred alternative for going forward with Northern Edge from 2017–2022. For these years, the Navy’s level of ordnance and duration of training have each been reduced by 50% of levels previously permitted from 2011–2016.
Timeline Key
* Denotes public presentations at events such as SalmonFest, WhaleFest, Alaska Forum on the Environment, Alaska Federation of Natives, Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Kodiak Marine Science Symposium, etc.
Note: Absent from this Timeline are public meetings, articles, launch of the SIFS website, social media campaigns, TV/Radio interviews, newsletters or EPC.org letters sent