Alaska Native Issues: Federal Agencies Could Enhance Support for Native Village Efforts to Address Environmental Threats
Erosion, flooding, and thawing permafrost can threaten lives and damage infrastructure in Alaska Native villages. Climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats.
Federal agencies budgeted about $200 million in FYs 2016-2020 to build resilience to environmental threats in these villages, but much more needs to be done to protect them. Of the more than 30 federal programs that could help, most are hard for Native villages to access. For example, programs that require participants to share costs with the government can be out of reach for small villages.
Our recommendations address program access and other issues we found.
Erosion and thawing permafrost undermine the land beneath homes in Newtok, Alaska
What GAO Found
More than 70 out of over 200 Alaska Native villages face significant environmental threats from erosion, flooding, or thawing permafrost, according to a 2019 statewide assessment. Consequences from even a moderate flood or increasing erosion could be significant (see fig.), and over one-third of these communities face the compounding effects of more than one threat. According to several federal officials, short-term actions are needed to address the most urgent threats without waiting for additional studies. At the same time, many Native villages also need more information to support longer-term planning.
Erosion-Damaged Road in the Native Village of Shishmaref
Federal agencies provided a total of about $391 million in obligations in fiscal years 2016 through 2020 to (1) repair damaged infrastructure in Alaska Native villages; and (2) build their resilience to environmental threats, including by implementing protection measures. However, since more than one-third of highly threatened Native villages did not receive such federal assistance during these 5 years, significant work remains to protect these communities.
Opportunities exist for federal agencies to better support Alaska Native village efforts to build resilience to environmental threats by improving coordination among federal, state, and tribal entities. Federal agencies coordinate in several targeted ways, including on a per-project basis, but do not systematically coordinate to address these threats statewide. Broader coordination efforts have been limited because of agencies' focus on their own projects and the absence of consistent federal support for interagency coordination. Establishing an interagency and intergovernmental coordinating entity could facilitate more strategically targeted federal investments that more effectively address the threats facing Alaska Native villages.
Further, GAO reviewed 20 programs across federal agencies and found they each had at least one characteristic that could pose an obstacle to villages' obtaining assistance, such as project cost-share requirements. Implementing changes to address those obstacles that are established in agency regulations or policy, where feasible and appropriate, could help Native villages better obtain federal assistance.
Why GAO Did This Study
Erosion, flooding, and thawing permafrost can pose environmental threats to lives and infrastructure in Alaska Native villages. According to the United States Global Change Research Program, climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats. GAO identified 10 federal agencies that administer programs that support Alaska Native village efforts to address and build resilience to environmental threats.
GAO was asked to review federal efforts to help Alaska Native villages address environmental threats. This report examines (1) information about environmental threats to Native villages; (2) federal funding provided to address such threats, and actions supported by that funding; and (3) opportunities to better support efforts to build resilience to such threats.
GAO analyzed federal risk information and obligations data from 10 federal agencies for fiscal years 2016 through 2020; reviewed agency documents and other relevant reports; and interviewed agency officials and representatives from selected Alaska Native villages and tribal organizations.
Recommendations
Congress should consider establishing a coordinating entity to assist Native villages facing environmental threats. GAO is also making eight recommendations, including that seven agencies change programs to reduce barriers that hinder Native villages' accessing federal assistance. Six of these agencies agreed with GAO's recommendations, and the seventh agency stated it agreed with the report's findings.
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider establishing an interagency and intergovernmental coordinating entity and requiring the relevant agencies to participate and engage in sustained coordination to strategically target federal investments to Alaska Native villages facing significant environmental threats. Congress should also consider directing the coordinating entity and its participating agencies to identify opportunities to streamline program delivery across federal agencies; assess the statutory program characteristics we identified that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, and identify any others; and submit a report to Congress with any recommendations for statutory changes to streamline program delivery and to address such obstacles. (Matter for Consideration 1) | As of August 2022, we were not aware of Congress taking any action to address this Matter for Congressional Consideration. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Indian Affairs | The BIA Director should identify options for providing additional technical assistance that is specifically designed to help Alaska Native villages navigate and obtain assistance from the variety of potentially available federal programs, including by assessing how BIA prioritizes its available resources. (Recommendation 1) |
In comments on our draft report, the Department of the Interior stated that BIA has identified new avenues to provide technical assistance and support to Alaska Native villages. We will continue to monitor the department's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| The Denali Commission | The Denali Commission's Federal Co-chair should identify options for providing additional technical assistance that is specifically designed to help Alaska Native villages navigate and obtain assistance from the variety of potentially available federal programs, including by assessing how the Commission prioritizes its available resources. (Recommendation 2) |
In comments on our draft report, the Denali Commission stated that it would remain engaged in assisting Alaska Native villages, including by providing technical assistance. We will continue to monitor the Commission's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| Bureau of Indian Affairs | The BIA Director should review BIA's programs identified in this report and, where the agency determines it feasible and appropriate, implement relevant changes to address program characteristics that are not established in statute that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, including characteristics we identified and others that BIA may identify. BIA should also document its review, any related consultation with tribes, and any changes made to its programs. (Recommendation 3) |
In comments on our draft report, the Department of the Interior stated that BIA would review and seek avenues to enhance program characteristics that remedy obstacles identified in our report. We will continue to monitor the department's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| Department of Defense | The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works should direct the Chief of Engineers and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the Corps' programs identified in this report and, where the agency determines it feasible and appropriate, implement relevant changes to address program characteristics that are not established in statute that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, including characteristics we identified and others that the Corps may identify. The Corps should also document its review, any related consultation with tribes, and any changes made to its programs. (Recommendation 4) |
In comments on our draft report, the Department of Defense stated that the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works will direct the Corps to review its programs identified in our report and implement changes to program characteristics in response to our recommendation. We will continue to monitor the department's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The Administrator of FEMA should review FEMA's programs identified in this report and, where the agency determines it feasible and appropriate, implement relevant changes to address program characteristics that are not established in statute that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, including characteristics we identified and others that FEMA may identify. FEMA should also document its review, any related consultation with tribes, and any changes made to its programs. (Recommendation 5) |
In comments on our draft report, the Department of Homeland Security described ongoing and planned actions to address this recommendation and stated that FEMA plans to complete action to address this recommendation by December 2023. We will continue to monitor the department's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| Department of Housing and Urban Development | The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development should direct the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Programs and the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development to review HUD's programs identified in this report and, where the agency determines it feasible and appropriate, implement relevant changes to address program characteristics that are not established in statute that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, including characteristics we identified and others that HUD may identify. HUD should also document its review, any related consultation with tribes, and any changes made to its programs. (Recommendation 6) |
In a June 2022 letter to GAO, HUD stated that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will direct the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Native American Programs (ONAP) to review ONAP's programs identified in our report and implement changes to program characteristics where feasible and appropriate. HUD plans to complete action to address this recommendation by June 2025. We will continue to monitor the department's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | The Administrator of NOAA should review NOAA's programs identified in this report and, where the agency determines it feasible and appropriate, implement relevant changes to address program characteristics that are not established in statute that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, including characteristics we identified and others that NOAA may identify. NOAA should also document its review, any related consultation with tribes, and any changes made to its programs. (Recommendation 7) |
In comments on our draft report, the Department of Commerce stated that NOAA will conduct a policy and legal review to identify what flexibilities may exist to adjust program characteristics in response to our recommendation. We will continue to monitor NOAA's actions in response to this recommendation and evaluate them when complete.
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| Natural Resources Conservation Service | The Chief of NRCS should review NRCS's programs identified in this report and, where the agency determines it feasible and appropriate, implement relevant changes to address program characteristics that are not established in statute that pose obstacles to Alaska Native villages' obtaining assistance, including characteristics we identified and others that NRCS may identify. NRCS should also document its review, any related consultation with tribes, and any changes made to its programs. (Recommendation 8) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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