CRRC started the quarter by attending conferences around the state and closed out the quarter celebrating with community members at the 21st annual subsistence memorial gathering in Anchorage. We are looking forward to the summer and some warmer weather!

CRRC hosted our 21st Annual Subsistence Memorial Gathering in person in Anchorage on March 23rd at the Dena’ina Center. This year’s theme was Chugach Imaq. Imaq (E-muh-CK) in Sugt’stun translates to the ocean, sea, saltwater, and its contents. This theme was chosen to kick off our newest program, the Marine Mammal Program, and our work toward understanding the populations, harvest management, and co-management. CRRC would like to thank all of our speakers, Mike Rehberg, Jackie Keating, Maile Branson, Hanna-Marie Garcia, Lauren Divine, Heather Coletti, Monica Riedel, Bree Witteven, Anna Crary, Erin Shew, Jami Fenn, Vicki Cornish, Jenna Malek, and Ben Weitzman.

The dinner was a huge hit this year with beautiful performances from Nanwalek Sugpiaq Dancers, Cordova Ikamat Dancers, and the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers, music from the English Bay Band and DJ Colin Bonfield, and a Fashion Show with traditional pieces made by Mary Babic, Monica Riedel, and Teal and Aaron Hansen and contemporary pieces made special for the event by Raven Cunningham, Diana Riedel, Gloria Cunningham, Amiah Johnson, Clara McConnel, Brittany Banks, Mary Babic, and Kanisha Lohse. CRRC would like to thank our beautiful models who volunteered to be in the show, Ryen Richards, Angela Peacock, Amiah Johnson, Alice Graves, Ashley Brink, Carter Price, Haliehana Stepetin, Liam Riedel, and Michelle Malachoff.

CRRC would like to give a huge THANK YOU to our sponsors who made considerable donations to support the event, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Chugachmiut, Native Village of Eyak, and Native American Fish & Wildlife Society.

We would also like to thank our artists who attended the craft show, and our silent auction sponsors Ebb and Flow Fiber Studio, Salmon Sisters, Double Shovel, Made by Raven, Casea Babic, Cheekbone Beauty, Kim McNett, Kayak Adventures Worldwide, Major Marine Tours, 8th Generation, Diana Riedel, Alutiiq Angels, Ariel Akerlund, Alaska SeaLife Center, Gloria Cunningham, Metal in the Mountains, Mountain Blossom Studio, Pam’s Donuts, Crafty Little C, Revalyn Fur Company, Cordova Museum, Delozier Dezigns, Millers Landing, Ilanka Cultural Center, Hoover Girls, Copper River Fleece, Christina Waska, Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation, Christine Brummer, Alaska Wild Berry Products, RAVNWULF, Qaadax Studio, Drifters Fish, Aluttiq Girl Studio, Dawn Wallace Jewelry, Qutekcak Native Tribe, Birch Bear Artworks, and Pattie Price.

We also want to give a big thank you to our two photographers, Chloe Bourdukofsky and Bjorn Olson!

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who helped with the event, it was a huge team effort, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: We look forward to seeing you at our next event on March 21st. The theme is Mariculture!

The SACRED Environmental Observations Gathering

CRRC staff had a wonderful time learning and sharing at the Southcentral Alaska Collaborative for Resilience through Education and Decision-making (SACRED) Environmental Observations Gathering last week. We are so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Chugachmuit, Seldovida Village Tribe, and many of our wonderful community members!

In March 2022, with funding from the Marine Mammal Commission and Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, and the NDN Collective, CRRC hosted our second workshop, tied in with the Annual Gathering.

This pilot project was to build internal capacity and help design a replicable approach to collecting TEK and scientific data from our village communities. At this workshop, CRRC we wrapped up the grant requirements and set aside time to discuss plans moving forward. The overall pilot project was successful.

CRRC staff have learned the basics of ethnographic interviews and need to gain additional experience in carrying them out and writing up the results. The mapping exercise confirmed that Eyak Tribal members know much about their environment and have many observations and insights to contribute to research and management. In addition, working with three hunter-observers, CRRC established a rigorous standardized bio-sampling program using the well-established ISN protocols, which have been used for over 20 years in other regions of Alaska. This is a chance to bring additional economic opportunities to economically disadvantaged communities while protecting and preserving the natural resources and health of the Chugach Region and identifying and preventing large-scale zoonotic outbreaks.

Future efforts should document this knowledge in greater depth than possible during a pilot effort emphasizing training in methods rather than obtaining extensive results. The time required to discuss detailed observations and their significance is greater than the time available during the workshop. This is an important finding from the pilot project and CRRC will allocate more time for this type of data collection in future work.

This pilot project was the first step to culturally competent co-management for the Chugach Region. Moving forward, it will guide proper subsistence resource management for marine mammal species within the entire Chugach Region.

For additional information or for questions about the Marine Mammal Program, please contact Raven Cunningham at

CRRC hosted our 21st Annual Subsistence Memorial Gathering in person in Anchorage on March 23rd at the Dena’ina Center. This year’s theme was Chugach Imaq. Imaq (E-muh-CK) in Sugt’stun translates to the ocean, sea, saltwater, and its contents. This theme was chosen to kick off our newest program, the Marine Mammal Program, and our work toward understanding the populations, harvest management, and co-management. CRRC would like to thank all of our speakers, Mike Rehberg, Jackie Keating, Maile Branson, Hanna-Marie Garcia, Lauren Divine, Heather Coletti, Monica Riedel, Bree Witteven, Anna Crary, Erin Shew, Jami Fenn, Vicki Cornish, Jenna Malek, and Ben Weitzman.

The dinner was a huge hit this year with beautiful performances from Nanwalek Sugpiaq Dancers, Cordova Ikamat Dancers, and the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers, music from the English Bay Band and DJ Colin Bonfield, and a Fashion Show with traditional pieces made by Mary Babic, Monica Riedel, and Teal and Aaron Hansen and contemporary pieces made special for the event by Raven Cunningham, Diana Riedel, Gloria Cunningham, Amiah Johnson, Clara McConnel, Brittany Banks, Mary Babic, and Kanisha Lohse. CRRC would like to thank our beautiful models who volunteered to be in the show, Ryen Richards, Angela Peacock, Amiah Johnson, Alice Graves, Ashley Brink, Carter Price, Haliehana Stepetin, Liam Riedel, and Michelle Malachoff.

CRRC would like to give a huge THANK YOU to our sponsors who made considerable donations to support the event, Chugach Alaska Corporation, Chugachmiut, Native Village of Eyak, and Native American Fish & Wildlife Society.

We would also like to thank our artists who attended the craft show, and our silent auction sponsors Ebb and Flow Fiber Studio, Salmon Sisters, Double Shovel, Made by Raven, Casea Babic, Cheekbone Beauty, Kim McNett, Kayak Adventures Worldwide, Major Marine Tours, 8th Generation, Diana Riedel, Alutiiq Angels, Ariel Akerlund, Alaska SeaLife Center, Gloria Cunningham, Metal in the Mountains, Mountain Blossom Studio, Pam’s Donuts, Crafty Little C, Revalyn Fur Company, Cordova Museum, Delozier Dezigns, Millers Landing, Ilanka Cultural Center, Hoover Girls, Copper River Fleece, Christina Waska, Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation, Christine Brummer, Alaska Wild Berry Products, RAVNWULF, Qaadax Studio, Drifters Fish, Aluttiq Girl Studio, Dawn Wallace Jewelry, Qutekcak Native Tribe, Birch Bear Artworks, and Pattie Price.

We also want to give a big thank you to our two photographers, Chloe Bourdukofsky and Bjorn Olson!

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who helped with the event, it was a huge team effort, and we couldn’t have done it without you!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: We look forward to seeing you at our next event on March 21st. The theme is Mariculture!

CRRC staff have been busy working on CRRC website upgrades and working with a GIS Specialist to create an online ArcGIS StoryMap which will provide information on hunting opportunities for Tribal members in Southcentral Alaska. The staff has attended regulatory meetings, finished up program reports, applied for grants to fund Southcentral projects to assist our Tribes and Tribal members, and worked with Chugach Region land managers to continue building meaningful relationships with them to further our mission in helping our Tribes and Tribal members.

Please join us for our monthly Subsistence Alliance meetings, held the first Wednesday of each month at 2:30 pm. These meetings are open to the public and we often have special guest speakers. The meetings are held virtually on Zoom, here is information on the next three meetings and how to join us!

Subsistence Alliance will meet virtually on May 3rd, June 7th, and July 5th at 2:30pm;

Same link for every meeting!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89005092161?pwd=U1NEb2ozK0NwQ0R0UnpNQjR2YzVXQT09

For additional information or for questions about the Subsistence Alliance or regulatory meetings, please contact Christine Brummer at and/or Michael Opheim at .

Moose are an important resource when your store is charging fifty dollars for ham or seventy dollars for steaks. One moose can feed several families and several moose can feed a village. For years the residents of Port Graham and Nanwalek have relied on moose to feed their families. Over time the weather has changed and made it more difficult to harvest moose until later in the season. Currently, the open season for moose in Unit 15C for hunt TM549 is from August 25 to September 30. Hunters have been experiencing the effects of climate change with more challenging weather making it harder to harvest moose during the season. ADF&G data shows that tier II TM549 moose harvest has declined in recent years. From 2011-2017 hunter harvest averaged 2.4 moose/year. However, the most recent three-year average is 1.3 moose/year. ADF&G reported that no moose had been harvested between 2010-2021 prior to September 1st. The earliest date of harvest during this time was September 4th. Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) with support from the communities submitted Proposal 127 to extend the TM549 hunting season in Unit 15C, Southwest of Point Pogibshi. This proposal would change the opening date in the Unit 15C Tier II hunt to September 1st from the current date of August 25th and add a late season opening from November 1 – November 15. The overall season length would increase by 8 days.

Prior to the Board of Game (BOG) meeting in Soldotna, CRRC held a workshop to help community members from CRRC’s seven communities to understand and participate in the BOG process. Guest speakers from the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Department of Fish and Game shared with participants about ANILCA and the BOG. On the last day of the workshop before the BOG meeting participants were helped to put together testimony on proposals that would affect them and their communities. On March 17th, 2023 several community members got up and spoke in front of the BOG. This is a very intimidating task if you are not speaking to large groups of people for a living. One young gentleman from Nanwalek spoke to Proposal 127 and shared his knowledge of moose and hunting in the area.

After hearing testimony for a day and a half the Board went into deliberations and discussed each proposal. Proposal 127 was supported by ADF&G staff and suggested that the Board amend the proposal’s late season end date from November 15 to November 30. The Board amended the proposal with the suggested end date of November 30th and the proposal passed with a vote of 7 yay’s and 0 nays. Comments from the Board were all supportive of the proposal and complimentary of the community members who came and spoke before them. These changes to hunt TM549 will be seen in the 2024 regulations

Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s newly rebranded Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute has been working for the past year to beautify its campus in a number of ways through the addition of murals, the beautification of their downtown, waterfront property, and the repurposing of onsite structures. For this work, CRRC was awarded the 2023 Seward Chamber of Commerce Business Site Development Award.

The second quarter of the year was eventful with conferences and poster presentations at the beginning of the year. In addition to the communities we serve, APMI has added more new communities to our OA monitoring efforts and we continue to train new environmental samplers.

Our seawater monitoring system has been up and running with the usual maintenance challenges that come with spring. We have been utilizing the Seward Marine Center, UAF intake to supply the hatchery’s seawater since late March and our chemistry data looks nearly the same as before the switch. Currently, the salinity is ~30ppt and the April water temperatures are ~7⁰C with an aragonite saturation state (the biologically available carbonate minerals shellfish need to produce their shells) that has been in the 1.2 to 1.3 range since early February.

Questions about ocean chemistry? Reach out to Jacqueline Ramsay ()

Chugach Regional Resources Commission produced a recipe book based on recipes from Tribal members in the Chugach region.

The recipe book can be purchased here: https://chugach-regional-resources-commission.square.site/product/recipe-book-featuring-traditional-foods/3?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

In an effort to enhance food security in the region, CRRC used CDC grants funds to remaster the recipe pages to include nutritional values provided by the ANTHC as well as translations in various dialects, when available, from the Chugachmiut Heritage Preservation.

Lower Cook Inlet Moose Composition Study

CRRC is working on plans to conduct aerial surveys to collect moose composition data in the major drainages of the Lower Cook Inlet and share the data with ADF&G to be used in management and harvest regulation decisions. CRRC has also begun its partnership with ADF&G to come up with other non-invasive methods for monitoring the moose population and develop a program based on the best option for the region.

CRRC met with the GMU 15 Area Biologist in Soldotna in March to discuss the project going forward and share their data on flight plans for aerial surveys and a grid map for a camera trap survey. Camera traps will allow us to estimate the moose population using a statistical model, potentially replacing the need for aerial surveys in the future. ADF&G will also conduct focus group interviews with residents to conduct ethnographic surveys on the historical harvest of moose in the region.

For additional information or for questions about the LCI Moose Composition Study please contact Dustin Carl at

Upcoming Regulatory Dates/Meetings:

• Native American Fish & Wildlife Society Conference: In Anchorage on April 24-27, 2023; https://www.nafws.org/product/2023-annual-national-conference/
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council Meetings: In Sitka on June 5-13, 2023; https://www.npfmc.org/three-meeting-outlook/

We are excited to introduce to you to our Special Projects Lead Mrs. Brooke Mallory. Mrs. Brooke Mallory is from Cordova, AK, and is a Native Village of Eyak Tribal Member of Sugpiaq descent. She has a BS in Education, with an emphasis on Math, Science, and Art.

Brooke has spent every summer after age five, commercial fishing in Prince William Sound on her father’s seine boat. After college, she returned to Cordova to open a small business. She has worked with the Native Village of Eyak (NVE) for twelve years, with much of her time as the Cultural Director or Deputy Director. While with NVE, she helped create and grow their Subsistence Program.

She has spent years teaching Alaska Native Art at both the Cordova Jr/Sr High School, and Mt Eccles Elementary School. She has created, implemented, and overseen many programs, projects, people, and budgets. She has been a director at The Eyak Corporation, serving as Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Chair, as well as served as the Land Committee Chair for the majority of her time on the board.

Currently, she owns two small businesses, Alutiiq Girl Studio, and CP Sweets, to keep her out of trouble when not at work or spending time outside with her husband and dogs. She participates in many cultural arts activities such as fur sewing, beading, ravenstail weaving, spruceroot, and cedarbark weaving, and painting. Brooke has recently learned gut skin sewing while working with Chugachmiut. Brooke is passionate about subsistence rights, and food security as well as learning and teaching others cultural activities. She looks forward to working with CRRC on their many different projects.
Please join us in welcoming this multi-talented awesome staff member to CRRC!

In continuation with introducing you to our newest employees, please meet Briana Murphy, APMI’s Mariculture Liaison.

Briana joined APMI in 2023 as the Mariculture Liaison specializing in kelp projects. She grew up fishing with her family in Prince William Sound and is excited to bring her experience working on the water to build up the mariculture industry throughout southcentral Alaska. She looks forward to participating in the important work APMI is leading to quantify the effects kelp farming has on surrounding waters and expanding the footprint of kelp farms throughout the region.

Please join us in giving Briana a great big welcome!

CRRC Launches Self-Paced Water Quality Monitoring Training – Click here!

In this course, you will learn about the water quality monitoring program of the Chugach region led by the Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute, ocean acidification in Alaska, and how it is currently monitored. Lastly, we offer tips and tricks on how to integrate water quality baseline data collection into your environmental program.