1). 3). As we reported in 2003, there is no single federal agency responsible for  managing and funding flooding and erosion programs in Alaska. The Flooding and Erosion Threats to Villages Have Not Been Completely Assessed, but Some Threatened Villages Are Exploring Relocation Options

While the flooding and erosion threats to Alaska Native villages have not  been completely assessed, a growing number of imminently threatened  villages have been identified, and some have decided to relocate or are  exploring relocation options. Since our 2003 report, federal, state, and  village officials have identified 31 villages that face imminent threats. 4). Twelve Imminently Threatened Villages Are Exploring Relocation Options for All of, or a Portion of, Their Existing Villages

According to federal, state, and village officials, at least 12 of the 31  imminently threatened villages have decided to relocate—in part or  entirely—or to explore relocation options. Federal Disaster Programs Have Provided Limited Assistance to Villages, and No Comprehensive Relocation Program Exists

Federal programs to assist threatened villages prepare for and recover  from disasters and to protect and relocate them are limited and  unavailable to some villages. While FEMA administers several disaster  preparedness and recovery programs, villages often fail to qualify for these  programs. Other federal agencies have individual programs, but there is no  single comprehensive proactive federal program to assist villages with  their relocation efforts. No Comprehensive Federal Relocation Program Exists, but Individual Agencies Are Providing Some Relocation Assistance, and Other Flooding and Erosion Mitigation Activities Are Ongoing

“Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the Secretary of the Army is authorized to  carry out, at full Federal expense, structural and non-structural projects for storm damage  prevention and reduction, coastal erosion, and ice and glacial damage in Alaska, including  relocation of affected communities and construction of replacement facilities.”
Despite this new authority, which was subsequently repealed in March  2009, the Corps’ role in village relocation efforts has generally remained  unchanged since our 2003 report and has been limited to evaluating  potential relocation sites for Kivalina, Koyukuk, and Shishmaref and to  designing an evacuation center and road for Newtok. Varying levels of progress have been made by the 8 villages  that are gradually migrating to new locations over time. Specifically, none  of these villages have yet identified relocation sites that federal, state, and  village officials agree are safe, sustainable, and desirable for the  subsistence lifestyle of the villagers (see table 5). Lacking a Lead Federal Entity to Prioritize and Coordinate Assistance, Individual Agency Efforts May Not Adequately Address the Growing Threat to Relocating Villages

In the absence of a lead entity, federal agencies individually prioritize  assistance to villages on the basis of their programs’ criteria, which do not  necessarily ensure that the villages in the greatest peril get the highest  priority for assistance. The lack of a lead federal entity has impeded village  relocation efforts, including the fulfillment of the environmental analysis  requirements under NEPA. Because of the concerns raised by the Newtok Planning Group regarding  the lack of federal and state lead agencies, the state designated DCCED as  the lead state coordinating agency for all village relocation assistance in  2008. Confirming the concerns of the Newtok Planning Group, federal, state, and  village officials with whom we spoke told us that a lead federal entity is  needed to coordinate village relocation efforts. Alternatively, a new  entity could be formed to lead, oversee, and coordinate village relocation  efforts. Because the Corps’ Alaska Baseline Erosion Assessment did not consider  flooding, the status of the threat to many villages cannot be properly taken  into account by federal and state officials when planning and prioritizing  assistance to villages, thereby creating the potential that villages may not  receive the assistance they need due to a lack of complete information for  decision makers. Because of Alaska’s unique structure of organized boroughs and an  unorganized borough, unincorporated Native villages in the unorganized  borough do not qualify for federal housing funds from HUD’s Community  Development Block Grant program.
Why GAO Did This Study

In December 2003, GAO reported that most of Alaska's more than 200 Native villages were affected to some degree by flooding and erosion (GAO-04-142). Since 2003, state officials have identified the growing impacts of climate change, increasing the urgency of federal and state efforts to identify imminently threatened villages and assess their relocation options. GAO was asked to report on (1) the flooding and erosion threats that Alaska Native villages currently face, (2) the federal programs that are available to assist villages facing potential disasters, (3) the status of village relocation efforts, and (4) how federal assistance to relocating villages is prioritized. GAO interviewed and gathered documentation from federal and state agency officials as well as regional organizations and village representatives.

What GAO Found

While the flooding and erosion threats to Alaska Native villages have not been completely assessed, since 2003, federal, state, and village officials have identified 31 villages that face imminent threats. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (Corps) March 2009 Alaska Baseline Erosion Assessment identified many villages threatened by erosion, but did not assess flooding impacts. At least 12 of the 31 threatened villages have decided to relocate--in part or entirely--or to explore relocation options. Federal programs to assist threatened villages prepare for and recover from disasters and to protect and relocate them are limited and unavailable to some villages. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has several disaster preparedness and recovery programs, but villages often fail to qualify for them, generally because they may lack approved disaster mitigation plans or have not been declared federal disaster areas. Although there is no single comprehensive proactive federal program to assist villages with their relocation efforts, individual federal agencies can assist villages on specific projects, such as funding the construction or relocation of homes. However, 64 villages do not qualify for affordable housing and relocation assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant program because the federal law governing the program does not recognize unincorporated Alaska Native villages in Alaska's unorganized borough as eligible units of general local government. Of the 12 villages exploring relocation options, Newtok has made the most progress in its relocation efforts. The Newtok Planning Group, formed in 2006 by federal, state, regional, and village partners, has helped to accelerate the relocation process that the village proactively initiated in 1994. The 3 other villages that will likely need to relocate all at once--Kivalina, Shaktoolik, and Shishmaref--have yet to identify sites that federal, state, and village officials agree are safe, sustainable, and desirable for the subsistence lifestyle of the villagers. Eight other villages have begun to gradually migrate to new locations over time or are evaluating options for doing so. In the absence of a lead entity, federal agencies individually prioritize assistance to villages on the basis of their programs' criteria. These criteria do not necessarily ensure that the villages in greatest peril get the highest priority, and although the Corps has assessed erosion threats, there is no lead federal entity to prioritize and coordinate assistance using this information. In 2007, the Newtok Planning Group reported that the lack of designated federal and state lead entities to guide, coordinate, and fund assistance impeded village relocation efforts and created uncertainty regarding the fulfillment of environmental analysis requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act. In 2008, the state designated a lead agency for village relocation assistance, and federal, state, and village officials told GAO that a similar lead federal entity is needed. Lead authority could be provided to an existing agency or commission, or a new entity could be formed for this purpose.