Association of Village Council Presidents delegates passed only one resolution at this year’s annual convention, and it came from the regional non-profit itself. Seven resolutions submitted by tribes were tabled until next year because they missed the submission deadline, according to Azara Mohammedi, AVCP's Director of Communications. The deadline was August 20.
Two of those tabled resolutions asked the region’s tribes to oppose the proposed Donlin Gold mine. That would have reversed a resolution AVCP passed in 2006 that supported the project. AVCP's Mohammadi confirmed to KYUK that the resolution passed in 2006 still represents the organization's position on the project.
But the support is contingent on the Donlin Mine being developed in "an environmentally sound manner that preserves the integrity of the Kuskokwim River and its related subsistence resources," according to the resolution.
The one resolution that passed aimed at preventing vandalism to rural airports and runways in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The region has some of the highest runway vandalism rates in the state. Last month, a medevac could not land at night in Kasigluk after a vandalism spree destroyed too many of the runway lights.
Other resolutions focused on housing assistance, strengthening the Alaska Army National Guard in the rural parts of the state, and calling on Congress to redefine Community Development Quota, or CDQ, allocations based on population.
Napakiak and Tuntutuliak were the two tribes that submitted anti-Donlin resolutions. The Donlin mine could be one of the biggest gold mines in the world, if completed. Donlin Gold, the company developing the mine, is moving through the permitting process and expects to get most of its major state and federal permits this year.
Donlin Gold gave a presentation about the mine at last week’s AVCP convention. Donlin spokesman Kurt Parkan says that the presentation focused on addressing recent concerns raised about the project.
The post has been updated with AVCP's Director of Communications Azara Mohammadi's comments about the AVCP Donlin resolution passed in 2006.
