The Kuskokwim Ice Road has been approved for funding from the Alaska State Legislature for the first time in 20 years. Originally, in this session of the Legislature, $370,000 had been approved by both the House and the Senate. That’s the entire amount of funding the ice road needs to operate. But Gov. Mike Dunleavy cut that amount in half in his vetoes.
The governor announced his veto choices in a press conference, and declined to comment on the ice road funding.
Two decades ago, the State habitually funded the ice road at $50,000 each year, a practice that ended during the Murkowski administration, according to a spokesperson for the governor's office.
This winter, the ice road proved its value when the community of Tuluksak lost its only source of running water in a fire, and the ice road was used by agencies and residents alike to deliver critical supplies.
Communities who use the ice road typically pay the Native Village of Napaimute ahead of time for the number of plows they think they’ll require each winter. Tuluksak, who paid before the fire occurred, only bought two plows. They ended up requiring eight plows by the end of Feburary alone, at the price of about $4,000 apiece. The state eventually ended up paying Napaimute for some plows from its disaster fund.
Mark Leary, who is in charge of maintaining the ice road for the Native Village of Napaimute, is glad to get the funding from the legislature, but knows he’ll still have to secure the remaining half. He said that he’s used to knocking on the doors of potential donors.
