RSS 1.0University of Alaska Anchorage
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Recent Submissions
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Hitchhikers on floats to Arctic freshwater: Private aviation and recreation loss from aquatic invasionThis study of aviation-related recreation loss shows that a survey primarily aimed at collecting information on invasive species’ pathways can also be used to estimate changes in pathway-related ecosystem services. We present a case study for Elodea spp. (elodea), Alaska’s first known aquatic invasive plant, by combining respondents’ stated pre-invasion actual flights with stated post-invasion contingent behavior, plane operating costs, and site quality data. We asked pilots about the extent of continued flights should destinations become invaded and inhibit flight safety. We estimate a recreation demand model where the lost trip value to the average floatplane pilot whose destination is an elodea-invaded lake is US$185 (95 % CI $157, $211). Estimates of ecosystem damages incurred by private actors responsible for transmitting invaders can nudge actors to change behavior and inform adaptive ecosystem management. The policy and modeling implications of quantifying such damages and integration into more complex models are discussed.
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Alaska's Digital Archives metadata standards guideThis document will lay out the requirements or suggestions for the content of each field that accompanies the items you’ll be adding to the Alaska’s Digital Archives. This should be used in tandem with the Adding Metadata tutorial which will explain the process of filling in the metadata fields.
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Fiscal Effects of Commercial Fishing, Mining and TourismThis report summarizes the fiscal effects of the commercial fishing, mining, and tourism industries on Alaska’s state government. The report calculates state revenue collected from each industry and compares it to the state’s expenditures for that industry. What revenue does the State of Alaska receive from commercial fishing? From the mining industry? From tourism? What does the state pay out to manage each resource? While the comparison between the state’s revenue and expenditures is useful information, this report is not an economic benefit-cost analysis.
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Experiences of Opioid Use Initiation and Progression among Alaskans who Use HeroinThe opioid epidemic has continued in Alaska and nationwide. Information about the types of opioids that are misused first, the age of first use, and the circumstances and mode of initial and progressive use of opioids can help to inform effective prevention and early intervention efforts. These topics were explored during interviews with adults in Alaska who use heroin for the Partnerships for Success project. Results indicate that most participants were exposed to opioids through a legitimate prescription in their teens to early twenties for a severe injury or multiple surgeries before developing an addiction. Some obtained prescription opioids for misuse initially from social sources such as a friend, at a party, or stealing them from a neighbor. Only two participants began their use of opioids with heroin. All participants eventually went on to use heroin which became cheaper, more effective, and easier to obtain than prescription opioids. Few participants indicated that social influences, rather than price or availability, were a factor in their transition to heroin. Recommendations and an overview of recent state prevention initiatives and policy efforts related to the findings are presented.
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2017-2018 Infographics for the evaluation of Project HOPEOpioid Response Programs (ORPs) across Alaska partner with DHHS, Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention (OSMAP) to distribute opioid overdose rescue kits to members of the general public and to professionals (e.g., first responders, agency/organization staff, etc.). This work consists of two infographics, and is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant 1H79SP022117.
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From Northern Village to Global VillageThe digital divide, which originally signifed the gap between those with Internet acces and those without, now applies to broadband. As other software and applications, such as health records, government documents, and educational materials are moving to the cloud rather than being installed on local devices, people in developing regions will need affordable broadband to access them.
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Food System AssessmentFood assessments are conducted for different reasons such as creating a more sustainable commercial food production system or to target particular policies. The main focus of this effort was to locate indicators that could be updated regularly so current information would be readily available and so that changes or trends could be monitored. Without knowing the current state of food-related indicators it’s difficult to make informed decisions about which issues and goals are priorities. We start with an overview of the food system model we used. Chapter 2 is a demographic overview of Alaska’s residents. The next five chapters present the indicators for each of the components of the food system. Chapter 8 contains the data we think would be need to develop a better picture of Alaska’s food system. The final section of this report is an index of the indicators: the name of the indicator, where the indicator appears in this report, the years of data included, the source (the agency or organization thatproduced the data), the source title for the data, and the location of the data, usually a Web address.
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FASD Costs: Evidence from Hawaii Medicaid DataFetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), a collection of permanent yet preventable developmental disabilities and birth defects resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure, are associated with substantial costs. We use information from Hawaii Medicaid data for individuals who have at least one FASD-related condition. The total spending for these individuals between 2011 and 2015 was $460,515,584. Of that total, more than $32 million is directly associated with FASD-related visits/codes. We find that the average FASD-related visit costs $121, which is more expensive than the average medicaid visit. We also find that the frequency of FASD-related visits increases with age. We find evidence that the number of initial conditions is positively associated with the number of visits and accumulated medical costs and that 20% of the patients are responsible for 85.85% of the total spending. This paper was supported by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement 5NU01DD001143.
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Energy Policy RecommendationsThe Senate Finance Committee, through its Senate Energy Working Group, has asked a series of important questions about energy prices, energy costs, and energy use. The Committee also asks the “overarching” question of what can be done to reduce gasoline and heating fuel prices in Alaska? Which of these strategies has the greatest likelihood of success for the least cost to state government? This report contains our responses to both the overarching and specific questions posed. Our answers and recommendations are based on reviews of the most current, publicly available data regarding fuel prices and fuel use. We interviewed numerous agency officials, businesspeople, and residents participating in a range of energy related programs supported by the State of Alaska.
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Economics of Wilderness: Contribution of Alaska Parks and Wilderness to the Alaska Economy"What is the economic contribution of wilderness and wilderness-protected ecosystems to Alaska’s economy? Tourism by nonresidents is the primary link that we consider between wilderness and the Alaska economy, although subsistence harvests and resident recreation clearly generate value for Alaskans. Here, we synthesize and apply existing data and research. We do not consider global ecosystem services provided by Alaska park lands and waters, nor do we assess activity that is not captured within the Alaska economy."
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Data Survey and Sampling Procedures to Quantify Recreation Use of National Forests in AlaskaEstimating visitor numbers and collecting information on visitor attitudes in Alaska national forests is especially challenging because of the dispersed access to the forests by a relatively small number of visitors. The Tongass and Chugach National Forests are each millions of acres with miles of saltwater coastline and numerous lakes that allow almost infinite boat and float plane access points. This study identified a number of methods used by land managers in Alaska and other states to address dispersed recreational access as well as other ongoing data collection processes in Alaska, such as sport fish angler surveys, traveler surveys, and other systematic efforts that generate visitor data. These data may be useful for USDA Forest Service efforts to improve their visitor use monitoring processes.
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Chapter 6: VegetationThis assessment evaluates the effects of future climate change on a select set of ecological systems and ecosystem services in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula and Chugach National Forest regions. The focus of the assessment was established during a multi-agency/organization workshop that established the goal to conduct a rigorous evaluation of a limited range of topics rather than produce a broad overview. The report explores the potential consequences of climate change for: (a) snowpack, glaciers, and winter recreation; (b) coastal landscapes and associated environments, (c) vegetation, (d) salmon, and (e) a select set of wildlife species. During the next half century, directional change associated with warming temperatures and increased precipitation will result in dramatic reductions in snow cover at low elevations, continued retreat of glaciers, substantial changes in the hydrologic regime for an estimated 8.5 percent of watersheds, and potentially an increase in the abundance of pink salmon. In contrast to some portions of the Earth, apparent sealevel rise is likely to be low for much of the assessment region owing to interactions between tectonic processes and sea conditions. Shrubs and forests are projected to continue moving to higher elevations, reducing the extent of alpine tundra and potentially further affecting snow levels. Opportunities for alternative forms of outdoor recreation and subsistence activities that include sled-dog mushing, hiking, hunting, and travel using across-snow vehicles will change as snowpack levels, frozen soils, and vegetation change over time. There was a projected 66-percent increase in the estimated value of human structures (e.g. homes, businesses) that are at risk to fire in the next half century on the Kenai Peninsula, and a potential expansion of invasive plants, particularly along roads, trails, and waterways.
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Cancer Control Continuum Gap Analysis: Inventory of Current Policy and Environmental Strategies"Comprehensive cancer control (CCC) is a process through which communities and partner organizations pool resources to reduce the burden of cancer. These combined efforts help to reduce cancer risk, find cancers earlier, improve treatments, and increase the number of people who survive cancer. ”This analysis has explored both current policies that have been enacted in Alaska at the state and federal level, and those that are acknowledged at a national level. The gap analysis is designed to inform the State DHSS as it takes steps to develop a policy agenda for comprehensive cancer control that aims to; reduce the risk of developing cancer, identify cancer earlier, improve cancer treatment, and increase the number of cancer survivors."
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Alaska Isolated Wind-Diesel Systems Performance and Economic AnalysisMost remote rural communities in Alaska use diesel to generate electricity, but the high price of diesel is causing an increasing number to add a local power source that’s also renewable—wind. Our analysis is preliminary; most existing systems are new. Adding wind to diesel systems makes economic sense to customers if wind energy costs less than the equivalent energy cost of diesel. Our review of project histories did reveal some potential ways of improving the economics and performance of rural wind-diesel systems. Those include geographically and technologically aggregating projects to take advantage of economies of scale; employing skilled project developers who use technological innovations to increase wind-energy generation; having clear power-purchase agreements; having skilled and motivated local operators; establishing remote monitoring to alert project managers about problems and record maintenance and performance data; and hiring people with expertise in Alaska’s harsh climate.
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Alaska Fuel Price Projections 2011-2030This report and supporting spreadsheet outline Low, Medium, and High case fuel price projections for the years 2011-2030 for natural gas in Southcentral Alaska delivered to a utility-scale customer, diesel delivered to a PCE community utility tank, diesel delivered to a home in a PCE community, home heating oil purchased in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Palmer, and Wasilla. The report provides documentation of the assumptions and methods that are used, while a companion Excel workbook contains the detailed projections.
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Alaska Energy Data Gateway Provides New ServicesThis short news release outlines the contributors and content of the Alaska Energy Data Gateway website.
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Can my GPS lead me to a sustainable future? The role of technology and lessons from three remote Arctic communitiesThis presentation outlines research involving 35 residents of Brevig Mission, Noatak, and Noorvik during March 2017 were asked to evaluate values and beliefs regarding technology, climate change, and subsistence. Interviewees indicated that technology was helpful in their hunting and subsistence activities, but it was also expensive and may contribute to taking larger risks. Furthermore, technology was not seen as making up entirely for the impacts arising from changing climate.
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An Introduction to the Economy of AlaskaAlaska’s geography—its location, climate, topography, and resources—have driven Alaska’s economy in the past and define and constrain its opportunities for the future. Alaska has abundant natural resources—oil, minerals, forests, fish. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Alaska’s strategic location has contributed to the role of the military and more recently the international air cargo industry. Another Alaska natural resource--its natural beauty—represents an increasingly important natural resource. But Alaska’s remoteness from major markets, cold climate, mountainous topography, and permafrost make Alaska a costly place to extract resources compared with other parts of the world.
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Alaska's Economy: The Challenge Ahead (Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce)Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage, 2011This presentation includes information about employment and income from the Permanent Dividend Fund. Presented at the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce.
