More than 125 representatives from local, state and federal government agencies, private transportation businesses and tribal entities responded to an invitation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District to look together at the future of Alaska's ports and harbors during a conference in Anchorage Jan. 10-11, 2008.
Nearly two years later, more than 150 stakeholders from across the state met to discuss agency process, review findings of the 2010 Alaska Regional Ports Study and develop criteria for a statewide investment approach for Alaska's ports and harbors at a conference Nov. 18, 2010.
Taking the next step, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities were host of an Arctic Deep-Draft Ports Planning Charrette May 16-17, 2011. The goal of the meeting was to start the process of joint planning for U.S. Arctic ports in Alaska, responding to the opportunity of study funding through the state of Alaska.
For the 2012 Alaska Deep Draft Arctic Ports Study, the state of Alaska and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District are evaluating potential port locations on the northern and western coasts of Alaska in response to the Arctic coast experiencing increased vessel traffic.