Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, district commander, Harry Brower Jr., mayor of the North Slope Borough, and Senator Dan Sullivan participated in a ceremonial signing of the Project Partnership Agreement for the Barrow Coastal Erosion Project at the district headquarters on Tuesday. Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, is the political and economic hub of the North Slope Borough, providing important services to surrounding villages in Northeast Alaska. The community experiences frequent and severe coastal storms, resulting in flooding and erosion that threaten public health and safety, the economy of the community, critical infrastructure valued at more than $1 billion, access to subsistence areas and cultural resources. The project will reduce the risk of storm damage to about five miles of coastline by construction of a rock revetment at the bluff area, building a protective berm and raising Stevenson Street.