Rising to the top of a national competition, the Metlakatla Indian Community (MIC) in partnership with proHNS earned a $630,000 BoatUS Foundation grant to remove 27 abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) from four coastal sites.
The BoatUS Foundation received nearly 100 letters of intent from organizations outlining their prospective projects, of which only 53 advanced to the full proposal stage. Of those, just 10 were awarded funding.
proHNS guided the project through the competitive two-phase process, carrying out extensive research, data collection, and community outreach to craft a submission that was compelling and spoke directly to MIC’s needs.
“The team worked to understand our community and our project before fully developing the grant proposal,” said MIC Special Projects Director Genelle Winter. “The deliverable reflected that they listened to the local team members. proHNS understands Southeast Alaska, the challenges, and limitations as well as the strengths associated with our remote location.”
MIC is located on the Annette Islands, about 20 miles south of Ketchikan, AK. It is the only Indian Reserve in Alaska. The community relies on healthy, vibrant waters to sustain its economy and way of life. Subsistence and commercial fishing remain central, while a burgeoning tourism industry is creating new opportunities for growth and prosperity.
The funded project, slated to kick off this summer and wrap up by June 2027, will ultimately remove ADVs scattered across Hemlock Island, local harbors, and town beaches. The defunct and deteriorating vessels pose pollution risks, occupy valuable harbor space, and endanger navigation as they break apart or sink, while also detracting from the community’s scenic coastline. Their removal will restore safe access, free up space for working vessels, protect sensitive marine habitat, and restore the natural beauty of the area.
The BoatUS Foundation was awarded a $10 million federal grant from NOAA’s Marine Debris Removal Program, enabling it to administer this national grant program for ADV removal.
This is not the first time proHNS has helped MIC secure critical funding for community priority projects. In FY23, the firm helped MIC win $3.4 million from MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) and $200,000 from USDOT’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.
Abandoned vessels on Hemlock Island (Google Earth Image).