On Wednesday, June 17, Tribal leaders, agency partners, and community members gathered in Seward to celebrate the official signing of the Chugach Region Tribal Conservation District – a milestone years in the making and built upon decades of work by the locally based Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC), a Tribal nonprofit who has been working since 1984 serving the seven Tribes of the Chugach region, including the Qutekcak in Seward, to protect subsistence lifeways and strengthen Tribal participation in local stewardship and ensure long-term well-being of the region and community.

By coordinating Tribes, community organizations, and federal partners, the district creates a collective framework for conservation planning and resource management across the Chugach region while improving access to technical expertise, educational resources, and funding that can help actualize conservation through fish and wildlife research, restoration, watershed protection, climate resilience, food production and security, education, and economic development.

Map of the newly established Chugach Regional Tribal Conservation District, marked by the blue line. Chugach Regional Resources Commission. https://crrcalaska.org/chugach-region-tribal-conservation-district/ 

Hosted at CRRC’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute on Railway Avenue, the celebration reflected the spirit of partnership behind the new district. Attendees witnessed the signing ceremony before gathering to share local food and conversation across groups and generations. Guests also got the chance to tour the Institute’s shellfish hatchery, which supports restoration, mariculture and marine research in the region, as well as CRRC’s hydroponic growing container – a local producer of Chugach Grown greens and herbs that demonstrates how traditional stewardship values and modern technologies can work hand in hand to support healthy, resilient communities.

For many participants of this event, the significance of the Tribal Conservation District extends beyond a signed agreement. Boyd Selanoff of Chenega IRA Council and CRRC Chairman emphasized the importance of integrating the leadership, knowledge, and needs of Tribal communities, saying, “Today’s signing is a huge step towards strengthening our region’s future and most importantly our people’s lives.”

Building this bridge between Tribes and federal, state, and local partners holds the promise of a shared vision — abundant food from sustained wild resources and expanded local production that will feed generations into the future by braiding current practices with the traditions of the past. These partnerships are critical in reaffirming Indigenous stewardship, creating space for traditional knowledge alongside contemporary conservation science, and fostering a shared commitment to community resilience and the connection of local people to the lands and waters that sustain them.

At its heart, this effort is about Alaskans working together. Tribes, agencies, organizations, and community members are united by a common goal — safeguarding the health and abundance of our natural resources so that the entire region can continue to thrive culturally, environmentally, and economically.

Attendees toured the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute hatchery and mariculture facilities and hydroponics container producing local Chugach Grown greens after the ceremony. Photos by Tracy Robillard.

If you want to learn more on work by Chugach Regional Resources Commission, follow at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crrcalaska/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crrc_alaska/

Website: https://www.crrcalaska.org/

Contact: 

Taylor Beyea

Strategic Communications & Data Products Lead

Chugach Regional Resources Commission – Serving the Tribes of Chenega, Eyak, Nanwalek, Port Graham, Qutekcak, Tatitlek, and Valdez
806-202-2267 (Cell)
taylor@crrcalaska.org