 October 02, 2003
The project, which includes modifying and strengthening the existing deepwater dock, will involve installing a travel lift slip and pier, the purchase of a 100-ton travel lift and improvements to the uplands for storage and repair facilities. "Wrangell, which faced such a downturn when the Alaska Pulp Corp. sawmill closed, has been trying to diversify its economy by making its harbor more attractive for fishermen to bring their catches into town for processing. This grant is clearly designed to help attract more vessels to homeport in Wrangell and to help the town's fishing industry diversify into new seafood resources. "This hopefully will be the prod to help Wrangell's economy continue its rebound," said Murkowski. According to the EDA, the new harbor improvements should generate 50 new jobs in skilled crafts to work on fishing boats and from new crew opportunities. And the agency said the harbor improvements should also help keep existing boats moored in Wrangell, helping promote seafood diversification into the harvest of sea urchins, sea cucumbers and geoducks. The agency estimates that the harbor improvements also will stimulate another $400,000 in capital improvements from the private sector. According to the news release,
the money was to be released to the City of Wrangell by Oct.
1. The grant fulfills part of a commitment by the EDA to fund
projects in coastal Alaska to help improve the state's seafood
industry, increase its efficiency and help it better weather
competition from farm-raised salmo
Source of News Release:
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