April 7, 2021 (Anchorage, AK) – Today Governor Mike Dunleavy thanked NOAA for their commitment to rebuild the Ketchikan port facilities needed to house the NOAA ship Fairweather. The $19 million project will allow the hydrographic survey ship to permanently return to its Ketchikan homeport for the first time since 2008.
“As geopolitical tensions in the Arctic escalate, monitoring and surveying America’s Arctic is of critical importance to our national security,” said Governor Dunleavy. “The move to permanently base the Fairweather in Alaska, as the late Ted Stevens advocated for years ago, is a long overdue step toward defending the national interest.”
The NOAA contract has been awarded to Ahtna Infrastructure & Technologies, LLC, and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Funding for the project includes borough, state, and federal funds appropriated over several years since 2012.
“Alaska’s ports play a vital role in supporting our local economies. The State of Alaska welcomes the Fairweather and the federal maritime families who will relocate to Alaska to support it,” said Governor Dunleavy.
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