Future of Denali Commission funding discussed on the Hill

Continued funding for the Denali Commission has been discussed on Capitol Hill and last Thursday, it was the topic of a hearing at a U.S. House subcommittee on economic development, public buildings and emergency management.After testimony and pleas for continued funding from Denali Commission federal co-chair Joel Neimeyer and Congressman Don Young, the committee’s chairwoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton, a Washington D.C. Democrat, asked for field hearings to be held in Alaska.

The locations or dates of the hearings have not been set yet.

This year, the Alaska delegation asked for $42 million in appropriated funds from the federal budget to fund the Denali Commission. Through a transportation and highway infrastructure bill passed last year, the Denali Commission will continue to receive $20 million per year for transportation projects.

The Denali Commission is an independent federal agency coordinating to build critical utilities, infrastructure and economic support throughout Alaska. In Talkeetna, the Denali Commission helped fund improvements at the Sunshine Community Health Center, Sheldon Community Arts Hangar upgrades, Talkeetna River Front park planning and construction as well as projects in Trapper Creek.