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Department of the Environment and Natural Resources
Department of the Environment & Natural Resources
The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is a part of the Native Village of Eyak (NVE) Tribal Government. DENR works to protect the Native Village of Eyak’s traditional lands, manage natural resources for the tribe, prevent or mitigate environmental damage, and preserve our traditional subsistence way of life. As stewards of this land for over 10,000 years, DENR continues that tradition.
Our Mission
Preserve, protect, manage, and enhance the long-term sustainability of the natural resources for present and future generations.
How We Operate
Interdisciplinary
Our programs’ scope include fisheries and wildlife research and management, water quality and quantity monitoring, mitigation of contaminated sites, rapid spill response, glacier monitoring, aquaculture and mariculture.
Research Focused
Our programs output primary research and our staff uses primary peer-reviewed literature to make recommendations to the Tribal Council for department priorities and programs.
Resource Management
The overarching purpose of our programs is to develop and support best management practices in the use of our resources.
Office of Natural Resources
In 2001, NVE became a part of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Office of Subsistence Management (OSM)’s Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (FRMP). This was DENR’s first major expansion into natural resource management and was a big step towards officially re- establishing our traditional role as stewards of our home lands. Since 2001, DENR has expanded greatly and is now pioneering a modern era of research and collaborative management combining western science and traditional knowledge. As active stewards of the land and water, NVE has built strong ties with governmental agencies, becoming an integral part of the region’s environmental and resource management policy making.
Fisheries
In 2001, NVE began conducting estimates of the in-river abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon and has generated an abundance estimate every year since using fishwheels and mark-recapture methods. Our programs have expanded to include exploring stock-specific run timing and spawning distribution of Copper River salmon, ocean survival as well as hosting other researchers at our well-established remote field camps.
Copper River Salmon Monitoring
- Chinook Salmon Inriver Abundance
- Chinook Distribution and Run Timing
- Sockeye Salmon Inriver Abundance
- Sockeye Distribution and Run Timing
- Klutina River Sonar Counts
Partners for Fisheries Monitoring Program
- Eshamy River Weir
- Sockeye salmon spawning escapement and age, sex, & length
- 2024 marked the 66th year of escapement data
- Represents an important regional climate indicator for non-glacial salmon stocks
Wildlife
We conduct wildlife assessments and research in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our wildlife resources to support our members’ subsistence lifestyles.
Programs
- Moose Genetics
- Moose Habitat
Our mariculture research program focuses on advancing sustainable kelp farming practices in the Prince William Sound region. Through innovative projects, NVE aims to address critical challenges facing Alaska’s mariculture industry. We are evaluating kelp’s ecological benefits, such as carbon sequestration, ocean acidification mitigation, and habitat creation, while fostering economic growth and workforce development. By integrating traditional knowledge, cutting-edge research, and partnerships with academic, nonprofit, and governmental organizations, our mariculture research program is poised to contribute significantly to climate resilience, local food security, and the expansion of a sustainable mariculture industry in Alaska.
Programs
- Macroalgal Cultivation Rig (MACR)
- Bull Kelp Buoyancy Assessment
- Kelp composting
- Tribal Climate Resilience
Energy and Economic Resilience
We have conducted biomass and wind feasibility studies and are now exploring opportunities to add to Cordova’s renewable energy profile.
Our mariculture research program aims to develop best practice methods for growing kelp in our region of the Prince William Sound and to support Alaska’s growing Blue Economy.
Programs
- Biomass Feasibility Study
- Wind
- Cordova Renewable Energy Workgroup
Office of the Environment
The Office of the Environment is a part of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) for the Native Village of Eyak Traditional Council Tribal Government. The office of the Environment works to protect the Native Village of Eyak’s traditional lands, manage subsistence resources for the tribe, and prevent, or mitigate, environmental damage. The people of Eyak have been stewards of this land for over 7,000 years and DENR seeks to continue that tradition.
water quality
DENR conducts stream gauging around our tradition homeland, conducts ocean acidification monitoring in Prince William Sound and provides water sampling services for those who wish to have water resources on their private property evaluated.
Information about our new mariculture program can be found here.
Programs
- Stream Gauge Monitoring
- Ocean Acidification
- Water Sampling Services
Indian Environmental General Assistance Programs
The Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP) through the EPA is DENR’s longest standing continually operated program. It provides basic funding to maintain an environmental office and address the Tribe’s environmental concerns.
Programs
- Glacier Monitoring
- Developing Marine Debris Cleanup Techniques
- Climate Change
- Trash-Free Waters
- Recycling
Marine Debris
The beaches in our traditional homeland are heavy accumulators of marine debris. They tend to be high energy and inaccessible by land and so require unique solutions to remove debris.
Programs
- Cleanup
- Monitoring
- Prevention
Contamination & Remediation
DENR operates multiple programs whose focus is remediating contaminated sites. We work on private and public property as well as formerly used military sites and operate a spill response program. We provide services to prevent contamination, such as home heating fuel tank inspections.
Programs
- Brownfield
- Tribal Spill Response
- Native American Lands Environmental Mitigation Program
Contracting Services
DENR has expansive capacity to mobilize and conduct high-quality research projects on any scale in Prince William Sound, the Copper River and the Copper River Delta. We make those services available to others conducting work in our region whose priorities align with the Tribe’s.
Imaging Sonar
High resolution imaging sonar capabilities (hull inspection, piling inspection, fish counting)
Penetrating Radar
Ground and ice penetrating radar
Drone Services
We operate a DJI Phantom 4 Pro to collect low cost aerial imagery.
Environmental Monitoring
We provide stream gauge data, water quality monitoring, water chemistry monitoring, analysis of contamination, resource assessments and a variety of other a la carte environmental services.
Location,
Hours & Contact
PO Box 1388
110 Nicholoff Way
Cordova, Alaska 99574
Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
(907) 424-7738
denr@eyak-nsn.gov
Documents &
Quick Links
Office of Natural Resources
- Science & Memory: Baird Canyon Studying Chinook Salmon (video)
- Counting Chinook
- Mariculture Research
- Steller Sea Lion Research
- Cordova Biomass Feasibility Study
