ASTAR Strategic Planning 

Overview

Economic and socioeconomic analysis in support of project to develop infrastructure to access arctic resources.

Project Lead: Mike Fisher

The Arctic Strategic Transportation and Resources (ASTAR) project is an effort by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources that seeks to identify regional infrastructure needs in Alaska’s Arctic region with the goal of strengthening community infrastructure and facilitating access to Arctic resources. The ASTAR contract is a master agreement, divided into four groups, with subsequent subcontracts issued on an as-needed basis. The groups are: 1) Project management; 2) Data analysis, management and GIS analysis and integration; 3) Stakeholder outreach and coordination; and 4) Economics, socioeconomics.

Northern Economics was a subcontractor for Group 4, Economics and socioeconomics, and provided as-needed economic impacts/analysis, literature reviews, and studies, and also coordination as needed with Group 2. Tasks included preparation of a Digital Library consisting of data sources, potential project funding sources, and relevant studies on infrastructure development projects and methodologies; participation in coordination with Group 2 activities on data needs; a regional transportation plan; economic analysis section for a Colville River crossing route study; and a regional workforce development plan.