Adak

Adak Island is the traditional home to the Unangax̂ (Aleut) people, who lived for centuries within the rugged and wild environment of the Aleutian Islands. Adak Island was populated by Unangax̂ people until the 1830s when permanent villages were abandoned, and the island was then used for subsistence. In 1942, during World War II, the Adak Army Airfield was established for defensive action against Japanese forces occupying Attu and Kiska. In 1945 the facilities were transferred to Alaskan Air Command and then transferred again to the U.S. Navy in 1950 until the facility was closed on March 31, 1997, through the Base Realignment and Closure Program of 1995.

On March 17, 2004, Aleut received 47,150 acres (about twice the area of Manhattan) of land and many repurposed facilities on Adak Island as the result of a Land Transfer Agreement with the United States Government facilitated by the Department of the Interior under public Law Order 7609.

In honoring Aleut’s mission, we envision economic opportunity on Adak that balances business operations, job creation, infrastructure development and the promotion of Adak as a leading travel destination. All of these opportunities are intended to grow Adak’s economic vitality, while honoring the centuries-long Unangax̂ stewardship of traditional lands.

Adak Island Revitalization

A significant amount of the land transferred to Aleut in 2004 is contaminated from military use, along with left-behind building materials like asbestos, and lead paint. The health and safety risks of the contamination on Adak hinders the economic development opportunities for the island, where potential investors and developers are deterred by the costs and liabilities associated with such sites.

Cleanup efforts require substantial funding and resources, and while programs like the EPA’s Contaminated ANCSA Lands Assistance funding program provide some support, the scale of contamination exceeds these available resources. Aleut has expended its own funds to address some of the most pressing contamination on Adak, but as time and weather impact the former military site, the need becomes more critical.

A unique and decisive solution is needed to address the environmental impacts of the military’s presence on Adak, beyond the current approach, which requires multiple grant programs in a complex legal and regulatory framework.

Since the 2004 Land Transfer Agreement of Adak, Aleut has been expending the corporation’s resources on cleanup efforts, managing the most acute cases of land contamination left behind and addressing instances of deteriorating infrastructure that pose immediate health and safety risks to people on the island. In recent years, Aleut has worked through Federal programs that provide much-needed resources for the cleanup effort. Because of the enormity of the cleanup effort, Aleut seeks a more direct path to the necessary cleanup efforts on Adak – for the benefit of Aleut shareholders, the people, and the community of Adak.

To learn more about Aleut’s revitalization efforts on Adak, or read about the remediation grants we’ve received to date, click the button below.

Visiting Adak

Planning to visit Adak Island soon? Explore Aleut’s resources below or read “Venturing Beyond“, the Aleut Ventures Adak blog, to learn more.

Land Use

Aleut Lands Department oversees all Land Use Permits on Adak Island, and offers permits for fishing and hunting caribou and birds on Adak Island. We have partnered with operators that share our vision and are also committed to environmental and socially responsible practices. Please contact Aleut for questions regarding Adak lands. To obtain a Land Use Permit, click the button below.

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