In the Fall of 2004, the Chignik Bay Tribal Council received funding from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) to strengthen the Tribe's administrative capacity as well as to develop a comprehensive community plan to guide development in the community. This plan meets both the requirements of the ANA grant, and the Denali Commission, which now requires that a community plan be in place as the core eligibility criterion for funding beginning FY 2005. This plan is unique in that it was written entirely online with contributions from a number of individuals, agencies, and consultants. This community plan is also unique as it has been developed with an online system that allows for updates to be made as soon as new information is received and is immediately available for public viewing.

Photo By: A. Caole
 

Vision:

"To achieve, improve, and safeguard our subsistence cultural way of life and maintain a quality way of living in our community."

The community members of Chignik Bay were polled on what they, the residents, believe will improve the quality of life in their community. The following are the results of the poll from both the youth and the elders of the community:

• Video center, library and computers more entertainment, exercise building with exercise equipment
• Gravesites fixed up
• Tutoring program during the summer for our kids
• Bank/ATM machine
• Spa/facial boutique/shop
• Emergency siren system for both sides of the villages
• Grocery/hardware store
• Airport expansion,/runway lights/small terminal
• Coffee shop/restaurant/bakery/seafood restaurant to utilize our own seafood
• Garage/gas station

A planning meeting was conducted on March 9, 2005. The participants completed a "Vision" survey.

Many of the respondents had the same concerns especially for needing a store in the community. There was hope for the return of a strong fishing industry and a better airport facility as well as more jobs for local people. Locals would like an emergency shelter on each side of the bay. There was concern with the inter-tie road and the chance of rapid development, much more than the community could handle at this time.

The following are the results of the visioning session:

• Two tsunami shelters
• New community hall
• Store
• Chignik Road Inter-tie
• Self-sustaining community
• Year round ferry service
• Better airport
• Increased employment opportunities for the youth
• Residents remain here for both summer and winter seasons
• More community activities
• Return of a lucrative fishing industry and the creation of more jobs from fishing
• New fire hall
• Space for kids to meet- Youth Center
• Road system
• Deep sea port

Visions: Perspectives from Chignik Bay's Future Leaders

In October 2004, the local school children were asked what they would like to see in Chignik's future. The following summarizes their input as provided by them, the future the leaders:

• Improve airport runway for cargo jets to land
• Establish a local flying service to have direct flights to Anchorage
• Develop a business that community members can work during the winter months -
  perhaps this business would attract people to stay and work in Chignik
• Community Co-op store - this would provide jobs
• Elder facility (to keep elders in village like a nursing home) this would create jobs
• Mini campus/dorms
     -- take college courses
     -- get training
• Beauty shop/Espresso shop
• Factory where fishermen and women make their fish into a product like smoked
  packaged fish
• Veterinarian clinic, animal kennel/shelter for the Chigniks and surrounding villages
• We need a STORE all year; We need a tsunami shelter
• Starbucks
• Widen the airport, lengthen the airport, ski lodge, hunting lodge, new airport building
• New post office, new dock, new community hall, beauty shop and nail shop
• Roads connecting villages, better airport, tsunami shelter, grocery store, teen center,
  movie theater, skate park for BMX, roller blading, skateboards, first care hospice for
  elders
• Apartment building, Starbucks with a beauty salon
• Tsunami shelter across the bay with a road
• Swimming pool at the school, ammo store, pet store, Taco Bell, bigger playgound,
  hospital, Chucky Cheese
• Walmart, raise the price of fish, bigger school, more food for the elders
• Dog pound, horse ranch, flower shop, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds, mall, AC
  store, Chinese restaurant
• Merry Go Round - Trampoline; A swimming pool for everyone a restaurant
• Make a program for the youth in the winter time so they can make some money and a
  summer program to make money; Get real cement roads; Have a basketball and
  volleyball court open year-round