Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Background / Program Administration & Staff
Since 1935 the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) has been a federally-recognized regional tribe, and is one of only two regional tribes in Alaska. The CCTHITA compacts with 20 tribal communities that are spread over 43,000 square miles within Southeast Alaska.
The CCTHITA operates over 50 programs employing over 200 staff with an annual operating budget of approximately $24 million. A president and six-person executive council govern the tribe. CCTHITA has a staff person devoted part-time to transportation issues. Consultants are retained when necessary and as financially possible.
CCTHITA headquarters are located in Juneau, which is located on the mainland of Southeast Alaska. Juneau covers 2,717 square miles of land and 538.3 miles of water. Access to Juneau and is by air and water. Forty-five percent of the employment base is through State, City & Borough of Juneau and federal agencies.
Tourism is significant, along with some fish processing and occasional logging. Juneau has a population of 30,981. There are currently 24,000 active enrolled citizens in the tribe, although many live in Southeast communities other than Juneau.
Transportation System
Surface Transportation - Marine facilities include seaplane landing areas in the Juneau Harbor, deep draft docks, private barge facilities, five small boat harbors and a State ferry terminal. The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) and freight barges provide year-round services. Juneau is currently the homeport for most AMHS vessels and crew.
Air Transportation - Scheduled jet flights and air taxis are available at the Municipally-owned Juneau International Airport. The airport has an 8,456' runway and a seaplane landing area.
Public Transportation - The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) operates a transit system serving the greater Juneau area.
Construction Projects
There are several road projects in construction that have been designed and administered by either Alaska DOT&PF or local government.
Maintenance
Under compact arrangements, CCTHITA receives BIA maintenance funding for three Southeast communities (Saxman, Klukwan and Kasaan).
Planning & Proposed Projects
The Southeast Alaska Tribal Transportation Plan was prepared for inclusion in the 1993-94 BIA Juneau Area Transportation Plan (JATP). This document includes the communities of Angoon, Craig, Hoonah, Hydaburg, Kake, Kasaan, Klawock, Petersburg, Saxman, Sitka, Wrangell and Yakutat.
Coordination with Federal/State/Local governments
"Frequent" coordination with BIA, but the relationship was characterized as "strained." "No" FHWA coordination, and "not significant" coordination with the State according to information prepared by Richard Stitt, CCTHITA self-governance coordinator who handles tribal transportation planning on a time-available basis.
CCTHITA sought funding from the Denali Commission for projects, including one in Angoon. The Denali Commission made positive comments about coordination between themselves and CCTHITA, but did not clarify with CCTHITA whether the process was open to requests from other sources.
Inventory and Asset Management
Juneau has 13.9 miles on the BIA inventory.
The Administrative Capacity Building program was available for 2001 and 2002.
To provide Feedback, Suggestions or Comments for this page contact Tim Penney at tim.penney@dot.gov.