The Cook Inlet RCAC Public Outreach program is designed to promote citizen awareness and participation in Council activities. A proactive outreach program is crucial to gaining citizen support for the work done by the Cook Inlet RCAC.The CIRCAC outreach effort takes place on many fronts. A newsletter, Council Briefs, is sent out on a regular basis to keep people informed about CIRCAC related issues. The Public Outreach Coordinator gives presentations on the role of CIRCAC to interest groups, city councils, and various other organizations. Community visits are also an important aspect of the public outreach program. During a visit, CIRCAC staff can meet with local officials, talk with students, and hear first-hand some of the local concerns.

CIRCAC Outreach Newsletters
The Council Briefs, is sent out on a regular basis to keep people informed about CIRCAC related issues. You can view the current PDF newsletter online by visiting our Library page.

CIRCAC Volunteers
Citizens from Anchorage to Kodiak have a unique opportunity to increase public involvement in decision making about marine transportation and oil facility operations in Cook Inlet. Following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Congress established regional citizens advisory councils in Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound to provide a voice and vehicle for that involvement. The citizens that fill the seats on the Board of Directors and on the committees bring to the table a wealth of information expertise, and experience that has gone a long way toward protecting the waters of Cook Inlet from oil pollution.

The Council’s 13 voting member groups include: the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island boroughs; the cities of Anchorage, Homer, Kenai, Kodiak, and Seldovia; Alaska State Chamber of Commerce (tourism), commercial fishing, aquaculture, Native, recreation, and environmental groups. There are two important groups through which a citizen can further Cook Inlet RCAC’s work - Prevention, Response, Safety & Operations Committee (PROPS) and Environmental Monitoring Committee (EMC).

Most committees meet monthly and often by teleconference because many members live in remote communities throughout Southcentral Alaska. Members should anticipate volunteering 5-10 hours per month although this can vary depending on the time of year and the issues addressed. The Board of Directors meets quarterly to conduct business.

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Cook Inlet RCAC staff and volunteers attend many different workshops, conferences, and other venues each year to present information to educate others, including the general public, on oil production and transportation issues affecting Cook Inlet. As well, staff and committee members take advantage of opportunities to learn and bring information back to the organization. For example, during the past year Cook Inlet RCAC representatives:

• Presented the GRIN project at the annual Arctic and Marine Oil Spill Program (AMOP) held by Environment Canada. The technical conference often highlights new developments in oil spill response in cold climates.

• Visited Larsen Bay, Port Lions, and Ouzinkie to give presentations on Kodiak GRS and to solicit comments, answer questions, and gather information from local residents and tribal leaders on sites important to the local communities.

• Presented the GRIN project at Alaska Regional Response Team meetings in Anchorage and the Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting in Kodiak to make users aware of its benefits.

• Visited XTO Platform “C” for a comprehensive look at platform operations and equipment functions. The helicopter ride back provided a good relational view of the platforms and shore side facilities as well as an aerial view of the current ice conditions in the Inlet and T/V Seabulk Pride grounding site.

• Attended the NPDES (pollutant discharge) public hearings in Homer, Kenai, and Anchorage and testified on Cook Inlet RCAC’s behalf.

• Participated alongside industry and agency representatives in the Homer City Council's panel discussion on Kachemak Bay as a Port of Refuge reviewing the process for selecting and then allowing a stricken vessel to use a particular place of refuge.

• Participated in the GRS/Potential Places of Refuge meetings in Kodiak. The public component for both GRS and PPOR has been very helpful in selecting sites and getting local participation.

• Presented information on the Council’s structure, funding, and projects to visiting delegations from the Aleutians East Borough, France, British Columbia, and Russia.

• Participated in a panel discussion on the effectiveness of the RCAC model at the Alaska Forum on the Environment along with other RCAC, university, state, and environmental representatives.

• Presented at the CRSA Forum in Dillingham regarding the public’s interest in Shell Oil’s development prospects for Bristol Bay/East Aleutians oil and gas leases. The panel convened local stakeholders, industry, and various municipal representatives from across the region.

• Presented information about our coastal habitat mapping and monitoring program at the Aleutian Life Forum in Dutch Harbor. The goal of the forum was to help develop or identify realistic monitoring program components for Sea Grant to lead in the area with local Aleutian communities.

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