Western Alaska: diverse weather, wildlife and culture.

• Author: Barbour, Tracy
• Position: REGIONAL REVIEW

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Western Alaska is an immense area that extends from Bristol Bay to the Seward Peninsula. The region's climate is largely determined by the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, which makes for a diverse landscape and climate.

The region features a subarctic oceanic climate in the southwest and a continental subarctic climate farther north. Temperatures are relatively moderate, with considerable variance in precipitation. The northern side of the Seward Peninsula is like a desert, receiving fewer than 10 inches of precipitation annually. Some locations between Dillingham and Bethel average around 100 inches of precipitation. Farther north, in Nome, the climate is drier and colder.

With its relatively temperate climate, Western Alaska is home to a wide variety of vegetation, including spruce, cedar, Salmonberry, Douglas aster and broadleaf fireweed. It also supports a large population of birds, mammals and larger game animals, such as bear, moose, musk ox and reindeer.

ECONOMIC SECTORS

Various economic drivers support Western Alaska. From the northern to the southern parts of the region, major sectors are fishing, government, education, health care, retail and tourism. Subsistence is also a critical component for many Western Alaska residents.

The relative remoteness of Western Alaska's communities has a significant impact on the cost of living. Higher-cost communities like Nome, Dillingham and Bethel rely on air transportation for food, fuel and other essentials for much of the year. In Nome--located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast of Norton Sound--the cost of living is 39 percent more than in Anchorage, according to the Alaska Department of Labor. That doesn't take into account the impact of subsistence. "People in Nome may not buy as much food in grocery stores as people in Anchorage," said Alaska Department of Labor Economist Alyssa Shanks.

Transportation, as a broader category, is also much more costly in Nome than in Anchorage. Transportation fuel in Nome is 49 percent more expensive than in Anchorage. Utilities are 161 percent higher in Nome than in Anchorage, mainly due to the high price of heating fuel. Higher fuel costs, poor commercial fishing and other factors have been particularly devastating to some communities in Western Alaska. Harsh economic conditions at Emmonak and several other villages-located in the Wade Hampton Census Area--prompted requests for financial assistance from the federal...