DNR seeks adviser on Arctic port site

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is looking to hire a consultant for a possible industrial port development northwest of Nome.

The consultant would “advise and assist” the DNR commissioner’s office on areas such as land ownership issues, legal and environmental challenges, and infrastructure and development needs, the department said in a Jan. 15 solicitation.

The prospective harbor location is known as Port Clarence.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified Nome and Port Clarence as top candidates for a deepwater port to support industry expansion in the thawing Arctic Ocean. No such port currently exists around Alaska’s northern coast.

Many experts predict rising Arctic activity including oil and gas exploration, shipping and tourism. Because of this activity, the U.S. Coast Guard is looking to establish a stronger presence in the Arctic.

Port Clarence is a federal work site, located on a long spit, established to operate Coast Guard Loran equipment.

“The natural protection offered within Port Clarence and its proximity to Bering Strait has led to the use of this natural harbor since whaling vessels were active in the region in the 1860s,” the Army Corps wrote in a 2013 Arctic port study. “It is currently used by barge operators as they await ice retreat north of Bering Strait each summer.”

The DNR said the consultant will “research and review existing information about Port Clarence and its land characteristics to provide experienced insight to the commissioner’s office about the natural advantages and challenges of the site for infrastructure development.”

The cost of the consultant’s work “should not exceed $100,000,” DNR said.

The agency set a deadline of Jan. 21 for proposals.

—Wesley Loy