Threatened By Rising Seas, Alaska Village Decides To Relocate
"Rising sea levels have eroded an Inupiat Eskimo village for decades. Now, residents
of Shishmaref, Alaska, have officially voted to relocate."
"The island community, located near the Bering Strait, opted to move rather than remain in place with added safety measures to protect against the rising waters. The city clerk's office told NPR that 94 votes favored relocating and 78 votes wanted to protect in place."
"Now, according to the clerk's office, the city council will meet to discuss the options for where to relocate. A recent feasibility study assessed four possible sites, and the clerk says those options have been narrowed down to two."
"Esau Sinnok, an Arctic Youth ambassador from Shishmaref, wrote in a recent blog post that the community has 'lost 2,500 to 3,000 feet of land to coastal erosion' over the past 35 years. He said his family has moved 13 houses in 15 years, 'from one end of the island to the other because of this loss of land.'"