68 Proceedings Fall 2025 the importance of transparent communication and regu- lar information exchange between the region’s maritime stakeholders. “One of the things [we participate in] is a pre-winter meeting every year, and at the end of that, we bring in the Coast Guard and some of the other regulatory folks and go over our expectations for the winter, what we experienced last winter, ice conditions, ice guidelines,” he said. Kroon and Ridge, two longtime Alaska residents, both cite the importance of Coast Guard teams working with the maritime industry and its customers as para- mount in their respective operations. “The biggest challenge is getting everybody involved on the regulatory side up to speed—because there’s so much Coast Guard turnover—on what the challenges are, what’s available, what are we doing with our vessel response plans to address concerns for those alternative compliances,” Kroon said. Both operators are members of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), which serves as the advo- cate, resource, and united voice for the domestic tug- boat, towboat, and barge industry nationwide. AWO plays a critical role in service to Alaska’s maritime com- munity, too. Without AWO, the Coast Guard and other regula- tors would be left to engage each company individually. AWO mitigates the need for this by functioning as both the principal advocate for the industry in Alaska and as a convenor of discussions to bring stakeholders together. As the advocate, it covers a range of cross-cutting issues including alternative planning criteria, application and enforcement of Subchapter M safety regulations, and the Jones Act, a federal law that regulates maritime com- merce between U.S. ports. MXAK’s White touts the benefits of an association like AWO that’s able to pool members’ interests into a single, unified voice that can work with the Coast Guard on shared interests. “I think that’s the value of AWO. You can help rep- resent, bring those voices together, speak on behalf of your users as a whole,” he said, touting AWO’s frame- work that allows for collegial communication with the Coast Guard. AWO is one of several organizing and galvanizing forces in Alaska’s maritime environment. Nonprofits focused on maritime interests like the Harbor Safety Committee, Marine Exchange, and the burgeoning Propeller Club of Alaska are all examples of the type of cooperative effort that is taking place to make Alaska’s operating environment tamer and less wild. Cooperation on the Horizon The city of Bethel illustrates how marine transportation serves as the lifeblood of western Alaska. “Bethel is the hub of this whole delta area,” said Steve Isaacs, president of Bering Marine Corporation, which provides freight transportation throughout western Alaska. “It’s got a big hospital and a large airport, so it’s a lifeline for a lot of these villages on how to get their freight in and out.” The city of more than 6,000 residents relies on barges to keep their residents fed and construction projects moving, but the Kuskokwim River near Bethel is fac- ing an increased need for dredging, an issue that will become more pressing as time goes on. “Now it’s shoaling in along the route and getting so skinny that we probably only have 20 feet of wiggle room passing the fuel dock. That whole [area] is about to get choked off,” Isaacs said. “It could be that in the next five years we’re going to have to start running smaller barges in there to be able to make it all the way up to the city of Bethel.” Engagement on the shoaling in Bethel and other emerging issues could entail bringing together the Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local government, and the private sector in the future. The Jones Act The combination of remote communities, extreme weather, and established cooperative frameworks that defines industry operations in western Alaska under- scores the importance of the Jones Act, another vital asset for Alaskan operators and the people they serve. This federal law requires vessels transporting cargo between two U.S. ports be American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed. “The Jones Act is very important to us out in western Alaska because we can’t just have anybody go do this type of work,” Isaacs said. “The rivers in this region are mostly uncharted and change yearly depending on ice conditions in the winter. Without the Jones Act, safety and service degradation would have a huge impact on these villages.” Conclusion Navigating U.S. maritime interests in western Alaska and the Arctic demands a collaborative “family” dynamic among maritime organizations. These groups work together to address challenges and raise awareness about the critical role the region’s marine transportation sector plays in keeping communities fed, homes warm, and store shelves stocked. If this is the last frontier, sign me up! About the author Peter Schrappen is Pacific region vice president and regional team lead with the American Waterways Operators.
