Southeast Conference (SEC), as the regional economic development organization for Southeast Alaska, has consistently championed the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) since its inception in 1958. Recognizing the adverse effects of diminishing ferry service—including increased costs, operational delays, and missed growth opportunities for businesses—SEC partnered with AMHS and the National Association of Development Organizations. This collaboration, funded by the USDA Rural Development program, enabled SEC to conduct a survey to thoroughly assess the impact of ferry service on local businesses, thereby contributing crucial insights to the AMHS Long-Range Plan.
The study’s results successfully demonstrated that reduced AMHS service leads to significant hardships and lost opportunities for private sector entities. Conversely, the survey also revealed a strong positive outlook: increasing service levels in the future is highly anticipated to spur growth in private sector activity and investment. This aligns with the draft AMHS Long-Range Plan, which aims to enhance service frequency and reliability through improvements in vessel performance, docking compatibility, and crew management. Businesses surveyed overwhelmingly expressed a desire for more reliable and frequent service, believing it will be instrumental in their success.
