3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

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Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS Affected Environment As shown in Figure 3.16, the distribution of income is similar in Anchorage, the Mat-Su, and the state of Alaska, but there are distinctions. Anchorage has a higher percentage of households in the income categories above $75,000, while the Mat-Su has a greater proportion of households in the lower income categories, particularly in the less-than- $25,000 category. Households (percentage) Anchorage Mat-Su Alaska 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Less than 25 25 to 50 50 to 75 75 to 100 100 to 125 125 to 150 150 to 200 More than 200 Income level ($000s) Figure 3.16. Income distribution in Alaska, Anchorage, and the Mat-Su – 1999. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2005) 3.2.4.4 Poverty rate To determine who is considered poor, the U.S. Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. Poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but are updated annually for inflation using the consumer price index. The percentage of people living below the poverty level increased in Anchorage and the Mat-Su between 1989 and 1999 (Table 3-8). However, certain areas, such as Government Hill, showed a substantial decrease. This decrease coincides with the demolition of the Hollywood Vista Apartments in 1996, which displaced 360 households from this highdensity housing complex. Page 3-74 12/18/07
Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS Affected Environment Table 3-8. Percentage of individuals below the poverty level in the Study Area, 1999 and 1989 Area 1999 1989 Municipality of Anchorage 7.35 7.07 Government Hill 9.16 21.84 Matanuska-Susitna Borough 11.01 9.39 Mat-Su Study Area 10.43 8.43 Point MacKenzie 22.67 34.09 City of Palmer 12.66 6.21 City of Wasilla 9.59 10.85 City of Houston 17.09 9.78 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2005 3.2.4.5 Educational attainment Educational attainment is one indicator of the human resources available in a community and the level of labor force preparation. In general, income increases with advancing educational attainment. In 2000, just over 90 percent of Anchorage residents 25 years and older were high school graduates or higher, placing Anchorage among the top metropolitan areas in the nation in educational attainment. Educational levels at the bachelor’s degree level are lower in the Mat-Su than in Anchorage (18.3 percent compared with 28.9 percent) and have not changed significantly since 1990. Over 88 percent of residents, however, had earned a high school degree or higher degree. In Anchorage and the Mat-Su, approximately 3 percent of the population had less than a ninth-grade education. 3.2.5 Subsistence Prior to the arrival of the first Europeans in the Upper Cook Inlet area in the late 1700s, the indigenous Dena’ina resided in fish camps and winter villages along both shores of the Knik Arm. The Dena’ina harvested local resources from the lands and waters within the Upper Cook Inlet basin. With the development of Anchorage since its inception in 1915 and population growth within the region, the Dena’ina have been displaced from traditional camps and harvest locations. Historic subsistence and cultural sites along Knik Arm, known to date are described in Section 3.6. Although some Dena’ina moved further from the Anchorage area (Tyonek and the Kenai Peninsula) in response to ongoing development, descendents of the Upper Inlet Dena’ina now live in Eklutna, Knik, Chickaloon, Anchorage, and portions of the Mat-Su. Cultural attachments to traditional and historic places and activities endure, and the Dena’ina continue to harvest local resources as they have for centuries (KABATA 2004a). 3.2.5.1 Subsistence as defined under state and federal law The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA) requires that subsistence hunting and gathering be addressed for all projects on federal lands in Alaska. Subsistence is defined in ANILCA, Section 803, as “the customary and traditional uses by rural Alaska residents of wild, renewable resources” for noncommercial purposes. Hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering natural resources are major elements of the cultural and economic life of many Anchorage and Mat-Su-area residents. However, federal law regulates 12/18/07 Page 3-75
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3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

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