This website describes the process used to develop Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) to protect sensitive coastal environments along the Alaska coastline. GRS are oil spill response plans tailored to protect a specific sensitive area from impacts following a spill. These response plans are map-based strategies that can save time during the critical first few hours of an oil spill response. They show responders where sensitive areas are located and where to place oil spill protection resources.

You can learn more about Geographic Response Strategies by reading our Frequently Asked Questions.

For the purposes of oil spill planning, Alaska has been divided into ten regions, or Subareas. GRS are developed for each Subarea by workgroups that are formed under the governing Subarea Committee. GRS workgroup participants include State and Federal resource trustee agencies and local spill response experts. Public involvement is essential to ensure that the sites selected and the strategies developed reflect the environmental protection priorities of local communities, stakeholders, and resource users.

At present, GRS have not yet been developed for all Subareas. In the listing below of the ten Subareas, those that have GRS in place or those where GRS development is currently in progress are linked to those Subarea plans or sites. Subareas that are shown as plain text do not yet have GRS. 

1. Southeast Alaska
2. Prince William Sound
3. Cook Inlet
4. Kodiak
5. Aleutians
6. Bristol Bay
7. Western Alaska
8. Northwest Arctic
9. North Slope
10. Interior Alaska

For each of the GRS sites selected in any Subarea, a response strategy was created, describing the Geographic Response Strategy for that site. Each document is available for download from the Subarea homepage, and can be printed on 11" x 17" paper. The GRS documents are all similar in format and contain the following parts:

• Table of Contents
• Part 1. Introduction including:
  • Purpose and Scope,
  • How to Use the Document,
  • Who to Contact for Input,
  • How the Document was Developed,
  • How Sites were Selected;
• Part 2. General Protection/Collection Tactics including:
  • A vessel classification system,
  • Detailed descriptions and drawings of tactics that may be used to protect sensitive ;
• Part 3. Site-specific Geographic Response Strategies including:
  • Index Map
  • Site Descriptions,
  • Reference Maps,
  • Overall Site Photo,
  • Shoreline Description and Information,
  • Sensitive Resource Description (by seasons),
  • Scope of Plan,
  • Site-Specific Logistical Information; and
• Part 4. References

GRS are developed by area-specific workgroups. Workgroup members included natural resource agency representatives, oil spill response professionals, and tribal organization representatives. Each workgroup was chaired by a Steering Committee.

The workgroup sought feedback on draft GRS from tribal representatives, user groups, environmental organizations and the general public. The workgroup considered all public comments as they finalized strategies for each GRS site.

The workgroup process was opened to the public and public participation was welcomed and encouraged. The workgroup's record is available for public review, and meeting schedules and documents are available from each subarea site. For additional information regarding Geographic Response Strategies or the workgroup process, or if you have local knowledge about the portions of coastal Alaska for which GRS are presently being developed please contact: dec.spar.grs@alaska.gov

Geographic response strategies and other useful map documents are available at the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Geospacial Data Center, Prevention and Emergency Response Subarea Plan Maps.

This page was updated: June 24, 2008 by Nuka Research & Planning Group, LLC