Residents of the Alaska Native village of Shishmaref voted unanimously to relocate to a new site about a dozen miles away.

The village is in danger of falling into the Chukchi Sea. An average of 3 to 5 feet of shoreline is lost every year.

The village is looking for federal funds to relocate. Cost estimates have not been made, although a move of another village is estimated to cost between $100 million and $400 million.

A General Accounting Office (GAO) report released last month found that villages fail to qualify for most other federal funding sources.

Get the Story:
Villagers seek funds to relocate Shishmaref (The Anchorage Daily News 1/26)

Get the Report:
Alaska Native Villages: Most Are Affected by Flooding and Erosion, but Few Qualify for Federal Assistance. GAO-04-142 | Highlights

Related Stories:
GAO report reviews funding for Alaska Native villages (12/15)