A new report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will cost at least $180 million to relocate the 600 residents of the Alaska Native village of Shishmaref to a location of their choice.

The estimate is the highest of four alternatives considered by the Army Corps. The least expensive option is to relocate to Nome, but residents don't to go there. Still, that effort would cost $93 million.

The village is threatened by the Bering Sea. Several homes have already been lost to flooding and erosion.

A report last year by the General Accountability Office (formerly the General Accounting Office) said that 90 percent of Native villages are threatened by floods or erosion. Four in particular, including Shishmaref, are in "imminent danger," the report said.

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Shishmaref relocation cost gauged (The Anchorage Daily News 2/1)
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GAO Report:
Alaska Native Villages: Most Are Affected by Flooding and Erosion, but Few Qualify for Federal Assistance. GAO-04-142 | Highlights

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Alaska Native village ponders costly relocation (10/28)
Senate panel holds hearings on village erosion (07/01)
Residents of Alaska Native village choose new site (01/26)
GAO report reviews funding for Alaska Native villages (12/15)