Steering Our Economy: A Conversation with Regional Catalysts for Economic Development and Mariculture

Q&A’s conducted by Addy Mallott and Clara Mooney, edited for length and clarity.

This story first published in our monthly column Woven: Peoples & Place with the Juneau Empire and the Capital City Weekly.

A growing contingent of Southeast Alaskans are driving local economic transformation toward sustainability and Indigenous leadership. Traditional industries like logging and fishing are being supplemented by innovative fields including renewable energy, sustainable tourism, mariculture, the arts, land management, and more. However, addressing challenges like housing shortages, childcare scarcity, high startup costs, shipping and energy costs, and balancing economic growth with community needs remain prevalent.

For over a decade, the Sustainable Southeast Partnership – a collective impact network of Tribal and municipal governments, individuals, community organizations, land managers, educational institutions etc. –  has played a critical role in fostering this evolution. Rural Economic Development Catalyst, Brooke Leslie of Shxʼat ḵwáan Wrangell hosted at Spruce Root focuses on holistic systems change. Mariculture Catalyst Keolani Booth of Maxłaxaała Metlakatla hosted by Ecotrust, advocates for sustainability and local decision making in the growing mariculture sector.

Together, their work underscores the interconnectedness of Southeast Alaska’s economic and cultural ecosystems, ensuring that development is guided by collaboration, stewardship and respect for community and Indigenous values.

For SSP Regional Rural Economic Development Catalyst Brooke Leslie, the future of economic development lies in systems change. This involves fundamentally transforming how we measure economic success, and ensure sustainability across ecological, economic and cultural dimensions, all while navigating an ever-evolving socio-political landscape. 

“Sustainability means looking at things as a connected ecosystem, rather than individual issues, acknowledging how beautifully complex the interconnected nature of the work is. To me, that’s what sustainability is, it’s stewarding our ecosystem,” says Leslie.

Brooke carries the name Wooshkeeká. She is Haida, Yakjaanas, double fin killer whale, a grandchild of the L’uknax.adí, and from the Scottish clan Leslie. She was raised in Wrangell and went to the University of Idaho for music and business accounting. She grew up in a small family business while harvesting traditional foods as a way of life. Today, she is raising her daughter Lola with cultural practices, values and traditional foods. 

Could you share a little bit about your background and how you transitioned into your regional role?

My family owned a logging company, so I grew up during the timber industry boom on logging lands. When the industry crashed in the ‘90s, my parents reinvested in tourism. In Wrangell, even though we have commercial fishing, logging was the primary industry. After the crash, it took a long time to build up the tourism industry. I began managing our family tour company in 2013. I stayed with the company until after the pandemic. I also worked as an interim tour coordinator for our local Tribe, before joining Spruce Root in June 2023.

What does the ‘Rural Economic Development Catalyst’ role look like on the ground?

The way this role looks in practice is dynamic and responsive to the needs of our communities and region. Economic development is broad and encompasses many industry sectors. When I joined Spruce Root I dove right into mariculture work, serving as a liaison for mariculture in Southeast Alaska through a federal Build Back Better grant. That work later transitioned to Keolani Booth, creating more space for me to embrace a new suite of work.

This last year, I supported the Sitka Tribe of Alaska’s Housing Summit, attended the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Conference, where Spruce Root led a workshop on cultural and regenerative tourism, and facilitated an internal team to inform the creation of an indigenous finance product, and serve on a steering committee to inform non-commercial recreation on the Tongass National Forest. Currently, I’m administering a heat pump grant that will install hundreds of heat pumps in Tribally-owned homes on Prince of Wales Island this year.  I have also been supporting fisheries work taking a holistic approach with a broad mission to empower local fishermen and communities that depend on them, to build a future of sustainable fisheries and equitable access to this way of life. I also host monthly Rural Economic Development (RED) calls, bringing people together across sectors to collaborate. Reach out if you are interested in joining.  

Ultimately, my role is all about community—uplifting Indigenous values and practices, and building healthy collaborative relationships. It’s about supporting economic development in areas that matter to our communities like tourism, fishing, outdoor recreation, energy– while maintaining a sense of place and culture.

What are some personal values that guide what you do in your role with SSP?

In 2018, I felt like a tangled-up fishing line. I was juggling too many roles functioning as the executive director of the tour company. Over time, I realized I was living a life far outside my values. I stepped back, reevaluated, and began to understand the way modern society and the Western world works isn’t healthy for anyone– we’ve set ourselves up for burnout. I saw the need for balance and values-alignment in our workplaces. 

Spruce Root and SSP lead by example, putting people and values first to create strong company culture. Like securing your own oxygen mask before helping others, we empower our team first then extending that in the work we do. This foundation strengthens all our work – from relationships to lending to development. Now I help spread these human-centered, sustainable business practices to other industries and entrepreneurs.

What are some trends or challenges you’ve been seeing in Southeast rural economic development?

Housing, childcare, and the high costs of energy and transportation have all been cited as some of the most significant barriers to economic sustainability in rural Southeast Alaska. If you dig into the six RISE reports that were prepared for the SSP by Raincoast data, that is a theme you see in all seven communities.

Both newcomers and local/Indigenous residents with generational history to their community struggle to stay due to housing costs. This past year, through my role at Spruce Root I was able to help facilitate a housing summit in Sitka that brought together organizations from different aspects of housing to ideate creative solutions. This work, when implemented, can help provide a model for other communities to draw from. 

With childcare, there’s not enough of it, and what exists is often unaffordable and/or limited. These issues create barriers to economic growth because you can’t build a workforce without addressing them.

How do you envision the future of SSP?

Collective impact networks are increasingly vital in an increasingly polarized world and SSP’s model in particular inspires others both in Alaska and beyond. By telling our story and sharing what we’ve accomplished, we can foster innovative, cross-agency solutions.

Sustainability is key. We need to redefine economic success beyond GDP and profit, measuring how it benefits people, place, and industry while honoring cultural values. Everything interconnects – fishing affects housing affects childcare. Past boom-and-bust cycles show how mismanagement creates ripple effects. Moving forward, we need to focus on long-term solutions that honor interconnection while leveraging funding and partnerships to reduce redundant and often competing efforts and rather complement each other’s work.

We are also doing great work with the Seacoast Trust, envisioning a new economic model for Southeast Alaska, where access to capital and a strong foundation of Indigenous values is the basis for healthy communities. Less reliance on directly grant tied funding allows for more autonomy in building a future that honors our future generations, heritage and ancestors.

How can interested Southeast Alaskans get involved?

Sign up for our SSP newsletters, join our regional Workforce Development or RED group call. Share resources. Practice these concepts of sustainability as an individual and how you work. Model them for the next generation. 

Over the last decade, interest in Southeast Alaska’s coastline for mariculture development has grown considerably, backed by over $54 million dollars in state and federal investments. This raises questions about the impact of  “the Blue Economy,’ kelp, seaweed, and shellfish farming, may have on traditional, ecological and economic livelihoods. For SSP’s Regional Mariculture Catalyst Keolani Booth, the future of mariculture hinges on a fundamental principle: Indigenous leadership.

 “We’re bringing our culture to the forefront. Not just a footnote, but the whole story,” says Booth.

Growing up in Maxłaxaała Metlakatla, Booth’s connection to the ocean has always been a guiding force in his career. With experience as a councilman, fisherman, commercial diver, and subsistence harvester, Booth brings a multifaceted perspective to mariculture—one that integrates traditional values and practices.

How did you find yourself working to support Indigenous representation in Mariculture?

For six years, I’ve worked to bring mariculture opportunities to Metlakatla. Our local Tribal council encouraged me to explore the market, build connections and relationships, and figure out what steps are necessary to be leaders in this field.

At the same time, I’ve advocated for Indigenous Peoples’ inclusion in the environmental conservation space while working with local and international non-government organizations like the World Wildlife Fund. We’re from the places these NGOs are concerned with. It only makes sense that Indigenous people are looked to as leaders in both the conservation and sustainable development of ocean resources. 

The coast is a special place and I see what’s coming with increased exploration. It’s a bit scary, but it’s also invigorating. If it’s going to work well in the long term, we need to include Indigenous voices. This job helps me do that.

What are some of the entry barriers for Indigenous and rural community members who have interest in mariculture? What’s at stake and how are you addressing it?

There’s a lot of curiosity and Alaska has huge potential — 19-foot tides in winter, nutrient-rich, clean water — but startup costs are high. Lease fees alone for a 10-year permit can be $15,000. It can be very difficult for locals to afford those leases and compete with the large companies pursuing them from all over the world.

The governor’s new bill extends leases to 20 years, with an option for another 20. That’s 40 years! That means that for the rest of my life someone will have a permit for a very large swath of water in my backyard, and if we don’t get involved that “someone” could have very little familiarity with, or connection to, the lands, waters and values of Southeast Alaska.

To address this, Alaska Mariculture Cluster and Spruce Root developed a revolving loan fund to help locals get started. This is just scratching the surface, without support, creativity and policy, large companies from around the world will dominate this industry that has very real implications to rural and Indigenous people who depend on the ocean. It’s all connected, and collectively we can source so much more inspiration and resources from each other and address these needs holistically.

How do you envision mariculture supporting local economies and Indigenous communities?

Indigenous communities have carefully harvested, observed, traded and depended on resources from the water forever. To many, the prospect of outsiders with less knowledge or connection to this place coming in and exploiting our waters is scary.

I believe mariculture can, however, complement our way of life through job creation, diversifying local economies, and sustainable food production. It can also be complementary to community harvest. Black seaweed, for example, is hugely important to our people. It needs to stay wild and plentiful. With increased investments in mariculture, we have more data, more tools and more access to scientific support to  ensure black seaweed continues to thrive. The trick is ensuring mariculture development is done responsibly.

What does responsible mariculture look like?

It begins with truly engaging with our Indigenous communities. Before even thinking about profit, outside companies need to recognize community concerns, needs, and understand that working IN a community means being PART of that community.  If they want these products, it’s our people who should be out on the water. We know these waters best and would be the first to notice if something’s wrong because we care deeply about this region. 

We also need to see Indigenous and community leadership as the business owners and entrepreneurs themselves. That’s where the revolving loan fund, workshops, trainings and other resource sharing comes in.

I feel a responsibility as both a husband and father to protect our oceans and pass down traditions of sustainability. Indigenous people have stewarded these lands and waters for millennia so people today can have these opportunities. Our values need to be seen in regulation and in policy — not just this situation of talking to us and then choosing to do whatever you want — we need to be included to ensure ocean health for generations. We only want to continue what we have done for millennia, and that is to live in harmony with nature while responsibly harvesting.

What are some upcoming resources or ways for interested folks to get involved?

Partners at Barnacle Foods released a report that helps break down barriers for rural communities who are interested in growing, selling and drying kelp. Recognizing the high energy costs of kelp drying and limited capacity in rural Southeast, this report helps provide insights and next steps. Spruce Root has resources and programs including personalized business coaching and the mariculture revolving loan fund. Folks interested in staying up-to-date on the emerging industry can sign up for newsletters and updates from the Alaska Mariculture Alliance and Alaska Sea Grant.