Bering Strait highlighted in Arctic security presentation

Speaking to state senators last week, Mike Sfraga, the former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs emphasized the importance of the Bering Strait region in domestic and foreign policy.
“I think we have an opportunity with the Port of Nome. If it’s just a deep-water port and that’s it, I think we have failed to realize the opportunities here for our state and, I think, frankly, for our nation,” Sfraga told the Alaska Senate Special Committee on Arctic Affairs during his presentation.
Sfraga suggested the port expansion is just the beginning of what could become a “multi-use complex” in Nome, with a research center, space for U.S. Coast Guard vessels, a port of safe haven for fishing vessels and tourism.
Touting the region as the “Strategic Bering Strait,” where Russian, Chinese and other foreign vessels traverse, Sfraga emphasized that a strong military presence is important, and that Nome has a great opportunity to build on existing resources and project U.S. leadership in technology and the economy.
“We have to keep our eyes on Russia, China and North Korea and anyone else that would threaten our sovereignty,” Sfraga said during his April 3 presentation in Juneau.
Observing the possibilities is one thing, funding them is another, Sfraga said, admitting it’s easy for him to discuss at length because he’s not the one footing the bill.
“It’s gonna take investment, it’s gonna take discussions, it’s gonna take planning,” Sfraga told the Nugget later. “It’s like anything else. Look at the ALCAN. Look at the pipeline.”
The reason Sfraga highlighted Nome is because of its existing infrastructure. No matter how small, he said it’s important to build on what already exists rather than have many sites spread across an area.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently accepting bids for Phase 1A of the port expansion project. The first phase was split into two parts after the original design received only one bid, which exceeded the allowed maximum cost.
The Corps cancelled the solicitation last October to modify the project’s first phase. The project was put on hold as the Corps went back to the drawing board and redesigned it at a cheaper cost, with a priority on beginning the process even if that meant starting at a smaller scale.
Sfraga’s comments on the Port of Nome and the Bering Strait region were part of a larger presentation to the committee, an overview of the importance of the Arctic and the opportunities and challenges that poses for Alaska. 
He discussed how Russian and Chinese vessels traversing the Bering and Chukchi seas are becoming more common, entering U.S. waters more than ever before.
“I like the idea of our state being a critical part of our homeland security and our national defense.” Sfraga said.
A multi-agency approach is needed with Alaska at the table, Sfraga said, with any future U.S. foreign policy addressing the Arctic.
Geographer and lifelong Alaskan, Sfraga was nominated to the ambassador position by President Joe Biden in 2022 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2024.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski was an advocate for the creation of the Arctic ambassador position, which is tasked with leading and coordinating the advancement of U.S. interests in the Arctic and strengthening cooperation among Arctic nations.
“When I had the absolute honor as serving as a diplomat in this country, it was clear that when the United States walked in the room, everybody wanted to hear what we had to say,” Sfraga said
Sfraga stepped down from the position on Jan. 20, as is customary for ambassadors to do at the end of the administration who appointed them. Sfraga said the months he spent as the first Arctic ambassador for the U.S. was not as long as he would’ve liked.
There has been no announcement of a new appointment by the Trump administration.
“There’s kind of a fire hose of things happening in the world today, a lot of it pertaining to the Arctic, Greenland and with Canada. Hearing the talk of making them the 51st state, how does this impact the status of things in the Arctic?” Anchorage Sen. Bill Wilechowski asked at the state Senate committee hearing.
Sfraga said he thinks there are questions from allies about the strength of their partnerships with the U.S. right now.
“Whether it’s Arctic or not Arctic, there’s real questions, and we see them on the news, and we see them elsewhere, wondering where is the United States’ foreign policy right now?” he said.
But he assured the committee that Alaska is known in the Arctic, with personal relationships that go back decades, ranging from state leadership to Indigenous populations. And those relationships are being maintained, regardless of what’s happening in Washington, D.C.
“So I think Alaska does have a role, and it has a role on one side of the Arctic, and that is protectors, defenders.”