Dimitri Kusnezov, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's undersecretary for science and technology, stands by Lake Spenard on Tuesday. Kusnezov was on his first Alaska trip, with stops from Juneau to Utqiagvik.
The center was established in 2014 as one of the department’s “centers of excellence” to research threats and challenges to the homeland, but its activity has been reduced. It is now considered to be in “emeritus” status, he said. Homeland Security is now planning to solicit proposals for increased activity, with an announcement expected this fall, he said.
“DHS does not have a lot of a physical footprint up north. And staging equipment or vessels for search and rescue, I think, is something that is a challenge for the future,” he said.