Alaska's top law man may not be the first guy you'd think the state would tap to lead the effort to improve life in rural Alaska. But, following in the footsteps of a 2008 mandate from then-Gov. Sarah Palin, that's exactly what Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan finds himself doing.

"Bottom line, I inherited it," said Sullivan, referring to his position as chair of the Alaska Rural Action Subcabinet during a telephone interview this week. Sullivan doesn't seem to mind the task; in fact, he says, he's excited by it. He also co-chairs the Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission with the U.S. Attorney's office, and Sullivan sees the two initiatives as key companions to the larger issue at hand: improving life in the Bush. Sullivan believes the issues of law enforcement, domestic violence, economics, energy and transportation are interconnected, and it's important to view rural life from all angles in order to gain perspective.

"In communities where there is a lot of economic opportunity, the incidences of serious public safety and criminal justice issues are diminished," he said.

Unlike last spring's commissioner-level talks, this time around Sullivan has opened up the problem-solving process to more than just policymakers and advisors. He's taken the subcabinet on the road to hear firsthand what communities want and need.

One of the top requests from tribal and city leaders is a chance to tap into a larger framework of infrastructure, one that will help villages simultaneously become more interconnected and self-sufficient, according to Sullivan. Better connectivity between communities will improve the delivery of services like public safety, airports, schools, and even access to energy, he said. During listening tours to villages the rural subcabinet asked people if they would support connecting their villages to the next closest communities, and if they would support an enhanced transportation system. With a few exceptions, Sullivan said, there is serious interest -- a dramatic change in attitude from decades past.

With connectivity in mind, Sullivan is about to sign off on the creation of a new tribal-state-federal transportation task force for Alaska.

"Partnership in rural Alaska is absolutely crucial," he said, and "nowhere is that more important than looking at ways to develop infrastructure because infrastructure is costly."

The new task force will combine the respective assets various Alaska entities have to offer. For example, the state can offer funding, maintenance, equipment and engineering capacity, while the Indian Reservation Roads Program brings in tens of millions of dollars annually to Alaska, and the federal government is still another source of money and opportunity, he said. The transportation task force is meant to formalize and deepen cooperation among all groups.

While the transportation issue is huge, Sullivan said the most urgent concern expressed among villages seems to be access to affordable energy. So his office is taking note of the state-of-the-art alternatives --from windmills to river turbines to wood-fired boilers -- that are working in some areas, and it is also investigating the forces behind high fuel costs in the Bush.

Final reports from the rural subcabinet and the fuel cost investigation will come out at the end of the year, Sullivan said.

But, he added, don't expect quick, easy solutions; any improvement plans will focus on long-term strategies driven by what communities say they want.

Contact Jill Burke at jill_alaskadispatch.com.