The Need for Active Partnerships
Tens of thousands of Alaskans and non-Alaskans alike have jobs, interests and tastes that are directly or indirectly linked to the well-being and conservation of Alaska’s fish and their habitats. Naturally-functioning landscapes form the foundation of the fisheries that are central to the Alaskan way of life and attract visitors and interest from around the world. They feed our nation and our economy.
Alaska’s Fish Habitats at Risk
Alaska is fortunate to not yet have any of its fish listed under the Endangered Species Act; however, it suffers from an outside perception that it is pristine and not at risk to habitat threats and is by no means immune to the stressors and rapid landscape changes that are impacting native fish elsewhere: climate change, habitat fragmentation, and invasive species are already changing and degrading the vast Alaska landscape that shapes the diversity of habitats from which Alaska’s incredibly valuable fisheries originate.
Through a Fish’s Eyes
The Status of Fish Habitats in the United States
Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is home to the Kenai River, Alaska’s premier sportfishing destination. That the majority of the Kenai Peninsula’s lands are Federal conservation units does not accurately reflect the vulnerability of its watersheds to degradation by human activities. On the Kenai Peninsula, a 175-mile interface of private lands extends along the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge boundary. These private lands include several communities, residential areas, and primary roads. The result: almost every anadromous stream originating on the western Kenai Peninsula must pass through a developed area that includes culverts, homes, boat launches, altered streambanks, and urban runoff enroute to the sea. The Partnership’s role is to foster and create effective collaborations to maintain healthy fish, healthy people, healthy habitat, and healthy economies within the Kenai Peninsula Borough. More
Mat-Su
Encompassed by the Alaska Range to the north (home to Denali, North America’s tallest mountain), the Talkeetna and Chugach Mountains to the east, Cook Inlet to the south, and the Aleutian Range to the west, the Mat-Su basin covers approximately 24,500 square miles in southcentral Alaska. This region is just north of Alaska’s largest population center (Anchorage) and is the fastest growing area in the state. While overall salmon numbers remain strong here, increasing impacts from human use and development have caused localized declines in salmon numbers as well as habitat suitability. More
Pacific Lamprey
The Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative is a collaboration of Native American tribes, federal, state, municipal and local agencies working to conserve Pacific Lamprey throughout its range in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. The goal of the partnership is to achieve long-term persistence of Pacific Lamprey and their habitats, and support traditional tribal cultural use of Pacific Lamprey throughout their historic range in the United States. More
Southeast
This region ranks as one of the largest, most complex, and intact estuarine and temperate rainforest on earth. Many small, vibrant communities with economies and ways of living linked closely to fish and fishing dot the landscape. The Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership provides coordination support for partners operating across this largely roadless and island-dominated landscape and helps to facilitate a coordinated delivery of on-the-ground habitat restoration and conservation projects. More
Southwest
This remote region of Alaska is best known for boasting the most productive and resilient wild sockeye salmon fishery in the world, producing over half of the entire world supply. The Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership is primarily focused on protecting the integrity of the mosaic of intact habitat to sustain this globally significant resource. 2017 Strategic Plan
WNTI
The Western Native Trout Initiative serves as catalyst for trout conservation across the Western U.S., including Alaska. Check out its Story Map!
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