In the News

KHLT Protects health of Salmon Habitat on Kenai River and Soldotna Creek
As of June 10, 44.01 acres of critical salmon habitat are
now protected in perpetuity. Kachemak Heritage Land Trust has conserved these vital lands and will steward the land for the future, making sure important salmon and wildlife habitat are conserved forever. This project was made possible by funding from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) mitigation plan for Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project. This is the third and fourth property KHLT has been able to protect with funding from this source.

4.01 acres of this recent conservation project are adjacent to Big Eddy day use area. Of the 4.01 acres, 1.5 are wetland-associated upland and 2.3 are riverine wetlands. These wetlands provide important functions and services to the area including pollution filtration, sediment control, flood management, and groundwater temperature control which is especially crucial to the survival of baby salmon. Another 40 acres are now conserved on Soldotna creek, a tributary of the Kenai River. This 40-acre property contains 31.2 acres of flat wetland, 7.4 acres of slope wetlands, and 1.5 acres of riverine wetland. These properties meet the mission of KHLT as their permanent protection will contribute to the overall health of the anadromous Kenai River and Soldotna Creek and their greater watersheds, and provide valuable habitat for large and small mammals, birds, and anadromous fish.

"Local groups bring attention to baby salmon habitat"

Read/Listen to the KBBI story here

Kenai Wetlands Protected in Perpetuity
As of April 4, 2022, 66.6 acres of critical wetland habitat in Kenai are protected in perpetuity by Kachemak Heritage Land Trust (KHLT) as part of a (USACE) mitigation plan for Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) Sterling Highway MP 45-60 project. This incredibly valuable property is adjacent to 400 acres of Kenai Peninsula Borough land and will now be protected forever.

Thanks to this mitigation project, KHLT is able to protect the important functions of wetlands including pollution filtration, sediment control, groundwater temperature modulation, flood management, and habitat for salmon, moose, bears, and bald eagles. This property contains significant wetlands that are vital to the health of the adjacent world class anadromous Kenai River. In fact, the 66.06-acre property contains 40.5 acres of flat wetlands, 5.9 acres of slope wetlands, 3.7 acres of riverine wetlands, and an unnamed creek with documentation of rearing Coho, Salmon, Chinook Salmon, and Dolly Varden.

By protecting these wetlands, a portion of Alaska’s most popular salmon fishing river, the Kenai River is being preserved for generations to come. The incredible abundance and size of fish, and ease of access to the river, will be maintained into the future. This mitigation project is ensuring that land in Kenai is protected perpetuity for the benefit of fish, wildlife, Kenai residents, and Kenai River users.

King Maker 2021: Hannah Heimbuch
The King Maker Award recognizes individual Alaskans, from landowners to schoolchildren, making a difference for salmon. The goal of King Maker is to share with people the value of protecting habitat critical to salmon, helping to ensure long-lasting conservation. KHLT has crowned a King Maker annually since 2016.

Hannah, a Homer local who now lives in Kodiak, grew up in the fishing community. Hannah’s parents and grandparents were fishermen in Alaska and Hannah was in her 20s when she began fishing on her dad’s boat. Now, in addition to commercial fishing, Hannah works as Alaska Marine Conservation Council’s Community Fisheries Organizer. She is an advocate for protecting salmon habitat and fishing sustainably. Kachemak Heritage Land Trust was lucky to have Hannah as a board member from BLANK to BLANK. In this year’s annual meeting, Hannah helped bridge the audience’s understanding of the connection between the health of land and the health of salmon.

Quote from award winner Hannah Heimbuch: “It's such an honor to be called one of the Land Trust's Kingmakers. Working with KHLT was incredibly formative early on in my professional life as a fisherman and a conservation advocate, and helped shape my understanding of land stewardship. Growing up in an Alaskan fishing family, and today as an independent commercial fisherman, my life has always revolved around salmon. Those connections grow deeper every day as I learn more and more about how to nurture and sustain the salmon communities that raised me. I am grateful for the ecosystem of naturalists, scientists, harvesters, artists, advocates and all-around dedicated community members that connect through KHLT. We share a love for wild places, renewable resources, and relationship to place that inspires me every day.”

Quote from Marie McCarty, KHLT Executive Director: “The King Maker award is our way of celebrating people who do good for salmon. In a world that is increasingly complicated, it’s important to honor those whose work for our Alaskan salmon and people who are role models for the rest of us. Thanks to Hannah Heimbuch for her years of concern and action to ensure we have salmon stocks long into the future.”

Read/Listen to the KBBI story here

Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Kachemak Moose Habitat Inc. Partner to Conserve Land and Increase Hunting and Fishing Access

More than 54 acres of fishing and hunting access on the Anchor River are now open to the public in State ownership and will be conserved forever thanks to the work of Alaska Department of
Fish & Game, Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, and Kachemak Moose Habitat Inc. So far in this project, four parcels have been purchased with federal funds from the Pittman-Robertson Federal
Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act and funds from Kachemak Moose Habitat, Inc., or donated as land match to be perpetually preserved as moose habitat and for public access near the 19,000-acre State-designated Anchor River/Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area.

The grant funding provides for the purchase of up to 612.62 acres from willing landowners on and adjacent to the river, potentially connecting the Anchor River/Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area to the lower, wildlife-rich Anchor River corridor. The acquisition of these properties will conserve habitat important to the year-round survival of moose, particularly for moose calving,
moose habitat in winter, and provide an important winter migration corridor, supporting and sustaining the moose harvest on the Lower Kenai Peninsula.

Additionally, through these purchases, stream-side habitat important to king, coho, sockeye, and pink salmon, Dolly Varden, and steelhead trout will be protected; and directly benefit people by providing new access for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. Protection of this valuable spawning and rearing fish habitat directly benefits commercial and sport fishermen on the river and in Cook Inlet as well. This area has also been designated an Important Bird Area by The National Audubon Society with industrialization and urbanization listed as one of the main
habitat issues.

The City of Homer, The Independent Living Center, Homer Animal Friends and Kachemak Heritage Land Trust Partner to Debut Universally Accessible Poopdeck Platt Community Park Trail in the Center of Homer

Starting in 2013, a collaborative group spearheaded by Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, the City of Homer, The Independent Living Center, and Homer Animal Friends, came together to create a beautiful, useful and inclusive space that honors the history and natural environment of Homer. After eight years of planning, fundraising and building, Homer residents and visitors can now enjoy the universally accessible Poopdeck Platt Community Park Trail.

The Poopdeck property is named after Clarence “Poopdeck” Platt who owned and resided on the 3.47-acre parcel until his death in November 2000 at the age of 96. The property is located in the northwest corner of an area that has become known as the “Town Center” area of the City of Homer. The physical address is 315 Klondike Avenue, Homer, Alaska 99603.

The primary objectives for the use of the Poopdeck property lie in its value for community and for recreational uses. Specifically, priority uses are for continued use as the primary office location for KHLT, as a public park and trail, and as a gathering space for the public. Widely accessible public green spaces in downtown Homer are few and far between. The Poopdeck Platt Community Park Trail fills this need.

KHLT hopes to continue to collaborate with the community in future land preservation projects and looks forward to continued activation and enjoyment of the Poopdeck Platt Community Trail.
"Working with the City of Homer, Homer Independent Living Center, Homer Animal Friends, and all the local businesses and individuals who donated their time and resources to make the Poopdeck Platt Community Park Trail an Urban Oasis in the heart of Homer has been one of the most inspiring and coolest projects I have worked on as KHLT's Stewardship Director."- Joel Cooper, KHLT Stewardship Director

Anchor River Protected Habitat Grows
KHLT recently purchased an additional 5 acres for permanent protection along the Anchor River semi-adjacent to the 55-acre Starr Property. This acquisition, made possible through a grant from the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund, furthers KHLT efforts to conserve properties along this corridor of the Anchor River in perpetuity.

Based on thermal imagery mapping completed by Cook Inletkeeper, the property is adjacent to multiple coldwater inputs. Coldwater inputs from springs and seeps are critical to the survival of salmon and other fish species and will increase in importance as temperatures continue to warm. Because the river is non-glacially fed, it is especially vulnerable to increasing temperatures due to climate change.

The protection of this important spawning and rearing habitat will serve as a valuable addition to the overall health of the salmon and steelhead populations in the Anchor River for generations to come!

New Addition to Protected Salmon Habitat
KHLT is pleased to announce that we recently received a 73.39-acre property near the mouth of Stariski Creek for permanent protection. This portion of Stariski Creek, known as Stariski Estuary, will never be developed or subdivided and will instead be preserved for fish and wildlife habitat, as well as hiking, wildlife viewing, and fishing access.

The lowland portion of the property contains important wetlands along Stariski Creek and Cook Inlet. It provides fantastic habitat for all five species of Pacific salmon, Dolly Varden, and steelhead trout in addition to providing supporting habitat and an important food source to endangered and threatened species such as the Steller sea lion, Steller’s eider, and Cook Inlet beluga whale. The property also provides valuable habitat for such terrestrial species as black bear, brown bear, moose, and lynx.

The addition of this property adds to the 585 acres of valuable wetland and surrounding upland habitat already protected by KHLT on Stariski Creek!

Read the full press release here.

Beer for a Cause
Our Soldotna neighbor, Kenai River Brewing Co (KRBC), generously brewed a beer supporting KHLT – donating a portion of the sales to our important conservation organization. The Double Spruce Tip IPA is currently available on tap at KRBC and Alice’s Champagne Palace. The spruce tips were harvested from Land Trust properties and our Stewardship Director, Joel Cooper was excited to help with the brewing!

As part of this great opportunity, KHLT held a Battle of the Beer Label contest. There was a tie for first place and six-packs will be available for purchase by the beginning of 2019 which will include three cans of each design. Congratulations to Cheryl Newell of Sterling and Tammy Tyler of Seward for their winning entries! Monies raised will help fund KHLT’s annual stewardship responsibilities; stewarding irreplaceable lands under our care from the head of Kachemak Bay to the Kenai River. Thank you KRBC!