Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership

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Proposed Ordinance to Maintain Shoreline Vegetation

An ordinance (ORD 2016-051) proposing maintenance of a 50ft shoreline vegetation area (‘riparian buffer’) on 25 high priority salmon streams was introduced to the Mat-Su Borough (MSB) Planning Commission for public hearing and deliberation in May, 2016. The ordinance is intended to conserve salmon habitat, prevent property damage from erosion, and reduce pollution entering waterbodies.
Adopting standards for riparian buffers next to streams and rivers that are recognized as high priority habitat for salmon addresses critical goals for salmon conservation identified in the Partnership’s Strategic Action Plan. The Partnership supports establishment of these standards, and the Steering Committee wrote a letter to the Mat-Su Borough Mayor and Assembly indicating this support and why. Click here to read the letter.
The proposed ordinance has moved to the MSB Assembly, and was considered at their August 2nd meeting, where it was sent back to the Planning Commission for further deliberation and a requested public education process.  Planning Commission review and public education is to be completed, with the ordinance back to the Assembly by December 6, 2016.

Full text and associated materials can be found here  http://www.matsugov.us/docs/meetings/15392/080216-clerks-assembly-packet.pdf  – pages 1040 to 1072.

For more information, or to submit public comment, contact Frankie Barker at MSB Planning Department (907)861-8439, frankie.barker@matsugov.us

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Funding Opportunity!

The Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Partnership is requesting proposals for funding for fiscal year 2017

 

Since 2006, the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Partnership, a National Fish Habitat Partnership, has offered funds in support of salmon habitat conservation activities and priorities, as identified in the Mat-Su Salmon Partnership Strategic Action Plan . The deadline for proposals is September 30th, 2016.

 

Find the detailed guidelines and application on the Partnership website at https://matsusalmon.org/what-we-do/types-of-projects/ . Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their projects with listed contacts in the application before submitting proposals.

 

Other funding opportunity:
  • The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at the University of California, Santa Barbara is requesting proposals for salmon data synthesis. Closing date is September 20th, 2016. Click the following link to learn more https://alaskasalmonandpeople.org/.

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Save the Date: 2016 Salmon Symposium November 17th & 18th

The 9th annual Mat-Su Salmon Science & Conservation Symposium will be November 17th & 18th, 2016 in Palmer, Alaska!

Keynote speaker: Dr. Daniel Schindler, Associate Professor, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, and Biology, University of Washington.

The Mat-Su Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium is an annual forum to share information about salmon and their habitat in the Mat-Su Basin. Presentations span a wide range of topics — fish passage restoration projects on Mat-Su streams and assessment of their benefits to salmon; studies about geology, erosion, and salmon distribution on the Matanuska River; wetlands mapping and management; community assets planning; salmon distribution throughout the Mat-Su Basin; conservation of public lands; and more! 

Symposium information and updates will be posted at www.matsusalmon.org, facebook, and sent to the Partnership email list. 

Planning for the 2016 Symposium is full swing! Is there a training or workshop your organization would like to host preceding or following the Symposium? Do you have ideas about how we can make this year’s Symposium even better? Let us know! Contact Jessica Speed at jspeed@tnc.org

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Wildlife Wednesday’s Schedule

Come join us the first Wednesday of the month to learn about and celebrate Alaska’s amazing wildlife resources. Click on the link to see the late winter/spring Wildlife Wednesday’s speaker schedule.

2016 Spring speaker schedule

Note: The March 2nd presentation will be “Baby Salmon Live Here!” with Jon Gerken of the US Fish and Wildlife Service who has been conducting juvenile coho salmon studies in the Big Lake area since 2011.

 

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2015 Mat-Su Salmon Symposium Media Coverage

Here is some of the media coverage of the Mat-Su Salmon Symposium:

 

 

  • November 17th, 2015 – Radio Free Palmer interview, Richard Nelson.

 

 

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