The Nature Conservancy in Alaska715 L Street, Suite 100Anchorage, Alaska 99501nature.org/alaska

Non Profit OrgU.S. Postage

PaidPalatine, IL

Permit #171

Two years after the launch of the Path to Prosperity contest in Southeast Alaska, a new network of rising entrepreneurs is gaining strength. Five ventures committed to sustainability are now growing businesses with $40k awards. And a total of 36 entrants from across the region have completed our intensive boot camp training for entrepreneurs. Says The Nature Conservancy’s Norman Cohen: “There’s a bright future in the sustainable use of local natural resources in Southeast Alaska.”

Path to Prosperity Builds an Entrepreneurial Movement

“It fosters interest in our community, it fosters leadership, it gives a sense of

change towards something good.”

– Heather Shade, a co-founder,

with her husband Sean Copeland,

of Port Chilkoot Distillery in Haines

“Our skis are a very efficient use of wood, and we only use about six board feet per pair of skis.”– Graham Kraft, right, with co-founder

Ian Seward, of Fairweather Ski Works

in Haines

“People have been cheering us on and they want to see us grow.”— Kevin Skeek, right, of Hoonah,

who co-founded Raven Guitars with

Steve Helgeson, of Wrangell

“To me it’s special wood and it’s hard to find that

kind of wood anywhere

else outside of Southeast Alaska.”

– Wes Tyler, who founded Icy Straits Lumber and Alaska

Legacy Wood Homes with his wife, Sue, in Hoonah

“One day, going to Alaska and not having our

rhubarb sherbet will be like going to Italy and not having the pasta.”– Marc Wheeler, who

founded Coppa with his wife,

Jessica Paris, in Juneau

Can Cutting trEEs savE WolvEs?On Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, Conservancy scientists are researching how the harvest of young-growth forests may actually benefit wolves.

get the rest of the story at nature.org/alaska.

Path to Prosperity is a business competition open to everyone in Southeast Alaska.It’s brought to you by an innovative partnership of Haa Aaní LLC and The Nature Conservancy. Visit p2web.org.Photos: Bethany Goodrich/SSP, Alex Crook, Kevin Skeek

Alaska Update

Alaska Update s u M M E r 2 0 1 5

tongass

Bristol Bay

Mat-su

Who are the next 12 finalists? Visit

nature.org/alaska for an update in July

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Mat-suat the nature Conservancy, we’re working with diverse interests to conserve lands and waters where the salmon are in Bristol Bay, the Mat-su, and the tongass of southeast alaska. in the Mat-su, we’re using emerging technology to create the region’s most definitive freshwater map ever.

Q: You’ve just completed a high-resolution map that has quite a lot to say about where salmon live in the Matanuska-Susitna Basin. The digital tools available to us today are incredible and it makes a tremendous difference in the quality of our maps. The level of detail now possible is simply unprecedented.

Q: What do better maps tell us? If you want to know where the salmon are you first need a precise picture of where the streams are. When we have an accurate digital map of the Earth’s terrain and its streams, we can learn a lot about a place before something happens there. For instance, we’ll know where floods are likely to occur. We also have a much better idea of where the small tributary streams are and how streams connect to wetlands – basically, those places that serve as nurseries for young salmon.

Q: How many miles of streams are there in the Mat-Su?You’d be surprised. The tally is now 100,000 miles – triple the number shown on previous maps. This isn’t entirely a surprise for on-the-ground biologists, who’ve known for a long time that plenty of salmon streams don’t show up on the maps.Now, the new map means salmon are less likely to be left out of the picture.

Q: Of all those blue lines on the map, which is your favorite?I’d have to go with the Matanuska River. She’s generally a quiet neighbor, but she’s always up to something different – floods, shifting channels, and sometimes sudden bank erosion – and reminds us we’re not in charge.

New high-resolution maps of Willow Creek reveal streams at a level of detail never seen before.

Q & A with Conservancy Scientist Jim DePasquale

Protect. transform. InsPIre.In the simpler times of the 1950s, when The Nature Conservancy began, our actions could be summed up modestly with the motto “We Buy Land.” Today, as our work in Alaska shows, conservation demands workable solutions.

Our actions on behalf of nature expanded as our scientific understanding of nature’s complexity grew. And we chose to face the fact that we could not fully serve our mission without dramatically expanding the diversity of our partnerships, the scope and scale of our work.

ProtECt: Breeding tufted puffins and many other seabird species are back at Hawadax island after we worked with partners to eradicate invasive rats. This was once known as rat Island, but in 2012, members of Alaska’s Unangan Native community led a successful effort to officially restore its name.

transforM: We invested $500k in the Haa aaní Community Development fund inc., a revolving loan fund to support sustainable

businesses in southeast alaska. Why? Because environmentally sustainable businesses are sparking

an economic resurgence. The economic and conservation challenges in the region demand

creative solutions – and The Nature Conservancy is ready!

insPirE:The people of the Native Village of Tyonek now hold title to a culturally important place,

thanks to a gift of 160 acres from The Nature Conservancy. Fieldwork shows the land near the

village on the west side of Cook Inlet includes house sites, an early Indian cemetery and a 1,000-year history of

subsistence salmon harvest. “it is like a family member has come home,” says Al Goozmer, Tyonek tribal president.

rEPEat.

Willow Creek

including the nature Conservancy in your will is one of the simplest ways to make a gift for the future. these

thoughtful gifts ensure that the Conservancy can continue critical work to protect the alaska lands and waters you

care about for future generations.

Cynthia Beckwith Alaska director of Philanthropy cbeckwith@tnc.org907-865-5700

Pass it on

Bristol Bay

n Alaska, when we talk about water, we talk about ourselves. Our way of life. The economy. And, of course, salmon.

At The Nature Conservancy, with your help, we’re reserving flowing water in the name of safeguarding fish. Because these protected “instream flows” are like insurance for the people and communities that depend on healthy fish runs in Alaska, many are pitching in to ensure fish are guaranteed the waters necessary for life.

We’re working with partners such as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the New Stuyahok Traditional Council, Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, Trout Unlimited and the Bristol Bay Native Association to protect stream flows on critical salmon streams in Bristol Bay, in accordance with Alaska Department of Natural Resources guidelines.

“People in Bristol Bay say fish always come first, and we agree. We’re proud to work with our partners in Bristol Bay as they preserve traditions for their children and grandchildren,” says Rand Hagenstein, the Conservancy’s Alaska state director.

The Conservancy and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game jointly filed

for an instream flow reservation on Lower Talarik Creek in 2000. In Bristol Bay, it was a first: on this stream, water flows would be reserved for fish before all other uses.

Our application is now pending, and together with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we await formal instream flow water right adjudication from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, which implements the Alaska Water Use Act.

rIVerS ANd SALmON FOreVer ANd eVerInvesting in Water to Safeguard Bristol Bay Salmon

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Ar

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/TN

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Lower Talarik Creek

Mat-suat the nature Conservancy, we’re working with diverse interests to conserve lands and waters where the salmon are in Bristol Bay, the Mat-su, and the tongass of southeast alaska. in the Mat-su, we’re using emerging technology to create the region’s most definitive freshwater map ever.

Q: You’ve just completed a high-resolution map that has quite a lot to say about where salmon live in the Matanuska-Susitna Basin. The digital tools available to us today are incredible and it makes a tremendous difference in the quality of our maps. The level of detail now possible is simply unprecedented.

Q: What do better maps tell us? If you want to know where the salmon are you first need a precise picture of where the streams are. When we have an accurate digital map of the Earth’s terrain and its streams, we can learn a lot about a place before something happens there. For instance, we’ll know where floods are likely to occur. We also have a much better idea of where the small tributary streams are and how streams connect to wetlands – basically, those places that serve as nurseries for young salmon.

Q: How many miles of streams are there in the Mat-Su?You’d be surprised. The tally is now 100,000 miles – triple the number shown on previous maps. This isn’t entirely a surprise for on-the-ground biologists, who’ve known for a long time that plenty of salmon streams don’t show up on the maps.Now, the new map means salmon are less likely to be left out of the picture.

Q: Of all those blue lines on the map, which is your favorite?I’d have to go with the Matanuska River. She’s generally a quiet neighbor, but she’s always up to something different – floods, shifting channels, and sometimes sudden bank erosion – and reminds us we’re not in charge.

New high-resolution maps of Willow Creek reveal streams at a level of detail never seen before.

Q & A with Conservancy Scientist Jim DePasquale

Protect. transform. InsPIre.In the simpler times of the 1950s, when The Nature Conservancy began, our actions could be summed up modestly with the motto “We Buy Land.” Today, as our work in Alaska shows, conservation demands workable solutions.

Our actions on behalf of nature expanded as our scientific understanding of nature’s complexity grew. And we chose to face the fact that we could not fully serve our mission without dramatically expanding the diversity of our partnerships, the scope and scale of our work.

ProtECt: Breeding tufted puffins and many other seabird species are back at Hawadax island after we worked with partners to eradicate invasive rats. This was once known as rat Island, but in 2012, members of Alaska’s Unangan Native community led a successful effort to officially restore its name.

transforM: We invested $500k in the Haa aaní Community Development fund inc., a revolving loan fund to support sustainable

businesses in southeast alaska. Why? Because environmentally sustainable businesses are sparking

an economic resurgence. The economic and conservation challenges in the region demand

creative solutions – and The Nature Conservancy is ready!

insPirE:The people of the Native Village of Tyonek now hold title to a culturally important place,

thanks to a gift of 160 acres from The Nature Conservancy. Fieldwork shows the land near the

village on the west side of Cook Inlet includes house sites, an early Indian cemetery and a 1,000-year history of

subsistence salmon harvest. “it is like a family member has come home,” says Al Goozmer, Tyonek tribal president.

rEPEat.

Willow Creek

including the nature Conservancy in your will is one of the simplest ways to make a gift for the future. these

thoughtful gifts ensure that the Conservancy can continue critical work to protect the alaska lands and waters you

care about for future generations.

Cynthia Beckwith Alaska director of Philanthropy cbeckwith@tnc.org907-865-5700

Pass it on

Bristol Bay

n Alaska, when we talk about water, we talk about ourselves. Our way of life. The economy. And, of course, salmon.

At The Nature Conservancy, with your help, we’re reserving flowing water in the name of safeguarding fish. Because these protected “instream flows” are like insurance for the people and communities that depend on healthy fish runs in Alaska, many are pitching in to ensure fish are guaranteed the waters necessary for life.

We’re working with partners such as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the New Stuyahok Traditional Council, Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, Trout Unlimited and the Bristol Bay Native Association to protect stream flows on critical salmon streams in Bristol Bay, in accordance with Alaska Department of Natural Resources guidelines.

“People in Bristol Bay say fish always come first, and we agree. We’re proud to work with our partners in Bristol Bay as they preserve traditions for their children and grandchildren,” says Rand Hagenstein, the Conservancy’s Alaska state director.

The Conservancy and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game jointly filed

for an instream flow reservation on Lower Talarik Creek in 2000. In Bristol Bay, it was a first: on this stream, water flows would be reserved for fish before all other uses.

Our application is now pending, and together with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, we await formal instream flow water right adjudication from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, which implements the Alaska Water Use Act.

rIVerS ANd SALmON FOreVer ANd eVerInvesting in Water to Safeguard Bristol Bay Salmon

i

JAm

Ie A

LLIS

ON CH

Ar

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OTT

Br

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/TN

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Lower Talarik Creek

The Nature Conservancy in Alaska715 L Street, Suite 100Anchorage, Alaska 99501nature.org/alaska

Non Profit OrgU.S. Postage

PaidPalatine, IL

Permit #171

Two years after the launch of the Path to Prosperity contest in Southeast Alaska, a new network of rising entrepreneurs is gaining strength. Five ventures committed to sustainability are now growing businesses with $40k awards. And a total of 36 entrants from across the region have completed our intensive boot camp training for entrepreneurs. Says The Nature Conservancy’s Norman Cohen: “There’s a bright future in the sustainable use of local natural resources in Southeast Alaska.”

Path to Prosperity Builds an Entrepreneurial Movement

“It fosters interest in our community, it fosters leadership, it gives a sense of

change towards something good.”

– Heather Shade, a co-founder,

with her husband Sean Copeland,

of Port Chilkoot Distillery in Haines

“Our skis are a very efficient use of wood, and we only use about six board feet per pair of skis.”– Graham Kraft, right, with co-founder

Ian Seward, of Fairweather Ski Works

in Haines

“People have been cheering us on and they want to see us grow.”— Kevin Skeek, right, of Hoonah,

who co-founded Raven Guitars with

Steve Helgeson, of Wrangell

“To me it’s special wood and it’s hard to find that

kind of wood anywhere

else outside of Southeast Alaska.”

– Wes Tyler, who founded Icy Straits Lumber and Alaska

Legacy Wood Homes with his wife, Sue, in Hoonah

“One day, going to Alaska and not having our

rhubarb sherbet will be like going to Italy and not having the pasta.”– Marc Wheeler, who

founded Coppa with his wife,

Jessica Paris, in Juneau

Can Cutting trEEs savE WolvEs?On Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, Conservancy scientists are researching how the harvest of young-growth forests may actually benefit wolves.

get the rest of the story at nature.org/alaska.

Path to Prosperity is a business competition open to everyone in Southeast Alaska.It’s brought to you by an innovative partnership of Haa Aaní LLC and The Nature Conservancy. Visit p2web.org.Photos: Bethany Goodrich/SSP, Alex Crook, Kevin Skeek

Alaska Update

Alaska Update s u M M E r 2 0 1 5

tongass

Bristol Bay

Mat-su

Who are the next 12 finalists? Visit

nature.org/alaska for an update in July

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HA

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