Presented by: Jumana Vasi, Ruby Pap, Emma Hutchinson & Steve Higgs NRE 517 April 8 th , 2002

1. Presented by:Jumana Vasi, Ruby Pap, Emma Hutchinson & Steve HiggsNRE 517April 8th, 2002 The Kenai River Watershed Project: Ecosystem Management In Alaska __________________

3. Kenai River Watershed: The Place Natural features: • Over 37 fish species, 5 salmon species • Other fuzzy, feathered, and giant creatures: brown bears, caribou, bald eagles, beluga whales The local economy: • Commercial & sport fisheries • Logging private/public forests • Recreational & tourism

4. Ecosystem Stresses/Issues • Damage to streambanks due to sport-fishing • Trampling of sensitive riparian corridors • Increased non-point source water pollution • Residential development • Recreational parks • Urban/residential growth along river/wetlands • Incompatible development • High density recreational vehicle parks • Habitat conversion, degradation, fragmentation • Wetland filling/draining • Timber harvesting

5. Kenai River Project Begins • 1993 – Local residents and Alaska FWS contacted TNC to request their assistance in restoring the Kenai Watershed area • 1996 – TNC Alaska organized a community forum and recommended forming a citizen-based group to protect the watershed, the economy and the quality of life valued by local residents. • 1997-The Kenai Watershed Forum was created to bring together all the stakeholders and interested parties

6. Stakeholders • Landowners (in order of size of land owned): • Federal agencies: • USFWS – Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, • USFS – Chugach National Forest, USEPA • Private residential landowners • State of Alaska • Native-owned lands • Townships: City of Kenai, City of Soldotna, Town of Stirling, Town of Cooper Landing, Kenai Peninsula Borough • Commercial fishing industries • Other interested parties: • Alaska Conservation Foundation • Alaska Department of Fish and Game • Exxon Oilspill Trustee Council • Kachemak Heritage Land Trust • Kenai River Center • The Nature Conservancy • River Network

7. The Kenai Watershed Forum Citizens working together for community vitality in a healthy watershed • Composed of community stakeholders, each with differing priorities: commercial, environmental, property ownership, natural resource use • Incorporated as a private, non-profit community organization • Initial funds provided by USEPA • Currently funded through individual and business membership, Federal, State, and Foundation grants as well as profits from the sale of the Kenai River Nature Guide.

8. Initial Conservation Activities • TNC Produced a report for EPA and other stakeholders: • An ecological model of region analyzing watershed needs • Detailed land ownership maps • 1,000 person survey of watershed residents to assess conservation sentiment • Established a Kenai River Region office of the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust • Townships began implementing environmentally-sensitive riparian developments • Organized workshops and public meetings to create public understanding

9. Additional Conservation Efforts Kenai River Festival • Organized and hosted by the Kenai Watershed Forum • Provides great opportunity to educate the public • Adopt-a-Stream • Goal: “To teach people to become stewards of their watersheds.” • Provides hands-on education for school children • “All Drains Lead to Kenai River” • High school student group stenciled signs on water drains to create public awareness

10. Conservation Accomplishments • Created Killey River Brown Bear Preserve, 1997 • Trained over 75 volunteer quality monitors • Instituted monitoring of macro invertebrates (aquatic insects as indicator species) through collaboration with Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game • Acquired trail easements to provide public access across private property • Removed Salt Pile which was contaminating Soldotna Creek

11. EM Assessment Five key elements of an ecosystem management approach: • Ecologically-defined project focus • Complexity • Explicit definition of biological/social goals • Collaborative decision making • Adaptive management

12. Ecologically Defined Borders • Project is watershed focused • Kenai Watershed Forum • Importance of interconnected ecosystem recognized by participants • Stakeholders still focus on their main interests • e.g.-commercial fisheries focused on fish and habitat

13. Complexity • Signs point to yes, but no management plans to date • Different permitting agencies housed together in Kenai River Center • Emphasis on monitoring/data collection to better understand the needs of salmon • Watershed scale project indicates recognition of complexity

14. Explicit Definition of Goals • KWF mission statement: “Citizens working together for community vitality in a healthy watershed.” • Long term goals of KWF: • Maintain the health of the Kenai River Watershed • Promote Responsible Development • Ensure Quality of Life for Future Generations • Seek Solutions to Local Issues • Enhance and Expand Learning Opportunities • Improve Understanding of the Watershed

15. Collaboration • Parties involved explicitly state that collaboration is important. • In practice, much collaboration appears to be more talk than action. • Exceptions: • Water quality monitoring – 14 groups involved. • TNC and KWF have also been active in attempts to involve community stakeholders. • Funding from govt agencies for education and community outreach work of KWF, as well as stream bank restoration.

16. Adaptive Management • Not clear that there is an actual ecosystem management plan in place yet, which leaves little role for adaptive management. • Still collecting baseline data on water quality, fish populations etc, which will prove helpful in future adaptive management.

17. Summary/Future Prospects • Stakeholders on board to a degree, but no apparent consensus as to appropriate actions. • No explicit and coordinated management plan across multiple stakeholders. • Greater attempts are needed to reach agreement on what types of actions are required to prevent further degradation of he Kenai River.

18. Resources Used for Assessment • Various EMI Analyses. • Newsletters of KWF. • Telephone discussion with KWF representative. • Web Resources, including: • TNC’s website on the Kenai River. • AK Dept of Fish and Game Kenai River Overview. • EPA website on Kenai River.