Southwest Alaska Habitat Initiative: Accomplishments to Date

The Conservation Fund has completed several conservation projects, which have protected important habitat for fish and wildlife and provided access for anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Wood-Tikchik State Park

Agulukpak River: The Conservation Fund with funds provided by the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund acquired a highly developable 160-acre tract at the start of the Agulukpak River, one of the Park’s most important sockeye salmon spawning areas and heavily used sport fishing sites. The property was subsequently donated to the Wood-Tikchik State Park for management as part of the Park with a conservation easement donated to the Nushagak-Mulchatna Wood-Tikchik Land Trust. The site provides valuable access for sport fishing and other uses.

Lake Nerka: The Conservation Fund acquired a 123-acre tract bordering both sides of the mouth of Elva Creek. Elva Creek and Elva Lake form an important sockeye spawning system for tens of thousands of salmon and other fish. The area is an important feeding area for brown bears. The public heavily uses the mouth of Elva Creek for subsistence, fishing and other recreation. The land will be transferred to the Park. Funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and the Forest Legacy program made the acquisition possible.

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge

In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, six tracts have been acquired along the Togiak River, a major producer of all five species of Pacific salmon and important supplier of the commercial, subsistence and sport fisheries. Funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation leveraged Land and Water Conservation Fund money to acquire the properties.

Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge

At Morzhovoi Bay, near the western end of the Alaska Peninsula The Conservation Fund acquired 37,360 acres with money from the Richard King Mellon Foundation in 2002 and 2003. The property includes dozens of salmon spawning streams and is important to brown bears and migratory birds. The tract was donated to the United States to be included in the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge.

On the Pacific side of the Alaska Peninsula 13,069 acres were acquired at Canoe Bay with funds from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Canoe Bay has numerous salmon spawning streams. It is an important area for migratory birds and brown bears. The tract is now part of the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. A major acquisition in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge with funds from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund provided the required match for this transaction.

Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

The Conservation Fund acquired 8,496 acres at Izembek lagoon with funds from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund in 1999. The property was donated to the United States to be managed as part of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Izembek is one of the world’s premier migratory bird habitats and is noted for its great assemblage of black brant, emperor and Canada geese, the threatened Steller’s eider and myriad shore birds. The property also includes several salmon streams, which support thousands of spawning salmon of all five species and are important to brown bears.