Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership
— Sue Mauger
The Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership represents businesses, governments, landowners, Native Alaskans, and the non-profit community. Since its inception, the Partnership has brought together a diverse group of more than 60 members, including Cook Inletkeeper.
The Mat-Su Partnership’s grassroots, locally-driven, voluntary, and non-regulatory effort was inspired by the approach outlined by the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP). NFHP’s mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.
Because wild salmon are central to all life in Alaska, the partnership works to ensure that quality salmon habitat is safeguarded and restored. This approach relies on collaboration and cooperation.
Partnership funding has supported Inletkeeper’s stream temperature monitoring and our focus on warm systems like the Deshka River. The video above – compiled by our fabulous summer intern Bonnie Dana – highlights Inletkeeper’s work on a recent field trip on the Deshka with partners and local decision-makers.
The Mat-Su Salmon Partnership has produced several science summaries to help synthesize information on various salmon habitat related topics for Mat-Su community leaders and general public. Here are just a few.
Healthy Streambanks Support Healthy Salmon – Riparian Buffer Best Practices
Building Habitat Resiliency for Chinook Salmon in the Deshka River Watershed
Cook Inletkeeper will be at the Partnership’s 2024 Salmon Symposium on November 18 & 19 in Palmer. Join us! Visit www.matsusalmon.org/what-we-