Salmon Safe Farming
Alaska’s climate is changing rapidly with air temperatures projected to rise by an additional 2 – 4 oC in the coming decades. This warming will bring rising stream temperatures, changing flow conditions, and extreme flood events that alter the freshwater habitats of our Pacific salmon. However, this climate shift is also benefiting our local growers and farmers’ markets. While growth in agriculture will increase food security and access to local foods, it must not be done at the expense of our salmon.
We have the responsibility now to create a healthy relationship between farms and streams to ensure local foods and fisheries are abundant for all Alaskans!
Inletkeeper Strategies
Cook Inletkeeper hopes to infuse the expanding agriculture and local food culture in Alaska with an ethic of using salmon-safe practices. It is important to begin engaging in dialogue with farmers about best practices regarding stream habitat protection, stream bank vegetation protection, water conservation, erosion prevention, pesticide use, erosion prevention, animal management, and promoting biodiversity.
Additionally, we hope to educate consumers and bring heightened awareness to the interconnectedness of our environment that supports fish, flowers, and crops.
A project description is available for download here.
Along the West Coast, Salmon-Safe works with farmers, developers, and other environmentally innovative landowners to reduce watershed impacts through rigorous third-party verified certification. Learn more about their work and the process of farm certification here: https://salmonsafe.org/certification/farms/.
