Protection of habitat is a restoration activity used in natural resource restoration programs across the country. Consistent with this, the Trustee Council has provided funds to government agencies to acquire title or conservation easements from willing sellers of land determined to be important for its restoration values. The decision to spend significant funds on habitat protection was included as part of the Council's Restoration Plan in 1994 and further detailed by Council Resolution and federal legislation in 1999. To date, Trust Funds have been used to protect approximately 650,000 acres of land. A link to a comprehensive online catalog of Trustee Council habitat acquisition efforts is included at the bottom of this page, as well as a downloadable pdf catalog, which was most recently updated in 2007.
Through the habitat protection program, over 1,400 miles of coastal habitats and more than 300 anadromous rivers, streams and spawning areas have been protected and made available for public access and activities, including hunting and fishing-related recreation. Small parcels have also been protected, typically encompassing strategically located habitats, such as coves, important stretches of river, the mouths of rivers or land adjacent to valuable tidelands. Many parcels of interest are often close to spill area communities or within already protected areas, such as refuges and parks, and are typically supported by local legislators, city councils and borough assemblies, commercial fishermen, sport fishing and hunting groups. These lands are acquired for their habitat qualities as well as their importance for subsistence and recreational use. Through the program, over 1,850 acres along the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers and their watersheds, including several miles of shoreline, have been protected, as have 3,254 acres along the Moose River, a major sockeye salmon producer that feeds into the Kenai River. Over 170 acres have been protected on the Anchor River sheltering over two miles of river frontage and 500 acres of contiguous intact floodplain communities, providing important spawning and rearing habitat for four species of salmon and the largest steelhead run in Cook Inlet.
If so, please fill out and submit the EVOSTC Parcel Information Form.
The Council worked in partnership with ADNR to create an online, searchable catalog (https://dnr.alaska.gov/evos), which became available in 2020. Also called the EVOS Interactive Parcel Map, this catalog allows you to view information about lands acquired through the EVOS Habitat Protection Program, including acreage as well as state, federal, or other interests in the properties.
The 2007 Habitat Catalog is an update of the Habitat Protection and Acquisition Atlas, which was originally published March 1999. This file is very large, so it has been divided into four separate files for downloading. Please note that of the two, the online catalog is the most up to date resource.
More information about the parcel protection process.
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