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The Conservation Fund -
Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Initiative

The Conservation Fund forges partnerships to preserve our nation's outdoor heritage. It also helps local, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations acquire property from willing sellers to protect open space, wildlife habitat, public recreation areas, river corridors, and historic places.

Woolrich is pleased to be a sponsor of The Conservation Fund's Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Initiative, the largest land protection project of its kind. The Initiative protects key salmon rivers and the surrounding habitat they support throughout the 40 million acres of Southwest Alaska, the world's largest spawning ground for wild salmon.

Specifically, the Fund is pursuing a landscape-scale conservation strategy on major salmon systems in the region, by conserving strategic private lands through acquisition or easement. The Fund also works to strengthen the activities and membership of the Southwest Alaska Conservation Coalition, www.swakcc.org, a coalition of diverse interests and organizations working with the common goal of salmon habitat conservation.

With hundreds of pristine rivers, lakes and streams, the Southwest Alaska region abounds with natural resources, diverse habitats, world-class outdoor recreation, and a rich culture and history. Covering an area the size of Washington State, this region supports a wide variety of fish and wildlife including wild salmon, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic char, grayling, lake trout, and northern pike. The same region supports brown bears, caribou, moose, bald eagles, and myriad migratory birds.

Southwest Alaska is perhaps best known as the world's greatest stronghold of wild salmon, with all five Pacific salmon species abundant and widespread. A key component of the ecosystem, salmon drive the region's ecology, economy, culture and recreation. This area routinely produces total salmon runs that average 70 million and exceed 100 million in some years. A top travel destination for outdoor enthusiasts, thousands of tourists visit each year for the world-class fishing opportunities and other nature-based adventures.

Southwest Alaska is at a crossroads. Geographic remoteness no long buffers the region from rapid change. Forces that have devastated wild salmon elsewhere around the world are also at work in Southwest Alaska.

Private land development along rivers and lakes is the most pressing threat to salmon and public enjoyment. Hundreds of private tracts, that until recently were used for hunting and fishing, are increasingly being converted to development and speculation.

Native village corporations and individuals own extensive holdings in these areas, including large tracts often exceeding 100,000 acres. Collectively, private lands comprise about 4.55 million acres (or 11 percent) of the region. Over the next few years, the conservation of key habitats--a small percentage of these lands--will largely determine the long-term ecological health of Southwest Alaska.

For further information, contact:
    The Conservation Fund
    6400 Andover Circle
    Anchorage, AK 99516
    Phone 907-868-7974
    Web site: www.conservationfund.org
    E-mail: postmaster@conservationfund.org