Collaboration in full swing by tribes, federal and state agencies, local and environmental interests.
By Lee House
This story was produced for the Sustainable Southeast Partnership's monthly column with the Juneau Empire, 'Resilient Peoples & Place.' Read the full story here. The story highlights the Community Forest Partnership's work in habitat restoration.
From left to right, Robert Hughes (KKCFP), Eric Castro (USFS), Kelsey Dean (SAWC) and Angelo Lerma (KKCFP) pause to assess the placement of a log into Shorty Creek on Kuiu Island. Adding wood to streams helps build salmon habitat, and adds flood-resilient structure to the stream and banks. (Photo by Lee House)
The momentum from the last decade of this collaborative restoration work has helped to influence the core of the USDA’s recent Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy (SASS), which is giving way to a holistic shift in land management of Southeast Alaska. As part of the strategy, SASS is supporting USDA staff and management efforts to work alongside communities, Tribes, and local partnership networks to align with their values and priorities. In doing so, the agency is investing further in reciprocal partnerships, sharing resource management knowledge with current community crews, supporting local youth to develop skills for futures in community forest stewardship, and building meaningful relationships throughout the region.
The story is also available at the Sustainable Southeast Partnership's website: https://sustainablesoutheast.net/healing-the-land-together-salmon-stream-restoration-with-community-forest-partnerships/