2021 ANNUAL REPORT
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Since our founding in 1995, Great Land Trust has completed 65 projects, protected more than 56,000 acres of top-priority habitat, and conserved over 100 miles of salmon streams. We have worked together to solve problems and achieve our goals, using our collective energy for positive outcomes and protecting what really matters - the land, the water, the wildlife, the fish, and the people – forever. Now, more than ever, it is clear that the work we do at Great Land Trust is essential to our quality of life in Alaska. This brief report highlights the successes of this past year – new projects protecting essential habitat, increased access to public land, enhancements to previously conserved properties, and GLT’s stalwart commitment to stewarding the places we’ve promised to protect. Even during a global pandemic, political pandemonium, and all sorts of societal upheavals we continue to successfully complete work that permanently protects the special places in our lives that support wildlife, salmon life, and Alaskan life – for all of us now and those who follow. We have a great deal to celebrate from 2021 with so much more on the horizon for 2022 and beyond – because of your support. Thank you for being resilient and hopeful in challenging times and for looking to the future and seeing the opportunities we have to continue the important work of protecting what we love most about Alaska. - Ellen
OUR MISSION To conserve and steward the lands and waters essential to the quality of life and economic health of Alaskans.
STAFF
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Amanda Hults Lands Manager & Stewardship Director
Cathie Straub (Chair), Sara Jansen (Vice-Chair), Gretchen Specht (Treasurer), Jon Goltz (Secretary), John Baker, Kelly Chang, Mark Dalton, Larry Hartig, Bri Kelly, Allison Meyers, Ethan Tyler
Ellen Kazary Executive Director Libby Kugel Communications & Administration Manager
HONORARY DIRECTORS Linda Kumin, John McManamin, Eric McCallum & Robin Smith, John Strasenburgh & Ruth Wood, Arliss Sturgulewski
Dave Mitchell Conservation Director
EMERITUS DIRECTORS
Mike Schroeder Conservation Project Manager
Gary Baugh, Shelda Duff, Dick LeFebvre, Molly McCammon, Pat Pourchot, Susan Ruddy
STEWARDSHIP REPORT When we celebrate the completion of a conservation easement, it isn’t actually finished, it’s the start of a commitment to the land forever. The number of conservation easements and acres of land Great Land Trust has committed to protecting grows each year, and with that grows our responsibility. Currently, GLT holds conservation easements on 40 properties and more than 10,000 acres of land. We work hard every day to ensure that these properties remain protected. We build and maintain positive relationships with landowners, neighbors, and property users and we monitor and document the state of the lands each year so that we have records establishing a history of the property. We take great care in making these records, annually capturing detailed descriptions and photos. This careful practice is essential to us being able to fulfill our perpetual commitments. Stewardship of conserved lands is at the absolute heart of the work we do. When GLT takes on the responsibility to permanently protect conserved properties, we do not take this commitment lightly. On an annual monitoring visit in the summer of 2017, GLT staff discovered severe damage by a trespasser to the Eklutna River Estuary conserved property. The trespasser created large gaps in the contiguous forest corridor, including clearing hundreds of trees and understory vegetation, and dumping, spreading, grading, and compacting more than 279 cubic yards (or 28 dump truck loads) of pit gravel on the previously naturally vegetated conserved property. The impacted property is part of a relatively undisturbed forest and wetlands that stretch along the shore of Knik Arm from the Birchwood Airport to the Eklutna River. This area serves as habitat for birds, wildlife, and fish, and supports Alaska Native subsistence activities. The property also serves as a buffer between inland development and the coastal wetlands. This protects the Knik Arm viewshed, as well as the Cook Inlet Beluga whale population. The compacted pit gravel established dead zones upon which the pre-trespass forest cannot come back unless and until GLT undertakes a substantial restoration. Here’s where the good news comes in: because of the excellent, persistent, and dedicated work of our professional, yet frugal, team, we put together overwhelmingly convincing evidence and detailed reports and we were able to work with our legal team to reach a very substantial settlement to recoup all legal costs and fund restoration of the conserved property. When it comes to stewardship, we will always do the right thing. Even if it is hard, time consuming, daunting – we will roll up our sleeves and get it done, with excellence. We made the commitment to protect these properties and we are seeing that commitment through. While dealing with trespass damage and violations to conservation easements isn’t the most fun part of our jobs, it is the most important. We are thrilled to know that our work over the past years, and your continued support of our mission, enables us to uphold our promises to conservation and to future generations. As we’re celebrating being able to protect this property, we are also gearing up for more work in 2022. This summer we will begin restoration efforts on the Eklutna River Estuary conserved property and we look forward to seeing the impacted area move forward on the path to full recovery. This summer, Javier Acuna (left) and Cooper Arend (right) joined GLT as our seasonal Land Stewards. Both students at the University of Alaska Anchorage, their studies in environmental and biological sciences led them to explore the field of land conservation. As Land Stewards, they spent the summer visiting almost all of GLT’s conservation easements, traveling throughout Southcentral Alaska to bushwhack along rivers, walk muddy coastlines, tour homesteads, and even hike to the top of Bodenburg Butte.
2021 PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS Lower Palmer Slough In 2021, the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge grew by 195 acres. Great Land Trust raised the funds to purchase an inholding in the Refuge and donated the parcel along Lower Palmer Slough to the State of Alaska to be managed by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game as part of the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge for access, habitat, and recreation. This effort comes almost 2 years after Great Land Trust purchased and transferred a 236-acre parcel just upstream from the Lower Palmer Slough parcel. The project was funded in part by the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund and the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Coastal Program. In 2010, GLT compiled a prioritization to rank the conservation value of private lands along salmon streams in the Mat-Su Borough. The Lower Palmer Slough parcel, with characteristics such as prime salmon habitat, connectivity to other protected lands, intact wetlands, and public access, among others, ranked in the top 100 on this list. Because of this early effort to identify lands important for conservation, and strategic outreach and fundraising efforts over the following years, GLT was able to complete this project, secure permanent public access, and ensure that it will be protected for future generations.
Nic'anilen Na' Addition In 2018, Ruth McHenry and Cliff Eames donated a conservation easement on a 40-acre property in the Kenny Lake area to Great Land Trust. Immediately following, Ruth and Cliff donated the land to the Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment (WISE) while retaining a life estate. In 2021, the couple donated an additional 20 acres of land adjacent to the original conserved property, bringing the total conserved area to 60 acres. Cliff and Ruth wanted to see the land remain in a relatively natural state to safeguard this habitat for wildlife and provide a space for WISE to implement its goals of doing research, environmental education, and stewardship. Additional funding for this project was provided by the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund and the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Coastal Program.
Kodiak & Afognak With the closing in late May 2021 of a $2 million deal, additional protections were placed on nearly 89,000 areas of public lands on Kodiak and Afognak Islands. This deal conserved the subsurface estate underlying previously conserved lands, ensuring that important habitat and public lands are now forever conserved in totality. In Alaska, the area beneath the surface of the land, called the subsurface estate or mineral estate, is often owned separately from the surface itself. By conserving the subsurface estate under past conservation projects, we are adding additional protections to these areas ensuring that they will be conserved forever. Building on multiple past conservation efforts by a variety of organizations and agencies, the subsurface rights to these lands were purchased from local regional Native Corporation, Koniag, adding an extra layer of protection. Great Land Trust worked with the landowners, Koniag, and other partners, such as the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS) Trustee Council, which funded the project, to make this project a reality. Cooperating State and federal partners include the State of Alaska, Bureau of Land Management, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Coastal Program.
Little Susitna River At the end of 2021, Great Land Trust completed a project with the City of Houston to conserve and make public 74 acres of undeveloped land that includes over one mile of the Little Susitna River. This project protects important habitat and provides new recreation opportunities in the area. The property has walking trails, offers access to the river, and provides open space adjacent to the Parks Highway and the popular Little Susitna River campground. GLT raised the funds to purchase the property and has donated it to the City of Houston for ownership and management subject to permanent property restrictions to protect the salmon and wildlife habitat and public access. The project was funded in part by the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund and the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Coastal Program.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2021 DONORS Alaska Solar LLC Carolyn & Jerry Allen Monica Alvarez Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Erika Ammann Peggy Ammann Thomas Amodio & Debra Fitzgerald Jim Anderson & Karola Moore* Paul & Karen Anderson* Anonymous William Ashton Robert & Peggy Auth Adam Babcock Adrian Baer John & Lynda Baker*, ** Pamela Barbeau Martha Barber Frankie Barker Molly Bartel* Gary Baugh* Kim Behrens Adrian & Brad Bell Rebecca Bernard & Michael Shephard Cindy Bettine & Mike Butcher BGES, Inc. Patty Bielawski* Judy Bittner Jenny Blanchard Dave Blanchet* Elizabeth Blassingham Chris & Judy Bockmon* Dan Bogan & Luise Woelflein Heather Bottrell & David Frenier Brena, Bell & Walker, PC William Brennan Dawn Brettrager Elissa Brown & Chris Pike Annie Brownlee Bruce & Elizabeth Richter Nina Brudie Sigrid Brudie & Jay Marvin Lowell & Meg Burgett Paul Butera Calais Company* Judy Caminer & Roger Marks* Raymond Cammisa Michael Campbell Bryan Carey & Bronwen Wang Karla & Daniel Carpenter
Ken Cassity Kelly Chang* Stephen Charles Patricia Chesbro Tom Choate Sandra & John Christopherson Christopher Clark Jo Clark John Clark & Janis Skliar* Maryann Cochran Susanna Colloredo-Mansfeld Steven & Karen Compton Jeannette Cook Travis Cooper Jason Copp Will Corbridge Lamar Cotten Carolyn & Bob Covington Donald Crandall** Peter Crimp & Paula Cullenberg Susan Dabelsteen Kristin Dahl Amy Dalton & Brian Litmans Anna Dalton John Dalton* Mark & Cami Dalton*, ** Willie Dalton Anthony DeGange & Emily Davies Jeff & Lorri Denton George & Brenda Dickison Mike Dieni Christine Dittrich Sheryl Douglas Louise Driscoll Adam Dubour Shelda Duff & Rick Jones* John Duffy & Pamela Bergmann** Robert & Sherry Dugan* Abigail & Thomas DunningNewbury Greg Durocher Cliff Eames & Ruth McHenry* Art Eash Kenneth Eggers Ethan, Elizabeth & Riley Elliott Nora Elliott Nathaniel Emery Andy Erickson Erin K Johnson Memorial Fund* David & Diana Evans Ruth & Charles Fahl*
Scott Fahrney Andrea Feniger Anne Fiedler Keith & Jane Fountain Freedom 3 Capital* Robert & Gail French Samantha Gaffney Kay Gajewski Dave & Marilyn Gardner Richard Geiger Marcus Geist Sally Gibert & Dick Mylius Ayse & Chuck Gilbert* Nelson & Margaret Gingerich Dan & Cathy Gleason Ben Goltz Jon & Else Goltz* Noah Goltz Amanda Goss Marah Gotcsik Marin Granholm Tom Griffin Chelsea Grimstad Mark Gronewald Shawana Guzenski* Chung Ha Colleen Handel & Bob Gill Tamara Harper Larry Hartig* Dot Helm* Cynthia Hendel Ken & Cindy Higgins Douglas Hill** Carol Hoblitzell Kirk Hoessle Laurie & Sean Holland Charles Holmes & Dianne Gudgel-Holmes Natalie Hood Russell & Julie Hood Betsey Howard David Hudspeth Haley Huff Amanda & Chad Hults Henry & Kathleen Huntington Jerry Hupp & Gail Volt Sara Jansen & Randy Jones*, ** Mike Jens* Michael & Katharina Jensen* Julie Jessen* Charlene Johnson
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William Mader Jim & Dianne Mahaffey Julian Mason & Margie MacNeille* Mark & Judy Masteller** Warren & Donna Matthews Susan Mauger Robin Mayo Eric McCallum & Robin Smith*, ** Molly McCammon*, ** Colleen McDonald Kevin McElhaney Fund Stephen McKeever & Nancy Wainwright John McManamin* Robin McManamin & Jeffrey Leppo* Corinne & Michael McVee Thomas & Jane Meacham Kathy Means Joe Meehan Peter Melde Eric Menck Bill Mendenhall Alan Mitchell & Tamara Matlock Dave Mitchell & Elise Gelbart Ann & Jerry Mitchell Peter Mjos & Karen Ruud* Peter Montesano & Ann Lindsey* Ted & Ginny Moore Lisa Moorehead & Bob Dittrick Jack & Rosemary Mosby Diane & Mike Moxness* Nancy Munro* Eric Myers Molly Mylius Dean Nelson & Rhonda Roberts Susan Nesbitt Kimberly Nielsen Helen & Gayle Nienhueser Tim Nixon Michael Norton Monica O'Keefe** Mary & Gary Ott Cheyenne Oyen Sylvia & Marius Panzarella Mark Parmelee Jill Parson Jeremy Pataky John & Kathy Patton Thomas Paul & Janice Caulfield Bridget Paule Eric & Harriet Paule Mimi & Willy Peabody Nancy Pease Ted & Claire Pease
Clarke Pelz & Cindy Drinkwater Christopher & Theresa Perez Rachel Perlot & Jack Conger Bill Petrik Idamarie Piccard Brian Pinkston Mary Lee Plumb-Mentjes Sue Pope & Jim Thiele*, ** Pat Pourchot & Jennifer Johnson* John & Connie Quinley Sandy Rabinowitch & Elizabeth Barry Taylor Raftery John & Diane Ramey* Ann Rappoport & David Irons Rasmuson Foundation* Aimee Rathburn Julie Raymond-Yakoubian Caryn Rea & Steve Aberle*, ** Diana Redwood Laurel Renkert & Zak Melms*, ** Diana Rhoades Jeffrey S. Richards Fund Paul Risse & Nancy Darigo Tyler Robinson & Katie Bisson Susan Rogers Beth Rosenberg Herb & Donna Ross Ann & Thomas Rothe Susan Ruddy** Larry Rundquist Ryan Rupert Barbara Rydall Matias Saari Pauletta Sawyer Alyssa Schaefer Karl & Ley Schleich Beverly Short & Joel Schmutz Michael J. Schneider John & Mary Beth Schoen Myra Scholze Cassandra & Martin Schoofs Mike Schroeder Sandra Schubert John Schultz*, ** Seattle Foundation* Lena Sessions Kristen Shake Erin Shine Conrad Shultz & Maia Hoover Carl & Pixie Siebe Theresa Slaven Alison Smith & Kurt Egelhofer Corinne Smith & Paul Button Kyle Smith & Renea Saade Linda & Michael Smith Michael Smith
Gillian Smythe Dick & Liska Snyder Kim Sollien** David & Andy Sonneborn* Gretchen Specht*, ** Tim Spivey Holly Spoth-Torres* Anjanette Steer Leonard Steinberg Gary & Donna Steinfort David & Heather Sterling Brad Stern John Strasenburgh & Ruth Wood*, ** Jim Stratton** Cathie Straub & Jeff Loughrey* Stacy Studebaker Lia, Carlos & Miguel SuarezCabal Kevin Sullivan & Hannah Griego Judy Sweeney Jeffrey & Andrea Symmonds Bruce Talbot* William Taygan Ken Taylor*, ** Scott Taylor & Cami Oechsli Taylor* The Denver Foundation* The Foraker Group The Frances & David Rose Foundation* The Jenny G Fund* The Sholton Foundation* Thais Thomas Peg & Jules Tileston Craig Tillery & Phyllis Johnson Katriina Timm Thede Tobish & Lisa Oakley Tim Troll Dave & Marcia Trudgen* Margareth Twigg Ethan Tyler* Mark Vail Dorn & Diane Van Dommelen Lang Van Dommelen Brent Veltkamp Vicki Vermillion Venable Vermont, Jr. William & Heidi Wailand Jack Wakeland* Steve & Marcia Wakeland** Bob Waldrop*, ** Tara Walker John Weddleton Jenny Weis Steve Weisman Lynn & Dave Welbourne
Simon & Julia Wigren Scott Wilbor Marc Wilhelm Connie Wolfe** Thomas Wood Helen Woodings Chris & Beverly Wooley Mark Worcester* Barbara Yanoshek Ken & Chris Zafren Emilia Zartman & Ed Kamienski Jon & Stephanie Zuck * = Raven Circle ** = Legacy Circle FUNDERS AARP Alaska Conservation Foundation Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund/ADF&G ConocoPhillips Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Mat-Su Trails & Parks Foundation US Fish & Wildlife Service
PO Box 101727, Anchorage, AK 99510
2021 ANNUAL REPORT
THANK YOU!
Your support enables us to continue to protect and conserve the wild places that add meaning to our lives, now and for future generations.
Photo credits: Javier Acuna, Cooper Arend, Alissa Crandall, Carl Johnson, Will Koeppen, Matt McMillan, Dave Mitchell
Mailing address: PO Box 101272 Anchorage, AK 99510
Office address: 715 L St. Suite 200 Anchorage, AK 99501
www.greatlandtrust.org info@greatlandtrust.org (907) 278-4998