Staff report

Kachemak Heritage Land Trust (KHLT), Alaska Department of Fish & Game and Kachemak Moose Habitat Inc. (KMHI) have partnered to conserve land and increase hunting and fishing access on the southern Kenai Peninsula.

One-hundred twenty acres on the southern Kenai Peninsula are now open to the public and will also be conserved forever thanks to the collaborative work of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, KHLT and KMHI. This new addition features wetlands and uplands  with new hunting access on Ohlson Mountain, according to a press release from KHLT.

Over the past five years, five parcels totaling 174 acres have been purchased with federal funds from the  Pittman-Robertson Act or donated as a land match, all to be perpetually preserved by the State of Alaska  as moose habitat and for public access near the 19,000-acre state-designated Anchor River/Fritz Creek  Critical Habitat Area. Funds for the Pittman-Robertson Act grant come from an excise tax on firearms,  ammunition and archery equipment. 

The acquisition of these properties conserves habitat important to the year-round survival of moose,  particularly for calving, winter habitat and as an important winter migration corridor, supporting and  sustaining the moose harvest on the lower Kenai Peninsula. 

Additionally, streamside habitat important to king, coho and pink salmon, Dolly Varden, and steelhead  will be protected, benefiting people by providing new access for hunting and fishing. Protection of this  important spawning and rearing habitat benefits both commercial, sport, personal use and subsistence fishermen. Portions of this area have also been designated by Audubon as an area of importance for  birds. 

KHLT Trust and KMHI, both nonprofit organizations, have collectively preserved more than 8,000 acres  in Alaska with their combined 55 years of experience protecting wildlife habitats. KHLT has preserved  more than 4,000 acres on the Kenai Peninsula, with many more acres protected through its work with  partners. 

“One thing I particularly appreciate with this acquisition is that we are protecting moose calving habitat at the same time allowing hunters like me to access land that was previously privately held. In the moose  habitat world of sustained yield, this feels like a win/win!” said Lynn Whitmore, Chairman, KMHI. 

“This project represents combined public and private efforts to preserve land to help ensure our Alaskan  way of life lasts into the future. In this project, each organization provided its own specialized skill set,  thereby creating conservation for our whole community,” said Marie McCarty, Executive Director, KHLT.

In 2026, KHLT celebrates 37 years of protecting the natural heritage of the Kenai Peninsula. KHLT is not  an advocacy group, but rather a nonprofit organization with a mission to conserve the natural heritage of  the Kenai Peninsula for future generations by working with willing landowners. 

In 2026, KMHI. celebrates 20 years of protecting important moose habitat on the southern Kenai  Peninsula. It was established in 1996 as mitigation for the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project, which  flooded existing moose habitat. KMHI contributed 30 acres of land and substantial funds to the state of Alaska as a match for this project.