Who We Are Founded in 1967, Sitka Conservation Society is a non-profit based in Sheet'ká Kwáan, Sitka, Alaska, a small coastal town which lies within the heart of the Tongass, the largest National Forest in the United States.
Why We Exist The mission of the Sitka Conservation Society is to protect the natural environment of the Tongass, while supporting the development of economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable communities in Southeast Alaska.
What We Do SCS works through partnerships and advocacy to ensure that decision makers prioritize longterm community sustainability, climate action, and environmental health. We foster, develop, and nurture programs and partnerships, all with the goal of supporting the development of resilient communities across the region.
Cover: Estuary at Nakwasina (© Lee House). Opposite: view of Sitka in the evening, frosted cedar tree, hands measuring a cedar monument tree (© Bethany Goodrich Photography). Left: Mount Edgecumbe (© Pioneer Studios), salmon being processed (© Lee House).
Working Together to Envision and Build the Future We Need A Letter from the SCS Board President Dear Friends, As the world saw some of its largest heat waves, floods, and fires this summer, I found myself grateful to be so close to home, traveling around Southeast Alaska. It was a beautifully warm season occasionally interrupted by overcast and rainy weather, including a few days of record-breaking rainfall, that left me feeling almost like I was pocketed away from the many climate disasters we saw break out across the globe. Yet, as those of us who live here know all too well, nothing is separate. What can we do in the face of such insurmountable odds? Instead of submitting to despair by the scale of everything, I find myself looking inwards: to my community, my neighbors, family, and friends. At the Sitka Conservation Society, we don’t just advocate for policy changes and sit and wait for someone else to do the work; we put together the projects and initiatives that build the sustainable future we need. In 2023, Sitka Conservation Society has continued to conserve and protect our largest national forest, working with our partners all across the region to help steward this place that we all depend upon. We are working to institutionalize the paradigm shift that was called for in the Department of Agriculture's Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, a new way of doing business on the Tongass National Forest that is more holistic, collaborative, and prioritizes the health of these lands and waters. We work with policy makers and locals to overcome obstacles, and take advantage of opportunities to make the successful projects born in our communities the new normal across the Tongass. It is essential that we responsibly manage this place we call home with the emerging generations in mind, so that they too can appreciate these lands and waters and all they have to offer, unharmed by short-sighted clearcuts and resilient to climate catastrophe.
With these emerging generations in mind, SCS has also focused its efforts this year on investing in our youth to better equip them for the future. This means supporting and creating opportunities for them to connect with their community and environment through place-based education and projects. From Alaska Way of Life 4-H programming and environmental policy internships to supporting Pacific High School’s Edible Garden program and University of Alaska Southeast classes introducing students to processes governing fish and wildlife management, we are creating opportunities for youth to deepen their understanding of place and community while helping them build leadership and civic engagement skills. As we move forward into what can at times feel like an uncertain future, I feel grounded by the work we are doing on the local level that has an impact on the regional level and beyond. I take great pride in seeing the work that Sitka Conservation Society has done this year, working in collaboration with our community to envision a more just and joyful future for Southeast Alaska and the Tongass. Thank you for your ongoing support. Debra Brushafer SCS Board President Sitka Conservation Society | 1
The Tongass is Our Home
We live and work in Sitka, Sheet’ká Kwáan, where the ocean meets the Tongass National Forest. The Tongass is the nation’s largest intact temperate rainforest with over 17 million acres of public land that comprise the vast majority of lands across Southeast Alaska.
Above: view of Sitka (© Lione Clare Photography). Left: 4-Her picking huckleberries (© Kylee Jones), West Chichagof Wilderness Area (© AlaskanGrace Photography), intertidal explorer (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), salmon strips (© Lee House), Alaska Youth Steward holding the core of a tree (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), gardening at Pacific High (© Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid), youth at Yakutat Surf Club (© Lione Clare Photography).
Our Approach Our work is comprised of sustainable community development projects, regional partnerships, and national policy advocacy. Our efforts include safeguarding the intact forests of the Tongass, conserving the ocean-to-forest ecosystem, and building more resilient communities. We work together to prevent the catastrophic impacts of climate change and adapt to the effects by developing projects and policy that will help shift our communities away from fossil fuels, while preparing us for the ongoing and inevitable changes that are happening to our planet. At SCS, our work is influenced by and respects the Indigenous-rooted values and ideals of living sustainably in Southeast Alaska. We are committed to creating systems change so that our economy and society can perpetuate healthy, regenerative cycles. We work to support emerging generations in building the skills that our communities and world will need to face the challenges of the future in ways that enables their leadership, creativity, resilience, self-expression, and joy.
Yakutat
Our Regional Collaborations We work together with partners across Southeast. Here are some highlights from 2023!
Bringing Sitka Youth to Yakutat Surf Club
Hoonah
Learn more on page 11.
Pelican Expanding the Federal Subsistence Board Class to Hoonah Learn more on page 23.
Hosting Artists and Changemakers at Sea Pony Farm
Juneau
Learn more on page 31.
Kake
Southeast Alaska Sitka Youth visit Juneau for Douglas Indian Association’s Snow Camp
Sitka
Learn more on page 11.
Mapping Anadromous Salmon Streams with Partners in Kake
Wrangell
Learn more on page 21.
Craig Partnering with the USFS Wrangell District Learn more on pages 4 and 9.
Connecting Policymakers to Alaskan Issues Learn more on page 25.
Sitka Conservation Society | 3
Sitka Conservation Society’s
Living Wilderness Fund
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We are creating a self-sustaining program to protect the Tongass and ensure that it will be here for future generations.”
We all love this place, and hope the abundance of its lands and waters will be shared and enjoyed by those who follow us. Through our endowment, the Living Wilderness Fund, we at Sitka Conservation Society are creating a self-sustaining program to protect the Tongass National Forest and ensure it will be here for those future generations. Our goal is to continue building the Fund while simultaneously developing and expanding the programs it supports. SCS friends and supporters David Steward and Lee Schmidt had the foresight to create the Living Wilderness Fund with SCS staff, and since then it has grown thanks to the generous gifts honoring community members and loved ones, property and assets left to us in wills and estates, and direct donations to the Fund itself. Photos: Kayaker exploring the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness Area (© Crossroads Photography), Sea Pony Farm in Lisianski Inlet (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), SCS and USFS stewardship activities in the South Baranof Wilderness Area (© Lione Clare Photography). Opposite: Larry Calvin with his granddaughter and his wife Maryann (photos provided.)
The programs supported by the Living Wilderness Fund aim to bring attention to, and build consciousness of, the beauty, complexity and reality of wild places in a variety of different ways. When Alaskan artists Eric and Pam Bealer left their Sea Pony Farm property nestled in Lisianski Inlet to the Living Wilderness Fund, we developed and envisioned the place as a creative retreat and field station for our stewardship activities on the Tongass. Through this project, we host artists and writers who create work that advances the Sitka Conservation Society's mission, invite colleagues and community leaders involved in policy and advocacy, and connect different people to Wilderness and intact ecosystems on the Tongass. In this effort, we follow in the footsteps of SCS's founders, who brought influential people to directly experience the majesty and power of the West Chichagof-Yakobi area and advocate for what would become the first citizen-sponsored Wilderness Area designated by Congress. Those who experience the wild places of the Tongass firsthand often become strong advocates for it themselves, and we have seen this in action through this project at our Sea Pony Farm property.
In 2023, an outcome from the program was an art exhibit in Sitka by local artists Stephen Lawrie and Maite Lorente telling the story of the Bealers’ lives. Stephen’s paintings and Maite’s poetry honored Eric and Pam’s lives and helped viewers understand what human life in a wild place can be. This exhibit served as a strong advocate for the raw power and beauty of maintaining wilderness. Over the summer and fall at the Sea Pony Farm, we also hosted musician and storyteller Annie Bartholomew, people involved in public lands policy, and natural resource managers conducting wildlife studies. This program wouldn't be possible without the Living Wilderness Fund and the donors and volunteers who make it a reality. We also fielded teams for wilderness stewardship activities around different Wilderness Areas of the Tongass. We worked in the Stikine-Leconte, South Baranof, and West Chichagof-Yakobi Wildernesses, maintaining cabins and trails and recreation sites, mapping salmon habitat, conducting stream and and archaeological surveys, removing invasive plant species, and monitoring wildlife. Out of respect for these areas, we continue to take care of them and advocate for future generations to experience them.
Donating to the Living Wilderness Fund
The Living Wilderness Fund is at $1,299,513
3 Million Goal Support staff and Wilderness Stewardship Programs 1.5 Million Goal Fund supports staff position for SCS Wilderness Programs
Honoring Larry Calvin Celebrating The Life and Legacy of Our Friend and Supporter
Larry Thornton Calvin had a profound influence on the Sitka Conservation Society and was an inspiration to many of us. The lessons that he taught through his stories, the things that he had built and created over his long life, and the enthusiastic way that he lived have shaped what SCS is and how we do our work. Larry's passing in the last days of 2022 has left a big hole in our community, but we have great memories of him and hold close to his teachings and the example that he set.
The work done by local grassroots organizations like the Sitka Conservation Society, that focuses on how we improve our environment and community for our future generations, has become all the more important as we continue to face the challenges of climate change. The Living Wilderness Fund provides an opportunity for anyone to build awareness of and appreciation for the importance that wild places like the Tongass play in the health of the planet and the conservation of its biodiversity. This, in turn, helps our work to support the development of communities across the region that exemplify living in sustainable relationships with the natural environment in Southeast Alaska.
Donations can be made to the Living Wilderness Fund in a variety of ways, including gifts honoring individuals and loved ones, property and assets left in wills and estates, and general donations made specifically towards the Fund via check or on our website. We are grateful to the contributions thus far and encourage you to support the continued longevity of this Fund. You can contact the Sitka Conservation Society at info@sitkawild.org or at (907)-747-7509 if you would like to discuss your options for giving. If you want professional guidance, Sitka attorney Brita Speck has helped supporters with their donations and can be contacted at bspecklaw@outlook.com.
His love for the outdoors and the natural environment of the Tongass led him to contribute generously to the Sitka Conservation Society in time, resources, and spirit. Larry was a tireless supporter of SCS and its staff, who helped many of SCS’s incoming staff members learn about the history of SCS, our town, and of the balance over the years in the community between conserving the natural resources that everyone cared about with the pressures from the pulp mill logging and economic uncertainty. He worked to share the wonders of the Tongass with others through his photography and filmmaking, including a trip to Admiralty Island with his uncle Jack to photograph bears; and Alaskan Holiday, a movie highlighting the unique environment of Southeast. Larry cited great inspiration from his uncle Jack, who founded SCS, and from the young people who have taken on different leadership roles in the community and across the country to work towards a more sustainable future.
Larry Calvin couldn’t have imagined calling anywhere other than Sitka home. An entrepreneur, diver, and fisherman, Larry contributed to the greater Sitka community and efforts to protect the Tongass – all whilst living a rich and adventurous life. Our members continue this spirit and tradition as we serve on deliberative bodies like our Fish and Game Advisory Committee, the Sitka Assembly, and S`itka Tribal Council; as we spend time out on the water, in the forests, atop the mountains while harvesting, gathering, and sharing the bounty of this place; as we help and teach both our peers and the next generations the skills, values to live here. Perhaps most importantly, we continue this spirit in how we take action to do what is right for the well-being of our communities and the wild, natural world that we all love so dearly. The Living Wilderness Fund honors Larry Calvin and will forever help carry on his legacy. Gifts can be made to the Fund in Larry's honor. Sitka Conservation Society | 5
Our Wild Gratitude We are immensely grateful for all your support. We would especially like to recognize the following foundations and organizations: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A Matter of Degrees ACE Hardware Sitka Store AgWest Farm Credit Bureau Alaska 4-H Alaska Community Foundation Alaska Conservation Foundation Alaska Federation of Natives Inc. Alaska Heat Smart Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association (ALFA) Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp #1 Alaska Native Sisterhood #4 Alaska Power & Telephone Alaska Seaplanes Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust Alaska Trollers Association Alaska Wild Coast Alaska Wilderness League Alaska Youth Stewards Alaskan Designed Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Allen Marine Tours Inc. Arrowhead Press Artist Cove Gallery Backdoor Cafe Baranautica Air Services LLC Baranof Expeditions Baranof Island Housing Authority Barnacle Strategies Bert and Susan Loosemore Family at Seattle Foundation Bunney Bookkeeping Campion Foundation Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska City and Borough of Sitka City of Pelican Clovis Foundation Common Stream Foundation Del Co. General Contractors Douglas Indian Association Ecotrust Edgerton Foundation Edible Alaska Equinox Alaska F/V Tammy Lin Fireweed Gallery Coffee and Tea First Alaskans Institute First National Bank of Alaska First Pacific Financial Fishermans Quay LLC George H. and Jane A Mifflin Memorial Fund Hames Corporation Harry Race Pharmacy & Print Shop Heen Foundation Highliner Lodge Hoonah Indian Association
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Hoonah Native Forest Partnership Indigenous Sentinels Network Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest Johnson Construction & Supply Inc. Juneau Community Foundation Juneau Empire KCAW Raven Radio Kéex̱ ’ Kwáan Community Forest Partnership Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership Klondike E-Bikes Kootznoowoo, Inc Leighty Foundation Lisianski Inlet Cafe Made in Sitka Holiday Market Mean Queen Mt. Edgecumbe High School National Forest Foundation National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance New Venture Fund Northern Latitudes Partnership Office of Representative Peltola Office of Senator Murkowski Old Harbor Books Organized Village of Kake Outer Coast College Outride Pacific High School Patagonia Pelican City School District Pelican General Store Pioneer Studios Rasmuson Foundation REI Renewable Energy Alaska Project Reuben E. Crossett Endowed Alaskan Fund Romey Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences SalmonState Samson Tug & Barge Co. Salty Spoke Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network Seafood Producers Coop Sealaska Corporation Selkie Snorkel Seventh Generation Fund Shaan Seet Inc. Shee Atiká Inc. Sitka Electrical Department Sitka Fire Department Sitka Fish Sitka High School Sitka Lutheran Church Sitka Native Education Program Sitka Parks & Recreation Sitka Public Library Sitka Rose Gallery Sitka Rotary Club Sitka Seafood Market Sitka School District Sitka Sound Science Center
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Sitka Sound Seafoods Sitka Sportsman's Association Sitka Trail Works Sitka Tribe of Alaska Sitka White Elephant Sitka Woman's Club Sitkans Against Family Violence Skagway Tourism Dept Skagway Traditional Council Skipper Science Partnership Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition Southeast Conference Spruce Root, Inc. St. Peter's by-the-the-Sea Episcopal Church Susitna Bicycle Institute Sustainable Southeast Partnership Tenakee Logging Company The Nature Conservancy The Wilderness Society Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Training Resources for the Environmental Community Transition Sitka True North Foundation University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Extension University of Alaska Southeast Sitka USCG Spouses and Women's Association USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service USDA Rural Development USFS Alaska Region Public Affairs USFS Hoonah Ranger District USFS Petersburg Ranger District USFS Sitka Ranger District USFS Tongass Public Affairs Office USFS Wrangell Ranger District USI Insurance Service Wilburforce Foundation Wrangell Cooperative Association Yakutat Surf Club Yakutat Tlingit Tribe Youth Advocates of Sitka
We also thank the following individuals for their generous contributions: • • • • • • • • • • •
Aaron Poe Adelaide (Di) Johnson Adrienne Wilber Ajax Eggleston Alexander Kelsey Alice Johnstone Alyce Todd Alyssa Coleman Alyssa Russell Amy Blair Amy Gulick
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Andrea Fraga and Kaleb Aldred Andrew and Diane Shen Ann Walter and Larry Trani Annie Bartholomew Anthony Christianson Ashley Bolwerk Auriella Hughes and Fred Knowles Barbara Bingham Barbara Sparling Barth Hamberg Becky Meiers Ben Hamilton Ben Parker Benjamin Kyle Bert Bergman Beth Short-Rhoads Bill and Diane Marx Blain and Monique Anderson Bob and Kim Hunter Bob Fedoroff Bob Girt Brenda Berry Brian McNitt Brita and Eric Speck Britainy Wright Caitlin Blaisdell Caitlin Way Cece Reoux Charlie Skultka Jr. Charlie Wilber Cheryl and David Vastola Christine Harrington Christine Southall Cindy Litman Collauna and Ross Marley Family Connie J Sipe Connie LaPerriere Daanaxh.ils’eikh Chuck Miller Dan and Janet Evans Daniel Kiely Dave Schmid Dave Secord David and Marge Steward David Castle David Glazier David Middleton Diana Portner Don Kluting Don Surgeon and Galen Paine Donald Randall Doug Osborne Drew Larson Drew Thompson Ed Peele Eileen Gallagher and James Swift Elaine Andrews and Roger DuBrock Eliana Durnbaugh Elizabeth Shen Ellen Burgeson Eric Castro Eric Holmgren Eric Jordan Eric Lock Erik Sundholm Erin Fulton
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Ernie Eggleston Eugene Solovyov Frances Paxson Gaylen Needham Gary Hayes and Coral Pendell Grace Brooks Grace Harang Grace Leutchenberger Hao-Li Loh Helen Raschick J. Bradley Brickman Jack Opgenorth James Clare and Krisanne Rice James Corson James Faro James Phillips Jamie Stone Jana Ozment Jane Ellis Jason Custer Jason Rinas Jed Delong Jeff Budd Jeff Mckay Jennifer Black Jennifer Frank Jerry Dzugan Jim and Judy Steffen Jim and Kathy Kyle Jim Baichtal and Karen Petersen Joanne and John Kleis Joe Jacobson Joel and Alice Hanson John Baciocco Johnny Elliot John Holahan John Moore John Paul Castle Jon Martin Jon R. Martin Jordan Phillips Joseph Dicristina Judith Lehmann Judy Neuhauser
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Julie Korsmeyer Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid Karen Hegyi Karen Lucas Kasey Davis Katherine Prussian Kathleen Kreiss Kay MacNeil Keith Nyitray Kelly Chapman Kent Bovee Kenyon Fields Kevin and Karen Johnson Kevin Clement Klaudia Leccese Kris Wilcox Kristine Fulton La Phengrasamy Lance Preston Laura Jacobsen Laurence Dean Leah Mason Leah Weinberg Leif Steffny Leslie Downey Leslie Espino Lexi Fish and Adam Hackett Lia Heifetz Libby Stortz Linda Schmidt Linda Waller Lisa Bykonen and Greg Watchers Lisa Sadleir-Hart Lorraine Inez Lil Lyn Blankenship Maite Lorente Margaret Fedoroff Marian Allen Marlene Campbell Mary and Bob Purvis Mary Barrett Mary Jo Lord-Wild Mary Soltis Mary-Jane Messinger
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Mason Green Matt Hunter Maureen O'Hanlon Melanie and John Goodrich Merrick Bochart Michael Litman Michael Mayo Michael Peters Mick Tisher Mike Allard Mike and Melanie Reif Mike and Sue Lannoo Mike Derzon and Robin Supplee Mim McConnell Miriam Miles Mitchell Feske Molly Kemp Molly Martz Moses Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Dennis Nellie Geraghty Norma Furlong Ocean Mayo Pat Hughes Pat Kehoe and Howard Pendell Patricia Rorick Paul Fieseler Paula Riggert Paulette Moreno Paulla and David Hardy Peg Tileston Peter Apathy and Carole Knuth Peter G. Brabeck Peter Mjos Phyllis Hackett Rachel Myron and Steve Lewis Randy Bollinger Richard and Suzi McClear Rick Fleischman Rob Cross Robert Emley Robert Schell Roman Motyka Russell Heath
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Ryan Wilhelm Ryker Eggleston Sam Hiratsuka Sandra J. Kincheloe Sara Murray Scott Brylinsky Scott Halama Scott Harris Shaelene Moler Sheila Jacobson Sherie Mayo Spencer Severson Stan Schoening and Christie Williams Stephanie Harold Stephen Childs Stephen Lawrie Steve Fish and Kari Johnson Steven Paustian Susan Padilla Susan Wheatcroft Tad Fujioka and Sara Beaber-Fujioka Tad Kisaka Taku Kondo Tayler Bowser Terry Wirta Timothy Riley Toby and Norm Campbell Tom and Diana Allen Tom Handler Tory and Dick Curran Travis Clemens Tristan Rhodes and Jenny Goddard Valerie and Brent Edwards Victor Wong Victoria Vosburg Willa Johnson William Leighty William Miller Yarona Jacobson Zach LaPerriere
A huge thank you to all the fishermen who donated to the Fish to Schools program for ensuring youth have access to local fish!
Financial Report This represent the first two-thirds of SCS's income and expenses for 2023, and complete year for 2022.
Donations and Memberships (3%)
Grants (53%)
2023 Income $2,028,451
Fiscally Sponsored Organizations (21%)
SCS Youth Programs (20%) Other Income (3%)
Personnel (50%)
2022 Income $1,458,513
Grants (63%) Donations and Memberships (8%) Fiscally Sponsored Organizations (26%) SCS Youth Programs (2%) Other Income (1%)
2022 Expenses $1,497,863
Personnel (52%) Fundraising (1%) SCS Programs (14%) SCS Youth Programs (6%) Fiscally Sponsored Organizations (20%) Operations (7%)
Fundraising (1%) SCS Programs (18%)
2023 Expenses $1,302,748
SCS Youth Programs (16%)
Fiscally Sponsored Organizations (10%) Operations (5%)
Sitka Conservation Society | 7
January 2024
From our town at the edge of the continent, we watch the sunset and reflect on everything that came together so that we are here now. We think of tomorrow and what comes next.
Supporting Youth Development Opportunities Across the Region Diana Portner Tongass Policy Advisor and Wilderness Field Crew
Our youth represent the future, but their future will be different from anything we have seen before. This generation is maturing amongst a backdrop of rapidly emerging challenges, from the continued impacts of climate change to mental and physical health crises to the division of an increasingly polarized political climate. To support youth in navigating this complex world, SCS and others have invested in youth development. We are teaching and building the skills, values, and ideals that our youth will need to become future community members and leaders. The USDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy has financially supported our youth through investments to expand SCS’s Alaska Way of Life 4-H Project, as well as researching lessons from local and regional youth development programs. For a meaningful program expansion, we turned to our neighbors – other Southeast Alaska communities. Our goal with this research was to identify ways that we can invest in and strengthen youth programming region-wide and for the long-term. Working with partners, we drew together case studies highlighting how communities from Yakutat to Ketchikan are creating new opportunities for youth to strengthen their health and their well-being, explore career pathways, and build connections to culture, place, and community. This research culminated in a report which synthesized best practices, case studies, and our recommendations for policy, funding, and practitioner training. During a 2023 trip to Washington D.C., our team, with support from our partners, shared the report and its findings with policymakers. We advocated for policy and financial support that addresses the different challenges facing our young people. We are inspired by the work of our communities, and we share their message with pride. From the shores of Yakutat to the slopes of Douglas Island, from the waters along the Inside Passage to the forests of the Tongass in our backyard, our programs connect Alaska youth to a new vision for the future. As the adage goes, it takes a village to raise a child; it takes a region to raise a new generation.
Above: sunset over Sitka (© Lione Clare). Below: sunlight falling on Mt. Edgecumbe (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), Alaska Way of Life 4-Hers learning about deer hide as part of the Deer Series (© Lione Clare Photography), 4-Her sanding a cedar canoe paddle for Yakutat Surf Club (© Lione Clare Photography), Yeíl Dlaak’ Mia Wiederspohn in Wrangell (© Bethany Goodrich Photography).
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Uplifting Oral Traditions In Wrangell “I hope to understand the course of history within my hometown, waiting to see what the future will hold. Connecting with people is so interesting and you can learn so much from other people.” As SCS’s Living Heritage Research and Communications Intern, Yeíl Dlaak’ Mia Wiederspohn explored the historical Lingít and current use of important places around her community of Wrangell with the support of the USFS Wrangell Ranger District. Through her podcast Mia’s Gift, she further investigates and shares Wrangell’s culture, her personal familial history, and her journey learning the Lingít language. When describing the podcast, Mia explained “I enjoy connecting with elders, learning about my own community and trying to get a bigger picture of our community's history. I enjoy getting perspectives from others.” You can find and listen to Mia’s Gift on KSTK.org. Sitka Conservation Society | 9
February 2024
The storm came off of the North Pacific Ocean and raged for days. When it cleared, the entire landscape was covered by the most gentle and beautiful blanket of snow.
Partnering to Bring Sitka Youth to the Juneau Ski Slopes Lee House SASS Storytelling Specialist
In winter 2023, members of SCS's Alaska Way of Life 4-H club traveled to Eaglecrest Ski Area in Juneau for an exchange program. The 4-Hers joined youth in the Douglas Indian Association Snow Camp, which provides skiing and snowboarding opportunities for Alaska Native youth. Snow Camp came from a simple question from the DIA Educational Team: what can be done to connect Indigenous youth to their homelands during the dark months of winter? The answer: give them opportunities to try some new activities, like skiing and snowboarding. Snow Camp participants are provided with rides to the mountain, outfitted with gear as needed, and provided lift tickets. During the session, the participants received an hour-long lesson, and then have the day to play on the mountain. “Whoosh,” a participant shouted gleefully as they zipped by. The campers wave to friends on the lift as they slide along on the runs below. At the base of the slope, one camper steadies themselves by the arm of a fellow participant. Nearby, a chaperone links their arms to support a youth on their very first slide on a snowboard. These moments add up to something more: fresh air, new friends, laughing, falling, getting back up, helping each other, and the vulnerability of learning difficult skills together. The simple joy of sliding on snow showed in the way each camper’s face beamed with joy. Working with our partners from across the region to expand access to healthy activities with high barriers to entry, like snow sports, is one way that SCS’s Alaska Way of Life 4-H project is expanding its impact. This expansion is made possible through funding support from the USDA’s Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, which is investing in community-led initiatives that will address sustainability, help enhance community resilience, and conserve our natural resources across the region. These exchange opportunities allow youth to share new experiences, build confidence, meet and bond with youth from other communities, see career opportunities in outdoor recreation, and broaden their understanding of the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska.
Above: skier at Douglas Island (© Lee House). Below: Alaska Way of Life 4-Hers at Douglas Indian Association Snow Camp in Juneau (© Lione Clare), surfer on the waves of Yakutat at Yakutat Surf Club, Alaska Way of Life 4-Hers present the cedar paddles they gifted to Yakutat Surf Club (© Lione Clare Photography).
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Catching Waves and Finding Community In 2023, Sitka 4-Hers participated in an exchange hosted by Yakutat Surf Club, where they challenged themselves physically and mentally on the water and made connections with other participants and the community of Yakutat. Prior to the trip, 4-Hers worked with surf instructor and Indigenous educator Charlie Skultka Jr. to craft a set of red cedar canoe paddles. After days in the water, youth spent evenings painting Surf Club and 4-H logos on the paddles. The paddles were gifted to the Surf Club community to express gratitude for this partnership. Each youth was given a public speaking opportunity to reflect on the skills learned, relationships developed, and to set goals for the future. We are grateful to Khaaswóot Gloria Wolfe and her family for making this Alaska Way of Life 4-H experience happen and look forward to even more collaborations in the future! Sitka Conservation Society | 11
March 2024
Although they can seem like inelegant giants, these two-thousand pound stellar sea lions are graceful and cooperative as they explore and hunt along the coasts of Southeast Alaska.
Expanding Access to Clean Energy for Southeast Alaskans Kitt Urdang SCS Beneficial Electrification Fellow
At SCS, we are committed to ensuring that current and future generations can thrive here on Lingít Aaní. As our communities continue to see the impact of climate change, we must act to adapt, increase our resilience and decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. In 2022, we gained a new tool to accomplish this goal; the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created programs to bring many existing clean energy technologies within financial reach for more Americans. With many Southeast Alaskans unaware of these changes or how to access them, SCS is working to share information and resources across Southeast Alaska at this critical moment. As SCS’s Beneficial Electrification Fellow through an internship program with the Alaska Conservation Foundation, I spent my summer researching policies and developing different communication materials to help Southeast Alaskans better understand their options. Sharing essential information in the most accessible way possible was my top priority as I worked on a public education campaign that included articles, flyers, PSAs, and more. In Southeast Alaska, the IRA’s new tax credits on heat pumps, home weatherization services, and electric vehicles are the highest-impact incentives. Those tax credits are available now and can provide thousands of dollars of savings on household energy investments – learn more on SCS's website at sitkawild.org/energy. While the IRA on its own will not be enough to address climate change, it provides many significant resources to make progress towards beneficial electrification and better use of our energy resources. Implementing these changes will require collaboration, organization, and patience across place and industry. In my work, I have collaborated with the City and Borough of Sitka, the Renewable Energy Alaska Project, Alaska Heat Smart, Alaska Power & Telephone, Southeast Conference, the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and many more. Working with regional partners, we can seize the opportunity to improve access and equity in the transition to cleaner energy, creating a more just and sustainable world.
Above: stellar sea lions (© Caitlin Blaisdell Photography). Below: sunset hitting the Three Sisters (© Caitlin Blaisdell Photography), merganser (© AlaskanGrace Photography), herring eggs (© Lione Clare Photography), seagulls during herring spawn (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), humpback whales bubblenet feeding (© Lione Clare Photography), 4-Hers processing herring eggs (© Lione Clare Photography), Southeast Renewable Energy Camp (© Ryan Morse).
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Southeast Renewable Energy Camp In summer 2023, youth participated in the Southeast Renewable Energy Camp spearheaded by the City and Borough of Sitka’s Parks and Recreation with SCS and the Renewable Energy Alaska Project. Camp leaders engaged youth in energy and sustainability topics by touring local energy projects, meeting with government, nonprofit, and housing leaders, and getting hands-on experience like building miniature model homes, designing roofs, and windows to help maximize energy efficiency. The camp sparked new ideas for the next generation of community leaders! Sitka Conservation Society | 13
April 2024
The Tongass rainforest awakes in the spring. Water trickles down the mountains, ferns unravel, flowers bloom, and the birds return and begin to sing.
Helping Pacific High School’s Edible Garden Program Grow Ryan Morse Communications Director
Since 2022, the Sitka Conservation Society has partnered with Pacific High School to support their School Garden and Food program. The program, which for over a decade has taught students to grow, harvest, process, and prepare local food, is a wonderful example of placebased education that connects youth with the natural world and invests in their social, emotional, and physical health. SCS has been helping fundraise, support project coordination, and host a School Garden Coordinator position, held by skilled local gardener Andrea Fraga, who helps manage the garden, develop curriculum, and deliver hands-on education for students. In 2023, SCS raised and received commitments in funding to support the garden program, both to develop the garden site and to support the program operations and staffing. An exciting next step in the vision for Pacific High School’s Edible Garden Program has been building a large teaching greenhouse to expand PHS’s growing space and its season, allowing for youth and staff to grow a greater, more diverse array of foods throughout the academic year. In January 2023, SCS received funding from the Crossett Foundation to complete the construction of the greenhouse. Over the following summer, locals Brian McNitt, Joel Hanson, and Brant Brantman generously volunteered their time and expertise to complete the structural build of the greenhouse started by volunteers Micah and Barry Maxwell, who built the frame. With the walls up, Samson Stengl of Del Co. General Contractors backfilled the plumbing and set up the final floor grade. Come late August, students were building garden beds and planting seeds in the school greenhouse for the first time! Much like the seeds that the students planted, we are all excited to see how this program will continue to grow. We want to thank everyone who supported this project to make Pacific High's greenhouse a reality. It has been a joy to see this space take root as it helps improve Sitka's food security and allows Pacific High School's Edible Garden program to provide nutritious school meals, community food distribution, and collaborative place-based education.
Above: waterfall (© Eric Lock Photography). Below: Pacific High School students at the school's Stewardship Day (© Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid), the newly-built greenhouse for Pacific High School's edible garden program (© Ryan Morse), dishes for Kake's first annual traditional food fair (© Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid).
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Experiencing and Documenting Kake's First Traditional Food Fair In a partnership with Ecotrust and the Sustainable Southeast Partnership, SCS sent storytellers Bethany Goodrich and Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid to Kake to document the first traditional food fair with SSP’s Food Systems Catalyst Jennifer Nu. “Our event brings the community together to celebrate for ‘no good reason’, except that who we are and the traditions we carry forward are every bit good reasons to celebrate. The people of Kake take special care of their homelands and there is a lot of pride in that,“ says Community Resource Strategist Miakah Nix, who helped organize it. ”So, I thought, ‘Let’s party – Native style!’” SCS believes that sharing healthy stories that celebrate stewardship and community care are contagious, inspiring others to honor lands and waters and care for their communities too. Sitka Conservation Society | 15
May 2024
The carver sees the past through the rings of the cedar, and thanks those who lived when the tree grew for all the skills, values, and traditions they carried and passed along.
Protecting Old Growth Red Cedar Katie Riley Deputy Director of Policy and Programming
At SCS, we recognize that conservation and community development are intrinsically tied to healing. Waves of colonization, extractive capitalism, and even conservation efforts themselves have created trauma and dissociation that manifests itself in our relationships with each other and the natural world. In seeking to repair these relationships, we must rely on listening to the stories of individuals, diving into the complexity of the institutions that we represent and their histories, and working to build trust across our communities through working towards common goals. In 2019, SCS partner Dr. Adelaide Johnson attended a Northwest Coast Arts class taught by Lingit Master Carver Wayne Price at the University of Southeast Alaska. There, she learned about how old growth clearcutting and log export had impacted access and supply of the Western red cedar ‘monument trees’ that are needed for traditional art forms like canoe and totem pole carving. This experience inspired her to lead a collaborative research project in partnership with local Tribes, Alaska Native carvers and artisans, youth across the region, Alaska Native Corporations, and SCS that looked at the value of wood utilized for cultural purposes, and concerns about the future of this increasingly scarce type of tree. Since then, we have advocated to conserve old growth red cedar stands and ensure that cultural use wood is both a priority and part of the USDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy (SASS). We invited staff from the office of Representative Mary Peltola to Southeast Alaska to learn more about the SASS and the issues surrounding long-term sustainability of old growth and cultural use wood. On Prince of Wales Island, we joined USFS silviculturalists, carvers, and Sealaska staff in the field as they identified and cataloged trees that need to be set aside for carving projects and not exported to other places. We approach this work thinking about carvers and weavers for the next seven generations. This project is an example of how by listening to each other we can work hand in hand, chipping away at conflict to reveal more collaborative approaches to conservation, and carving our future together.
Above: the painting process during a totem pole carving in Sitka. This pole was carved by master carver Tommy Joseph with Will Peterson and Kristina Cranston (© Bethany Goodrich Photography). Below: cedar branches (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), Alaska Youth Stewards crew measuring cedar trees (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), spruce tips growing (© Ryan Morse), Wayne Price carving (© Bethany Goodrich Photography).
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Our Gratitude to Wayne Price Master LingÍt Carver Wayne Price and his work to protect the “standtalls,” the massive red cedar trees that are needed for carving totem poles, canoes, and other cultural uses, has inspired an entire body of work here at Sitka Conservation Society. Mr. Price is renowned for his carving work across both the region and the nation, specializing in carving healing canoes and totems that are dedicated to all of the Indigenous peoples whose lives have been lost due to substance misuse. We at SCS are deeply grateful to him for all that he has done to bring attention to the need to conserve these trees so that the next seven generations of carvers, weavers, and Alaska Native artisans can continue to practice their culture, transmit their stories, and inspire countless others. Gunalchéesh, háw'aa, thank you, Wayne.
Sitka Conservation Society | 17
June 2024
Always a profound presence, the coastal brown bear saunters, swaggers, swims, climbs, walks, runs, stomps, and sneaks across any terrain here on the Tongass National Forest.
Finding Ourselves in Wild Places
Mitchell Feske Wilderness Field Crew
Above: Brown bear emerging from the water (© Don Kluting). Below: mountain view (© Ryan Morse), hiker sits in a boat at Medvejie Lake (© AlaskanGrace Photography), Western Columbine (© Pioneer Studios), wilderness stewardship activities at South Baranof Wilderness (© Lione Clare Photography), waterfall (© Lione Clare Photography), hands with salmonberries (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), the Equinox during wilderness stewardship work (© Lione Clare Photography).
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1 As a guest on the homelands of the Lingít and Haida people, I believe it is my role to honor the Tongass through stewardship and service work. In summer 2023, I was part of a group who kayaked along the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness Area. We removed invasive species, monitored ecological conditions and human use of the area, and took care of public use cabins. It was inevitable by being in such a place that we found a deeper connection within nature and ourselves. While giving back to the land, the land gave back to us by providing a space where we could process and reflect on concepts critical for our future. When I worked for a Wilderness expedition program in Southeast Alaska, I had the privilege of supporting Alaskan youth on expeditions via ocean and land. I saw instances of situations where youth were challenged, had to overcome discomfort and difficulties, and learned how to change and adapt to solve problems. The Wilderness became a place that offered many analogies to life: moments of complete bliss and beauty followed by moments where everything seemed to be falling apart. The experiences that the youth had on expeditions equipped them to take on challenges in their own lives. Youth today are experiencing unprecedented mental health challenges and disconnect from the natural world. Perhaps because we are so far removed from the natural world where we first evolved. I have seen firsthand where the natural world is healing for mental health for Alaskan youth. On Wilderness expeditions, I have seen youth learn foundational lessons to everyday practices, such as healthy communication and self care. I have been a part of and witnessed youth strengthen their relationship with themselves and the team they are a part of through safe and intentional time in the natural world. Wilderness Areas are essential in the conservation of our intact and functional ecosystems. They also serve as important places that remind us how we fit within the natural world. Through wild places, we can connect with deep DNA-level adaptations we might not use in our everyday life, and experience that joy and fulfillment of being interconnected with all things.
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Stewarding Tongass Wilderness Areas SCS takes an active role in stewarding the Wilderness Areas on the Tongass. In 2023, we helped lead two extended boat-based expeditions with local outfitters and guides along with Forest Service archaeologists and wilderness rangers on the east and west coasts of the South Baranof Wilderness. Local guide Cameo Padilla participated in one of these trips and reflected afterwards, “these areas are intact and beautiful today because of actions people took in the past to protect them. We are happy to help take care of them today and be part of stewardship of public lands.” Sitka Conservation Society | 19
July 2024
They will grow to be pack hunters, driving sand lance and herring into balls of fear on the ocean surface, yet cohos like these begin as delicate creatures in pools at the heart of the Tongass.
Wild Salmon Streams Running on Community Partnerships Heather Bauscher Fisheries Community Engagement Specialist
All people across the region can appreciate the interconnected nature of salmon in Southeast Alaska. The future of the region is as intertwined as the braided streams and gnarled root systems that support the habitat these anadromous fish rely on throughout the stages of their life cycle. The Tongass Forest depends on the salmon, and the salmon depend on the trees lining the rivers and the streams; the freshwater, as well as the ocean environment. They are the lifeforce that connects the marine and terrestrial ecosystems pulsing with the cycle of each changing season. To be good stewards of salmon we must work together to protect these waterways so that salmon will continue swimming up river. It was an honor to visit Kake this summer and work with the Alaska Youth Stewards, the Kéex’ Kwáan Community Forest Partnership and the Petersburg Ranger District Aquatics Team for a multi-day Forest Service workshop mobilizing the Indigenous Sentinels Network’s Fish Map App. The app enables citizens to identify waterways that salmon and other anadromous fish use that have not yet been recorded in the State of Alaska’s Anadromous Waters Catalog, which dictates what type of development can happen adjacent to waterways. With this app, the crew supported the Alaska Youth Stewards in nominating two new undocumented salmon streams. These crews documented multiple species of juvenile fish, learning about stream classification and forest management systems along the way. Salmon know no boundaries and don't care which agency manages them. For us to care for the salmon then, like the salmon themselves, we need to work collaboratively and holistically. Thanks to the youth crews' efforts, a previously unlisted stream system will now receive greater protections than before. Through partnerships and the collaboration of many different agencies and organizations, and workforce opportunities like these, future generations of Alaskans get to experience firsthand what a career in forest management can look like and understand how they can help shape our region's future.
Above: salmon fry (© Lee House). Below: Fisherman preparing ice for salmon packing (© John Paul Castle), condensation on blades of grass (© Lee House), Sitka sunset (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), salmon spawning (© Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid).
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Protecting Salmon-Producing Waters Understanding where salmon spawn so their habitat can be protected and managed correctly is of critical importance to Alaska’s way-of-life and economy. This year, SCS worked on two important initiatives for identifying and mapping salmon habitat. The first was with the team at Romey Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, whom SCS hired to use laser aerial imagery to create a model of salmon streams across Prince of Wales, North Chichagof, and Kuiu Island that updated USDA GIS layers showing where the salmon can be expected to spawn. The second effort was assisting community members map salmon habitat with the Alaska Fish Mapping app helping update the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Anadromous Waters Catalog of where salmon and trout are present. Efforts like these help movements to protect salmonproducing waters in Southeast Alaska. Sitka Conservation Society | 21
August 2024
As a community we care for the lands and waters that are our home, as the salmon come back to nourish us year after year.
Bringing Alaska Community Voices to the Table Lee House SASS Storytelling Specialist
For over five years, Sitka Conservation Society has partnered with the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Sitka Campus and the Forest Service to increase public involvement in fish and wildlife regulatory processes through dual enrollment course offerings. In a place where many families and communities depend upon harvested foods, it is important for the voices of residents to be at the center of these state and federal processes. These courses provide an opportunity for students to enter the classroom and learn more about the management processes, then head to those decision-making spaces to participate. For the spring 2023 course, students visited Anchorage for the Federal Subsistence Board meeting. This decision-making group oversees the management of subsistence use of fish, wildlife and other resources on federal lands and waters. SCS staff and adjunct instructor Heather Bauscher and her co-instructors would share their insights about the meeting with the students. “We’re teaching students to navigate and think critically about the process, not to advocate in any direction,” says Bauscher. UAS Sitka has hosted this class since the start, with earlier versions being created and led by professors Jan Straley and Joel Markis. This version has expanded to include communities beyond Sitka, involving educators in teaching community members about the many different regulatory processes. Dr. Lauren Wild, Assistant Professor in Applied Fisheries at UAS Sitka, leads a fisheries policy version of the course. “These courses offer all Alaskans the chance to become better stewards and advocates,” says Dr. Wild. “It's inspiring to watch students engage in the process and bring their knowledge back to their communities.” The Southeast Regional Advisory Committee has been so impressed with the students' participation across the years that SCS partnered to take this course beyond the classroom. With the Forest Service, we developed community workshops that we have taken all across the region, providing more Alaskans opportunities to understand the process and learn the skills to navigate these management systems.
Above: many hands working hard to process and smoke salmon (© Lee House). Below: frog sitting on a patch of moss (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), blueberries (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), troller out on the water (© John Paul Castle), Federal Subsistence Board class students and teachers (© Lee House).
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Uplifting the Voices of Alaska’s Future Connecting Alaskan youth to management processes is vital to ensuring that the next generation of leaders and decision makers are learning to shape their voices to regulations that affect their home communities. This year, SCS supported the expansion of the UAS Policy and Procedures class to Hoonah with the goal of expanding to more communities in the future. One Hoonah student who participated remotely shared, “I was born and raised in Hoonah, I have hunted, fished and foraged my whole life with my aunties, uncles, and parents. Taking this class opened my eyes to what is happening at these meetings, and how I'm able to be involved as a subsistence user.” Through expanding the reach of these classes, we are ensuring that the voices heard in these processes include the ones who know this place best.
Sitka Conservation Society | 23
September 2024
On the crown of the island Shee, feelings of bliss and beauty meet those of our exhaustion and success. We feel a heart-pounding, intimate connection with the natural world around us.
“Dreams, Not Fights” on the Tongass
Bethany Goodrich Storytelling Director
Above: a hunter high above the Tongass (© Caitlin Blaisdell). Below: salmon being processed by the Klawock Indigenous Stewards Forest Partnership (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), 4-Hers learning cedar weaving from Ed Peele (© Lione Clare Photography), a container of blueberries and huckleberries ready to be enjoyed (© Kylee Jones), Sea Grant Fellows in a smokehouse with Sustainable Southeast Partnership Program Director Marina Anderson (© Katie Riley).
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1 2024 marks a decade since I began my career with SCS and so much has changed in myself, in this organization, and in the regional movement we helped to shape. Ten years ago, SCS was transitioning our approach from litigation and fighting against what we didn't want to see to building what we wanted to see. A strategy that our E.D. describes as “dreams, not fights.” We helped found the Sustainable Southeast Partnership (SSP), a dynamic collective impact network uniting diverse skills and perspectives to strengthen our cultural, ecological, and economic resilience across Southeast Alaska. This began by building relationships and trust across divides of ideology, discipline, geography, and approach. We focused on listening and not just jumping to lead. We questioned our assumptions, and have strived to learn how we balance steadfastness and courage with humility and patience. Ten years ago, SSP's first gathering consisted of a handful of reluctant participants. This past spring, over 160 people from Southeast Alaska and beyond crammed into Sitka’s Centennial Hall for our annual retreat because they believe in this work. We are growing as individuals too. I’ve watched passionate colleagues first unsure how to invest their energy now leading teams. Youth that I interviewed on high school natural resource crews are today wielding their masters degrees and leading those crews. Innovators who challenged the boom and bust economic mindset are now running successful businesses. In some ways we still prioritize ‘Dreams not Fights.’ We don't waste critical energy fighting one another. Instead, we are fighting apathy in an overwhelming and overheating world, fighting for your ears amidst the noise, fighting hate and greed, fighting needless consumption and mindless corruption. Ten years ago, we came together to build the trust necessary to dream together. The Sustainable Southeast Partnership envisions self-determined and connected communities, where Southeast Indigenous values continue to inspire society, shape our relationships, and ensure that each generation thrives on healthy lands and waters. Now, we will spend the next ten years working together to further realize those dreams.
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Connecting Policymakers to Southeast Since 2018, SCS has helped organize professional development trips for the NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellows. This program places graduate students into year-long legislative and executive-branch positions in Washington, D.C. to gain professional experience in national policy decisions impacting ocean and coastal resources. SCS believes that on-the-ground experience is crucial for understanding the unique management structures and issues facing Alaska’s coastal communities, from the vital role of harvesting to the link between salmon and terrestrial ecosystems. As 2023 NOAA Sea Grant staffer Madison Willert put it, “our time in Alaska was incredibly meaningful and taught me the sanctity of the interconnected relationship between people, land, and sea. I cherish lessons learned there and will take them to DC as I continue to advance marine and coastal policy work.” Sitka Conservation Society | 25
October 2024
These ancient forests high on the mountain are bathed in dazzling sunshine, heavy rains, deep snowfall, and strong winds: we find beauty and inspiration in every season of the Tongass.
Sitka Begins Its Municipal Transition Elizabeth Bagley Sitka Sustainability Commission Member
Alaskan communities are out on the frontlines of climate change, and we are seeing that some of the most meaningful and impactful climate solutions are being led by locals, with SCS’s support. In 2019, high school students and SCS members encouraged Sitka's Assembly to pass a climate change emergency declaration. Since then, the City has created a climate task force, replaced the task force with a permanent commission, hired a full-time Sustainability Coordinator to facilitate collaboration across departments in the City, and declared an intent to decarbonize municipal operations by 2030. In 2023, the City won an opportunity from the Department of Energy to craft a shared vision of Sitka’s energy future. The City also purchased their first electric vehicles, taking advantage of federal tax credits and creating a feedback loop that will support City-owned hydroelectricity and keep local dollars in the community. The Sitka Tribe of Alaska pledged over $150,000 to help Tribal citizens decarbonize home heating through the installation of heat pumps. Sitka is heading on a good path to thoughtfully addressing climate change, but it can still feel overwhelming to figure out what we can do to make a difference. In my professional life, I work on climate solutions for the nonprofit Project Drawdown. Volunteering on the City's Sustainability Commission provides me with tangible ways to collaborate with my friends and neighbors to both imagine and create pathways to stop climate change as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible. What role are you playing in stopping climate change? The exciting news is that there are lots of ways we can join others in our communities to create systemic, lasting changes that improve the place we call home. What are you good at and trusted for? How might you leverage your skills and knowledge to move climate solutions forward in your community? There are ways for all of us to contribute to the future we all deserve. When your home is a nationally and globally significant forest filled with communities that are facing similar challenges and opportunities to Sitka, and the rest of rural America, we can use our impact to help inspire and transform on a much broader scale. Let’s keep going!
Above: sunlight through the trees and mist on Verstovia (© Caitlin Blaisdell Photography). Below: Sitka's Blue Lake Dam (© Lee House), hands weaving cedar (© Lione Clare Photography), sunset over Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe (© Bethany Goodrich Photography).
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Advocating for Our Present and Future The Sitka Conservation Society has undergone a lot of changes throughout our 56 years of history, but at our core, we remain committed to using policy and advocacy to create the conditions for a better future. Whether we are working with high school students to understand the legislative process and speak to their elected representatives, or helping community members submit comments opposing the removal of Roadless Rule protections from the Tongass, we are committed to elevating community voices across the region to influence the national conversation. We organize and advocate around the policies that meet the needs of local communities today, while working to build a healthy, abundant, sustainable future for emerging generations.
Sitka Conservation Society | 27
November 2024
We found a treasure of golden chanterelle mushrooms deep in the forest. From these wild foods we learn about the interconnectedness of things, from the trees to the soil to ourselves.
A Globally Important Forest
Andrew Thoms Executive Director
Above: golden chanterelles(© Bethany Goodrich Photography). Below: hiker in mist (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), saak hooligan ready for smoking (© Lione Clare Photography), baked goods from SCS's Wild Foods Potluck (© Lione Clare Photography), Kéex̱ ’ Kwáan Community Forest Partnership crew on Kuiu Island (© Lee House).
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1 The Tongass is the largest temperate rainforest in the world. Its lands and waters have sustained the community of Shee’tká for generations thanks to its immense ecological productivity. We can rely on the remaining abundance of this place today thanks to the foresight and knowledge of those who made good decisions in the past. These include the Lingít people and their ways of taking care of the salmon runs to ensure strong returns year-after-year. It includes the people in our communities who spoke against unsustainable practices during the days of the pulp mills. The Tongass Forest is what it is today thanks to the local stewardship of people and organizations like SCS, who understand that you can’t just take from this place: we must care for it and give back to enjoy its bounty. The Tongass is in the midst of a policy shift. The Department of Agriculture has listened to the voices of Southeast Alaskans and those across the nation who care about our national forests. The USDA is transitioning its management regime from prioritizing timber harvest to stewarding the multiple uses of the forest. This approach integrates community voices and balances priorities like salmon, traditional customary pratices, forest carbon sequestration, visitor industry businesses, and timber resource management for sustainability in the long-term. It focuses on the local cultural uses of wood products, rather than exporting round logs; and protecting large areas of intact habitat through the Roadless Rule to ensure intact and functional ecosystems. SCS works at the center of impacting policy that governs Tongass management. We organize community voices and advocate for policy that brings on-the-ground needs together with the conservation of this global resource. We are helping shape this new policy shift through projects and initiatives on-the-ground. At SCS, we create partnerships that put aside distracting conflicts to chart a new future of collaboration to develop and implement solutions. With your support, we are helping show that the Tongass can be a place where the conservation of the environment and where thriving communities can co-exist, demonstrating the solutions and approaches we can replicate across the globe.
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Healing the Lands and Waters Together For over ten years, the USDA Forest Service, tribal governments, Alaska Native Corporations, non-profit organizations, local contractors, and other agencies, have sought to do the work of restoring the lands and waters that bear marks of past mis-management. Restoration work has become a priority approach on the Tongass and surrounding lands. Community Forest Partnerships, local stewardship crews working across land ownership and management boundaries through multi-partner agreements, have developed as a successful model where communities can build local workforces that have a stake in the management decisions around their homes. The approach solidifies what is known as a regenerative economy, where economic growth is spurred on by local workforces that are improving the habitats and ecosystems that sustain our communities. Sitka Conservation Society | 29
December 2024
The days are short during December in Sitka, but the light is magnificent. The sunsets and twilights welcome long evenings and gatherings with our family and friends.
Creating New Opportunities and Connections at Sea Pony Farm Lione Clare Wilderness & Community Engagement Coordinator
Over the last four years, we’ve used our Sea Pony Farm property, bequeathed to us by Eric and Pam Bealer, to host artists, activists, writers, leaders, colleagues, and organizations we want to work with to help accomplish SCS’s mission. At first, we weren’t sure whether this would be feasible or the right use, but it became clear to us that this place has a profound impact on the people who visited and that we should continue to thoughtfully expand our residency opportunities. In 2023, we invited volunteers, partners, and artists to help us make needed improvements so that we can host visitors, maintain the property, and offer this space for experiencing the Tongass. Over the summer, we worked on a variety of projects, and are grateful to everyone who poured their energy, creativity, and love into making them happen. We continued to convert the interior of a workshop into a functional and comfortable art studio, and built a timber framed porch to become a fantastic outdoor art space and musical stage. We upgraded the shed, rebuilt natural form gates and fences around the property, and improved our boat haulout system. Staff and volunteers trimmed trees and successfully relocated the outhouse. The talented family from Haines that built the porch also helped us conceptualize a vision for transforming the barn into a larger communal art and gathering space, which will be our next big project in the coming years. As we are making these upgrades, we are carrying forward the legacy of the Bealers and the lives they lived. We are balancing this with utilizing the best renewable energy technology, building techniques, safety considerations, and using artistic expression to keep the magical aesthetic and feel of the property alive, while offering a safe, comfortable, and as-easy-tomaintain space as possible. We are excited to continue exploring how the inspiration that this place provides will help visitors and SCS staff towards new creations and networks that will engage broader audiences, inspire new Tongass advocates, and foster new ideas for advocating for policies and actions.
Above: sunset over snowy Sitka mountains (© Bethany Goodrich Photography). Below: SCS's Sea Pony Farm property (© Lione Clare Photography), rainbow over Lisianski Inlet (© Bethany Goodrich Photography), Annie Bartholomew on the docks of Pelican (photo provided).
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Bringing Annie Bartholomew to Pelican In 2022 and 2023, we hosted Juneau-based songwriter and storyteller Annie Bartholomew at Sea Pony Farm. Annie visited Lisianski Inlet to work on her music and prepare for recording her 2023 album Sisters of White Chapel. Her beautiful voice, playing, and lyrics echoed throughout the forests and waters of K’udeis’x̱ 'e, and also at concerts held for local residents at the Lisianski Inlet Cafe, Rosie’s Bar & Grill, Pelican General, and for students in Pelican School. Through retreats like these ones, Sitka Conservation Society is connecting artists to places where they can not only find inspiration, but also support our mission. Eric and Pam Bealer were musicians who loved and brought folk music to Pelican, and we are honored to host Annie and continue the tradition of folk music bringing people together in Southeast Alaskan communities.
Sitka Conservation Society | 31
Sitka Conservation Society is... Our organization is strong thanks to the community of volunteers, staff, board, partners, and supporters who dedicate their time, energy, and resources to our collective efforts.
Marian Allen
Heather Bauscher
Tayler Bowser
Debra Brushafer
Lione Clare
Alyssa Coleman
Board Secretary
Fisheries Community Engagement Specialist
Wilderness Field Crew and Special Projects Coordinator
Board President
Wilderness & Community Engagement Coordinator
Wilderness Field Crew
Mitchell Feske
Steve Fish
Andrea Fraga
Bethany Goodrich
Shalene Grace
Mason Green
Wilderness Field Crew
Board Treasurer
Pacific High School Garden Program Coordinator
SSP Director of Storytelling
SSP Storytelling and Engagement Specialist
Wilderness Field Crew
Maury Hackett
Lee House
Pat Hughes
Kylee Jones
Brendan Jones
Sitka Youth Community Development Catalyst
SASS Storytelling Specialist
Wilderness Field Crew
Khaasda Tláa Edith Johnson
Operations Administrator
Board Member
Board Member
Patricia Kehoe Board Member
Daanaxh.ils’eikh Chuck Miller
Ryan Morse
Keith Nyitray
Chandler O'Connell
Diana Portner
Communications Director
Board Member
Community Catalyst
Tongass Policy Advisor and Wilderness Field Crew
Kaa Yahaayí Shkalneegi Muriel Reid
Ashley Rexford
Tristan Rhoads
Katie Riley
Environmental Policy Intern
Remote Construction Team
Deputy Director of Policy and Programming
Board Member
Emily Pound
Allie Prokosch
Sitka Youth Community Development Catalyst
Living with the Land and Building Community JV
Isabelle Schmetzer
Krystina Scheller
Anna Schumacher
Jasmine Shaw
Andrew Thoms
Kitt Urdang
Environmental Policy Intern
Board Vice President
Sitka Youth Coordinator
Board Member
Executive Director
Beneficial Electrician Fellow
Yeíl Dlaak’ Mia Wiederspohn
Adrienne Wilber
Britainy Wright
Board Treasurer
Wilderness Field Crew
Living Heritage Research and Communications Intern
SSP Storytelling and Engagement Specialist
We at SCS want to extend special thank-yous to the following: Adelaide (Di) Johnson, Ben Hamilton, Maureen O'Hanlon, Mike Allard, Ajax Eggleston, Casey Phillips, Sofia Name Rojo, Joshua Schwartz, Shakira Logwood, and Ben Parker. Opposite: sunset over the mountains and clouds (© Bethany Goodrich Photography). Right: sunlight breaking through the trees (© Pioneer Studios).
Want to get more involved?
@sitkawild1
Reach out to us at info@sitkawild.org, visit our website at www.sitkawild.org and follow Sitka Conservation Society's social media!
@sitkawild
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The Sitka Conservation Society, Alaska’s oldest conservation organization, works to protect the natural environment of the Tongass, the nation’s largest National Forest, while supporting the development of sustainable communities that call these lands and waters home. This calendar and annual report is full of beautiful images of the Tongass and stories of what your support has helped us accomplish – together.
Sitka Conservation Society 201 Lincoln Street Sitka, Alaska 99835 info@sitkawild.org (907) 747-7509