2016 Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund Proposal Summary Sheet

Transcription

1 2016 Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund Proposal Summary Sheet Proposal title: Strategic Conservation of Important Salmon Habitat in Bristol Bay Alaska Review group: Habitat Protection AKSSF objective: 3: Protect salmon habitat by land acquisition, easement, or other mechanism Restrictions on funded activities: Habitat protection projects must directly attain long-term protection of salmon habitat; secondary activities and objectives (e.g., planning, prioritizing, and ancillary surveys or data collection) are not allowed as standalone projects, but they are allowed as project components if they are necessary to successfully complete the project. AKSSF staff comments: None.

2 Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund 2016 Call for Proposals Project Proposal Form Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust I. Project Title: Strategic Conservation of Important Salmon Habitat in Bristol Bay Alaska II. Principal Investigator Name, Title: Tim Troll, Executive Director Organization: BRISTOL BAY HERITAGE LAND TRUST (BBHLT) Address: P.O. Box 1388 City, State, Zip: Dillingham, AK (907) (phone) ( ) Co-Principal Investigator(s) None III. Project Period: 4/1/17 12/31/19 IV. AKSSF Objective: Habitat Protection, Objective 3: Protect salmon habitat by land acquisition, easement, or other mechanism. V. Project Description 1. Synopsis This project will work with willing landowners to permanently protect priority salmon habitat in the Bristol Bay region, with particular emphasis on the Lake Iliamna / Kvichak River watershed - HUC Critical salmon migration, spawning, rearing, and overwintering habitat will be protected via acquisition or permanent conservation easements from future subdivision as well as other residential, commercial, and industrial development. 2. Introduction Bristol Bay is home to the world s largest runs of wild salmon. Throughout history, salmon have provided the foundation for human habitation of this area. For thousands of years, salmon provided the most abundant food source for the indigenous Yup ik, Dena ina and Alutiiq peoples. Subsistence fisheries for salmon continue to be a way of life for most Native and rural inhabitants of Bristol Bay. Bristol Bay has sustained the largest single commercial fishery for wild salmon in the world for well over a century. Commercial fishing continues to be the economic lifeblood of the region. Bristol Bay is also recognized as a world-class sport fishing destination. The region s bountiful salmon support a thriving fishing lodge community now in its seventh decade. Bristol Bay is one of the few remaining areas on earth where wild fish populations continue to sustain the cultural and economic foundation for an entire region.

3 The greatest risk to salmon and other freshwater fish in Bristol Bay are the small actions on the part of individual and corporate landowners that compound over time, degrading riparian habitat and water quality, changing water flow and quantity, and blocking access to habitat. Until the grant of statehood in 1959 most of the land in Bristol Bay remained in Federal ownership. Under the Alaska Statehood Act the new state was accorded the right to select land in Bristol Bay. This right was temporarily suspended until the completion of a Federal settlement of aboriginal rights. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) accorded Alaska s Native peoples a priority right to nearly 8 million acres in Bristol Bay, much of it along salmon bearing rivers, streams and lakes. The passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980 (ANILCA) while placing millions of acres of valuable salmon habitat into national parks, preserves and wilderness areas, also approved more than a thousand Alaska Native allotment claims pending in Bristol Bay. The allotments are private lands often located near critical salmon habitat, and many are now unrestricted inholdings within the very parks, preserves and wilderness areas created by ANILCA. To date the fragmentation of ownership in Bristol Bay has not resulted in significant fragmentation of salmon habitat. In part this is because the region is still remote, but it is also because land selection, survey, title preparation and transfer had to occur before any new owner was entitled to exercise the rights of ownership. These administrative tasks were overwhelming and cumbersome, but are now mostly complete. In those parts of Bristol Bay not subject to the conservation status of new parks, refuges or wilderness the rights of ownership are just beginning to be exercised. The result is now a growing number of sales and conversion of Native allotments and Native corporations looking for opportunities to develop their lands. BBHLT has been engaged in strategic conservation planning efforts in the Bristol Bay since it was formed in The first BBHLT prioritization was completed in partnership with the The Nature Conservancy (TNC). For this prioritization BBHLT prioritized the conservation values of Native allotments in the Nushagak River watershed, identifying over 30 has high priority acquisitions. BBHLT has protected four allotments in the watershed, in addition to several in the adjacent Wood-Tikchik State Park. A similar effort is now underway with funding support from the USF&WS through the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership to prioritize each section of land belonging to the five Alaska Native corporations owning land in the Nushagak River watershed. The Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership is a recognized partnership under the National Fish Habitat Initiative. BBHLT serves as coordinator for the Partnership.

4 In 2013, an additional prioritization in cooperation with the The Conservation Fund completed an assessment of the conservation values of private lands in the Lake Iliamna, Naknek and Alaska Peninsula region. As such, BBHLT now has a working prioritization of most of the private lands within the Bristol Bay. The conservation criteria used to evaluate each parcel included identification of the most critical habitats for fish and wildlife; wetlands necessary for maintaining regional water quality; parcels that provide connectivity to essential recreational and wildlife corridors; parcels within or adjacent to protected areas throughout the region; and ease of access. Also considered were lands determined to have high value for local subsistence as determined from traditional knowledge interviews in villages of the region. The data from these prioritizations is used by BBHLT to identify and evaluate conservation opportunities within the region. The search for the best candidate lands to protect with this project will be narrowed by working with the lands department of Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), with the village corporations of the region and associated tribal governments, and with the realty department of Bristol Bay Native Association (BBNA), the contact service agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) targeting interested owners of high priority allotments. Once relationships have been developed with willing landowners, BBHLT will work to secure permanent conservation easements or acquire fee-simple title on three or more privately owned parcels to permanently protect important salmon habitats from future impacts caused by increasing residential, commercial, and industrial development. 3. Location(s): BBHLT has four acquisition projects listed below currently in development and others that are prospects that may mature during the grant period: Site: Iliamna Lake Islands 14,000 acres Latitude: N 59 44' " Longitude: W ' " Site: Lower Talarik Creek 120 acres Latitude: N 59 39' Longitude: W 155 7' " Site: Pecks Creek 160 acres Latitude: N 59 18' 39.08" Longitude: W ' " Site: Koktuli River 35 acres Latitude: N 60 00' Longitude: W ' 11.16" 4. Strategic Importance This project will identify and permanently conserve lands and waterways critical for healthy salmon populations in Bristol Bay and specifically addresses AKSSF Habit Protection Objective 3 to protect salmon habitat through direct acquisition of a conservation interest. A key focus will be conservation of fish habitat in the Lake Iliamna / Kvichak river watershed. Lake Iliamna is the most productive sockeye salmon lake in the world.

5 Protection of salmon habitat through acquisition of a conservation interest is a priority strategy to prevent fragmentation specifically endorsed by the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership (SWASHP) in the Strategic Conservation Plan for Bristol Bay Watersheds adopted in SWASHP is an unincorporated association of federal and state agencies (including the Alaska Department of Fish & Game); non-profit conservation groups and commercial fishing, sport fishing and Alaska Native organizations formed under the umbrella of the USF&WS National Fish Habitat Initiative. SWASHP is one of four partnerships in Alaska, and twenty nationwide, officially recognized by the National Fish Habitat Board of Directors. BBHLT serves as Coordinator for SWASHP 5. Habitat Conservation in Subsistence Areas All of Bristol Bay is a Subsistence Area. Subsistence fishing, primarily for salmon, remains the cornerstone of life in Bristol Bay, not only for the sustenance of the local population, but for the preservation of the local Yup ik, Dena ina and Alutiiq cultures. BBHLT was fostered in 2000 by residents of the region who were concerned that the sale of too many Alaska Native allotments for subdivisions or commercial development would, if action was not taken, result in the destruction of the habitat required by the fish and game upon which local residents depended for subsistence. 6. Monitoring Populations Utilized for Subsistence. N/A VI. VII. Objectives Work with willing landowners to conserve parcels of property that contain important salmon habitat in Bristol Bay Methods A. BBHLT will follow up with landowners who expressed interest in selling or donating a conservation easement on their property, determine the best projects for this funding, and get engagement letters or purchase and sale agreements from each landowner. B. BBHLT will meet with landowners and / or BBNA Realty Office to negotiate and draft conservation easements or acquisitions, manage each project, manage contractors (appraisal title review, legal etc.), and draft a baseline report for each project. C. BBHLT and contractors will work to complete due diligence for each project through the following tasks: Negotiate and draft conservation easements and title transfer documents; Title search: complete a title report to ensure that there are no complications with conveyance of easements or fee; Survey: if necessary, complete a survey of the property; Environmental Hazard Assessment: complete a Phase I or similar assessment to

6 ensure that there are no complications with environmental contamination on the property; Appraisal: BIA conducts appraisal or BBHLT completes an appraisal that meets Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisition (UASFLA) standards to determine property value before and after the easement; Appraisal Review: If necessary, complete appraisal review by a state approved review appraiser and receive approval letter from review appraiser; Fundraising: raise funds necessary for BBHLT to complete the easement through private, corporation and foundation donations or other government funds; Legal review: work with attorneys to draft a review of the conservation easement or title transfer documents; D. BBHLT will identify the cost for the conservation easement or acquisition necessary to place private lands in conservation. BBHLT will raise additional funds from the landowner, grant sources or private donors to deposit into its conservation stewardship funds to cover the costs of staff time and expenses relating to periodic monitoring of the property as well as possible legal costs associated with defending the terms of the easement. BBHLT also deposits 5% of all unrestricted donations into its Stewardship Fund. E. BBHLT will use its best efforts to close on three or more conservation easements or acquisitions and publish a special newsletter highlighting salmon conservation in Bristol Bay. Deeds transferring ownership or granting conservation easements will be recorded at the State Recorder s office. VIII. Products, Milestones, and Timelines April 2017 December 2018: Identify specific projects for potential conservation Contact landowners directly or through BBNA Have landowners execute option agreements to move forward with a project Identify funding sources for stewardship funds for each project and additional acquisition funds April 2017 December 2019: Complete title reports Complete environmental hazard reports Draft conservation easements / deeds Complete appraisals and identify the match value for each project Complete baseline report for each project Obtain commitment from private funders for stewardship funds or additional acquisition funds for each project

7 April 2017 December 2019: Close on conservation easements or acquire fee simple title Publish a BBHLT newsletter highlighting the parcels conserved with AKSSF funds 1. Project Communication BBHLT will publish a newsletter highlighting the parcels conserved and provide an information release for dissemination to the press. BBHLT also maintains descriptions of its major acquisition projects on its website IX. Experience and Qualifications 1. The principal investigator for this project is Tim Troll, the Executive Director for BBHLT. a. Describe the nature and extent of his role in project implementation. Mr. Troll is responsible for the overall performance of BBHLT and will be directly involved in conducting negotiations with landowners, arranging for contractual services, working with BBHLT donors and potential partners to secure matching funds required to complete conservation transactions. Mr. Troll will be responsible for the appropriate expenditure of AKSSF funds and the preparation and timeliness of all reports. b. Summarize his relevant qualifications, including necessary technical and project management expertise, (detailed resume submitted). Mr. Troll is a founder of the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust. He has served on the Board of Directors or as the Executive Director (both volunteer and paid) since its incorporation in Mr. Troll became the full time Executive Director in 2013 after serving seven years as the Southwest Alaska Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Troll was the CEO of the Native village corporation for Dillingham - Choggiung Ltd. from 1995 to In addition to his duties managing the business affairs of the corporation and its subsidiaries he oversaw the management of 300,000 acres of corporate lands. During this period and subsequently Mr. Troll developed relationships with most of the leadership in Bristol Bay, and is familiar with most of the organizations, tribes and other village corporations serving the region. Mr. Troll came to Alaska in 1978 as a VISTA volunteer lawyer in Bethel working primarily on the adjudication of Alaska Native allotment claims. He spent ten years serving as a city manager for two rural communities St. Mary s on the Lower Yukon River and Sand Point in the Eastern Aleutians. In his capacity as a city manager he was responsible for managing many millions of dollars worth of capital improvement projects, as well as projects and programs providing public services to residents.

8 During his tenure at The Nature Conservancy he raised and managed approximately five million dollars in private, foundation, tribal and government funding to implement a conservation program combining elements of traditional knowledge and scientific research. Mr. Troll initiated, implemented and managed projects to collect traditional ecological knowledge from villages on the Nushagak River, to secure instream flow reservations of water for fish on three river systems, to conduct fish distribution surveys to add information and mileage to Alaska s Anadromous Waters Catalog and Freshwater Fish Inventory; to develop a prioritization method for conserving Alaska Native allotment and village corporation lands in the Nushagak River Watershed. c. Describe his history of implementing, administering, and completing comparable projects. All of the real estate transactions completed or facilitated by BBHLT since it was founded in 2000 have occurred during his tenure managing the organization, including the negotiation and completion of a 21,000 acre conservation easement in Wood-Tikchik State Park held by the State of Alaska. In 2008 Mr. Troll helped create and achieve recognition under the National Fish Habitat Initiative for the SW Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership and has since secured and administered funds under the program for a variety projects. BBHLT, and Mr. Troll, currently serve as coordinator for the Partnership. Since formation, the Partnership has secured over one million dollars for projects in Southwest Alaska and partners have leveraged millions more. BBHLT recently completed a subgrant of $650,000 with The Nature Conservancy to implement a Coastal Impact Assistance Program project to complete instream flow reservations on the Stuyahok, Mulchatna and Allen Rivers and Kaskanak Creek and to survey fish distribution in the Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark watersheds by electro-fishing headwaters streams in these watersheds. Completed instream flow reservations were filed and several hundred miles of streams added to the Alaska Anadromous Waters Catalog. 2. Experience and qualifications of the organization(s) BBHLT was formed in Its first major initiative was to protect the Agulowak River, an important rainbow trout stream and salmon migration corridor within Alaska's Wood-Tikchik State Park. BBHLT partnered with The Conservation Fund to raise $10M to purchase and steward a conservation easements for the Alaska Division of Parks on 21,000 acres - all of the land owned by Aleknagik Natives LTD within the park. The easement perpetually protects the Agulowak River from development. BBHLT currently owns four Native allotment parcels, two within the Wood-Tikchik State Park. BBHLT also holds conservation easements over another four Native allotment parcels, two of which were recently traded to a Koliganek Native LTD

9 village corporation in exchange for a conservation easement over 530 acres at the mouth of Harris Creek, a tributary of the Nushagak River, listed in the Catalog of Anadromous Waters (AWC) as important for spawning and rearing Chinook and Coho Salmon. More recently BBHLT negotiated conservation easements with two Alaska Native village corporations to protect nearly 200 islands (14,000 acres) within Lake Iliamna that provide spawning habitat for one of the four distinct genetic groups of Sockeye salmon that return to Lake Iliamna. The DNA analysis and identification was done by ADF&G. These islands also provide haul-outs for Alaska s unique population of freshwater harbor seals. BBHLT is raising funds to close this deal and this is one of the projects for which AKSSF funds may be used. In addition to protecting terrestrial habitat, the Land Trust has also filed for an instream flow reservation for fish on the Allen River within the Wood-Tikchik State Park, and has raised funds to collect flow data for instream flow reservations by other entities, including ADF&G, on other important salmon streams in Bristol Bay - the Mulchatna, Stuyahok and Koktuli Rivers and Kaskanak Creek. BBHLT is also responsible managing grants and coordinating research field seasons that have resulted in the addition of more that 500 miles in Bristol Bay to the Anadromous Waters Catalog. BBHLT has been recognized both nationally and internationally for its innovative conservation work in Bristol Bay. In 2012 BBHLT was one of four finalists invited to Melbourne Australia by the International River Foundation to compete for the Thiess International River Prize that rewards exceptional work in watershed protection and management. BBHLT was runner-up. In 2014 Bristol Bay Native Association nominated BBHLT for the Land Trust Alliance National Excellence Award. The Land Trust Alliance is the national service organization for land trusts in the U.S. Each year at its annual convention the Alliance recognizes one of its 1700 member land trusts for exceptional conservation work. BBHLT received the 2014 National Excellence Award. X. Project Budget 1. Leveraging Resources: AKSSF funding will leverage resources provided by The Conservation Fund for conserving properties in the Lake Iliamna watershed. 2. Budget Narrative: BBHLT Budget Total 100 Personnel $0 200 Travel $0 300 Contractual $300, Supplies $0 500 Equipment $0

10 Total $300,000 AKSSF funding of $300,000 will be used to cover the contractual costs typically associated with a conservation real estate transaction in Bristol Bay. If the funds are used to conserve an Alaska Native Allotment, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will conduct and pay for the appraisals. In which case, AKSSF funds will likely be used solely for the acquisition. If the transaction is to conserve Alaska Native Corporation lands AKSSF funds may be used to cover appraisals and other associated costs in addition to acquisition. Often, for larger acquisitions, BBHLT may partner with The Conservation Fund or a similar organization and share costs. Conservation acquisitions in Bristol Bay are often opportunistic (e.g. death of Native Allottee with priority allotment and family wants to sell, or village corporation needs money and offers conservation easement.) Acquisitions also take time. Even once an agreement is made between the landowner and BBHLT, closings may be delayed because BIA appraisals are late, or additional village corporation shareholder meetings are needed to explain the concept of a conservation easement. Accordingly, BBHLT may have and does have several discussions and negotiations ongoing with landowners, not knowing which project will move forward quickly and which project may be unduly delayed. At present BBHLT has three Native allotment acquisitions moving forward. All three are awaiting appraisals from the BIA, and one is awaiting the resolution of an estate (Native allotment owner died while discussions were underway). BBHLT has one large landscape conservation easement project moving forward that involves two Alaska Native village corporations acres over 200 islands in Lake Iliamna. The Conservation Fund is partnering with BBHLT on the project. Negotiations, purchase and sale agreements, appraisals, title reviews and environmental assessments have all been completed. BBHLT and The Conservation Fund are now raising the $4,975,000 needed close. AKSSF funds may be used to help with the acquisition costs of these conservation easements. This budget for Contractual is based upon the typical Native allotment acquisition Line 300: Contractual ($300,000) Title reports: Provided by BIA Environmental Hazard Assessment: (up to) 3 $2,500 each/assessment = $7,500 Appraisals Provided by BIA Surveys: Provided by BIA Attorney consultations to review the drafts of the title documents: (up to) 3 $2,000/consultation = $6,000 Acquisition costs for projects that require BBHLT to development rights from landowners and/or purchase parcels from those who would rather not own and manage a property with a conservation easement on it: $286,500

11 XI. Match Budget Summary Match Budget Total 100 Personnel $0 200 Travel $0 300 Contractual $85, Supplies $0 500 Equipment $20,000 Subtotal $105, Indirect $0 Total $105,000 BBHLT Match Budget Total 100 Personnel $0 200 Travel $0 300 Contractual $0 400 Supplies $0 500 Equipment $20,000 Total $20,000 The Conservation Fund Match Budget Total 100 Personnel $0 200 Travel $0 300 Contractual $85, Supplies $0 500 Equipment $0 Total $85,000 Match Budget Narrative: Line 300: Contractual ($85,000) Line 500: Unrecovered Indirect ($20,000) BBHLT will match the contractual budget using funds contributed by individual, corporate, other non-profit or foundation donors, or funds provided to the project by partner organizations like The Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund has committed third party match of at least $85,000 BBHLT will contribute indirect costs to match funds provided by AKSSF. Per the direction of AKSSF staff this has been listed as unrecovered indirect and is recorded on line 500 of the Budget worksheet. XII. References

12 Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership, Strategic Conservation Action Plan for Bristol Bay Watersheds, Nushagak-Mulchatna Watershed Council, Nushagak River Watershed Traditional Use Area Conservation Plan