(Soldotna) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish is currently accepting proposals for the 2026 Kenai Peninsula Habitat Rehabilitation & Protection Cost-Share. The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

The Kenai Peninsula Habitat Rehabilitation & Protection Cost-Share, administered cooperatively by ADF&G and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is a financial incentive and educational outreach program directed towards private landowners and public land managers. The program provides technical expertise about rehabilitation practices, state and federal permitting assistance, and funding for salmon habitat rehabilitation and protection projects along streambanks on the Kenai Peninsula. Funds are limited, and not all projects can be funded; however, selected landowners could have up to 50% of the cost of their project reimbursed. Additionally, ADF&G staff provides educational opportunities to landowners, public land managers, and the public on the techniques and value of fish habitat. The program uses proven bioengineering techniques such as coir logs, willow plantings, cabled spruce trees, rootwads, and elevated light penetrating walkways to help stabilize, revegetate, and rehabilitate streambanks.

“This program works to protect salmon habitat by working cooperatively with land managers and landowners who may be experiencing erosion or habitat degradation on their property,” stated Habitat Biologist Jessica Johnson. “These issues can be common in heavy-use areas such as the Kenai, Kasilof, and Anchor River. We aim to promote landowner engagement by providing information and funding for the use of fish-friendly erosion control techniques. By making bioengineering solutions more readily available, the outcome is a win-win situation for both the people and the salmon who utilize these areas.”

For additional information, contact Streambank Rehabilitation Coordinator Jessica Johnson at (907) 267-2403 or by email at DFG.DSF.StreambankRehab@alaska.gov. Additional information is also available on the ADF&G Cost-Share Program website.

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