(Palmer) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish is currently accepting proposals for the 2026 Mat-Su Habitat Rehabilitation & Protection Cost-Share Program. The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 31, 2025.

The Mat-Su Habitat Rehabilitation & Protection Cost-Share Program, 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 lake shorelines and streambanks in the Mat-Su Borough. Funds are limited, and not all projects can be funded; however, if selected landowners could have up to 2/3 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 to help stabilize, revegetate, and rehabilitate streambanks and shorelines.

“The mission of our program is 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 Grace Fahrney. “We aim to promote the use of fish-friendly erosion control techniques and provide information to landowners regarding their engagement with our shared wildlife resources. By providing project funding, the program helps to make bioengineering solutions more readily available, benefitting both the people and the salmon who utilize these areas.”

For additional information, contact the Mat-Su Program Manager, Grace Fahrney, at (907) 267-2146 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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