Funding comes to Mat Su for riparian rehabilitation

DILLINGHAM – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicating over $3.4 million to support fish habitat projects in 38  states, including Alaska.

Over $500,000 dollars in federal funding is going to the 16-projects in Alaska, which will also include over $1.4-million in matching funds from the local partners in the projects.    Bruce Woods, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska,  says most of the funded projects in the Mat-Su and Kenai Peninsula areas will address human caused habitat degradation.

Among the projects funded in the Mat-Su area is a total of $69,000 thousand  dollars for riparian re-vegetation and shoreline rehabilitation as well as funding to  assess storm-water quality.

Much of the remainder of the half a million dollars goes to projects on the Kenai Pennisula. Some of the project money is going to Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership.