Land trust preserves acreage for public use

Published 4:30 am Thursday, January 29, 2026

Kachemak Heritage Land Trust recently announced a land conservation project completed in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Kachemak Moose Habitat, Inc.

According to a Jan. 14 press release, five parcels totalling 174 acres near the 19,000-acre state-designated Anchor River/Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area have been acquired over the last five years — either purchased using federal funds from the Pittman-Robertson Act grant, which in turn is funded by an excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment, or donated as a land match. All 174 of those acres are to be perpetually preserved by the state as moose habitat and for public access.

Through the collaboration between ADF&G, KHLT and KMHI, 120 of those acres on the southern Kenai Peninsula — which feature wetlands and uplands with new hunting access on Ohlson Mountain — are now open to the public, and will also be conserved forever.

The release states that the acquisition of these properties conserves habitat important to the year-round survival of moose, particularly for calving, winter habitat, and as an important winter migration corridor. The moose habitat conservation in turn will support and sustain the moose harvest on the lower Kenai Peninsula.

Additionally, streamside habitat important to king, coho and pink salmon, Dolly Varden, and steelhead will be protected.

“Protection of this important spawning and rearing habitat benefits both commercial, sport, personal use and subsistence fishermen,” the release states. “Portions of this area have also been designated by Audubon as an area of importance for birds.”

KHLT Executive Director Marie McCarty said in the release that the conservation project “represents combined public and private efforts to help ensure our Alaskan way of life lasts into the future.”

“One thing I particularly appreciate with this acquisition is that we are protecting moose calving habitat (and) at the same time allowing hunters like me to access land that was previously privately held,” KMHI chairman Lynn Whitmore said in the release. “In the moose habitat world of sustained yield, this feels like a win/win!”

KHLT and KMHI have collectively preserved more than 8,000 acres in Alaska with their combined 55 years of experience protecting wildlife habitats.

KMHI also contributed 30 acres of land and substantial funds to the State of Alaska as a match for this project.

Learn more at www.kachemaklandtrust.org/#/.