|
home > about us
Staff & history
Staff 
Bill Lucey, Director
Kevin Schaberg, Fisheries/Habitat Biologist
Restoration Crew
Aaron Grey
Michael Jensen
Robbie Larsen
Yakutat High School Interns
Samson Demert
Jack Klushkan
Board of Directors
Background and History
The Yakutat Salmon Enhancement Board (YSEB) was developed in 1994 in response to growing community concern about the effects of reducing water levels in Ophir Creek on the local salmon population. Ophir Creek is located near the City of Yakutat and historically was a major contributor to the area’s subsistence salmon catch. Recognizing the need for immediate action, the City & Borough of Yakutat established the YSEB to research, restore and protect this valued resource. The strong link between the stream’s health and the local community is demonstrated by a 1% tax llevied on salmon sold within Borough boundaries to support the board’s restoration initiatives.
Recently renamed the Yakutat Salmon Board (YSB), the organization continues to build on the experiences, successes, and lessons learned over the past ten years to broaden its impact within the watersheds and the natural and human communities in Yakutat. The YSB has recognized that community education and participation, stakeholder involvement, healthy and sustainable local economies, and good planning are necessary to protect the region's river systems. In 2002, YSB applied for and was awarded two years of organizational funding through the Community Watershed Project, a joint program led by the Department of Alaska Fish and Game and Southeast Conference, to pursue the council's evolving vision. This funding helped YSB support two main positions, director and project coordinator, allowing the staff to focus time and energy on organizational and program development as a comprehensive watershed council. As this funding phases out, YSB is pursuing funding from other entities to support continuing restoration, research and education programs.
Our position as a watershed council and as a division of the city has enabled us to fill a role within the community of Yakutat that would be difficult to cultivate as an independent entity. First, throughout our ten years of existence, the city has provided the board with a steady source of income from the 1% Salmon Tax and, more recently, 25% of the interest earned on the Ocean Cape Fund, a city investment fund. Second, the YSB serves as an official advisory board to the City and Borough of Yakutat's Assembly on all matters relating to environmental management, which significantly expands our ability to impact development and planning decisions at the borough level. At the same time, the YSB functions largely as an independent organization, thus allowing us to broaden our program and adopt a community-based approach to watershed management.
The majority of projects undertaken by the Salmon Board are seasonal. Staff levels fluctuate from small during the winter to relatively large during the summer months. In the past there has been only one permanent staff member, a director. Currently, the YSB is expanding to two permanent staff positions, a director and a project coordinator. Along with the two permanent staff, a seasonal crew of approximately 3-6 people is employed depending on funded projects. An intern program has been started within the Salmon Board employing two local high school students. Five board members from the community provide support for the staff of YSB.
Since 2003, the YSB has not only expanded its target area to include all watersheds in the Yakutat region, but has also worked to improve restoration initiatives by learning from past mistakes and develop a more comprehensive approach to watershed management. Over the past two years, the council has achieved many accomplishments in five key areas: watershed assessment and planning, restoration, education and outreach, land conservation, and sustainable industries.
|
