10th Annual Salmon Symposium Nov. 8-9

By Jessica Speed, Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership Coordinator

PALMER, ALASKA – The Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership is hosting the tenth annual Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium on Nov. 8-9 at the Palmer Community Center (Depot). This annual event brings people together to share information and exchange ideas about salmon science and conservation in the Mat-Su Basin. The agenda includes over 20 oral presentations, breakout discussions and a premier keynote speaker, Dr. Tara Martin. Wednesday evening will also feature a free storytelling event, Salmon Live Here: Stories of the Fish We Love in the Mat-Su Valley, at 6 pm at the Depot.

“In this 10th year of hosting the Mat-Su Salmon Symposium, we have much to celebrate – a growing history of collaboration and achievement of our salmon conservation goals, and wild salmon populations that are overall still intact,” says Jessica Speed, who coordinates the Mat-Su partnership.

Dr. Tara Martin is a conservation scientist in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia and a pioneer in the translation of ecological data into conservation management decisions. Dr. Martin’s research is being adopted around the world to help organizations decide what actions will achieve the best conservation outcomes while taking into account the many other competing needs of society. Come meet Dr. Martin and learn how her work is bridging the gap between science and on-the-ground action.

Symposium topics will range from fish-friendly development, salmon habitat science, invasive species, fish passage, stream restoration, climate change and community-based salmon habitat conservation. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten will convene the symposium with opening remarks.

Organizations sponsoring the event include the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, ConocoPhillips Inc. Alaska, BP Alaska, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, The Alaska Center, Alaska Salmon Alliance, Bullitt Foundation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, The Nature Conservancy, Mat-Su Conservation Services, Trout Unlimited, City of Palmer, Susitna River Coalition, Great Land Trust, and Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership.

Registration is free for students and $25 fee per day for others to help cover symposium costs. All are invited to attend. The evening storytelling event is free. Donations to support the partnership and salmon habitat science and conservation in Mat-Su are appreciated! Advanced online registration closes November 1st, but after that point you may still attend as a walk-in with no lunch available, or just stop by to hear a talk or morning keynote presentation.

For more information including online registration information and full agenda, visit our website http://www.matsusalmon.org/, follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MatSuSalmon/ or contact: Jessica Speed, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (907) 865-5713.