US Fish and Wildlife Service Grant: Enhancing Bird Habitats in Anchorage

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the proposed agreement is to support projects in the Municipality of Anchorage under the Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds. The objectives are to restore habitat, perform inventories of local areas for birds, and educate the public about the needs of birds and the importance of urban areas like Anchorage to migratory bird conservation. The viewers will learn about different types of habitats needed by birds and the issues birds face locally. The primary focus area will be at Westchester Lagoon, a popular recreational site for both local citizens and tourists and an area of diverse habitats that is refuge to thousands of migratory birds each year.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of this agreement are to provide support and assistance to the Municipality of Anchorage for the completion of projects under the Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds from March 31, 2008 to December 31, 2010. Projects will highlight the importance of urban areas like Anchorage to the conservation of migratory birds. Efforts will include habitat restoration, inventories of local birds, a rain garden with native vegetation, and several outreach and education projects that will inform both local citizens and tourists about the needs of migratory birds and the importance of Anchorage as a stopover site.

BACKGROUND

The Municipality of Anchorage is unique among urban centers through out the world. It is Alaska’s largest urban and business center with a population of 260,000, a major port facility serving the entire state, the headquarters for the Alaska Railroad, and an international airport that is considered the air crossroad for the world.

Anchorage is also surrounded by wilderness and it’s accessible. Over 10,000 acres of Park land exist within the Anchorage Bowl and are managed by the city. The 495,000 acre Chugach State Park surrounds our community to the east, while the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge borders the City to the west. Wildlife viewing, birding and mountain scenery are year-round pleasures and residents and visitors can choose developed trails or secluded backcountry experiences.

Beluga whales and many species of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds can be seen along the Anchorage coastline. While brown and black bear, Dally sheep, wolverine, lynx, and other large mammals are common sightings in local parks and the surrounding Chugach Mountains. Anchorage is home to about 150 species of migrating and nesting birds.

Anchorage also supports healthy populations of pacific salmon in its local creeks. Local fishing and salmon viewing are the envy of other urban centers across the country. Anchorage is arguably the only major city in the nation where you can catch a King salmon in a creek running through the middle of town.

Anchorage residents take great pride in our proximity to wildlife and brag to our friends and family in the lower 48 about the wilderness and the wildlife that is often seen literally in our backyards!

The Westchester Lagoon area and Sullivan Park is one of Anchorage’s most celebrated natural spaces and a gathering place of community residents. This is the site selected for implementation of proposed bird outreach and habitat projects, pursuant to the Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds.

The lagoon environs are a “melting pot” of habitats and arguably Anchorage’s most popular birding destinations. Several key habitats are found within the project area including intertidal coastal marsh, forested and shrub bogs, and riparian wetlands. The Chester Creek Greenbelt is home to a variety of birds and over the past several years rare birds for Upper Cook Inlet have been spotted in the Lagoon area including: Common Cuckoo, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Terek Sandpiper. Twenty-three bird species from the 2005 Alaska Watch List have occurred in the area of this project. The lagoon area provides important staging habitat for several of these Watchlist species. The tidally influenced portion of the project area is designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society. This IBA annually attracts birders from all over the world traveling to Alaska – many looking to add to their North American and/or world bird lists.

REASON FOR SINGLE SOURCE:

(1) Unique Qualifications – The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications. The Municipality of Anchorage meets criteria which preclude competition for this cooperative agreement, including property ownership, technical expertise, cost-sharing, and support capacity.