Cooperative Agreement Summary

The U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Region awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $256,896 to the Chilkoot Indian Association on June 9, 2026, under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) Agreements program (CFDA 10.702). This five-year agreement, extending through June 8, 2031, supports collaborative monitoring of eulachon fish populations in Northern Southeast Alaska. The primary products and services include field-based assessment and documentation of eulachon run size, run timing, distribution, and other population dynamics factors that inform subsistence resource management. This monitoring work directly supports the traditional subsistence lifestyle of Alaska Native communities, particularly the Haines Tlingit & Haida Indians, while providing data essential for sound management of this declining fish species across public lands.

The agreement reflects the ANILCA program's emphasis on negotiated partnerships that integrate traditional ecological knowledge with scientific monitoring to sustain fish and wildlife resources for rural Alaskans. By documenting population viability indicators and subsistence harvest patterns, the Chilkoot Indian Association will generate information necessary for both tribal cultural continuity and broader Alaska public subsistence interests. The program's collaborative structure ensures that both the Forest Service and the tribal partner jointly develop methodologies, define responsibilities, and establish performance metrics prior to implementation.