In 2024 staff from the alaska department of fish and game ADF g division of sport fish alaska freshwater fish inventory affi program will coordinate with bureau of land management BLM aquatic…

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) was awarded a $486,067.87 Cooperative Agreement under the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Aquatic Resources Management program (CFDA 15.244) to coordinate with BLM staff and plan/execute a systematic field inventory of anadromous and resident fish distribution and associated aquatic/riparian habitat in select drainages of interior and Arctic Alaska. The goal is to identify and fill existing data gaps in the State of Alaska's Catalog of Waters Important for the Spawning, Rearing or Migration of Anadromous Fishes (AWC) and the Alaska Freshwater Fish Inventory Database (AFFID). ADF&G and BLM staff will assess local and traditional ecological knowledge to help identify target streams, then conduct field surveys to document anadromous fish presence and collect associated habitat data. This data will be used to update the AWC and AFFID, informing regulatory management and fish habitat-related decision making aimed at protecting and sustaining salmon and other freshwater fish habitats in Alaska. The award period runs from August 2024 to August 2027.

In 2024 staff from the alaska department of fish and game ADF g division of sport fish alaska freshwater fish inventory affi program will coordinate with bureau of land management BLM aquatic resources program staff to plan and starting in 2025 execute a systematic field inventory of anadromous and resident fish distribution and associated aquatic and riparian habitat in select drainages of interior and arctic alaska with the goal of identify and filling existing data gaps in the state of alaskas catalog of waters important for the spawning rearing or migration of anadromous fishes AWC and the alaska freshwater fish inventory database affid.ADF g and BLM staff will coordinate planning meetings to assess the availability of local and traditional ecological knowledge to assist in identifying target streams that would fill data gaps in the AWC and affid. Affi staff will plan and conduct field surveys of identified target streams. Where anadromous fish are observed affi staff will nominate those waterbodies to the AWC. In addition collection data on all anadromous and freshwater fish species and associated riparian habitat data will be added to the affid and made publicly available on the ADF g fish resource monitor.updated and more comprehensive AWC and affid coverage will be the primary benefit of this project which informs regulatory management and fish habitat related decision making aimed at protecting and sustaining habitat for salmon as well as other freshwater fishes in alaska.