Fishing alone can't define entire Peninsula

Perhaps no other area in Alaska is as diverse as the Kenai Peninsula -- from geography to the people.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough encompasses 25,600 square miles, of which 15,700 are land. In comparison, the land mass of the Peninsula is equal to that of Massachusetts and New Jersey combined -- but the population is 1/400th of the same area. Within that large mass of land are several varying geographical qualities, from the Kenai Mountains, the Chigmit Mountains of the Alaska Range in the west and Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound.

The towns are just as different as the geography of the Peninsula. Soldotna and Kenai are the two largest cities, and in many ways mirror the relationship between Palmer and Wasilla here in the Mat-Su Borough.

You have coastal communities such as Seward and Homer, which are known as much for tourism as they are for their arts. The five first-class cities also includes Seldovia. Other communities include Ninilchik, Anchor Point, Sterling, Kachemak City and the native villages of Tyonek, Port Graham and Nanwalek.

Economically speaking, the Kenai Peninsula is a mixed bag, with many different sectors comprising a steady economy. Because of its geographic location, commercial fishing for salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp, clams, scallops and herring are obviously important to the economy. New markets are being presented as well, including those in farmed oysters, seaweed and mussels.

Another big part of the economy is oil and gas development. The oil and gas industry accounts for approximately a third of the entire workforce on the Kenai Peninsula, in jobs such as exploration, manufacturing and transportation.

While natural resources and commercial fishing are steady, the fastest-growing industry on the Kenai Peninsula is tourism. In 1991, the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council was formed, and the organization has worked hard to establish the Peninsula as a destination for tourists. At the heart of the attraction is the Kenai River, which has developed a reputation around the globe as a world-class fishery for salmon, rainbow trout and dolly varden. Much like the Peninsula, the Kenai River is also extremely varied -- from the Lower Kenai River, which runs from Skilak Lake to the ocean, and the Upper Kenai River, which runs from Kenai Lake to Skilak Lake.

The Russian River is a world-famous tributary of the Kenai River. It attracts thousands of anglers each year looking for the prized sockeye salmon.

The Kenai Peninsula is one of Alaska's prizes -- and Valley residents flock to the area every year.

There are countless fishing, hiking, camping and hunting opportunities, and they are all within a few hours' drive from the Valley.