Salmon Symposium set for Nov. 13-14

PALMER — This year’s Salmon Symposium is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 13 and 14 at the Palmer Depot.

David Batker will be the keynote speaker. He is executive director of Earth Economics, a Washington-based nonprofit that works on projects to identify the value of ecosystem services, including one in the Mat-Su.

Anglers fish about 300,000 days in the Mat-Su and spend anywhere from $63 million to $163 million on goods and services related to fishing, according to an economic study by University of Alaska Anchorage’s Institute for Economic and Social Research. However, with recent fishing closures and weak salmon runs, the economic value of fishing-related activities has been on the decline, affecting the livelihood of tourism/fishing businesses and the way of life for residents.

The Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership has more than 50 members working to improve salmon habitat through science, restoration, protection and research activities.

This year the agenda will include more than 25 presenters, posters and discussions groups covering topics such as the economic value of salmon and salmon habitat, salmon distribution and management, stream mapping, habitat conservation and restoration, Susitna River salmon studies, invasive pike and climate change as potential threats to salmon.

The symposium is free and open to the public. For more information visit matsusalmon.org, or contact Jessica Speed at (907) 865-5713 or jspeed@tnc.org or Frankie Barker at (907) 746-7439 or fbarker@matsugov.us.