Habitat Protection
The long-term protection of threatened habitat, considered
essential for the well-being of species injured by the oil spill,
was one of the earliest goals of the Trustee Council. Restoration
efforts in the Pacific Northwest have taught us that habitat
protection is essential to the health of salmon species. Researchers
have concluded that depleted salmon populations cannot rebuild if
habitat that is critical during any of their life stages is
seriously compromised.
This lesson extends as well to the other fish, birds, and mammals that nest, feed, molt, winter, and seek shelter in the spill area. Habitat protection also supports the restoration of commercial fishing, subsistence, recreation, and tourism, all of which are dependent upon healthy productive ecosystems.
A Double Life?
Marbled murrelets, which were injured
in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, go out to sea for
feeding, but travel up to fifty miles over land to find old
growth forests to make their nests. To assist this
species' recovery from the oil spill, it was necessary to
protect upland terrestrial nesting habitat.
Logged area- Prince William Sound
By purchasing land throughout the spill region, the Trustee
Council ensured that key habitats for injured species would not be
further damaged by extensive development or logging, serious threats
at the time of the spill. The Trustee Council felt that in an
already spill impacted environment, purchasing land could go a long
way toward allowing the ecosystem to recover.
The Trustee Council has dedicated nearly 60 percent of available settlement funds—over $400 million--for habitat protection in the spill region.
The habitat protection program is split into two programs based on the sizes of the land purchases.
Large Parcel Program
The goal of the Large Parcel Program (generally parcels over
1,000 acres) is to protect key habitats for injured species
throughout the spill region. Lands are protected through a creative
series of conservation easements, timber easements, and fee simple
acquisitions.
Small Parcel Program
The Small Parcel Program (generally parcels of 1,000 acres or
less) deals with strategically located habitats, usually located on
coves, along important stretches of river, or adjacent to valuable
tidelands. They are often close to spill area communities or within
already protected areas, such as refuges and parks. These lands are
acquired for their habitat qualities as well as their importance for
subsistence and recreational use.