The landscape is steadily greening up, the rivers have broken open, and birds have returned to the Susitna Valley. Summer is here! We hope that you are planning to take advantage of this incredible and fleeting season. While you are out and about in our watershed, snap a picture and tell us what you are up to on social media, with #savethesu!
Are you our next Executive Director?
We’re hiring!
The Susitna River Coalition is seeking a new Executive Director to provide visionary leadership and strategic direction to advance the organization’s mission and goals, focusing on long-term conservation for the Susitna River watershed. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2024.
For a full job description and details on applying, please visit the Susitna River Coalition website.
2nd Annual Mat-Su Plants for Salmon
June 15, 2024 at 10:30AM
Saturday, June 15, 2024, join us to plant native trees, protect water quality, and improve salmon habitat along Montana Creek at the Yoder Road Bridge. We'll be planting 200+ native trees and bushes!
In addition to reestablishing habitat (the real goal!), all attendees will receive a free small white spruce tree to take home!
There will be informational booths, minnow trapping presentations, free hot dogs and other goodies, salmon cornhole and games, and maybe a temporary tattoo or two. It should be a fun and beneficial event. Invite your friends and family and bring your shovels (we'll have plenty if you don't have one).
This is a family-friendly event, everyone is welcome!
Hosted by the Susitna River Coalition, the Mat-Su Borough, ADFG, Knik Tribal Council, the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Partnership, USFWS, and Trout Unlimited Alaska.
Please contact us with any questions and see the Facebook Event Page for more information.
The legislative session is finally over.
In what is one of our busiest seasons as an organization, this session was packed with activity from the Governor's Executive Order to disband the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory Board, to discussions around Carbon Capture.
The session ended last week, but one of the final items on the agenda was an assessment of AIDEA by the legislature following a damning study of their fiscal effectiveness and lack of contributions toward the states economic well-being.
Two well-respected economists evaluated AIDEA and wrote a report highlighting the many ways that AIDEA has failed to deliver to the state of Alaska and it's population. “From 1981 through 2023, AIDEA received 849 million dollars in State money and sent back 557 million so it’s a net loss to the State Treasury anyhow. That’s a 66 percent return of State capital and a zero percent return on State capital.”
These economists were asked by the Alaska Legislature to present on their findings, and AIDEA was allowed to defend themselves after the presentation. AIDEA's Executive Director, Randy Rauro, was still quite secretive about what the organization actually does, and was unable to provide any concrete evidence of the benefits he alleged AIDEA provided, and the legislature was unimpressed.
It is fantastic to see our elected leaders finally asking AIDEA to justify their existence. While no reforms to AIDEA were made during this legislative session, we expect to see more scrutiny of the quasi government corporation next year.
Read more about the presentation to Senate Finance in this article on KTNA by Jenny Willoughby.