The League of Women Voters would like to thank the 150-plus participants in our “Climate Change in Our Backyard” conference. We had amazing presentations from Jeremy Littlell of USGS, John Morton of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Steve Baird from Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, Mitch Michaud of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nancy Lord, former Alaska State Writer Laureate from Homer, Sue Mauger of Cook Inletkeeper, and Robert Ruffner of the Kenai Watershed Forum.
We learned about concerns of the effects of climate change to our fisheries, our forests, our wildlife, our glaciers, our lakes and rivers, and our human populations.
Special thanks go to the Student Government of KPC, as well as Snug Harbor Seafoods, and Gourmet Garden for providing a delicious lunch. Thanks also to the special groups at the information tables: Alaska Marine Conservation Council, Citizens Climate Change Lobby, Cook Inletkeeper, HEA, Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District, Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Soldotna High School Green Club, Alaska Community Development Corporation, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management, Kenai Watershed Forum, Re*Group, and the State Division of Forestry.