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Cook Inletkeeper
PROGRAMS
& PROJECTS 2007
WATERSHED ACTION PROGRAM:
ADVOCACY, EDUCATION & ORGANIZING
Cook
Inletkeeper focuses its advocacy, education and organizing
efforts on two fronts: promoting sound public policies that
protect fish habitat and water quality; and holding individuals,
industry and agencies accountable for habitat, water quality and
human health in the Cook Inlet watershed. Inletkeeper’s primary
advocacy and education programs include:
 The
CLEAN ENERGY PROJECT works to move energy projects and
policies away from fossil fuel production and consumption, and
toward renewable energy alternatives and lasting jobs that
minimize impacts to fish habitat, water quality and human
health. The Project’s goals are to: 1) prevent or minimize the
ecological impacts from coal, oil and gas development; 2) build
a broader constituency for fish habitat and water quality
protection; and 3) promote projects and policies that embrace
tidal, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy supplies.
Since its inception, Inletkeeper has protected over 600,000
acres of beluga whale habitat from oil and gas drilling, reduced
oil pipeline spills by over 100%, crafted federal pipeline
safety legislation, and helped secure tug vessels to aid oil
tankers in Cook Inlet’s notoriously rough waters. Inletkeeper’s
targeted energy strategies include aggressive legal, scientific
and technical advocacy, effective citizen education and
organizing, and persuasive media outreach.
 The
WATERSHED WATCH PROJECT envisions sustainable human
development that protects salmon streams, wetlands and other
sensitive wildlife habitat areas from pollution and habitat
destruction. The Project’s goals are to: 1) help citizens
engage government and industry to resolve local and regional
environmental concerns; 2) hold government and industry
accountable for enforcing and complying with environmental laws;
and 3) ensure that environmental standards protect clean water,
habitat and social justice. Inletkeeper relies on its “eyes and
ears” network of concerned citizens to report incidents of
pollution and habitat destruction to Inletkeeper’s toll free
hotline (1-888 MY INLET), and helps citizens document incidents,
take samples, and ensure proper agency response. Inletkeeper
also organizes citizens to comment on development proposals and
defend environmental policies.
CARING FOR COOK INLET PROGRAM:
RESEARCH & MONITORING
Cook
Inletkeeper’s monitoring and research projects brings scientists
and citizen volunteers together to better understand, manage and
protect our public water resources. Inletkeeper’s monitoring
and research projects include:
Inletkeeper conducts in-depth
water quality science as part of its SALMON STREAM MONITORING
PROJECT to better understand the ecological effects of
climate change and land-use activities on the state’s renown
streams. Over the past eight years, Inletkeeper’s monitoring
data has revealed alarming warming trends in local salmon, at
levels that routinely violate standards established to protect
spawning fish. Inletkeeper’s novel salmon monitoring plan is
the only effort in the state that routinely quantifies climate
change effects on salmon habitat. Now, Inletkeeper is relying
on this ground-breaking research to educate, organize and
mobilize a diverse cross section of Alaskans around the issues
of climate change, energy policy and pollution prevention.
In 1996,
Inletkeeper developed Alaska’s first government-approved
volunteer water quality monitoring program - the
Citizens Environmental Monitoring Project
(CEMP) – to actively involve citizen volunteers in the
collection and distribution of important habitat and water
quality data. This Project has become a model statewide, and
has created the most consistent, coordinated, credible, and
cost-effective citizen monitoring program in Alaska. Today,
eight formal partner organizations and agencies – and dozens of
sponsors and supporters – comprise the CEMP Partnership of Cook
Inlet, which to date has trained more than 850 volunteers to
monitor nearly 250 sites throughout the watershed, and broadly
distribute citizen-collected data to resource managers to
encourage more-informed decision making.
 In
2004, Inletkeeper established the
Cook Inlet
Community–Based Water Quality Laboratory – the first
citizen-based water laboratory in Alaska. The laboratory goals
include: 1) expand the ability of Cook Inlet scientists to
monitor salmon streams and coastal watersheds, 2) provide
cost-effective access to the resources necessary to perform
complex analytical, chemical and other assessments, and 3)
heighten the role of citizens in the collection, analysis and
use of water quality data. Inletkeeper’s unique laboratory
capacity provides the infrastructure and expertise needed to
bring scientists and citizen volunteers together to enhance
watershed stewardship, and to broaden citizen participation in
water quality protection.
CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM
Through
its
Capacity Building Program,
Inletkeeper works to build the internal operations capacity
needed to maximize organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
Through this program, Inletkeeper 1) grows a broader
constituency for change in Cook Inlet; 2) builds a diverse and
sustainable funding base; 3) enhances staff and board
development through trainings, network meetings, and shared
initiatives; and 4) engages in strategic planning to maximize
organizational productivity and effectiveness.
To join Cook Inletkeeper’s
ambitious efforts
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