Federal funding backed by matching grants has the Alaska
Marine Stewardship Foundation on target to clean up another 51.6 metric tons of
marine debris in 2015, in or adjacent to state and federal critical habitat
areas in Alaska.
The $200,000 grant was announced in early October for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program. It
will be used, along with the matching funds from community development quota
programs, to remove debris at St. George, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski, Port Heiden
and Gambell.
NOAA allocated a total of $1,275,000 nationwide in similar
grants.
Since 2006, this program has funded 87 marine debris removal
projects, removing more than 4,800 metric tons of marine debris.
Matching funds came from the Aleutian Pribilof Island
Community Development Association, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., and
Norton Sound Economic Development Corp.
Because funding arrives late in the year, NOAA funds for
fiscal 2013 were used for 2014 cleanup and funds allocated in 2014 will be used
next year, said Dave Gaudet, executive director of AMSF.
Gaudet is a retired Alaska Department of Fish and Game
fisheries biologist and a commercial salmon fish harvester. He joined AMSF as
marine debris program coordinator in early 2009 and grew the organization
through expanded projects and debris research.
Gaudet has a bachelor’s degree in fisheries management from
the University of Wisconsin at Steven’s Point and a master’s degree in
fisheries science from the University of Washington.
AMSF, formerly known as the Marine Conservation Alliance
Foundation, promotes conservation and restoration of Alaska’s coastlines
through marine debris cleanup and public outreach. Through 2011, AMSF’s work
has cleaned 1,794.8 miles of shoreline, removing 2,206,152 pounds of debris.
More information on the foundation’s work is at its website,
(www.alaskamsf.org).