Free Fairbanks streambank workshop opens July 15 for landowners and anglers

Fairbanks-area landowners and anglers can register for a free two-day Streambank Rehabilitation Workshop running July 15 and 16, put on by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fish. Pre-registration is required. The workshop is part of the Fairbanks Habitat Rehabilitation and Protection Cost-Share Program, administered cooperatively by ADF&G and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which serves private landowners and public land managers seeking financial support for restoration work.

Healthy vegetated streambanks prevent erosion, keep water cooler through shade, and supply insects and other food for fish, making restoration work directly relevant to sport, commercial, and subsistence fisheries that depend on salmon and resident fish habitat. Some riverfront owners, however, view restoration practices as conflicting with lawns, docks, or boat access that extend to the water's edge.

ADF&G teaches these free two-day workshops each year at project locations statewide, including the Kenai Peninsula and Mat-Su; Fairbanks is hosting one this July. Day one covers riparian habitat and salmon needs. Day two moves outside, where participants install an actual streambank project. ADF&G described it directly: "On the second day of the Streambank Workshop, participants will learn hands-on construction techniques by installing a streambank rehabilitation project."

The workshop was highlighted in ADF&G's July Reel Times newsletter. Registration details are available through ADF&G's Sport Fish website.