November 2015 - Kachemak Heritage Land Trust

LANDMARKS 2015
Newsletter for Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
HIGHLIGHTS
HoWL Youth Finish
Fence Project
Mountains to Sea
Conservation from Afar
New Addition to
Anchor River Properties
Raising the Bar
Poopdeck Platt: 1904–2000
Director’s Column
Marie McCarty
Executive Director
“The image of a community
is fundamentally important to
its economic well-being.
If all places look alike,
there’s no reason to go anywhere.”
- Ed McMahon, The Conservation Fund
Kenai Peninsula communities share a
common legacy of a love of salmon, a love of
self-sufficiency, and a long tradition of caring
for family land. We hunt, we fish, we hike, we
work, we play, we share our lives with our
families and friends, and we share a hope
that this place will remain special for future
generations. We have in our minds’ eye a
vision of the future that includes our beautiful
mountains and ocean and places to lead
healthy lives.
This July folks from Anchor Point, Homer,
other parts of the Peninsula, Anchorage and
beyond came together on a sunny evening on
the Anchor River to celebrate community and
one of the Peninsula rivers that we hold dear
to our hearts. Over two-hundred and fifty
people joined us for an evening of sun, music
by people who grew up here, presentations
by our partners, kids splashing in the river, all
enhanced by food grilled by neighbors and
friends, young and old. It was an evening not
to forget.
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Join us on Facebook!
Search for “Kachemak Heritage Land Trust.”
The Anchor River, like so many on the Kenai
Peninsula, is the heart of community. The
river is where many learned to fish for salmon,
where we camp, what we see as we drive by
in all seasons. It is like other accessible rivers,
like the Kenai, as it functions as a place that
pulls the community together. It is for that
reason that Kachemak Heritage Land Trust’s
conservation work on the Anchor and other
rivers is critical to communities. We recognize
that rivers are the glue that holds many
communities together. Our role is to help to
protect habitat so that the Kenai Peninsula
rivers remain healthy and productive for fish
and other wildlife over time.
KHLT Board Members
Sam Means, President
Donna Aderhold, Vice President
Larsen Klingel, Treasurer
Scott Connelly, Secretary
Joey Allred
Marian Beck
Nancy Lee Evans
Hannah Heimbuch
John Mouw
KHLT Staff
Marie McCarty, Executive Director
Mandy Bernard, Conservation Director
Rick Cline, Accounting/Grant Manager
Joel Cooper, Stewardship Director
Denise Jantz, Communications &
Development Coordinator
Website
Nina Daley, Volunteer
KHLT Contact Information
We were honored to be asked to tour
the US Fish and Wildlife Services Coastal
Program managers on properties we own for
conservation. On yet another sunny summer
day in our string of crazy good weather, we
brought Coastal Program managers from
across the country on properties we own
on the Anchor. As king salmon rolled and
spawned in front of us and mergansers with
chicks floated downstream, the managers
saw firsthand the story of KHLT’s permanent
conservation work and how our partners’
scientific work compliments ours.
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
315 Klondike Avenue
Homer, AK 99603
(907) 235-5263 | (907) 235-1503 (fax)
www.facebook.com/
kachemakheritagelandtrust
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Our work provides lasting and positive impact
to our communities, and I’m thankful to each
of you who support Kachemak Heritage Land
Trust and our conservation work as we protect
places that matter to communities on the
Kenai Peninsula. I hope this issue of Landmarks
will inspire you to continue or increase your
local support so that we can keep protecting
places that are special to our communities
long into the future.

WELCOME
AND THANK YOU.................... 2
Credits
Cover Photo © Denise Jantz
Children play and fish on the
Anchor River
Layout Design | Debi Bodett
CONTENTS
DIRECTOR’S COLUMN............... 1
MAKING THE CONNECTION......... 3
HoWL YOUTH FINISH
FENCE PROJECT..................... 4
FOR THE LOVE OF THE RIVER. . ...... 5
A REASON TO HOPE................. 6
MOUNTAINS TO SEA. . ............... 7
POOPDECK PLATT SITE PLANNING.. 9
NEWEST ADDITION TO ANCHOR
RIVER PROPERTIES. . ................ 10
GOODBYE FOR NOW, HOMER .. ..... 11
Marie McCarty
Executive Director
CONSERVATION FROM AFAR........ 12
RAISING THE BAR................... 12
POOPDECK PLATT: 1904-2000...... 13
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
WELCOME ABOARD TO OUR
New Committee Members
Kevin Mertzweiller joined our Land
and Easement Committee in the
spring of 2014. Kevin is from California
and has a Bachelor of Science degree
in Business. He celebrated his second
year of Alaskan residency with the
purchase of 10 acres where he is
building a cabin from the ground
up—something he says he is “VERY
Kevin Mertzweiller
proud of.” Kevin brings fresh eyes to
Land and Easement
the committee and tries to keep the
Committee
wheels moving. He states “I am quick
with a joke to bring a smile to those around me but always keep
my eye on the objective.” We are excited to have you on board
Kevin!
Nina Cunningham
grew up in San
Diego and started a family, but
with her love for travel she soon
realized that a life on the road was
calling her name. Last spring she
found herself driving up the ALCAN,
which landed her and her family in
Anchor Point. She spends her day’s
homeschooling her two children,
Nina Cunningham
managing local campgrounds, and is
Development
an active participant with the Anchor
Committee
Point Chamber. “I’m always up for an
adventure and I know working with KHLT will be no exception.”
Nina is now part of our Development Committee and we are
thrilled to have her!
Christi Griffard
is our most recent
addition to the Budget and
Investment
Committee.
Christi
moved to Homer from South
Florida in 2006, and is currently
a Financial Advisor with Edward
Jones. She has been in the financial
industry since 1993. Christi holds
her Chartered Financial Analyst
Christi Griffard
designation, and earned both her
Budget and Investment
MBA and BBA from the University of
Committee
Miami. Christi volunteers locally with
Hospice of Homer, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, American Cancer
Society/Relay For Life, the Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service
Area Board, Homer Animal Friends, the Homer Chamber of
Commerce, and the Rotary Club of Homer-Kachemak Bay. Welcome Christi, we are thrilled to have you on board!
Paul Knight is the newest addition to
our Land and Easement Committee.
Paul moved to Alaska in 1977 from
Southern California and recently
retired after 20 years with the Kenai
Borough Assessing Dept. He and his
wife, Laura Brooks, have kids spread
between Vermont, Boston, Chicago,
Colorado, and Anchorage. Having
Paul Knight
lived in Anchorage, Bethel, and
Land and Easement
Soldotna he says he “appreciates the
Committee
beauty and relative quiet of Homer.”
Paul says he welcomes the opportunity and looks forward to
serving on the Land Trust Committee. Welcome Paul, we are
excited to have you on board!

FAREWELL TO KHLT’S INTERIM
Stewardship Coordinator R
ob Roy McGregor joined the KHLT team as our 2015 summer intern. Realizing we could use a hand
through our busy field season this year, Rob Roy was the perfect solution. He moved from intern to
Interim Stewardship Coordinator. His position ended at the end of September, and as he moves on to his
next chapter, he will be greatly missed. Rob did an exceptional job—it was our privilege to have him as
part of the land trust family. Good luck on your new adventure Rob, we hope you will return to Homer
again someday soon!

LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
Rob Roy McGregor
Stewardship Coordinator
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Making the Connection Harness reflects on the spirit of giving after ten years as board president
by Hannah Heimbuch
D
otti Harness first came to love the Kachemak Heritage
Land Trust through friends and neighbors. From Little
Tutka to Homer, it was through relationships that she witnessed
a cause that echoed her own love for wild spaces, and ultimately
led to a 10-year stint as board president.
That is vital throughout the nonprofit
community.
“Nonprofits carry an incredible load
in this town,” Harness said, as do the
people who support them.
Strength comes from many giving
what they are able, she said, and
sharing in the long-term benefit. But
the tangible exchange is not the only
way to make resources work.
“What I like about it is the connection to the land,”
Harness said. “I like walking and I can appreciate it,
whether it’s the Calvin and Coyle Trail … or Anchor
River, or wetlands. I live and play in all of those places.”
Relationships — with land and people — create land stewards,
she said. For Harness, maintaining those connections gives
purpose to the governance, legal work and fundraising.
“I don’t mind reaching out to people,” she said. “Every nonprofit
needs people to do that kind of thing for them.”
That’s partly because of the organization behind her. “The land
trust has a fabulous reputation, which makes it easy to be on
the board and be proud to be on the board.”
There were landmark moments during her tenure, including
the hard work for accreditation, and conservation of the Victor
Holm property.
The community united around this property, she said, putting
the pieces together so the Kasilof Regional Historical Society
could ultimately take ownership. It was incredible to see the
Land Trust help get a historical property to the right people, she
said, a testament to collaborating around a shared value.
That effort exemplified a core value of both KHLT and Harness.
“It’s not about any one person,” she said. “It is everybody working
together to get it going and keep it going.”
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Dotti Harness
Former KHLT
Board President
“That mindset needs to be altered, to give for the sake of giving,
because giving feels good.”
This generosity of community allows us to enrich our lives
collectively, in a way we cannot possibly do alone.
“What if we all gave for the good feeling it gives you?” Harness
asked. “It’s more of a giving for the heart.”
That’s how she made time for the land trust, a little here, a little
there, something necessary for her community and her own
well-being.
“You fit it into your life. It’s no different than when we do exercise
or a job or play. We fit it in.”
This spirit of giving is at the core of land stewardship, extending
beyond the lives of those doing it, giving that ripples through
generations of human and creature communities. This is what
Harness helped to nurture during her ten years as board
president, and continues to support through her friendship
with the Land Trust. 
At our annual meeting last December, then Board President
Dotti Harness Foster passed the baton to then Vice President,
Sam Means. Sam joined our board in 2009 and says “I have
to thank Dotti for encouraging me awhile back to be Vice
President, knowing it would eventually lead to President.”
With almost a year as President under his belt, Sam has been
incredibly steadfast in this important leadership role.
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
HoWL YOUTH
Finish KHLT’s Fence Project
by Maddy Lee, DiRtBaG Service Corps Intern
Y
by Lisa Beranek, Kenai Watershed Forum
oung HoWL (Homer Wilderness Leaders) DiRtBaGers
(Discounted Rates for Boys and Girls) spent many
afternoons over the course of two summers finishing Kachemak
Heritage Land Trust’s Poopdeck garden area fence project. With
the guidance of KHLT’s Stewardship Director Joel Cooper, we
divided into teams to conquer the ambitious project. Not only
did we tear down the old Poopdeck fence, we built a new one
to keep moose and other critters out. The project also included
installing a gate for ease of access to the garden area.
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HoWL’s DiRtBaG Service Corp. is a grant funded program that
gives trip credits when kids go out to do community services.
WRESTLING
KHLT property on the Kenai River
Spruce Trees for Salmon
his summer world class wrestlers met up along the banks
of the Kenai River to wrangle spruce trees on behalf of
salmon. These athletes came from near and far for a chance to
lend their skills, and put a stop to erosion, by cabling spruce
trees along the bank of a Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
property on the Kenai River.
The wrestlers are trained volunteers from the Stream Watch
program — a river protection program jointly managed by
the Kenai Watershed Forum and the Chugach National Forest.
Stream Watch is making a difference through peer-to-peer
education and hands-on projects on Kenai Peninsula rivers. The
program partners with entities like the Land Trust to complete
river protection projects that likely would not be completed
otherwise.
“Basically what we’re doing is mimicking nature,” said Stream
Watch Coordinator Lisa Beranek. “Plants are very important
along the river, both standing plants — whose roots hold the
soil in place — and downed trees in the water.”
The DiRtBaGers had a blast accomplishing the Poopdeck fence.
Some helped on every trip to KHLT over the last two summers.
Ages of participants ranged from 9 to 18 and every single
DiRtBaGer felt a real sense of pride completing the project.
Building the Poopdeck fence was a perfect way for the
DiRtBaGers to learn about what KHLT does and the history of
the Poopdeck property. Many HoWLers had never visited KHLT
before and were eager to walk down the dirt road off Klondike
Avenue to see where the DiRtBaG work needed to be done.
Upon arriving to the small log cabin, some students ran straight
to the tree swing and then returned for each water and snack
break. Other students enjoyed lying on the grass and eating
Hershey’s Kisses until their hands were covered in chocolate
and their laughter filled the air. The older peer leaders worked
relentlessly with Joel until right before we had to leave, to make
sure the garden gate fit properly before leaving. 
This project is in partnership with the Land Trust through a
cost share program with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with
support from the Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited chapter. In
order to prevent future erosion and provide instant nearshore
fish habitat, volunteers were permitted to cable spruce trees to
the riverbank to create a soft buffer so that soil is immediately
stabilized, giving native plants an opportunity to establish and
stabilize the bank for the long term.
“It’s also good for fish to have areas were they can tuck in and
have protection from predators,” Beranek said. “Over the long
run, the trees will capture silt from the river and build up the
bank, and a food source is created there. You’re going to have
bugs coming in to break those trees down.” 
HoWL DiRtBaGers on KHLT’s Poopdeck Platt property
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
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“I’m a Fish!”
by Coowe Walker, Kachemak Bay Research Reserve
O
n a chilly July evening, two students from the University of
Washington and I were hunched over buckets of juvenile
salmon that we’d just seined out of the muddy estuary, near the
mouth of the Anchor River. I spend a lot of time working on
the Anchor River as a researcher, from the headwaters to the
mouth, collecting data to understand linkages between the
fish, the streams and the surrounding landscapes. On that day,
we’d been measuring, weighing, tagging and taking stomach
content samples for hours. The Anchor River was full to the
brim with juvenile Coho Salmon, but not all of these fingerlength salmon were on their way downstream. We’ve learned
that many will remain in the estuary, or move upstream to
overwinter and spend another year or two in the freshwater of
the Anchor River before migrating to the ocean and becoming
adults.
Suddenly, the rhythm of our work was interrupted by a
delighted call in the distance. I turned, looking downstream,
to see my young daughter and her friend, lying belly-down in a
patch of shallow rapids. Not minding the cold water, they were
following a couple of late Chinook salmon that were bucking
the current. “I’m a fish! I’m a fish!” she yelled joyfully.
Anchor River Celebration at the Coho Campground in Anchor Point
photo © Shana Loshbaugh
For the Love of the River
KHLT
was honored to host an Anchor River
Celebration “Take Me to the River” on July 9,
2015 at the Coho Campground in Anchor Point. Over 250 people
attended the event that celebrated the important conservation
work being done on the river and the people who live, work
and play there. The free community event featured a barbecue,
kid-friendly activities, live music by the local group the Howlin’
Whales, and presentations by special guests, including Anchor
Point resident and avid fisherman Lynn Whitmore. 
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Learning and sharing new insights into fish ecology, spending
a sunny day fishing on the river, and playing along the shore
are ways that we connect with the river. KHLT knows that this
connection is important. Over the past few years, KHLT has been
reaching out to local scientists who can inform conservation
efforts. As a researcher with the Kachemak Bay Research
Reserve, I share research on the significance of headwater
streams, groundwater flows, riparian wetlands, alder patches,
and estuaries to the salmon that live in the rivers. KHLT is
effectively incorporating this science into their work, and just as
importantly, has taken the initiative to celebrate our connection
to the river. The Anchor River Celebration brought us together
as a community, to acknowledge our commitment to protect
what we cherish. With this dedication, hopefully, children will
be singing out “I’m a fish! I’m a fish” for generations to come. 
Thank you to our Anchor River Celebration sponsors!
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
A Reason to Hope
KBRR’s Carmen Field and CIK’s Sue Mauger enjoy the Anchor River Celebration
by Sue Mauger, Cook Inlet Keeper
I
t couldn’t have been a more perfect evening on the banks
of the Anchor River to share with my mom and brother
who were visiting from the east coast. For years they have
listened to my stories of wading across this river, taking stream
temperatures and placing data loggers. They’ve tolerated my
nerdy enthusiasm as I’ve described working with the latest
technology - thermal imagery – to help me see where cold
water is along the stream corridor. I’ve told them about the
bark beetles, the floods, and the Memorial Day weekend when
some locals decided to take a ride down the river on a screw
trap. Of course I had to explain that a screw trap is typically
used for assessing the movement of salmon smolt leaving the
river and not for Huck Finn-style transport of Peninsula partiers.
And most recently they’ve heard the concern in my voice as I
describe our snowless winters and warmer summers and what
that might mean for Anchor River salmon.
But on July 9th my mom and brother got to see and experience
the Anchor River for themselves. They saw kids playing in the
water chasing stoneflies and caddisflies; they saw my friends,
new acquaintances, researchers and local politicians celebrating
the river. They had to listen to me talk – yet again, but this time
as a scientist and community member - about my connection
to this place. Under a canopy of cottonwood trees at the Coho
Campground, they could finally understand the value of those
thermal images and appreciate more deeply my excitement to
be part of the important work of Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
to protect places that will help keep the river cool in the years
ahead.
It was a thrill for me to share this evening of celebration with
my family and not just tell them about it on our weekly phone
call. But as they headed back to New England the next day, I
remembered they were returning to a place where salmon no
longer thrive. We will need to do things differently here if we
desire a different outcome. Only with concerted effort, strategic
planning and engaged communities will we sustain our salmon
runs on the Kenai Peninsula. If the huge turnout to the Anchor
River on July 9th is any indication, I believe we have reason to
hope.
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
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www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Mountains to Sea
by Mandy Bernard, KHLT’s Conservation Director
I
f you follow the work of the land trust, odds are
you’ve heard us mention our enigmatically titled
“Mountains to Sea” project. Whether you first heard
about it in a passing conversation with our Executive
Director, from a year-end appeal in your mailbox, or are
hearing about it for the first time, the Mountains to Sea
(M2S) work has been ongoing for the past three years.
The origin story of this program involves the Kenai
National Wildlife Refuge, an annual land trust meeting,
and climate change. John Morton, supervisory fish &
wildlife biologist for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge,
was invited to give a presentation at KHLT’s 2010
annual meeting. John spent the evening describing
the effects of climate change that have been measured
on the Kenai Peninsula, including wetlands that have
been decreasing 6-11% per decade, shrinking of the
Harding Icefield—up to 5% in surface area and 21
meters in elevation—, increased wildfires in forests
and grasslands, and summer stream temperatures
reaching lethal levels for salmon in non-glacial
streams. John anticipates that we’ll see a widespread
conversion from forest to grassland and alpine to forest
on the peninsula through the end of this century, as
well as a continuation of fragmented habitat with the
ever-growing human population.
We don’t have the ability to stop climate change, but
we can work with supporting private landowners to
protect some of our most precious resources. Local
science—and residents and visitors alike—can all agree
on the importance of salmon. We’ve been taught that
the headwaters of rivers act as “salmon nurseries” and
are just as important as the estuaries where salmon
return from the sea. John’s presentation highlighted
some staggering numbers about the peninsula’s
anadromous waters: while most headwaters—glacial
and non-glacial—are found within federally protected
lands, nearly 60% of anadromous river mileage must
flow through private property before reaching the sea.
This means salmon, and the mammals that travel along
river corridors, must travel almost 1000 miles past
neighborhoods and municipal areas, through mowed
lawns and under bridges, past boat launches, through
culverts and under highways, all while collecting urban
runoff.
While this may sound like a dispiriting presentation,
KHLT realized a role for the land trust, and felt called
to action. With generous financial and organizational
support from the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service, KHLT formed the M2S partnership with the
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Audubon Alaska, the
Kenai Watershed Forum, Cook Inletkeeper, and two
divisions of the Fish and Wildlife Service. For the past
two years, we’ve worked with our partners to identify
our “priority” corridors that begin in protected land
and flow through private parcels. Audubon created a
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based Decision
Support Tool to help inform the partners about
resources within the priority corridors.
We’ve now entered the outreach and implementation
phases of this project, where we plan to work with our
partners and interested landowners to protect private
land within the priority corridors. Protection can
take many forms, including acquisition, conservation
easements, deed restrictions, and landowner
stewardship. KHLT is pleased to have obtained funding
to hire a one-year contractor to kick off the initial
outreach and implementation phases. Homer resident
Scott McEwen will begin work on this project in
December 2015. Scott has over 35 years of experience
as an environmental consultant and resource manager
and we are thrilled he will have his feet on the ground
for us, taking our M2S project to the next level.
A project of this magnitude and scale will last many
years. We’re all eager for these next phases to begin,
and will share more news and updates in the near
future.

photo © Wild North Photography
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
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NPS’S RTCA PROGRAM AND PARTNERS
Continue to Assist Poopdeck Platt Site Planning by Paul Clark, Outdoor Recreation Planner
National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
Folks attending the land trust’s design charette
W
orking with the community and a host of partners, the
Land Trust moved closer to completing a site plan for the
Poopdeck Platt property in 2015. This past April, over twenty
people gathered to share their ideas and talents as part of a
conceptual site planning charrette for the property coordinated
by the Land Trust and the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation
Assistance program. Participants included representatives of
key user groups and neighbors. In addition, Peter Briggs of
Corvus Design and Nancy Casey of Casey Planning & Design,
both members of the Alaska Chapter of the American Society
of Landscape Architects, provided their pro bono expertise to
the planning process, as did Caroline Storm, an architect with
Bezek Durst Seiser. The focus of the 4-hour conceptual design charrette was to
develop guiding principles that reflect the “feel of the Land
Trust” on the property. Participants rotated through stations
to provide input and ideas about the new office building, trails
and the giving garden, and potential circulation patterns on
site. Results from the charette are informing the conceptual site
plan report being finalized by Nancy Casey.
The Land Trust successfully applied for a third year of technical
assistance from the NPS-RTCA program, though NPS staff faces
will be different in 2016. Paul Clark became program manager
for the RTCA program in Alaska in July, following Lisa Holzapfel’s
retirement in February, and Heather Rice accepted a new
position with NPS in Lakewood, Colorado. Paul plans to hire a
new staff member in early 2016. RTCA staff will continue to assist
the Land Trust and other partners to finalize the conceptual site
plan and develop action plans for the design and construction
phases of the project. RTCA is a national program that offers free
expertise on locally-led outdoor recreation and conservation
projects. (For more information about the program, see http://
go.nps.gov/alaska/rtca). 
Touring KHLT’s Poopdeck property during the design charette
Helping Hands
KHLT
would like to thank long-time supporter Nina
Daley, who has been our volunteer website
manager since early 2013. Nina was KHLT’s Communications
and Development Coordinator for three years from 2008 2011. Based in Seward for 17 years, Nina shifted to Homer
in 2004 when she married Phil Cowan, who worked for the
Alaska Department of Fish & Game. They moved to the Catskill
Mountains outside of Roscoe, NY after he retired. We asked Nina
what inspires her to volunteer for KHLT even after she moved
across the country. “I am involved in many ways in conservation
issues. Volunteering for KHLT is a way to continue participating
in the conservation movement on the Kenai Peninsula, where I
spent a large chunk of my adult life, which will always be special
to me.” Thank you Nina, we truly appreciate your hard work! 
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www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Nina Daley, KHLT volunteer from afar
photo © Phil Cowan
TOBY TYLER RECEIVES 2ND ANNUAL
Land at Heart Award
K
achemak Heritage Land Trust is honored to award Homer
icon Toby Tyler our second annual Land at Heart award.
This award recognizes individuals from our communities for
their “distinguished contributions to land conservation on the
Kenai Peninsula.” Toby Tyler has been at the heart of KHLT since its very
beginning. As a founding KHLT Board member, donor of a
beautiful conservation easement, and as a person with great
commitment to our community, we are honored to have him as
part of this organization and with great pride present him with
this award. 
New addition to KHLT’s Anchor River Salmon Conservation Area
Toby Tyler’s 20-acre property in Homer, a valuable wildlife habitat and
an important link between the moose summer and wintering grounds.
photo © Wild North Photography
EFFLER TRAIL
Celebrates Official Opening
KHLT’s
Effler trail and viewing platform on W.
Skyline Drive in Homer had its official
opening during the 2015 Shorebird Festival in May. The ribbon
cutting ceremony was a great success with local naturalist
and KHLT founding board member Daisy Lee Bitter speaking
about the importance of the headwater fen. Two of Gene and
Mim Effler’s great-grandchildren were there to cut the ribbon.
The 18-acre property was donated to KHLT in 2007 by the
Effler family and is part of a headwater fen in the Bridge Creek
Watershed, which provides Homer’s drinking water. 
Effler Trail official opening during the 2015 Shorebird Festival
KHLT Rocks! W
hen KHLT contacted me to see if I was interested in
putting the land I own on the Anchor River into the
Trust, I was somewhat skeptical and thought it was one of those
things that is just too good to be true. It is something that I have
always wanted to do – to save the land for future generations.
I contacted KHLT and soon came to realize that they are indeed
a group of phenomenal people who have a great mission. Just
saying “thanks” could never be enough for all of the hard work
and dedication that the employees put into their work. I feel
that they consistently go ‘above and beyond’. My main point of
contact at KHLT was Conservation Director Mandy Bernard, who
was kind and always maintained a wonderful positive attitude.
Sometimes people do things and say “this really changed my
life.” But honestly, this really has changed my life. After having
the land in my family for over 15 years, this makes me feel
great. My family and I have always loved the great outdoors
so it was only natural for us to want to preserve this beautiful
parcel of land that is now part of KHLT’s Anchor River Salmon
Conservation Area. 
Thank you, KHLT.
Debra S. Kelley
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
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Goodbye for Now, Homer
by Rob Roy McGregor
L
ooking back on the last year I feel a pang of sadness as I say
goodbye to KHLT. I started work here as the Stewardship
Intern last August. It was my second trip to Homer, having spent
the previous summer of 2013 working at the Wynn Nature Center
before returning to Washington for the winter and Idaho for
most of the summer of 2014. As soon as I left Homer for the first
time, I began to miss the unique culture of the place, the do-ityourself attitude, the farmers and homesteaders, the fishermen
and birders, and the scientists and the arts community. I also
immediately missed the jaw dropping beauty of the place. So
I was obviously very excited to return to the Cosmic Hamlet By
the Sea last August for what I thought would be a three-month
internship.
For the first three months I was working part time at KHLT and
pretty much every day of work was a trip into the field with Joel
Cooper, at that time the Stewardship Coordinator. Because of a
late start on the field season due to an injury, we crammed as
much field time into each week as possible- about 2 or 3 full
days of monitoring a week. I was loving it! In the three months
I spent living in Homer in 2013 I did not do nearly enough
exploring, and now I was getting paid to hike the Peninsula two
or three times a week! During this time I got to know each of
the properties that the Land Trust owns or holds a conservation
easement on, and I came to realize what an amazing place I was
living in and the amazing work that KHLT does. I also learned a
ton from Joel, who had spent most of his life working in the field
all around Alaska doing important science and conservation
work.
Well the three-month internship was extended to the end of
the year, and that turned into a temporary full-time position
as the Interim Stewardship Coordinator, which lasted from
January through September, while Joel moved into the position
of Stewardship Director and took on several large projects. As
the Stewardship Coordinator I learned a lot. I was responsible
for the monitoring and documentation of over 3,000 acres of
land and the coordination of volunteers and landowners as well
as governmental agencies and other non-profits to accomplish
this feat. I learned how to ask for help; there was a lot of work
to be done, and I couldn’t do it alone. I had lots of help from
my supervisors Joel Cooper and KHLT’s Conservation Director
Mandy Bernard, who guided me in making the right decisions,
and let me make my own mistakes when it was appropriate. I
also had the help of the rest of the KHLT Staff for all the in-office
questions and communication advice. Most importantly, I had
11
Rob Roy on horseback while visiting KHLT’s
Krishna Venta Conservation Area
amazing volunteers who helped me trek each one of those
properties regardless of the terrain or weather!
I can’t thank our volunteers enough! From these amazing
men and women, most of whom were working or retired field
biologists, foresters, soils scientists, and geologists, I learned
a great deal about a life in the field and the amazing state of
Alaska. I always enjoyed hearing the adventures these folks
have had and I was inspired by their dedication to conservation.
Over the last year I’ve visited some amazing places conserved
by KHLT and I’m proud to say that I worked with this group
of dedicated individuals who are really making an effort and
successfully protecting the natural heritage of the Kenai
Peninsula. Though it may be fun working at the land trust, it’s
not easy work and the staff and board of KHLT do it because
they believe in their mission. Of course, none of this is possible
without all of the help of the donors and landowners with
conservation easements on their property! Thank you, too!
As I leave this community I already have visions of returning in
the future, either for vacation or to stay, because I know one
thing for certain- I love this town and the people in it! Goodbye
for now Homer!
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
OSAKA
P
ick.Click.Give. is a fantastic way for Alaskans to support
their favorite non-profit organizations by donating part
of their permanent fund dividend. Please consider KHLT when
applying for your 2016 PFD and remember to Pick.Click.Give.! 
Masami Yoshioka, KHLT member from afar
photo © Masami Yoshioka
Conservation from Afar
M
asami Yoshioka lives in Osaka, Japan and has been a
member of KHLT for many years. She has traveled to
Alaska thirteen times and has been to Homer three. We decided
to ask Masami what motivates her to be a part of our important
conservation efforts from so far away.
KHLT: Masami, your first donation was in 2007 supporting
our Diamond Creek project as suggested by Steve Johnson of
Alaska Flower Essence. Every year since, you have maintained
your membership with us and supported our important
conservation work. What inspires your continuing support of
preserving lands in Alaska and specifically, the Kenai Peninsula?
Masami: I want to be useful for Alaska. I feel that the Kenai
Peninsula has a balanced relationship - human/art with nature.
KHLT: Why is it important to you?
Masami: Because Alaska is my spiritual home.
KHLT: Is there something specific that KHLT has done or is doing
that touches your heart? If so, what would that be?
Masami: Yes, your target is very clear and you are so sincere as
a group.
KHLT: How do you see it different here in Alaska than from
where you are from in Japan?
Masami: I see “The planet Earth” in Alaska.
KHLT: Thank you Masami, for being part of our land trust
family! 
RAISING THE BAR
for Conservation
KHLT
was chosen to be part of a small group
from across the country viewed as “ready
to dramatically increase our impact” by the national Land
Trust Alliance (LTA)! LTA is financially investing in our future as
part of their land trust National Excellence Program. LTA is the
professional organization for roughly 1,700 land trusts across
the U.S.
With this honor comes the tandem challenge of raising the
financial bar to reach this goal. We thank you for your support in
helping us achieve this high level of recognition. With your help
we will continue to grow our impact, and turn this goal into a
reality, which will benefit our community long into the future.
Help us Raise the Bar for Conservation by maintaining and/or
increasing your membership, participating in our special and
annual appeal, including KHLT in your estate plans, donating
to KHLT through the Pick.Click.Give. program, volunteering,
or making general donations. Thank you for your continuing
commitment to our important conservation efforts!
As part of the National Excellence Program, KHLT
participated in an in-depth needs assessment facilitated
by consultant Will Murray in the fall of 2014. Following
the recommendation made to us by LTA during the
assessment, and for the first time in KHLT’s history, we
now have four full time staff members as well as one
¾ time staff member and a Mountains to Sea Project
Contractor. It was clear that in order to move forward we
must have more feet on the ground. This is just one part
of our move to Raise the Bar!

LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
12
Poopdeck Platt: 1904–2000
By Catherine Cassidy
C
larence Hiram Platt was born on May 17, 1904 in Missoula,
Montana. He married Bonnie Thomas in 1923 and they had
two children, Alice and Clarence Vernon. By 1928 Poopdeck was
divorced and owned half of a truck farm. He sold their produce
door–to-door in Anaconda, Butte, and Philipsburg, Montana.
Poopdeck got his nickname on the farm. There were five men
named Clarence working there, including Poopdeck’s son,
and the cook decided to give them all nicknames to simplify
life. Poopdeck’s son wanted to be a sailor so he got the name
‘Popeye’. In the cartoon of the time, Popeye’s father was called
‘Poopdeck Pappy’, so that nickname was assigned to Poopdeck
but he didn’t like the sound of ‘Pappy’, so Poopdeck it became
and remained. He said that when he introduced himself as
“Clarence,” no one ever remembered him but when he went by
“Poopdeck”, no one ever forgot him!
In 1943 he enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific. During
the war his daughter Alice introduced him to her friend Bernice
Morrison in San Francisco. They corresponded and Bernice gave
him a subscription to Alaska Magazine. After the war, Poopdeck
sold out of the farm and decided to move to Alaska. He wrote
to Bernice asking her to marry him and move north. She agreed.
They invited his kids and Alice’s new husband, Fred Huebsch, to
go along and they all headed north to start new lives. Poopdeck
bought a 2-ton truck and they camped their way up the Alcan,
arriving in Anchorage on July 7, 1947.
Housing in Anchorage was in short supply so the families went
into construction. Poopdeck and Fred bought a condemned
building in Eklutna. They made tools and all worked together
to dismantle the building. With the salvaged materials they
built three houses in Anchorage, two to live in and one to rent.
The men then turned their hands to setnetting and ended up
fishing on Kalifornsky Beach in Kasilof. Poopdeck switched to
drift gillnetting in 1955 and fished every season until he was 80
years old.
In 1956 Poopdeck was doing some boat work in Homer when
he bought his cabin and almost four acres from Whitey Skank
for $8,500 (Whitey carried the paper at no interest). During
most of the 1960’s he was the winter watchman at the Libby,
McNeil, Libby cannery in Kenai and rented the cabin to Stinky
and Mud Jones. By the end of the sixties Poopdeck had lost his
wife and both children to illness and part of his right hand to a
fishing accident. He settled in to his cabin at what he called “the
best bachelor pad in Homer.”
13
He hand dug the basement under the cabin and discovered
it was a perfect wine cellar. Friends and visitors from all over
the world have climbed down the stairs to sample his (mostly)
delicious homemade wines, which he dubbed “bug juice” in
honor of the yeast bugs that did the work. He kept an enormous
vegetable garden and shared his harvest around town. Empathy
and generosity were his response to the hardships and loss in
his life. He never drove by a hitchhiker without stopping and
he frequently opened his home to temporary “roommates” for
a week or a winter. In his last 25 years Poopdeck traveled to
Antarctica, New Zealand, Australia, Galapagos Islands, Easter
Islands, Africa, Latin America, South America, Egypt, China and
Russia. He died at home on November 7, 2000. His only regret
was that he did not live long enough to dance at his 100th
birthday party. At his request his ashes were spread in the
middle rip of Cook Inlet so that he could continue traveling.
Catherine Cassidy is married to one of Poopdeck’s grandsons, Erik
Huebsch. KHLT purchased the property from Poopdeck’s family
estate in 2002. Our office is now located on what was his 3.47-acre
property in the heart of Homer. 
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Poopdeck, Bernice, Alice, and Fred - 1947
The Alcan - 1947
Poopdeck and Seal Pup - 1950’s
photos courtesy of the Huebsch family
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • 2015
14
Non-Profit
PRESORT
STANDARD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Homer, Alaska
Permit #67
315 Klondike Avenue
Homer, Alaska 99603
CHANGE SERVICE
REQUESTED
Conserving the natural heritage of the Kenai Peninsula for future generations.
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Printed on 50% recycled paper.
KHLT and YOU
There are many ways to be a part of Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, to assist us with our important mission protecting
irreplaceable land on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. No act of kindness is taken for granted, no volunteer task is too small, and
no monetary donation is insignificant. Please join us as we move forward with our vital conservation work.
Thank you – The KHLT Board and Staff
Consider giving ahead
to future generations by
including the Land Trust
in your estate plans.