Fall/Winter 2014 - Kachemak Heritage Land Trust

LANDMARKS 14
Fall / Winter
Newsletter for Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
HIGHLIGHTS
Halibut Cove Lagoon
KHLT’s Gene & Mim
Effler Trail
25 Years Ago and KHLT
The Calvin & Coyle Trail
Giving Ahead,
Solace of Return
Director’s Column
Marie McCarty
Executive Director
One-quarter century. Wow!
KHLT is 25, founded one month before the
Exxon Valdez oil spill. The early days were spent
gathering information about private land
conservation, drafting bylaws, unleashing
the talents of visionary KHLT founders as they
created a way to protect the future of our land
on Kachemak Bay.
It must have been a heady time, full of
opportunities and dreams with a big picture
sense of what’s next. We’ve all had those
moments in our lives where opportunity
presents itself and we choose to move toward
it.
I’m thankful that the first group of KHLT
dreamers took time from their busy lives to
create KHLT. What a lasting legacy they have
created.
Now is another heady time, full of
opportunities, and we intend to seize them.
Our Kenai Mountains to Sea Project, Wings
over Western Waters Project, and Anchor
River Project all build on the good work of our
founders.
There are touch points in organizations
when a new vision is needed to determine
what’s next. Now is one of those pivotal times.
Since KHLT hosted the Statewide meeting
of land trusts in Homer, I’ve been thinking
about how we talk about land conservation.
The Statewide meeting topic was land trusts
and community engagement. We invited the
Alaskan land trusts to Homer for four days
with facilitator Peter Forbes, several of our
partners, and representatives of the national
1
Join us on Facebook!
Search for “Kachemak Heritage Land Trust.”
Land Trust Alliance from Montana and
Washington DC. This meeting was a pilot for
the national Land Trust Alliance.
Land trust folks tend not to toot our horn
loud enough at our conservation successes.
As I mull over what I learned at our statewide
meeting, I realize that we aren’t alone. As the
land trust community we have collectively
protected almost 50 million acres.
50 million!!! Who knew?
There are 1,700 land trusts across the US
doing great local work, many of us with our
collective heads down brokering increasingly
complex land protection deals. The array
of skills needed to preserve land forever
is enormous and ever changing, and our
organization is expert at these skills.
But, land trusts need to do a better job
explaining what we do in words that people
understand. We will be talking more to you,
asking for your ideas more frequently, trying
to better describe our work in a way that
makes sense.
As I write this, I’m framing my thoughts in
the context of this being our 25th anniversary.
KHLT was born of people passionate
about land who were also foresighted and
hardworking enough to translate that passion
into action. This talented group of community
members created KHLT before legislation
existed to create conservation easements
in Alaska. Our founders’ passion birthed this
great organization and set a high bar for future
boards, staff and volunteers. KHLT’s culture is
to be a leader, to do our work carefully and
to protect salmon and other wildlife habitat
important to the places we live, work and
play.
To honor our grassroots beginnings
while staging KHLT at the forefront of land
conservation in Alaska, we are thinking long
and hard about how to do both as gracefully
as we do all of our work.

Marie McCarty
Executive Director
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
KHLT Board Members
Dotti Harness-Foster, President
Sam Means, Vice President
Larsen Klingel, Treasurer
Scott Connelly, Secretary
Donna Robertson Aderhold
Joey Allred
Marian Beck
Nancy Lee Evans
John Mouw
KHLT Staff
Marie McCarty, Executive Director
Mandy Bernard, Conservation Director
Rick Cline, Accounting/Grant Manager
Denise Jantz, Communications &
Development Coordinator
Joel Cooper, Stewardship Coordinator
Rob Roy McGregor, Intern
KHLT Contact Information
Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
315 Klondike Avenue
Homer, AK 99603
(907) 235-5263 | (907) 235-1503 (fax)
www.facebook.com/
kachemakheritagelandtrust
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Credits
Nina Daley, Volunteer Website Manager
Layout Design | Debi Bodett
Cover Photo © Erik Niebuhr
Young Lily Niebuhr explores KHLT’s new
Gene and Mim Effler Trail on Skyline Drive
in Homer.
CONTENTS
DIRECTOR’S COLUMN............... 1
WELCOME
AND THANK YOU.................... 2
HALIBUT COVE LAGOON,
LAND AT HEART..................... 3
KHLT’S GENE & MIM
EFFLER TRAIL.. ...................... 5
STATEWIDE MEETING
OF LAND TRUSTS.................... 6
25 YEARS AGO AND KHLT........... 7
CALVIN & COYLE TRAIL. . ............ 10
WHAT’S HAPPENING?. . ............. 11
RTCA ASSISTS
IN POOPDECK PLANNING .......... 11
GIVING AHEAD,
SOLACE OF RETURN................. 12
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT... 13
WELCOME ABOARD TO OUR
ROB ROY MCGREGOR
New Stewardship Coordinator!
Joins KHLT as Summer Intern
K
R
As a contractor he worked for several Alaska Native villages,
non-profit organizations, and worked for two years on the City
of Homer’s Climate Action Plan. He has a Bachelor of Science
in Environmental Studies from Southern Illinois University. He
served as President of the Kachemak Bay Conservation Society
for two years and four years on the Homer Fish and Game
Advisory Committee.
KHLT’S NEW Development
Committee Member
HLT welcomes Joel Cooper as our
new Stewardship Coordinator!
Joel is a twenty-two-year resident of
Homer with a diverse background
working in the environmental field
with local organizations. His first
eight years in Homer was with Alaska
Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
monitoring seabird colonies and
working on various biological studies.
Joel Cooper
Stewardship Coordinator
Joel then moved on to work in the
non-profit sector, taking a job as a Stream Ecologist and then
spent ten years as Research Coordinator with Cook Inletkeeper.
Here, his focus was on water quality and quantity monitoring
throughout the Cook Inlet Watershed.
ob Roy McGregor joined KHLT
this summer as our 2014
summer intern. Rob Roy grew up
in Anacortes, WA where he gained
a deep interest in the forest and
marine ecosystems of the Salish Sea.
Attending the University of British
Columbia, he graduated with honors
in 2013 with a BSc in Forest Sciences.
In addition to interning at the Wood
Rob McGregor
Summer Intern
River Land Trust in Hailey, ID where
he gained valuable experience for this internship, he also spent
the previous year interning at the Wynn Nature Center where
he came to love the Kenai Peninsula ecosystems and the town
of Homer. “I am very excited to be back in Homer,” says Rob Roy,
“and to work with KHLT.”

W
25th Anniversary Celebration
elcome aboard to our new
Development Committee
member Nyla Lightcap! Nyla grew up
in Homer and graduated from Homer
High School. She attended college
at Penn State and after graduation
in 2009, Nyla moved back to her
hometown where she has been
working and volunteering in the
Homer community ever since. We are
thrilled to have her on board! 
O
25th Anniversary Artwork Joel coordinates and conducts the field monitoring and
documentation of KHLT’s conservation easements and
properties KHLT owns for conservation. He enjoys all outdoor
activities, especially hiking and skiing in the backcountry. He is
also a passionate long distance runner. Welcome aboard Joel!
n March 8, 2014, KHLT celebrated our 25th year by hosting
an anniversary party at the Down East Saloon. It was
fantastic to see so many land trust friends and supporters join
us in the festivities. Our 25th year is an important milestone
in our history. By our founders laying the groundwork and
foundation of KHLT, we have been able to grow into a strong,
solid nonprofit organization. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Thank you to the Down East staff, Holy Santos Gang, Two Sisters
Bakery, Lorraine Williams, Daisy Lee Bitter, Angie Newby at
Homer Real Estate, Debra Leisek at Bay Realty, and to our event
sponsors; Alaska Wildland Adventures, First National Bank of
Alaska, Ulmer’s Drug & Hardware, and HEA, and to everyone
who joined us, for making this a memorable event.

Nyla Lightcap
Development Committee
L
ocal cartoonist, Lorraine Williams
generously donated her time
and artistic talents to design the
25th anniversary artwork for KHLT.
Her cartoons can be found weekly in
the Homer Tribune, and her books,
“You Know You are in a Small Town
When…” at Fireweed Gallery, KBay
Caffé, Cosmic Kitchen, and The Homer
Book Store. Thank you Lorraine! 
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
Lorraine Williams
Local Cartoonist
2
Karen E. Ruud and Peter O. Mjos
photo © Peter O. Mjos
KHLT staff, board and committee members tour the preserved Halibut Cove Lagoon property
Preserved Halibut Cove Lagoon Property Leaves Owners Feeling “Informed, Humbled, and Blessed”
by Karen E. Ruud, Leif K. Mjos, Brita R. Mjos, Peter O. Mjos
I
n the ‘70’s we kayaked to an isthmus guarding the tidal
entrance to Halibut Cove Lagoon. What we encountered then
continues to inspire us – the profound grandeur of a truly unique
maritime setting surrounded by Kachemak Bay State Park. At
that time a terribly dilapidated shed, a remnant of the former
herring saltery, sat astride crumbling pilings. In the 1920’s
this had been the site of a once thriving fishery, a subspecies
of strikingly large herring. In a matter of less than five years
human avarice and hubris extinguished that remarkable fish.
Only the slowly decaying pilings remain. Sadly, such myopia
and unrelenting hubris thrive, as we have witnessed the loss of
the local shrimp, Dungeness crab, fishes, and clams.
A very nondescript ad in the Homer News in the early ‘80’s lead
to our purchase of the entire property, unseen by us for several
years – uplands, isthmus, the “big island”, and the tidelands –
the legacy of the herring saltery.
The area is relentlessly dynamic, and evidence of climate change
is indisputable. Avalanches, rock slides, rapid appearance and
growth of gravel bars, changing channels, currents, beaches
and tide pools, species and habitat changes, as well as the
omnipresent spruce beetle devastation. So also have these
events been transformative for us.
The property, an intact ecosystem, is completely surrounded by
Kachemak Bay State Park. As evidenced by the abundance and
variety of both life and the inanimate, this is reason sufficient to
justify maintaining the character and integrity of the property
in perpetuity. The property is host and home to several
dozens of vertebrates and invertebrates, from the very large
and imposing to the most delicate, from the strand to forest
diversity. New discoveries abound. Weather unpredictability
presents surprises frequently and flavors the experience.
Life in this setting has informed, humbled, and blessed us. For
this honor, this privilege, we are obliged to act as stewards.
It is with sincere gratitude to KHLT that this most special
property will be fully protected by a conservation easement
forever. Thank you.
KHLT’s Land at Heart Award
Honors Local Conservation Work K
achemak Heritage Land Trust is honored to nominate Lynn
Whitmore of Kachemak Moose Habitat, Inc. to be the first
recipient of our Land at Heart award. The award honors those
in our community who do exceptional conservation work,
helping us preserve irreplaceable lands on the Kenai Peninsula.
about conserving land important to our southern Peninsula
community and is tireless in his commitment to finding a way
to make that happen. During his many years as President of
Kachemak Moose Habitat, Inc., he has worked to preserve
spectacular pieces of land and has been a fantastic partner to
KHLT. Congratulations Lynn! 
Lynn represents everything we honor at KHLT. He is passionate
3
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Shorebirders on the Spit
Shorebirders
Visit KHLT Protected Lands
S
HoWL youth and KHLT volunteer Hailey Smith
help with our Poopdeck Platt property
HoWLers Help with KHLT’s
Fence and Garden Project
Y
horebird Festival 2014 proved to be a great success story
again this year! The weather was perfect and the shorebirds
arrived right on schedule. When complimenting new festival
coordinator, Robbi Mixon on its success she jokingly states, “I
blame the success on the nice weather.” Hats off to Robbi and
the rest of the Shorebird staff and volunteers who made it all
possible.
outh from HoWL (Homer Wilderness Leaders) have been
helping KHLT with our fence and garden project. They’ve
torn down old fencing, salvaged wood, and reconstructed a
new fence. HoWLers also helped us tend to our garden beds.
KHLT hosted two events at this year’s Shorebird Festival; Birds
Need Land Too – a talk on the importance of land conservation
and bird habitat, and secondly, our annual Van Tours. Homer Van
Tours driver and KHLT volunteer, Tom Early, was accommodating
and just as helpful as usual! Both tours were almost sold out, and
we were thrilled to be able to share our important conservation
work with our visiting guests, who were able to put their feet on
the ground of some of our amazing protected properties.
Interested in getting involved?
Please contact our Stewardship Coordinator:
Joel Cooper at 235-LAND or [email protected]
Make sure you keep us in mind for next year’s Shorebird Festival.
Register early and join us for our free events!

Thank you HoWL and volunteer Hailey Smith for all of your hard
work!

HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR RAISES FUNDS FOR
Calvin and Coyle Nature Trail K
HLT was honored last March when Homer High School
senior, Cassidy Soitsman, planned, organized and hosted
the Calvin and Coyle Canter, a ski race in Homer to benefit
KHLT’s Calvin and Coyle community trail.
This fantastic event was Cassidy’s Caring for the Kenai project, a
contest that challenges high school students to, 1) either better
care for the Kenai Peninsula’s environment or, 2) propose how
to increase our preparedness for natural disaster.
Homer High School senior, Cassidy Soitsman
The Caring for the Kenai is an educational project of the Kenai
Watershed Forum. Cassidy’s wonderful contribution to KHLT is
already helping us to maintain this well-loved Homer trail. 
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
4
KHLT’s Gene & Mim Effler Trail
The Final Stages
W
e hope you noticed the work that happened
this summer on the north side of Skyline Drive,
just across the road from Glacier View Court (no, we
are not talking about the gas line!). Kachemak Heritage
Land Trust has built the next trail in the Homer area –
the Gene and Mim Effler Trail. There is a driveway and
small parking area with a short gravel trail that joins up
with a raised, light-penetrating boardwalk which brings
you out to an observation platform that extends into a
beautiful fen.
What is a fen?
A fen is an important peat-forming groundwater fed
wetland that differs from a bog which is acidic. Fens, on
the other hand, are pH neutral or alkaline and mineral
rich. The importance of this fen is it one of the natural
purifiers of Homer’s water supply, the reservoir. This fen
is conserved by KHLT to protect this important fish and
wildlife area and our local water supply. Stay up to date
with the project by liking us on Facebook or visiting our
website at kachemaklandtrust.org for updates and a
grand opening happening next summer.
The final piece of the puzzle is to install five interpretive
signs written by previous KHLT intern and local high
school student Axel Gillam, and illustrated by local
artists Lee Post and Catie Bursch. Two location signs
along Skyline Drive will also be installed.
Gene Effler dreamed of establishing an educational
trail on the property, and in 2007, Gene and Mim’s
children donated 18 acres of their original homestead
to KHLT. Be sure to join us in 2015 for our ribbon cutting
ceremony! 
5
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Statewide group
Homer Hosts Statewide Gathering of Land Trusts
T
he 2014 Statewide meeting of land trusts, held in April in
Homer, was a great reminder that we share an important
goal with so many in Alaska and beyond: preserving forever the
heritage and unique lands of this incredible state.
This year the focus of the meeting was on community
conservation — a land trust’s ability to be more relevant and
inclusive in its communities. Land trusts want to better connect
people directly with the land that they live, work and play on.
“Alaska land trusts are conserving land that protects fish and
bird habitat, preserves our community landscape, and provides
healthy places for people to play,” said KHLT’s Executive
Director Marie McCarty. “We want to learn how to better
communicate the positive impacts of this conservation work in
our communities, and how we can empower communities to
be involved in those efforts.” KHLT was honored to host this inspiring group including
facilitator Peter Forbes from The Center for Whole Communities
in Vermont. Participants included the National Land Trust
Alliance, Anchorage/Mat-Su’s Great Land Trust, the Bristol Bay
Heritage Land Trust, the Alaska Farmland Trust, the Southeast
Alaska Land Trust, the Native Land Conservancy of Cordova and
Arctic Village, and the Interior Land Trust, and partners U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Coastal Program, Pacific Coast Joint Venture and
the Conservation Fund.
The relationships and positive momentum built through this
meeting will ripple through the state’s land trusts for years to
come. 
We have reached an incredible milestone!
– Commission Executive Director Tammara Van
Ryn
Accredited land trusts now account for 75% of the
20,645,165 acres currently owned in fee or protected by
a conservation easement held by a land trust. This is an
incredible milestone!
Accreditation provides the public with the assurance that
accredited land trusts meet high standards for quality and
that the results of their conservation work are permanent.
Accreditation renewal, which must be completed every
five years, confirms that all land trusts continue to aspire
national quality standards.

LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
6
Kenai River, southern parcel – Featured on the cover of Landmarks, Fall/Winter 2007
Looking Back, Looking Ahead
by Janice Schofield Eaton and Sue Christiansen
T
wenty-five years ago, Homer’s community stood on a
precipice. Plans were underway to clear-cut most of the old
growth temperate rain forest within Kachemak Bay State Park
and the surrounding areas. Critical habitat and wildlife corridors
were being lost at a rapid rate. The moose were starving, crab
fisheries collapsing, historic homesteads fracturing. A chance
encounter with a Land Trust Alliance article awoke Jan to the
power and potential of community land trusts. The vision was
welcomed by a group of friends working on these issues. At
our first public meeting, seeds were placed in each person’s
hands as we committed to grow a community land trust. Soon
after, the Exxon Valdez oil spill flooded our outer beaches with
oil, devastating seabirds, marine mammals and fisheries. The
citizens of Kachemak Bay mobilized into action. 7
With the help of Judy Lund, the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust
acquired non-profit status as a 501(c)(3). As Board President and
Director, we presented the Land Trust mission to community
organizations and groups; active discussions followed our
slide shows, further clarifying local needs and visions. A solid
foundation of support was established by soliciting a variety
of memberships. Founding members provided thousand
dollar donations. Organizations, families and singles were
encouraged at all levels, including a $5 minimum category. We
gave everyone with an interest in KHLT’s work an opportunity
to partner, and feel ownership. Soon KHLT had an incredible amount of members and
volunteers, passionate about protecting the land we loved.
There were so many amazing people taking responsibility and
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
Ed and Janice Schofield
Founding Board Members
Janice Schofield, Sue Christiansen, Jon and Nelda Osgood,
Roberta Highland, Robert Archibald, Mary Pearsall, Toby
Tyler, Diane McBride, Devony Lehner and Daisy Lee Bitter
Sue Christiansen
leadership KHLT won the Land Trust Alliance’s ‘Allen Morgan
Award’ - an Award for Volunteer Excellence. Volunteers
helped with FUNdraising offering educational programs; bird,
mushroom, plant identification, horseback rides . . . as well as
Lodge Hops and Costume Balls. Port Graham and English Bay
contributed by opening their communities and providing rich
interpretive programs.
Kenton Bloom and Dan Delmissier vitalized the land trust trails
program. Rob Lund and Steve Tarola’s artistic talent helped
with our newsletters and our advertising events. Neil Wagner
spearheaded Homer’s first recycling program. Anne Wieland
organized house parties in Anchorage to help expand our
membership; she joined us as we met with potential corporate
donors. Mary Pearsall, Polly Pringle Hess, and others helped
with grant writing. What a privilege to work with these and
countless unnamed heroes, including the founding board! At
the center of all was volunteer extraordinaire, Mary Griswold
(grant writer, record keeper, and coordinator) helping with
everything; always enthusiastic, never tiring, professional and a
light to all who came through the door.
Our first paid office was about as big as a closet, the very
back room of the Pioneer Building. With the help of Will
Files, we learned how to use our newly acquired Macintosh
computers. Internet was brand new; all our records went on
floppy discs. The telephone bill was less than $25 a month
and we were thrilled that the number 235 LAND (5263) was
available. Here we began to navigate the learning curves of
stewardship.
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
8
From the very beginning, KHLT was
intentional about embracing unity.
To this day, it remains apolitical, welcoming
conservatives, liberals, and all beliefs.
Such inclusive land trust principles foster
cooperation and community cohesiveness.
Cover photo of Landmarks, Spring/Summer 2008
Together with the Nature Conservancy, we campaigned for
Alaskan Conservation Easement legislation to be passed. This
enabled us to begin to work with landowners in cooperative
stewardship. The Trust for Public Land provided guidance
during creation of Alaska’s first conservation easement on Yule
Kilcher’s historic homestead. The Kilchers were remarkable in
their commitment to this vision. The O’Mearas followed suit
with an additional homestead conservation easement. KHLT’s
first Land donation came from Walter Johnson (Neptune Bay)
closely followed by Calvin and Coyle’s Beluga Lake property.
The land trust seeds sprouted, and began to thrive.
As thoughts flit back to KHLT’s humble beginnings, we most
recall the grass roots gumption of all involved. A treasured
memory for us is how we began each morning; taking quiet time
to listen to inner guidance and envision highest good for our
community, the well-being of all species, and protection for this
place we loved. We foresaw KHLT as an enduring organization
of highest standard, and so it is. From the very beginning, KHLT was intentional about embracing
unity. To this day, it remains apolitical, welcoming conservatives,
liberals, and all beliefs. Such inclusive land trust principles foster
cooperation and community cohesiveness.
How rewarding it is to see the work of KHLT today, review its
astonishing accomplishments, and see it settled in Poopdeck
Platt’s historic home. What incredible energy, leadership,
commitment and passion so many people have contributed.
We are so thankful to be part of this extraordinary organization. Twenty-five years later, global issues again put us on a precipice.
People feel disempowered. Looking back, we remember similar
feelings after the oil spill and the crises of the day and how we
triumphed. 
9
Be courageous.
Now is the time.
We are all powerful beyond our knowing.
In any moments of exhaustion or despair,
take time to notice the mystery –
how extraordinary it is that a bird
knows when to migrate and where
to go; that a little soul somehow enters an
infant’s body; that things green up after a
long, dark winter, and how sweet the smell
of cottonwood buds are in the spring; our
hearts beating, our blood circulating.
Take time to notice the oneness –
trees giving off oxygen that we need
to breathe. Claim that power, that oneness,
to work through you and with you
as you make decisions and take action.
Like the seeds placed in the palms
of those at the very first KHLT
community meeting,
we are powerhouses
of potential.
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
left to right: Richard Purington | Calvin & Coyle Trail
MY HISTORY WITH
The Calvin & Coyle Trail
Victor Holm Transfer Complete
by Richard “On the Ridge” Purington
K
I
n 1994, after receiving a gift of property in Homer, KHLT
decided that there should be a trail through it leading to
an observation platform on the edge of Beluga Lake marsh, a
trail that would be close to home and interesting enough to
hike often, that would have easy access with ample parking,
and that would provide easy walking for kids and seniors with
chances to observe wildlife.
achemak Heritage Land Trust is pleased to announce that
it has transferred ownership of the Victor Holm historic
cabin in Kasilof to the Kasilof Regional Historical Association
for its long-term ownership and management. This transfer
was completed with funds from the Alaska State Historic
Preservation Office, which is part of Alaska Office of History and
Archaeology, individual supporters, and with the assistance of
the Homer Foundation. We extend hearty thanks to KRHA for all
their hard work and to all those who helped make this happen.
At the time, I was the trails chair who coordinated the effort.
Daisy Lee Bitter worked with Rick Randall, the trail boss, to see
that the trail connected all the environmental education sites
she had identified. Also, the trail was moved further away from
a bald eagle nest tree. Rick, with the help of local volunteers
and a group of teenagers from the Interlocken Adventure camp
from Upper Hillsborough Village in New Hampshire, spent
many hours on the construction. In addition to clearing the trail,
a major amount of the work was in creating ways to cross the
numerous swampy areas. A combination of Typar, wood slabs,
and wood chips were used, involving hundreds of wheelbarrow
trips up and down the trail. I made the trailhead sign on Mariner
Drive, directional signs, and the numbered posts used for the
interpretive brochure prepared by Daisy Lee Bitter.
The 1.37 acre property on the National Register of Historic
Places, was donated to KHLT in 1999 by Elfrida Lewis and
her daughter Anne Lewis Kahle with historically significant
buildings on site. We are honored to have played such an
important role in the preservation of this amazing property,
maintaining its historic and cultural values for generations to
come. For more information on Victor Holm, please visit our
website at kachemaklandtrust.org. 
Daisy Lee wanted to take students to the marsh without
destroying plants so the following summer ten Interlocken
students and I constructed a boardwalk into the marsh with
a small platform at its end. A new sign reading “Daisy Lee
Boardwalk” was also installed.
Mountains to Sea During that time, I designed and prepared plans for the
platform after looking at a similar one at the wildlife center in
Soldotna. After I installed the foundation, I then worked with
Dave Rector in completing the platform along with another
Homer carpenter, Jerry Frederick, who also helped.

T
hank you to everyone who contributed to the match for
our ongoing Mountains to Sea Project. Your generous
contributions were matched by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Coastal Program, a fantastic grant program. We are
working with our partners to refine our strategy on this project
to best conserve high priority land connecting the headwaters
of salmon streams to the ocean and will keep you up to date as
this project progresses. 
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
10
NPS’S RTCA PROGRAM ASSISTS WITH
New Poopdeck Platt Site Plan
by Healther Rice, Outdoor Recreation Planner
NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program
I
n 2003, the Kachemak
Heritage Land Trust bought
the Poopdeck Platt property
in the center of downtown
Homer to use for office space
and as a public park. Former
Land Trust Executive Director, KHLT is located on Poopdeck
Barbara Seaman, said at the Platt’s original homestead in
downtown Homer. Poopdeck’s
time, “this park will be a jewel, log cabin is now the KHLT office.
from which to knit the social
and business fabric of our community.” Since 2003, the Land
Trust has worked out of an historic cabin on the property and
has built a community garden there. Informal trails lead walkers
and bikers across the property to a beautiful view of Kachemak
Bay. To realize the land’s full potential and to
showcase their conservation mission, the
Land Trust has recently taken on the task
of developing a site plan for the property.
Toward this end, the Land Trust applied for
and received a grant of technical assistance
from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and
Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program. RTCA is a national
program that offers free expertise on locally-led outdoor
recreation and conservation projects. RTCA helps project
partners learn to think and plan strategically, communicate
ideas and build relationships, find funding sources, navigate
state and federal regulations, develop trails, and create
waterways and conservation networks. (For more information
about the program, see http://go.nps.gov/alaska/rtca)

PRESERVED ANCHOR RIVER PROPERTIES
Given New Name
Volunteer Mike Mungoven and KHLT’s intern
Rob Roy McGregor out in the field.
Stewards of the Land
J
oel Cooper, KHLT’s Stewardship Coordinator recruited
volunteers to assist him out in the field - offering a great
opportunity for people to explore new areas. Volunteers walk
the boundaries of conservation properties, assisting KHLT staff
in monitoring and photo documentation. As the eyes and ears
for the Land Trust out in the field, monitoring volunteers are an
important part of land trust work - and it is also a fantastic way
to explore new areas on the beautiful lower Kenai Peninsula.
We would like to thank our 2014 monitors John Hitchcock, Mike
Mungoven, Scott McEwen and Daniel Bissinger.
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Joel
Cooper at [email protected] or call 907-235-LAND.
A
nchor River Salmon Conservation Area (ARSCA) is the new
designated name for a block of preserved KHLT properties
on the Anchor River. These properties have been strategically
selected for protection because they encompass critical
salmon habitat. KHLT continues to work on protecting more
salmon habitat on the Kenai Peninsula, with the current focus
on the Anchor and other Southern Kenai Peninsula rivers. 
11
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
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. Thank you to all who donated
to KHLT during our 2013 debut.
Executive Director Marie McCarty and writer and storyteller Wendy Erd
discuss ideas for the Planned Giving brochure.
LOCAL WRITER AND STORYTELLER
Works with Land Trust
K
HLT received a grant from the national Land Trust Alliance
to create two new brochures for Planned Giving, with the
intention of approaching it in a new way. KHLT invited writer
and storyteller Wendy Erd to assist us with this project. Wendy,
who has lived in Homer for over 40 years and who works in
Alaska and Asia as a writer and community story facilitator, was
delighted to take on the task of being the creative wordsmith
for our project.
We would like to thank Wendy for sharing her creative writing
skills with us, and we look forward to working with her more in
the future! To see what transpired from this collaboration and
other land trust information, please visit us at our office located
at 315 Klondike Ave. in Homer or call 907-235-LAND. We would
love to hear from you!

Come, I’ll show you a secret
meadow east of our house
where snowmelt pools
and spring violets bloom.
Solace of Return
From a tumble of hummocks
lavender blossoms sweeten
the lengthening light.
Delicate petals insist
you fall to your knees.
Down in this soggy universe,
for a few weeks each May,
the solace of what is temporary
and timeless quietly blooms.
~ Wendy Erd
In 2014, KHLT and other valuable nonprofits were ineligible
to participate in the program because Pick.Click.Give required
an annual audit, a very expensive process generally costing
$7,000-$15,000 for a CPA nonprofit audit. KHLT audits every
other year and completes a financial review on alternate
years, making us ineligible to participate in 2014. The Pick.
Click.Give rules changed to repeal this requirement, and thus
KHLT will now be able to participate annually. The new rules
still require all participants to file IRS form 990, the annual and
comprehensive tax filing required for non-profit organizations
to ensure financial accountability for nonprofits.
Thank you Alaskans - for your incredible generosity and please
consider KHLT when participating in the 2015 Pick.Click.Give
program. 
In Memory of Renn Tolman enn Tolman of Homer
made his transition
peacefully at his home on
Saturday, July 5, 2014. Renn
was an avid boat builder
and musician and was
known for designing and
building the Tolman Skiff.
He was born on February
23, 1934, in Keene, New
Hampshire and moved to
Homer in 1970. We were
honored to accept Renn’s
continued support through Renn Toman – photo © Homer News
contributions made to KHLT in his memory. We offer our sincere
condolences to Renn’s friends and family. He will be dearly
missed. 
R
Please consider investing in the preservation of our Alaskan
heritage and landscape. By making a gift to KHLT you
are helping us protect critical fish and wildlife habitat for
future generations. Contributing is easy! Donate online
at kachemaklandtrust.org, stop in our office, or mail your
contribution to KHLT - 315 Klondike Ave., Homer, AK 99603.
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
12
KHLT’S LANDMARK Circle
2014 Membership Donors
$100 + Level
Please . . .
Consider joining these friends
at higher membership levels.
Landmark Circle »»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Donna & Wayne Aderhold
Robert Archibald & Roberta Highland
Chris & Maggi Arend
Ed Bailey & Nina Faust
John Banaszak
Marian & Dave Beck
Barb Beeman & Glenn Arundell
Tom Begich
Rachel Bilbo
B. Frederica Billingslea
Betty Branson
Martha Briscoe
Clayton & Jean Brockel
Carrie Buckley
Sherman Burson & Linda Franklin
Lynne Burt & Jim Meesis
Nancy Kabisch Carranza
Catherine Cassidy & Erik Huebsch
Tom Collopy & Mary Frische
Diana Conway
Agnes & Maurice Coyle
Lucy Cutting
Nina Daley & Phil Cowan
M. Lorraine Davis
Roberta Deal
Bill DeVries
Willy Dunne
Janice Schofield Eaton
Charles Evans & Nancy Lee Evans
Steve & Debra Eayrs
Nora Elliott
Wendy Erd
Martha Fair
Will Files & Martha Ellen Anderson
Billie Fischer
Rick Foster & Dotti Harness-Foster
Mike & Diane Frank
Mary & Greg Fries
Joyanna Geisler
Betty Jo Goddard
Michael Gracz & Michele Stenger
Mary Griswold
Karen & Rod Grove
Richard & Nell Gustafson
Pauli & Harmon Hall
Genie Hambrick
13
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Fred Harnisch
Marjorie J. Hays
Gerald & Lucy Hepler
Kirk Hoessle
Ulla Holmes
Steve Hughes & Robbie Coffey
MonaLee Jantz
Patti & Chuck Jay
David Johnson
Nancy Kabisch
Tom, Ethan, & Emily Kizzia
Larsen Klingel
Anne Kroeker & Richard Leeds Wildlife Forever Fund
Ken Landfield & Sue Wohlgemuth
Anne Lanier
Mary & Jack Lentfer
David Lewis & Lyn Maslow
Konrad Liegel
Deb Lowney & Ralph Broshes
Ned & Charlissa Magen
James & Dianne Mahaffey
Marie McCarty & Steve Baird
Donna & Warren Mathews
George Matz & Jeannie Woodring
Sue Mauger & Mike Byerly
Lin & Don May
Diane & Mike McBride
Shannon McBride-Morin & Christopher
Morin
Martha McNeil
Sam Means
Kate & Scott Meyer
Mitch Michaud & Jane Fuerstenau
Peter Mjos & Karen Ruud
John & Rika Mouw
Eileen Mullen
Margaret Mullen
Mike Navarre
Bethine Nehus
Clay & Jackie Norvell
Robert Oates
David & Sue Oesting
Mike O’Meara
Jon & Nelda Osgood
Deborah & Jack Oudiz
www.KachemakLandTrust.org
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Janice Peyton
Richard & Nancy Porter
Sue Post & Jim Levine
Richard Purington
John Rate
A. J. Reed MD
George Rhyneer & Marilyn & McKay
Arlene Ronda
Robert & Tara Ruffner
Priscilla Russell & Art Kruski
Michael Saxton
Norma Lia Schofield
David & Mary Schroer
Barb Seaman
Paul & Tina Seaton
Bob Shavelson & Miranda Weiss
Jeanie Sherwood
E. Ray Sinclair
George & Tina Smallwood
Tobben & Tania Spurkland
Jim Stratton
Melvyn Strydom & Nadya Klingel
Arliss Sturgulewski
Jim Thiele & Sue Pope
Gary Thomas
Beth & Charlie Trowbridge
Dave & Marcia Trudgen
R. W. (Toby)Tyler
Scott & Cathie Ulmer
Olga von Ziegesar
Neil & Kyra Wagner
Charles Welles
Randall Wiest & Giulia Tortora
Stewart & Gloria White
Sharon Whytal
Bill & Jane Wiebe
Annie Wieland
Laura Sievert & Curt Wilcox
Lorraine Williams
Daniel Zatz & Lisa Thomas
Individual members with gifts $100+
received between September 16, 2013
and October 16, 2014
KHLT thanks ALL of our members.
We would not be able to do it without you!
Thanks to our Business Members »»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Alaska Rivers Company
Alaska Wildland Adventures, Inc.
AK Adventures
Bay Realty, Inc.
Beluga Air, LLC
BodyIntuit
Chihuly’s Charters
Countours by Lynn Marie Naden
CIRI – Kenai Fjords Tours
Derry & Associates
East Wind Acupuncture
Eayrs Plumbing & Heating
F/V Kelsey
HDR, Inc.
Holland America Princess - Alaska
Yukon
Home Run Oil
Homer Bookstore
Homer Electric Association
Homer Saw & Cycle
Homer Veterinary Clinic
Homer’s Jeans
Homestead Restaurant
Lisa Wood Pottery
Island Watch B&B
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Jay-Brant General Contractors
Kachemak Bay Ferry, Inc.
Kachemak Moose Habitat, Inc
Kachemak Bay Wilderness Lodge
Last Chance Recycling
Mako’s Water Taxi
Marine Services of AK, Inc.
McCarthy Lodge
McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters
Nana Management Services –
Lodging Division
North Wind Home Collection
Red Bird Kitchen
Rita Turner - Massage & Reiki
Therapy
Seaman’s Adventures
Sourdough Express Bakery & Cafe
The Anam Cara Program
The Grog Shop
True North Kayak Adventures
Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware
Wasabi’s
Wild North Photography
Wilderness Garden Day Spa
Winter Creek Jewelry
Thanks to our Project Funders
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Alaska Community Foundation
Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund
The BP Foundation
Homer Foundation
Homer Foundation, City of Homer Grants
Program
Kachemak Bay Conservation Society
Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership
Kenai Peninsula Foundation
Land Trust Alliance
Land Trust Alliance Western Program
National Park Service – RTCA Program
Norcross Wildlife Foundation
Pikes Peak Community Foundation, the
Webb Family Fund
The Bullitt Foundation
The Charlotte Martin Foundation
The Mountaineers Foundation
USDA People’s Garden Program
US Fish & Wildlife Partners for Fish & Wildlife
US Fish & Wildlife Service Coastal Program
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
Businesses with gifts of $100+ received between September 16, 2013 and October 16, 2014
Thanks to our Business Contributors »»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Ageya Wilderness Education
Alaska Perfect Peony
Alaska SeaLife Center
Alaska Stems
Bridge Creek Birch Syrup
Explore Cooper Landing
Free Spirit Wear
Homer Council on the Arts
Homer Elks Lodge
Homer News
Homer Tribune
Homer Theatre
Jay Greene - Artist
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
J. Easton Salon
Kachemak Bay Oyster Co-op
Kachemak Crane Watch
KBay Caffé
KBBI
Kennicott Wilderness Guides
Kundalini Yoga North
Land’s End Resort
Last Chance Recycling
Loopy Lupine
Maura’s Café
Morning Wind Pottery
Nomad Shelter
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
»»
Riverside Books
Roadside Potatohead
Safeway
Save-U-More
Stay Tan
St. Elias Alpine Guides
Sydney Bishop Ceramics
The Bagel Shop
Timeless Toys
Toni Maury Pottery
Two Sisters Bakery
Vida’s Thai Food
Businesses with gifts received between September 16, 2013 and October 16, 2014
If we have unintentionally missed your name on one of these lists, we sincerely apologize. Please let us know so we can make the correction.
LANDMARKS • NEWSLETTER FOR KACHEMAK HERITAGE LAND TRUST • FALL/WINTER 2014
14
315 Klondike Avenue
Homer, Alaska 99603
Non-Profit
PRESORT
STANDARD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Homer, Alaska
Permit #67
CHANGE SERVICE
REQUESTED
Preserving, for public benefit, land on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula
with significant natural, recreational, or cultural values
by working with willing landowners.
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 land
on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula by working with willing landowners. 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.
Community members enjoying the beach at the mouth of
the Ninilchik River.