Resu ectio
C eek,
ea
the
small
tow
of
Hope
i
Southce t al
Alaska,
has
a
lo g
histo y
of
gold
mi i g.
Image:
U.S.
Fo est
Se vice
Fo
decades,
gold
mi i g
has
do e
mo e
tha
alte
the
sce e y
a ou d
Resu ectio
C eek
i
Alaska,
it
has
cha ged
the
c eek
itself.
Deg adatio
of
ive ba ks,
alte atio
of
st eam
cha els
a d
loss
of
wetla ds
that
o ce
p ovided
habitat
fo
salmo
a d
wildlife.
But
ea ly
20
yea s
ago,
esto atio
effo ts
bega
to
u do
some
of
the
damage,
states
a
epo t
by
the
Natio al
Fo est
Fou datio .
The
esults
we e
a
pote t
emi de
of
atu e’s
ability
to
espo d
whe
damaged
wate ways
a e
allowed
to
heal.
F om
gold
ush
to
ecological
deg adatio
Resu ectio
C eek,
ea
the
small
tow
of
Hope
i
Southce t al
Alaska,
has
a
lo g
histo y
of
gold
mi i g.
I
the
gold-mi i g
ush
of
the
ea ly
20th
ce tu y,
whe
the
tow
supposedly
had
ove
3,000
people,
hope
was
boomi g.
Today,
the
settleme t
is
home
to
about
100
people,
states
the
epo t.
Fo
mo e
tha
40
yea s,
Resu ectio
C eek
was
used
fo
hyd aulic
a d
heavy
equipme t
place
mi i g.
Mi i g
distu bed
soil
a d
ive ba ks,
cha gi g
the
c eek’s
atu al
cha els
a d
the
su ou di g
ecology.
Much
of
the
wetla d
a d
st eam
habitat
that
salmo
eed
fo
spaw i g
was
lost
i
the
lowe
6
miles
of
the
c eek.
The
ecological
damage
was
ot
just
to
fish.
The
wetla ds
a d
fo ests
of
the
c eek
we e
o ce
impo ta t
habitat
fo
bea s,
moose,
bald
eagles,
ha lequi
ducks
a d
doze s
of
othe
species.
A
esto atio
effo t
etu s
salmo
The
Natio al
Fo est
Fou datio
epo t
cla ifies
that
the
fi st
majo
esto atio
p oject
o
Resu ectio
C eek
was
a
1.5-mile
each
sta ted
i
2006
by
the
U.S.
Fo est
Se vice.
The
Natio al
Fo est
Fou datio
epo t
cla ifies
that
the
fi st
majo
esto atio
p oject
o
Resu ectio
C eek
was
a
1.5-mile
each
sta ted
i
2006
by
the
U.S.
Fo est
Se vice.
The
p oject
aimed
to
eco ect
the
c eek
to
its
histo ic
floodplai
a d
esto e
atu al
st eam
featu es
such
as
cha els,
pools
a d
iffles
a d
the
esults
we e
b eathtaki g.
I
the
yea s
afte
the
esto atio ,
salmo
u s
i
Resu ectio
C eek
i c eased
six-fold,
a
i dicatio
of
the
pote tial
of
well-pla ed
habitat
esto atio
to
help
ecove
deg aded
ecosystems.
But
the
wo k
could
ot
go
o
fo eve .
The
p oject
was
stalled
fo
mo e
tha
a
decade
due
to
lack
of
fu di g,
with
much
of
the
damaged
wate shed
waiti g
fo
a othe
oppo tu ity
to
ecove .
Resu ectio
C eek:
A
f esh
sta t
I
ea ly
2021
mome tum
amped
up
agai
whe
the
Natio al
Fo est
Fou datio ,
T out
U limited,
Hope
Mi i g
Compa y
a d
the
U.S.
Fo est
Se vice
pa t e ed
to
adva ce
the
ext
phase
of
esto atio .
A othe
2.2
miles
of
Resu ectio
C eek
will
be
esto ed
a d
74
ac es
of
ipa ia
habitat
imp oved
as
pa t
of
a
$7
millio
effo t
led
by
the
Natio al
Fo est
Fou datio .
The
wo k
builds
o
tech iques
used
i
the
successful
2006
esto atio ,
aimi g
to
esto e
some
pa ts
of
the
c eek
close
to
histo ic
st eam
cha els.
A
$3.8
millio
g a t
f om
the
Natio al
Ocea ic
a d
Atmosphe ic
Admi ist atio ’s
T a sfo matio al
Habitat
Resto atio
a d
Coastal
Resilie ce
G a t
p og am
has
also
p ovided
a
sig ifica t
boost
to
the
effo t,
states
the
epo t.
Resto i g
a
ive ’s
past—a d
its
futu e
It’s
ot
just
about
salmo .
By
p ovidi g
habitat
fo
a
dive sity
of
wildlife,
healthie
st eam
cha els,
wetla ds
a d
ipa ia
fo ests
ca
i c ease
the
ecological
value
of
the
wate shed.
Fo
local
commu ities,
the
etu
of
salmo
could
also
eco ect
a
impo ta t
elatio ship
with
the
la dscape
a d
its
atu al
he itage.
The
success
of
the
fi st
phase
of
esto atio
gives
cause
fo
optimism:
a
damaged
ive
ca
begi
to
heal
whe
its
atu al
p ocesses
a e
esto ed.
I
the
e d
Resu ectio
C eek
is
a
sto y
of
ecove y.
What
decades
of
mi i g
distu bed
ca ’t
be
fixed
i
a
day,
but
the
six-fold
i c ease
i
salmo
afte
the
fi st
esto atio
shows
what
ca
be
do e.
With
Phase
II
exte di g
that
wo k,
Alaska’s
c eek
could
o ce
agai
be
a
th ivi g
habitat
fo
salmo
a d
wildlife—a d
a
atu al
legacy
fo
ge e atio s
to
come.
