The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Campbell Creek Estuary © Carl Johnson

The Campbell Creek estuary at the edge of Cook Inlet is protected thanks to a cooperative effort led by Great Land Trust. This 60-acre tract of salt marsh, forest and upland meadow offers habitat for salmon and migratory birds such as waterfowl and sandhill cranes.

"We thank Great Land Trust for their outstanding work to protect this coastal habitat in Anchorage. Generations of Anchorage citizens benefit from this momentous conservation project," said Randy Hagenstein, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Alaska.

The Conservancy provided a $500,000 bridge loan to help ensure the transaction's success. This is one of three bridge loans totaling $1.3 million that will be repaid from an approved Coastal Impact Assistance Program grant that the land trust will receive in spring, 2011. The Conservancy helped establish the Great Land Trust in 1995.

The property contains 1/2 mile of Campbell Creek, 25 acres of coastal wetlands, a coastal forest and provides access to the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. The deal was finalized in a brief Nov. 30, 2010 signing ceremony.

A Great Land Trust endowment will provide for the ongoing management of the project. In addition, Great Land Trust is funding the cleanup of the property, development of a park plan, and the creation of a modest trailhead and small gravel trails.

“Great Land Trust is proud that through partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; NOAA Fisheries; the Army Corps of Engineers; Alaska Depts. of Natural Resources and Fish and Game; the Rasmuson Foundation; ConocoPhillips; JL Properties; The Nature Conservancy; Ducks Unlimited; and hundreds of individual donors, we have been able to provide the citizens of Anchorage with a new 60-acre coastal natural area that will be conserved for generations to come, “said Phil Shephard, Great Land Trust director. “This area is one of Anchorage’s signature landscapes and Great Land Trust is committed to working closely with the Municipality to ensure this property will become yet another asset important to our quality of life.”