With one year in the books, the Alaska Forest Fund (AFF) is throwing a party.
The celebration will take place from 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, May 23, in the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Museum lobby, located on Whittier Street. Multiple speakers, including Acting Associate Chief of the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska Beth Pendleton, will share their thoughts on AFF’s efforts.
The AFF, which is a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation, uses both federal funding with private contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals in an attempt to preserve Alaska’s forests. It was formed recently to try and fill the funding gap that’s grown in Alaska.
Federal funding to the National Forest System trails and cabins fell by nearly 50 percent between 2004 and 2014, and there is a great deal of maintenance that needs to be done. Demand for Alaska’s National Forests remains extremely high, with more than two million people visiting the forests each year. The AFF strives to make these visiting experiences as positive as possible with its fundraising efforts.
