Tribal Highlight: Bristol Bay Native Corporation Awarded Funds to Advance Wetlands Mapping for Improved Regional Habitat Management in Bristol Bay
Utilizing funding awarded by the America the Beautiful Challenge competitive grant program for ecological restoration and cultural preservation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation is filling critical data gaps through mapping of ecologically, economically, and culturally significant wetlands, supporting salmon habitat health.
Alaska – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) in 2022, establishing five years of grant funding to support state, territory, and Tribally-led ecosystem restoration. Bristol Bay Native Corporation is utilizing FY22 ATBC funding to map ecologically, economically, and culturally significant wetlands and deepwater habitats, filling a critical data gap. These habitats are vital to wild salmon, a fish of tremendous subsistence, commercial, and cultural value.
In September of 2024, Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS) ATBC Field Liaison, Katie Schultz joined Daniel Cheyette – SVP Lands and External Affairs, Manon Demientieff – Grants Manager, Jason Metrokin – President and CEO, Andria Agli – VP Shareholder & Corporate Relations, and Casey Sifsof – Director of Shareholder Development, from Bristol Bay Native Corporation to get a firsthand look at how the ATBC program is supporting their Tribal conservation efforts. Project partners Sydney L. Thielke – USFWS Regional Wetlands Coordinator, Andy Robertson – St. Mary’s University of MN Geospatial Service, and Larissa Kramer – St. Mary’s University of MN and Bristol Bay Native Corporation shareholder joined the group. Also joining the group was Mirjam Kuzee, Program Director | Coastal Resilience at NFWF.
Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Each year, five species of Pacific salmon return to the Bristol Bay region to spawn. These incredibly important anadromous runs have enabled local communities to live subsistence lifestyles for thousands of years. Bristol Bay is home to the largest wild run of sockeye salmon in the world, a species of immense subsistence, cultural, and commercial value. Given the significance of the multidimensional fishery, Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) sought funding from ATBC to support preservation and conservation efforts.

Bristol Bay Native Corporation building in Anchorage, Alaska.
BBNC is one of the 12 Alaska native regional corporations established in Alaska under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971. BBNC understands the importance of fish, particularly wild salmon and the wetlands that support them, to its shareholders. In response to this awareness, BBNC is collaborating with Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota GeoSpatial Services, Alaska Conservation Foundation and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to address the lack of landscape data in the Bristol Bay region.
Currently, wetland mapping following National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) standards is underway for millions of acres in Bristol Bay. This mapping effort will fill a critical data gap and assist in the preservation of ecologically, economically, and culturally significant wetlands and deepwater habitats important for salmon. The mapping efforts will identify both locations and types of wetlands, which is crucial for effective conservation. “You can lose something and not even know what you lost,” stated Sydney Thielke, USFWS Regional Wetlands Coordinator, emphasizing the importance of understanding existing resources. Without this information, assessing potential impacts from threats such as climate change, invasive species, and mining projects becomes nearly impossible.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota GeoSpatial Services (SMUMN GSS) has been contracted to map the wetlands to a target resolution of one-acre map units, consistent with national mapping and classification standards to ensure compatibility with the USFWS National Wetland Geodatabase. SMUMN GSS has over 20 years of experience and unique expertise in wetland mapping, utilizing a combined GIS and field work approach.

Bristol Bay Native Corporation Site Visit
In 1986, Congress, recognizing the importance of wetlands to the safety and well-being of all Americans, as well as the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants enacted the Emergency Wetlands Resources Act. That legislation required the USFWS to map U.S. wetlands and provide regular reports on their status and trends. In response, the USFWS formalized the NWI program which provides standardized protocols necessary to consistently conduct a nationwide inventory of wetlands that can form a basis of conservation efforts. NWI supplies detailed and comparable wetlands information to the public on the abundance, characteristics, and distribution of wetland and deepwater habitats, as well as tracking changes in these habitats over time. Although the NWI program has existed for nearly 40 years, conducting those inventories comes at extensive costs in time, manpower, and dollars. As a result, much of Alaska remains unmapped. As noted previously this ATBC funding will help BBNC and its partners address that shortfall.
In addition to wetland mapping, BBNC is offering training and learning opportunities for its shareholders. This training fosters the development of a local workforce skilled in GIS, empowering the communities and Tribes of the region to lead proactive conservation planning and implementation efforts while providing opportunities for BBNC’s shareholders.
Supporting Tribal Conservation
In 2022 and 2023, Tribal Nations (including Alaska native corporations) requested about $500 million through the America the Beautiful Challenge. NFWF and the agencies have committed to providing at least 10% of annual funds to Tribes. Thus far the quality of Tribal proposals has been rewarded with over a third of funds going to Tribal Nations! In the first two years, NFWF has awarded 35 projects to Tribal Nations, totaling about $77 million. While this amount is significant, the disparity between requested and awarded funding demonstrates the need for long-term, sustainable funding for Tribal conservation and restoration.
Disclaimer: This project is made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.