08.18.17

Sullivan Honors Alaskan of the Week: Kathy Heindl

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) spoke on August 3 on the Senate floor in recognition of Kathy Heindl, of Kenai, an Alaskan devoting her time to cleaning the banks of the Kenai River and protecting the fishery for future generations. Heindl, a recipient of the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust’s King Maker Award, was recognized as part of Senator Sullivan’s series, “Alaskan of the Week.”

The following is the statement submitted to the Congressional Record:

TRIBUTE TO KATHY HEINDL

Mr. President, as I mentioned earlier, I come to the floor every week to talk about my great State and to talk about the people of my great State--the people who make it a better place for all of us. We call these people the Alaskan of the Week. It is one of the most fulfilling parts of my job to come here and talk about people who make a difference, people who don't get a lot of press, people who don't get a lot of attention, but people who are doing the right thing for their country and for their community.

Right now in Alaska, we have tourists, people coming from all over, and one of the things happening in Alaska is salmon season. The biggest runs in the world--the bounty of our great State--are happening right now, and the fish are running. If you or anyone listening has ever had the opportunity to catch or eat wild Alaskan salmon, of course, it is the memory of a lifetime. There is nothing better; there is no better fish in the world.

There is great salmon fishing all across Alaska, but one of the most heavily fished areas in Alaska and the world is on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, about 45 minutes from Anchorage. Millions of salmon run up the rivers of the Kenai, drawing tens of thousands of Alaska sports, personal use, and commercial fishermen, as well as visitors from all over the country, all over the world to fish the amazing Kenai River.

The area can continue to support a lot of traffic, but when you have that many people on the Kenai, sometimes it does cause congestion. So let me talk about someone who works on these issues for Alaska--Kathy Heindl.

Kathy is an engineer with Homer Electric Association on the Kenai. Ten years ago, she visited Alaska as a tourist. She saw the Northern Lights dancing in the winter, the snow-covered mountains, and she knew she was home. She loves the Kenai. There is a sense of freedom there and all across Alaska. It is a place where there is room to pave your own path but support others and the community around you, and, of course, there are the salmon.

Since Kathy moved to Alaska, she has been working to give back to the community that she loves so much. She is an active member and past president of her local Rotary Club. She is a member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Community Emergency Response Team. She is also a member of a group that operates ham radios in order to help if there is a disaster and shuts down cell service or other communication devices.

During the summer, right now, she spends much of her free time as a Kenai Peninsula Stream Watch volunteer with the Kenai Watershed Forum, helping to make sure that she will have a sustainable fishery--that we will have a sustainable fishery in the Kenai and throughout the State for generations to come. A few times a week, for as many as 6 hours at a time, she roams the fishing spots, picking up trash, helping others, speaking with anglers. She talks to them about how to protect themselves. She carries around safety goggles--you never want a hook in the eye. She talks about what happens when you run into a bear, which happens a lot in our great State, and the best way to avoid them, and importantly, she educates anglers on how to protect the vegetated banks on this great river to maintain the health of the river and the amazing salmon in it.

The vast majority of the people in Alaska and from out of State who fish the Kenai are responsible and want to help in any way they can, and they love Kathy's help, but, still, all the activity in the area has created erosion problems, which has the potential to hurt the fish.

The Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, a land stewardship and conservation trust based in Homer, recently recognized Kathy's efforts and presented her with the King Maker Award. “It is your selfless actions that help protect the vital habitat needed for salmon to live and thrive,” the land trust wrote to her. “Great role models such as yourself can inspire others in our communities to take action by following your lead'' and your example.

Mr. President, I want to congratulate Kathy for all the work she is doing, especially in this busy summer in Alaska, and for being our Alaskan of the Week.

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