State to acquire wetlands habitat along Kasilof River with federal grant Print article KENAI - Alaska will acquire about a half square mile of habitat along the Kasilof River through a federal grant. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a grant of about $340,000 for the project through its National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant program, the Peninsula Clarion reported Tuesday. The total cost of the project is estimated at around $500,000. The fish and wildlife service program aims to “protect, restore and enhance coastal wetland ecosystems and associated uplands” across the country. The project will protect about .44 square miles of coastal wetland habitat in the Kasilof River Flats, including 2.25 miles of river shoreline.