The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly at their June 3 meeting unanimously passed a resolution in memoriam commending the contributions and commitments of longtime Homer resident Roberta Highland. Highland passed away on April 24 at age 75.

“These are words on a paper that I’m bound to read, but the reality of it is Roberta was so important to so many of us,” Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said during the meeting. “She was a delightful, very spirited woman. It’s community loss, not just family loss.”

The commendation notes how Highland, a Homer resident for 40 years, led by example and served her community and the state of Alaska “passionately and compassionately.”

“Her guiding principles embraced the Four E’s — Environment, Economy, Energy, and Ethics — as she strived to build relationships, elevate important conservation issues, and influence decision makers,” the resolution states. “Those principles propelled her work on significant issues that required statewide coordination for success.”

Such significant issues included the creation of the Fritz Creek Anchor River Critical Habitat Area, for which Highland received an award from the Alaska governor for her efforts, and the Kachemak Bay State Park buyback.

Highland was involved with multiple local organizations throughout her life. She served as the vice chair for the South Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board, was on the hospital’s planning commission, and played a role in establishing the Homer Health Program. She was also president of the Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, an early board member for the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, and a founding member of the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust board, the Jack Gist Recreational Area and the Kachemak Bay Equestrian Association. She also served on the City of Homer Planning Commission.

Highland was “civic- and conservation-minded and action-oriented, committed to a clean environment, renewable energy, responsible development, and public health,” the commendation states.

She received multiple awards throughout her life, including the Alaska Conservation Foundation’s “prestigious” Celia Hunter Award for Outstanding Volunteer Contributions in 2013 and the South Peninsula Haven House Woman of Distinction Award in 2020 for her advocacy for wilderness protection through human connection.

“Roberta … lives forever in our hearts, and her humor and optimism will continue to shine through the legacy she leaves and inspire other to be the force for change we want to see in this world,” the commendation states.

Find the commending resolution in full at kpb.legistar.com.

The Alaska State Legislature also recognized Highland in a citation in memoriam they passed in May, “honoring her legacy as a dedicated environmental advocate and community leader.”

“The members of the Thirty-Fourth Alaska State Legislature offer their condolences to Roberta Highland’s husband, Robert, and to her family and friends, expressing their gratitude for her life well lived and of service,” the citation, sponsored by Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Homer, states. “Her impact on the Southern Kenai Peninsula and across Alaska will be felt for generations to come.”