Alaska Outdoor News

Observations from Lower Susitna River Personal Use Dip Net Fishery

2020-07-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday July 22, Gary Brell, Frede (my wife), Chuck Ashmun and I boated from Deshka Landing to the Lower Susitna River Personal Use Salmon FIshery. Our boat ride down the Susitna River went smoothly, however, I have boated this stretch of river several times and am familiar with it. Three comments I would make concerning the river:

One: Wear Your PFD

I wore a life vest the entire time — both while we were traveling and while we were fishing — I removed it only while filleting fish. The lower Susitna River is a cold deceptively fast moving glacial river. If a person should fall in the river, wearing a Personal Floatation Device could easily save a life.

Two: Learn to Operate Your Boat Somewhere Else

With that thought in mind I would also say be sure you have all of your boating safety gear with you and know how to use it. It is always better to bring more than enough fuel. For my open guide boat with a 90 horse outboard jet I brought 27 gallons of fuel and had over 6 gallons in reserve after making the round trip and fishing from the boat for several hours. For an experienced boater the route is not all that difficult, however, you should know what to do if at some point you loose power.

Trump Administration Facing Hurdles Opening Alaska and other Areas to Oil and Gas

2020-07-07T14:23:00.002-07:00

The Proposed Pebble Mine project
is one of the extraction industry
efforts drawing the ire of outdoorsmen,
conservationists, and the environmental
community.

Trump and his myriad supporters in the extraction industries, including Oil and Gas, are facing a stiff headwind in the U.S. Courts, as this Washington Post article lays out. As a former Alaskan who often felt the people from the Lower 48 interfered too much with Alaska environmental affairs, I get some of the frustration some Alaskans feel.

However, as we in the U.S. are prone to doing, we may have swung the pendulum way too far towards easing regulations and restrictions on these extraction industries. If you enjoy the outdoors and want your kids to be able to enjoy what you get to experience, we may want to ease up a little...

A number of recent legal defeats and business decisions have stymied three multibillion-dollar pipeline projects around the country, setting back President Trump’s 3½-year effort to expand oil and gas development in the United States.

The reversals demonstrate both the enduring power of environmental laws that the Trump administration has been trying to weaken and the tenacity of environmental, tribal and community activists who have battled the projects on forested land and in federal courtrooms.

In a surprise decision Monday, a federal judge ruled that the Dakota Access pipeline — which Trump approved within a month of taking office — must be shut down by Aug. 5, saying federal officials failed to carry out a complete analysis of its environmental impacts. The day before, two energy companies behind the controversial, 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline abandoned their six-year bid to build it, saying the $8 billion project has become too expensive and faces an uncertain regulatory environment. And an April decision by a federal judge in Montana dealt a blow to the Keystone XL pipeline and raised questions about whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have to conduct more extensive environmental reviews for other projects.

Alaska Salmon Fishing - Slow

2020-07-07T03:00:00.001-07:00

From ADN

Salmon harvests across Alaska are slow so far as the fisheries head toward their usual high points in July.

So far, fishermen have landed about 5.8 million salmon. That’s less than half of the 2018 numbers by the same date, when 14 million had been landed. Much of that is due to poor sockeye returns, particularly in the Copper River area, though everywhere is slower than previous years, including Bristol Bay.

The Copper River and Bering River districts continue their shutdown this week due to unexpectedly low sockeye returns. The return to the Copper River is not living up to the preseason forecast, with only 378,058 sockeye through the Miles Lake weir as of June 29, compared to more than 696,828 by the same date last year. The forecast called for 1.5 million sockeye to return to the Copper River this year.

Alaska Hunting Regs Out

2020-07-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has issued 20-21 Hunting regs. The information can be accessed on the department website, but to download a copy of all regs click HERE.

The department cautions that regs are not quoted verbatim from state law, been in a more readable and concise format. Also, hunters need to be aware that emergency orders supersede the info in these regs.

Happy Hunting!

Hatchery Kings, Orphaned Bears and the Necessity of Synergy in Conservation

2020-07-02T09:48:00.001-07:00

By Wilson Puryear

Anglers line the banks at Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage. Photo by ADF&G staff.

It is late June in Alaska’s largest city. Summer solstice, the longest day of the year; the date upon which the Northland’s moniker “land of the midnight sun” is most readily apparent. The inevitable and imperceptibly slow slide back towards the darkness of subarctic winter is far from the minds of Anchorage residents today. They, like Alaskans throughout the state, are celebrating the season. Celebrating by hiking and bicycling, camping and boating, picnicking and simply soaking up the sun. And, of course, by fishing.

Ship Creek, weaving its way past the warehouses and railyards of Anchorage’s industrial district, is a hive of activity. Anglers young, old, and from all walks of life gather on the banks and wet their line in hopes of a rendezvous with river royalty. Chinook salmon - “kings” in Alaskan parlance - ply these waters, surging in with the high tides as they begin the transition from the salty sea back to the freshwater of their conception. The whirring of dozens of spinning reels being cast fills the air, punctuated occasionally with cries of “fish on!” as those counted among the lucky begin the process of landing their catch.

Further upstream, keen-eyed observers may spot those salmon that have successfully run the gauntlet and escaped the human predation of the creek’s lower stretches. Here, shaded by the leaves and limbs of cottonwood trees, the fish hold in the deeper pools and eddies, biding their time until the eggs and testes inside their bodies fully develop and their coloration changes from the chrome camouflage of the ocean to the dull brick-red of a sexually mature king salmon.

That any of this is possible is due to the hard work of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish staff at the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery. Nestled along the north bank of Ship Creek just downstream from the old Elmendorf Power Plant dam, it is at this hatchery that these salmon began their lives. Part of a long-established, region-wide program designed to preserve and enhance angling opportunity through the establishment of reliable and accessible fisheries (thus alleviating pressures placed on wild stocks), these fish were raised under human care until their size and age dictated a readiness to make their own way in the world. Eager for the taste of saltwater, they were released into Ship Creek, drifting with the current to its mouth and the briny vastness beyond. Now, they have returned after spending one to six years at sea, evading commercial gillnets, anglers’ hooks, and a thousand manifestations of toothed death. The impetus for their return is a calling as old as the species itself: they have come home to begin the next generation.

The 10 Most Stunning Hikes In Alaska

2020-06-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

As a fourth-generation Alaskan, I often hear how spoiled I am to have grown up in the wild beauty of the 49th state. Spoiled, perhaps, but not rotten. I'm ever-captivated by the secrets she reveals, even over paths I’ve walked a thousand times before. Alaska is truly The Last Frontier, the ultimate bucket-list adventure of a lifetime. In the largest state in the nation, plan to go big before you go home.

Mysterious Brown Bear Appearance and Southeast Bear Research

2020-06-20T13:35:00.001-07:00

By Riley Woodford

When a brown bear appeared on Douglas Island in the spring of 2017, bear biologist Anthony Crupi was well prepared to investigate its origin. Douglas is home to black bears, but brown bears are almost unheard of. In 1974 a hunter took a brown bear on Fish Creek, the only other documentation of a brown bear on the island.

Douglas Island is adjacent to mainland Juneau in northern Southeast Alaska, barely separated at the narrowest region by a tidal wetland. Crupi lives on the island and works there in the town of Douglas at the Southeast regional office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The 2017 bear was shot in the early morning hours by a concerned homeowner in a defense of life and property (DLP) incident in the spring. Fish and Game biologists noted on the scene that the bear’s hide was particularly dark. By law, the skull and hide were turned in to Fish and Game. Tom Schumacher and Paul Converse and conducted the sealing. The skull was large, measuring 25 ¼ inches, and the bear weighed about 700 pounds.

Bears, Birds, Walrus and More Alaska Outdoors – What You Can Do in 2020

2020-06-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

Alaska’s wildlife viewing and outdoor opportunities are open this summer, with modifications to accommodate for Covid-19 concerns. Some opportunities are close to urban areas, easily accessible and popular with Alaskans. Others are more remote and offer opportunities to watch wild animals such as bears and walrus, without fences or crowds. Alaskans appreciate these areas, but they are often destinations for visitors seeking a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game manages (and cooperatively manages) areas highlighted here; The National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and other public land managers are resources for information on the lands they manage.

Joe Meehan oversees the McNeil River bear viewing area and Round Island, where walrus gather, and he said both areas will be open for visitors this summer.

Best Way to Save Young Wildlife: Leave Them Alone

2020-06-16T14:55:00.001-07:00

A newborn moose calf found alone in the woods - or even in your backyard - can appear helpless and abandoned. But don't be fooled. Destitute as those big-eyed calves may seem, a protective mother is almost always nearby.

Newborn moose calves, deer fawns, and tiny bear cubs are already being seen in Alaska, the first of many calves, cubs, kits, and chicks Alaskans can expect to appear between mid-May and the end of June. Biologists are warning Alaskans who may encounter newborn wildlife to resist the urge to approach or "rescue" them.

Cow moose can be particularly dangerous during calving season, warns Anchorage Area Wildlife Biologist Dave Battle. Attacks on people and pets by cows aggressively defending calves are reported each spring.

"You'll want to give moose calves plenty of space," said Battle.

If a moose calf or bear cub is encountered without its mother immediately in view, be alert in case you've walked between them. The best course of action is usually to back away and leave from the direction you came. Also, do not assume young animals found alone are orphaned. Mother moose and bears frequently walk out of sight, cache their young, or become separated from them by fences or roads. Sow bears often send cubs up trees to wait before leaving to find food. In nearly all cases, the mothers return to their young.

Battle also advises Alaskans to take steps to avoid potentially dangerous encounters with wildlife mothers. "Try to avoid single tracks and narrow, brushy trails where limited visibility might lead to a run-in with a cow moose and calf."

Bicyclists and runners should be especially alert as they can swiftly top hills or round corners and run into moose, bears and other wildlife. Making noise to alert wildlife to your presence is always a good precaution but may not be enough when speeding down a trail to avoid clashes with moose cows with calves.

"Newborn moose calves aren't able to run from predators - or from pets or people on bicycles," Battle said. "Mothers are likely to stand their ground, even when they hear you coming."

Moose calves are not the only animal receiving unwanted attention. Paul Converse in Douglas said the Southeast office receives calls about birds, young porcupines, and especially black-tailed deer fawns.

"There have been instances where people have picked up and tried to care for a deer fawn," he said. "A few years ago we learned a woman was taking care of an otter."

He appreciates that people are well-intentioned but wishes they would not put themselves in these roles. "Please leave them alone and contact Fish and Game if you are concerned."

Sitka Area Biologist Stephen Bethune said black-tailed deer mothers stay away from their newborn fawns to avoid drawing predators.

"Does will cache them for several hours while they go off and feed," he said. "It's a strategy. It's safer for the fawn to not be with the doe while she's feeding. It's not orphaned, and people are actually kidnapping it."

Tony Hollis in Fairbanks said the office there gets a few calls about moose calves each year, "but a majority of the issues are with the public bringing in young birds, hares, squirrels, and fox pups in a box and asking us what to do with them."

"They might be abandoned, but probably not and they have a better chance out there," he said.

Even when young animals truly are orphaned it's best to leave them alone. Don't attempt to feed or pick them up; this type of contact with animals is illegal and could result in a citation and fine. Lingering near or approaching a young animal for a photo may discourage the mother from returning.

If you observe a young animal that appears to have been left alone for more than 48 hours, contact the nearest Alaska Department of Fish and Game office during regular business hours, or use the department's smartphone-friendly link to file a report online by visiting www.adfg.alaska.gov and clicking the "Report a Wildlife Encounter" button. If a situation involves an immediate public safety concern, call 9-1-1.

For more information, visit www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=distressedwildlife.mammals.

Glacier Bay Beauty

2015-06-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this video from Glacier Bay!

Alaskans benefit from Denali Tourism Dollars

2015-04-27T18:14:00.004-07:00

Grizzly bear in Denali National Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A new National Park Service report shows that the more than 530,000 visitors who came to Denali National Park and Preserve in 2014 spent $5.24 million in communities near the park. That spending supported almost 7,000 jobs in the local area (includes those for the 300-plus employees of the park’s largest concessionaire) and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $7.48 million.

“Denali National Park is a world-class destination that has been welcoming visitors from Alaska, the rest of the United States, and from all over the globe for nearly a century,” said Park Superintendent Don Striker. “Even though our main season is relatively short, visitor spending on lodging, camping, meals, guided recreational activities and other items plays a significant role in supporting the local and state economies, as the majority of our visitors also travel to other sites within the state.”

Read More

Legislature narrowly rejects Ruffner for Board of Fisheries

2015-04-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

View across Cook Inlet from downtown Anchorage,

Another Board of Fisheries nominee has fallen victim to the aggressive politics of the Cook Inlet fish wars.

The Legislature voted 30-29 against confirming Gov. Bill Walker’s Board of Fisheries nominee Robert Ruffner during the end of session confirmation hearing on April 19.

Walker nominated Ruffner to the position following the resignation of Karl Johnstone as the board chair and subsequent withdrawal by Roland Maw after criminal charges were filed against him in Montana over receiving resident hunting and fishing licenses.

Read More

Alaska Board of Fish nominee Robert Ruffner makes his case

2015-04-23T18:48:00.001-07:00

OK, we’re all Alaskans and we seem to love a good political fight. We really like to fight about fish. So grab the popcorn for the next round. If you’re following this, then you’ve seen half a dozen editorials, letters to the editor and stories over my nomination to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, all written by someone else. Most recently from an out-of-state individual paid to advance one group’s vision. With a couple days to go before the Legislature makes a decision, you need to hear from the applicant himself.

My name is Robert Ruffner. I’m a married, dedicated father of two young daughters and a proud dipnetter from the Kenai who can’t think of any better way to get fish onto the average Alaskans’ table. Every sockeye in my freezer and in jars on our shelf came from a dipnet. I harvest near my family’s limit and we eat every one. I will support and defend access to these fish and work very hard to improve the access of this fishery to ensure its continued success. What is needed moving forward is a better understanding and appreciation of these fisheries importance to the average Alaskan and recognition that each has unique challenges.

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House OKs higher hunting, fishing fees

2015-04-20T17:13:00.001-07:00

Bagging brown bears, moose will get costly for non-residents

The Alaska House voted 33-7 Wednesday on a bill to increase hunting and fishing license fees as a way to raise revenue for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

House Bill 137 is the first significant change to resident hunting and fishing fees in 24 years and the first significant change to nonresident fees in 17 years, lead sponsor Rep. Dave Talerico, R-Healy, said Wednesday.

Politics at the Anchorage game and fish committee

2015-04-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One-third of the committee that represents the people of Anchorage at the boards that regulate hunting and fishing in Alaska resigned this week, saying their advice is consistently ignored.

Six of the Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee’s 17 members resigned Tuesday at an annual meeting. Two members serve as alternates.

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Mercury in Fishes Study Released - Measurable Levels Detected in Alaska National Parks

2014-04-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Fish sampled in four Alaskan national parks have tested positive for mercury and in some cases exceeded State of Alaska unlimited human consumption thresholds for women and children.

The testing was part of a multi-year U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service study of fish in remote, high elevation lakes and streams in 21 national parks across 10 western states and Alaska. Mercury was found in all fish sampled though levels of the chemical harmful to fish, other wildlife and humans, varied.

"Although fish mercury concentrations were elevated in some sites, the majority of fish across the region had concentrations that were below most benchmarks associated with impaired health of fish, wildlife, and humans. However, the range of concentrations measured suggest that complex processes are involved in driving mercury accumulation in these environments and further research is needed to better understand these processes, and assess risk," said USGS ecologist Collin Eagles-Smith, the lead author of the publication.

The Alaska surveys took place at Denali National Park and Preserve, Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Mercury concentrations were measured in lake trout, arctic grayling, kokanee, Dolly Varden and northern pike.

Some fish in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve exceeded thresholds recommended by both the State of Alaska and the Environmental Protection Agency for unlimited human consumption by women and children.

State of Alaska human consumption thresholds start at 150 parts per billion. Lake trout, with average concentrations as high as 417 parts per billion were found in one lake in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The average concentration in lake trout in Lake Clark was 365 parts per billion. Mercury levels were low in Denali National Park and Preserve and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Lake trout are a relatively long-lived fish species at the top of the food web, and as such are more likely to accumulate mercury and other toxins over their lives than other species of fish. They are not consumed in great quantities by either sport or subsistence fishermen so the risk to people is likely low, but variable given location and frequency of fish consumption. The extent of the effects on fish-eating birds and mammals that depend on lake trout for survival is unknown.

Fish continue to be a nutritious food source. Many fish species, including salmon, are low in mercury. Women who may become pregnant and parents should reference fish consumption guidance developed by the State of Alaska at http://www.epi.alaska.gov/eh/fish/default.htm.

The study, "Mercury in fishes from 21 national parks in the Western United States – Inter and intra-park variation in concentrations and ecological risk," is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1051/pdf/ofr2014-1051.pdf. For more information visithttp://www.nature.nps.gov/air/studies/ToxicEffects.cfm.

Sitka tries to clean up bear problem

2014-04-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sitkans will be doing some spring cleaning this weekend — but it’s not the usual sort of neighborhood sprucing up.

The Sitka Bear Task Force has organized work parties to tackle several bear caches — the places around town where brown bears have been dragging garbage bags over the years, to sort through their loot undisturbed.

Alaska Department of Fish & Game biologist Phil Mooney says cleaning up these so-called “trash caches” is no small job.

Spring Bear Safety in Alaska

2014-04-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: ucumari)

Bears that wake up hungry after a long winter’s nap aren’t as big a problem in Fairbanks as they are in other bear-infested cities like Anchorage and Juneau but state wildlife officials say it’s still a good idea for Interior residents to do some spring cleaning around their homes to dissuade any ursine intruders.

“We haven’t had as many problems in Fairbanks as Anchorage,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game spokeswoman Cathie Harms said of Alaska’s largest city 360 miles to the south, where it’s not uncommon for bears to be shot each spring for getting into garbage, tearing down bird feeders or ravaging neighborhood chicken coops.

SE Alaska Wolves to possibly receive federal protection

2014-03-31T17:50:00.002-07:00

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it will consider the possible protection Southeast Alaska wolves

under the Endangered Species Act.

The decision to review the wolves' status comes two years after the Center for Biological Diversity and Greenpeace submitted a petition to protect the species known as the Alexander Archipelago wolf.

Denali Park Road Open to Savage River

2014-03-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Denali - Mountains - Alaska (Photo credit: blmiers2)

DENALI PARK, Alaska: The Denali Park Road is now open as far as the Savage River (Mile 15). The longer days and milder temperatures of early spring provide enjoyable conditions for visiting the park.Mount McKinley, or Denali, is visible from the park road at approximately Mile 10, depending on cloud cover. Due to the mild winter, snow coverage for outdoor activities such as mushing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing is variable.

Vault toilets at the Mountain Vista Rest Area and on the east side of the Savage River are open for use. Other facilities west of park headquarters, including the Savage River Campground, remain closed until later this spring.

Visitors should expect to encounter snow and ice on shaded sections of the park road until overnight temperatures remain above freezing. Motorists are also advised to be alert for National Park Service personnel steaming culverts along the side of the road, and for heavy equipment being used in the road opening operations.

Weather conditions can change rapidly at this time of the year, and the road may open and close several times. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead for updated road status.Follow the progress of the Denali road crew as they plow westward along the 92 mile park road to Kantishna - updates and a photo gallery are posted at http://www.nps.gov/dena/spring-road-opening.htm and at www.facebook.com/DenaliNPS.

The Bear Loop of the Riley Creek Campground at Mile 0.2 is open for free camping. A vault toilet is provided, and campers can obtain water at the Murie Science and Learning Center.

The Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) at Mile 1.3 is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm for visitor information and backcountry permits.

Additional park information is available on the web at www.nps.gov/dena or by calling 907- 683-9532 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. Stay connected with "DenaliNPS" on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and iTunes – links to these social media sites are available at www.nps.gov/dena.

Denali Winter Artists-in-Residence Arrive

2014-03-22T19:07:00.001-07:00

Denali Landscape (Photo credit: blmiers2)

DENALI PARK, Alaska: The National Park Service has expanded the Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program to include winter residencies on an ongoing basis, and the first two participants in this winter's program will begin their residencies this week.

Beau Carey, a landscape painter currently living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, arrives on Tuesday, March 18.He will spend four nights in the Savage River Cabin, located at Mile 13 on the Denali Park Road, and afterwards will lead an outdoor painting workshop (already full by pre-registration). Carey recently returned from an international residency above Norway's Arctic Circle.

Nicole Stellon O'Donnell, a poet and essayist from Fairbanks, Alaska, arrives on Friday, March 21. She will be housed at park headquarters until heading out to the Savage Cabin the following week.Writers and poets (and those interested in writing and poetry) are invited to a free workshop and reading with Nicole taking place on Saturday, March 29 at the Murie Science and Learning Center, beginning at 6:00 pm. No prior registration is required to take part.Her winter residency at Denali follows scheduled readings in New York City and Los Angeles.

The winter residencies will help raise public awareness of the winter experience in Denali and increase the number of winter pieces represented in the park's permanent collection. The first winter residency was done in 2010 by University of Alaska Fairbanks Professor Emeritus Kesler Woodward. With some support provided by the park's sled dog teams, he and Frank Soos skied to the East Fork Cabin at Mile 43 on the park road, and back. You can read more about the trip, and view an image of the painting he donated to park, in his blog at: http://keslerwoodward.typepad.com/painting_in_the_north/2010/11/denali-park-in-winter.html.Woodward was instrumental in the development of the park's AIR program, and continues to serve on the AIR selection committee.

Each artist-in-residence will each donate a work inspired by their time in Denali to the park's collection.Pieces created by artists-in-residence from previous years will be on display in the Denali Visitor Center, Eielson Visitor Center, and the Murie Science and Learning Center during the 2014 visitor season. As of this week, some of the pieces will be on public display in a gallery at the Anchorage Public Lands Information Center on Fourth Street. In September other pieces will be on display at the Fairbanks Public Lands Information Center located in the Morris Thompson Visitors Center. An online gallery of artist-in-residence artwork is available at http://www.nps.gov/dena/historyculture/arts-program.htm.

Since 2002 the Artist-in-Residence program at Denali National Park and Preserve has hosted more than 45 artists and writers, and two invited composers.Four visual artists and two writers will participate in this summer's program.

Artists interested in applying for the 2015 season are encouraged to visit www.nps.gov/dena/historyculture/arts-program.htm for information and to apply. The call for applications will be open from May 1 - September 30, 2014.

Wildlife Interests Worth $4.1 Billion to Alaska's Economy, New Study Finds

2014-03-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

Wildlife - Animal - Dall Sheep in Denali National Park (Photo credit: blmiers2)

Almost a million resident and visitor households embarked on at least one trip in Alaska to hunt or view wildlife in 2011, according to research presented in the recently published report, “The Economic Importance of Alaska’s Wildlife in 2011.” Along the way, the $3.4 billion spent by those hunters and viewers accounted for $4.1 billion in economic activity statewide.

“Visitors reported that wildlife is one of the main reasons they visited Alaska,” said Doug Vincent-Lang, director of the state’s Division of Wildlife Conservation, “and residents said wildlife contributes to their quality of life and reasons for living here.”

Of the $3.4 billion spent by hunters and wildlife viewers in Alaska in 2011, resident hunters and wildlife viewers each spent more than $1 billion. Visiting wildlife viewers spent $1.2 billion, while visiting hunters added some $150 million. That spending generated more than 27,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in labor income.

“This study demonstrates what many instinctively know: Alaska’s wildlife is important to Alaskans and visitors. Because people value it, they’re willing to spend a lot of money here to hunt, view, and experience wildlife,” Vincent-Lang said.

The report will be featured in a presentation at the Alaska Board of Game meeting on Friday, March 14, at the Dena’ina Civic Center in Anchorage, and the public is invited to attend.

The research was conducted by economic consulting firm ECONorthwest, which gathered core data for its analyses through six interlocking surveys in 2012. The surveys were conducted by phone, Internet, and mail and information was provided by about 7,000 residents and 2,000 visitors.

To see the report summary, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website atwww.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/news/ongoingissues/pdfs/the-economic-importance-of-alaskas-wildlife-in-2011-summary-report.pdf (PDF 1,204 kB)

BLM-Alaska to delay amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan

2014-03-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Glacier Bay National Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Bureau of Land Management is announcing a delay in the Haines Planning Area Amendment to the Ring of Fire Resource Management Plan.

New scientific information related to mountain goats in the Haines area as well as an increased awareness of Alaska Native cultural values relating to these goat populations has prompted BLM to identify a new proposed alternative for a mountain goat habitat Area of Critical Environmental Concern for portions of the planning area.

A final decision on the amendment was expected in early 2014. However, developing a new alternative for public review and comment is expected to delay the amendment for at least a year.

“The BLM is dedicated to ensuring that the most recent scientific findings and cultural information are incorporated into planning efforts,” said Anchorage Field Office Manager Alan Bittner,

The Planning Area is located in Southeast Alaska. Approximately 320,000 acres of BLM-managed public lands are located in two main blocks or parcels; the north block is located northwest of Skagway along the United States-Canada border and the south block is located southwest of the City of Haines along the boundary of Glacier Bay National Park. The planning area encompasses the cities of Haines and Skagway.

Voices of the Wilderness traveling art exhibit debuts in Sitka

2014-03-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

An exhibit of wilderness-inspired Alaskan art opens this week at the Sitka National Historical Park, kicking off a year-long celebration of wilderness in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of the passage of the Wilderness Act

Voices of the Wilderness is a traveling art exhibit that features a wide range of artwork, including photography, music, poetry, and paintings created by participants in artist-in-residence programs hosted by agencies that manage federally designated wilderness. The exhibit is sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Voices of the Wilderness exhibit is one of many events and activities the U.S. Forest Service will sponsor in Alaska this year to celebrate the Wilderness Act, which endorsed the idea of “untrammeled” public wildlands in 1964 and secured the wilderness heritage that Americans now enjoy.

In Alaska, Congressionally designated wilderness makes up one-third of the lands on the Tongass National Forest, where 19 separate wilderness areas cover 5.8 million acres in Southeast. The Chugach National Forest manages the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area, which encompasses more than one-third of that forest in South-central Alaska.

To foster understanding and enjoyment of wilderness areas on the Tongass and Chugach, the Forest Service will sponsor numerous events and products this year:

The Voices of the Wilderness art exhibit will continue its run at venues in Ketchikan, Juneau, Fairbanks, Homer, Kenai, and Anchorage throughout the year.
The Meaning of Wild, a 30-minute film that features stunning footage from four wilderness areas on the Tongass, will screen in numerous communities in Alaska during the coming year, including Juneau, Anchorage, and Ketchikan.
The annual Chugach and Tongass poster series will highlight Forest Service wilderness in Alaska. Watch for the release of these commemorative posters in late March.
A wilderness boat excursion will explore the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area in late May.
Chugach Children’s Forest youth expeditions and teacher trainings in the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area are slated for this summer.
In partnership with Alaska Geographic and the National Park Service, the Forest Service will develop a series of wilderness stories to debut this fall.

Watch for more information on these and additional events atwww.myalaskaforests.com; www.fs.usda.gov/r10;www.fs.usda.gov/chugach/; and www.fs.usda.gov/tongass/.

TOUGH TIMES FOR KENAI RIVER GUIDES

2014-03-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

Kenai River (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the Peninsula Clarion...

Bruce Ewitt guided on the Kenai River for 11 years before he quit after the 2012 fishing season and shifted his efforts toward king salmon returning to the Columbia River.

He joined the ranks of sportfishing guides, nearly 100 since 2007, who have stopped guiding on the Kenai River a trend that other guides say could be indicative of future river use.

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TOUGH TIMES FOR KENAI RIVER GUIDES