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Foundation Document Overview, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

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Foundation Document Overview, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Overview Kenai Fjords National Park Alaska Contact Information For more information about the Kenai Fjords National Park Foundation Document, contact: [email protected] or (907) 422-0500 or write to: Superintendent, Kenai Fjords National Park, P.O. Box 1727, Seward, AK 99664 Significance and Purpose Fundamental Resources and Values Significance statements express why Kenai Fjords National Park resources and values are important enough to merit national park unit designation. Statements of significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. These statements are linked to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Significance statements describe the distinctive nature of the park and inform management decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and protecting the most important resources and values of the park unit. Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to merit primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Icefields and Glaciers: Kenai Fjords National Park protects the Harding Icefield and its outflowing glaciers, where the maritime climate and mountainous topography result in the formation and persistence of glacier ice. The purpose of KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK • Icefields is to preserve the scenic and environmental • Climate Processes integrity of an interconnected icefield, glacier, • Exit Glacier and coastal fjord ecosystem. • Science & Education Fjords: Kenai Fjords National Park protects wild and scenic fjords that open to the Gulf of Alaska where rich currents meet glacial outwash to sustain an abundance of marine life. • Marine Ecosystems • Forest Ecosystems • Wildness • Shared Stewardship • Scenery Fundamental Resources and Values Geologic Processes: Kenai Fjords National Park protects an outstanding example of a subsiding coastal mountain range with steep-sided fjords, drowned cirques, and jagged islands. • Physical Record • Geologic Study • Interpretation/Education Wildlife: Kenai Fjords National Park protects a rich diversity of terrestrial and marine life in their natural state. • Terrestrial Wildlife • Marine Mammals • Birds • Wildlife Viewing • Scientific Research and Monitoring • Partnerships/Interagency Cooperation Human Experience: Kenai Fjords National Park provides opportunities to experience, understand, and appreciate the scenic and wild values of the Harding Icefields, its outflowing glaciers, coastal fjords, and wildlife and to comprehend environmental change in a human context. • Archeological and Historic Resources • Native Values • Collections • Research • Partnerships • Access • Recreational Opportunities • Interpretation/Education Description The Kenai Fjords National Park was established on of the Harding Icefield Trail or scenic overflight gives you a December 2, 1980, under the Alaska National Interest Lands window to past ice ages. At Exit Glacier you can stroll the trails, Conservation Act (ANILCA) to preserve in perpetuity unique take a ranger-led walk, and get close enough to hear the creaks fjord and rainforest ecosystems, the vast Harding Icefield, rich and groans of an active glacier as it slowly sculpts the landscape. and varied marine and terrestrial wildlife, and historical and Although much of the park is rugged wilderness, there are archeological reminders of the native peoples of the Alaska ways to explore for all interests and abilities. Boat tours depart coast. In addition, Kenai Fjords National Park also provides Seward’s small boat harbor daily in the summer months. Several for visitor enjoyment and access to the coastal fjords, Exit companies provide a variety of tour options, schedules, and Glacier, and the Harding Icefield in a manner that maintains amenities. Full-day tours that venture out to the park’s tidewater them unimpaired for future generations. glaciers are available as well as half-day tours that stay in the more protected waters of Resurrection Bay while giving you a Sweeping from rocky coastline to glacier-crowned peaks, taste of the park’s wildlife and scenery. Kenai Fjords National Park is located on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, 128 miles southwest of Anchorage. The park is The park’s headquarters and information center are located in accessible by car, bus, train, boat, and plane. Kenai Fjords is the town of Seward, Alaska. The Exit Glacier area is accessible by approximately 601,839 acres including 545 miles of coastline, road, approximately 12 miles from Seward. Additional access to rugged and glaciated mountains, numerous glaciers, fjords, the park is by small plane or by one of the many commercial tour and bays, and abundant terrestrial and marine wildlife. and charter boats that ply the coast along Kenai Fjords. Most of these boats operate out of Seward. Kenai Fjords National Park encompasses a coastal mountain system on the southeastern side of the Kenai Peninsula. A 300-square-mile, nearly flat icefield overlies all but the tops of the central To Anchorage R r e C Wildlife Refuge s u boundary r re c r Primrose t e io n ld Creek R u Trail ive o Twin r T B portion of the Kenai Mountains. The ra 9 Lakes il 4443ft k ek 1355m ree Paradise Cre USFS Cabin C R Peak n R y i E Lost a m I e ja Lake n k s w Be C e Mount Cre u h A g r r in Ascension i L e r t c e r H a a 5710ft Harding lcefield, Kenai Fjords crowning G l P c M 1741m t i L o d K r O n a A L W o L w I s E e 5005ft t L S K R i L v L S 1526m e Iceberg r a G k Lake L feature and largest icefield contained e T Bear r a Lake i l E xi t Gla cie k r ee CIER Cr GLA Willow Public Ro n completely within the United States is T ad o I Use Cabin EX lm (winter only) a S K P I a Mount Alice L r 5720ft L a 5265ft E d 1744m Y i 1605m s Nash G e R L A SEWARD o a C R d IE I C I E Marathon IN GLA almost a mile above the Gulf of Alaska. N W D R D O IA Mountain N G G LA 4603ft C Phoenix Peak IE Park boundary 5155ft 1403m R Information Center 5355ft 1571m 1633m C r e Chugach National e Park boundary Nearly 40 glaciers radiate out from the k Forest Headquarters D R KENAI L Lowell e A Point s L E u NATIONAL 5912ft U I S icefield in all directions. To the southeast r 1802m Coastal Trail Tonsina r N F Submerged Point I at high tide e WILDLIFE south of N E c Tonsina Point -84ft E -26m t P C 6197ft i REFUGE 1889m I o they descend to a fjord system. Mountain State Park N n Cabins O e Callisto ov I CAINES HEAD b C B Peak hum T T SKEE E 3223ft STATE C -972ft T U A State KENAI FJORDS GLACIER 983m RECREATION E S T R -296m Park U R AREA M Cabins r G B E R ridges extend out into the Gulf of Alaska; N A L o Caines A IA A L a I U b K C Head G r L G I e S L y A A E v a C C o E I G I R C H E E y R R R mp N NATIONAL Hu y A a I 5641ft D D D their seaward ends have been depressed 1720m IS O 3768ft 2904ft D N Fox 1149m 885m G L Island s T R ay w B RU d U o o r o L 5269ft A r I PARK Slate tw f 1606m a i G Callisto r N D L H Island A Head o C P E d by tectonic forces so that only mountain Clea C I D Bulldog r wate E ERS a r H R EN NATIVE CORPORATION Cove r GLA o C Slo E S IER ug d Aialik l h R Hive E A r N Public Use Bear Glacier H Island e L O O Cabin v N L Point i G F R N A U R 5288ft T Sheep E Pedersen Cape E y S 1612m G T a R G Lagoon B L S Resurrection L N k E n tops remain above sea level. Glaciers E a A A I I m I e C C Cole Rugged C I e I W E r E R N A Island H Barwell C Cr R ee 5873ft L Aialik Bay Ranger Station E P k T o G r Island A 1791m R P c H Holgate u x O o p o l i x N g Public Use Cabin n F e o a K Co F t I v T e e carve the valleys between these jagged L H C A H A a ER r A N m I r N O i d F (Highest point in park) A H a i B G ra Wildlife Refuge boundary L 6450ft n d R A le l g -900ft y E 1996m I R i e -274m U C R k v Striation o e A v ridges, and fjords are created when 4430ft I C o L S Quicksand r C G R Glacier Island 1351m ea G s i B a v Lake N Cove e e o y O r P ove n Cheval t Y r C a t E n g e h le -972ft T l B A Island w w N u R e M -296m e s c l a A t I M o KACHEMAK BAY 6340ft e N y C r H n Three Hole Point STATE PARK M 1933m c e S F e ocean waters replace receding glaciers.
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