Refuge Notebook • Vol. 22, No. 23 • June 5, 2020

So far west it’s east by Steve Delehanty

Sugarloaf Peak on Semisopochnoi Island, in the . Photo courtesy of Max Kaufman, Observatory.

Want to win a beer bet? Ask someone the loca- ern hemisphere. Specifically, Semisopochnoi Island, tion of the most southerly point in Alaska. The answer near , is the most easterly point in the United isn’t in Southeast, near Ketchikan. Rather, it’s Amatig- States when measured by longitude, and our old friend nak Island in the Aleutians. It’s easier to see this on a Amatignak is the most westerly. globe rather than a two dimensional map, but the cen- Of course, if you keep going west from tral Aleutians are closer to the equator than any other Semisopochnoi, deeper into the eastern hemisphere, part of Alaska. you will eventually come to , at the end of Still thirsty? Ask them the most westerly and east- the United States portion of the island chain (the Aleu- erly parts of the 50 states. Those are both in the Aleu- tian Archipelago continues on to Russia’s Commander tian Islands too, since the archipelago extends so far Islands). From Attu you are roughly 1500 miles from west that it crosses the 180th parallel into the east- Anchorage but only 600 miles from Petropavlovsk in

USFWS Kenai National Wildlife Refuge 45 Refuge Notebook • Vol. 22, No. 23 • June 5, 2020

Russia. Quite reasonably, most people think of Cape Japanese. The Battle of Attu was deadly on both sides, Wrangell on Attu as the most westerly point of Alaska, not only from opposing forces, but also from the bru- but it’s not when defined by longitude. tal weather which caused misery and death to both in- All of these islands and geographical trivia sites fantry and airmen. The battle cost not only the lives of have something in common: they all comprise part 550 American and 2500 Japanese soldiers, but also cost of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The the Attu Village residents their homes, their homeland, refuge consists of thousands of islands and a few and, for some, their lives. chunks of mainland, stretching from Forrester Island Attu Village was captured by Japanese forces and near the British Columbia border, through the Gulf of the inhabitants imprisoned in Japan for the duration Alaska, along the Alaska Peninsula, out to the end of of the war, where nearly half of them died in captiv- the Aleutians, through the , and all the way ity. Following the war, the United States government to Cape Lisburne in the Chukchi Sea. While the refuge did not allow them to resettle their village on Attu, is far flung, the headquarters for the refuge is right and instead moved survivors to Atka and other loca- here on the Kenai Peninsula, in Homer. tions. Later, the Cold War also took a toll on refuge Homer is a convenient headquarters for the refuge, islands, with Amchitka Island being the site of several not only because it’s a thriving, charming seaside com- underground nuclear tests. Today, despite centuries munity. Homer also offers a safe, generally ice-free of turmoil and challenges, resilient and talented peo- port for the refuge’s ship, the Research Vessel Tiglax, ple remain on and around various refuge lands, from which serves as a sort of combination refuge bush Southeast to the Chuckhi Sea, from the plane and pickup truck, as it is the only means of ac- to the Alaska Peninsula. cess to many of the refuge islands. Meanwhile, the extraordinary wildlife that call this Since most people find it impossible to reach the refuge home can thrive and carry on with the timeless remote refuge, the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center cycles of nature. Auklets swirl and mingle. Salmon in Homer provides a great opportunity to learn about strive for natal streams. Peregrines dive with uncanny refuge lands and resources. With a virtual seabird precision, while fur seals roar and otters placidly loaf colony, historical context, great films, and knowledge- in the kelp. able staff, you can get a sense of this refuge ofyours This splendid array of public lands, just likethe right here on the road system. The human history Kenai Refuge closer to home and public lands all across of these remote lands includes several extraordinary the country belong to you, to me, to all of us. These episodes. First settled thousands of years ago, the public lands are a gift prior generations of Americans coastal lands from Southeast to the Aleutian Chain and have given to us. This is yours. Your birthright from north to the arctic nurtured rich, vibrant Alaska Na- the past. Yours to enjoy today and tomorrow. Your gift tive cultures inextricably linked to the ocean, which to the future. And your opportunity to win a clever provided food, transportation, and security. beverage wager with a friend. More recently, just as World War II brought the Steve Delehanty has served as the Refuge Manager Alcan and forever linked Alaska to the Lower 48, the of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge since 2009. war also had a powerful impact on refuge islands. Find more Refuge Notebook articles (1999–present) at World War II swept through the Aleutians, with the https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Kenai/community/refuge_ refuge islands of Attu and being captured bythe notebook.html.

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