ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Fairbanks , Alaska

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1997

United States Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Fairbanks, Alaska

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1997

United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System

Alaska Rcso~rc,cs L~brn~) ,\ lnl'ormation Services LJbr,!!y 13UEilllil!!. Suite 1 11 3211 Prm·iucncc Drive Anchorage, A K 9950R-Ui14 ~~~~~~~~~illl~lll~~~~~~~~~~nilllll~~~~~~~~m 3 4982 00021487 3 ARCTIC NATIONAL WaDLIFE REFUGE Fairbanks, Alaska

REVIEW AND APPROVALS

ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1997

Refuge Manager Date

Date INTRODUCTION

Size

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge, Arctic Refuge, or Arctic NWR) includes nearly 19.7 million acres, including eight million acres of wilderness. The Refuge spans more than 200 miles west to east from the Trans-Alaska pipeline corridor to Canada, and 200 miles north to south from the Beaufort Sea to the Venetie Indian Tribal Lands and the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

Geography

Major land forms include the coastal plain, the Brooks Range mountains, and the boreal forest south of the mountains. The Refuge extends south from the Beaufort Sea coast, including most offshore islands, reefs, and sandbars. It extends across the mostly treeless, rolling tundra of the coastal plain to the Brooks Range, located 8-50 miles inland from the coast. The Brooks Range runs roughly east to west through the Refuge, creating a natural north-south division. The Refuge contains the four tallest peaks (led by Mt. Isto, 9049 feet) and the only extensive glaciation in the Brooks Range. The mostly mountainous and hilly south side of the Refuge is cut by numerous stream and river valleys dominated by sub-arctic boreal forest of spruce, birch, and willow.

Facilities

No permanent facilities are located on the Refuge. The headquarters office is located in Fairbanks, 180 miles from the southern border of the Refuge. Other facilities include a modern bunkhouse and field station at Kaktovik on Barter Island, a few miles north of the Refuge coastal plain.

Enabling Legislation

On December 6, 1960, Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton signed Public Land Order 2214 establishing the 8.9 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Range (original wildlife range), closing it to entry under existing mining laws.

The original wildlife range was redesignated the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with the signing of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) on December 2, 1980. Under ANILCA, the Refuge more than doubled in size to 18 million acres. The Act also designated three Refuge rivers as Wild rivers and eight million acres (most of the original wildlife range) as Wilderness. Section 1002 of ANILCA directed a resource assessment, including limited seismic testing, of approximately 1.5 million acres of the Refuge coastal plain (the 1002 area), pending a future Congressional decision on oil and gas leasing or Wilderness designation for the area. The State of Alaska relinquished selection of approximately 971,800 acres within the Refuge in 1983, all of which were added to the Refuge. In 1988, the lOOth Congress enacted Public Law 110-395, which added another 325,000 acres, bringing the Refuge to its current size.

Refuge Purposes

Public Land Order 2214 stated that the purpose of the original wildlife range was to preserve unique wildlife, wilderness, and recreational values. This purpose was added to by Section 303(2)(B) of ANILCA, which specifies that the Refuge was established and shall be managed:

(i) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity including, but not limited to, the Porcupine caribou herd (including participation in coordinated ecological studies and management of this herd and the Western Arctic caribou herd), polar bears, grizzly bears, muskox, Dall sheep, wolves, wolverines, snow geese, peregrine falcons and other migratory birds, and Arctic char and grayling;

(ii) to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats;

(iii) to provide, in a manner consistent with purposes set forth in subparagraphs (i) and (ii), the opportunity for continued subsistence uses by local residents; and

(iv) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable and in a manner consistent with the purposes set forth in subparagraph (i), water quality and necessary water quantity within the refuge."

In Section 101 of ANILCA, Congress made clear its intent to preserve within conservation system units in Alaska, including the Refuge, "nationally significant" scenic, wilderness, recreational, wildlife, and other values for the benefit of present and future generations." Section 101 further states that "it is the intent of Congress in this Act to preserve ... wilderness resource values and related recreational opportunities including but not limited to hiking, canoeing, fishing, and sport hunting, within large arctic and subarctic wild lands and on free flowing rivers II

Refuge Resources

The Arctic Refuge includes a unique diversity of habitats offering exceptional wildlife, wilderness, recreation, scientific, and aesthetic values. The area includes an assemblage of plant and animal life found nowhere else in the circumpolar region.

Major habitat types include alpine tundra and rocky areas, wet and moist arctic tundra, boreal forest, muskeg, brackish coastal lagoons, shrub thickets, and numerous types of wetlands.

The Refuge contains an unusual diversity of arctic and subarctic wildlife, including the Porcupine and Central Arctic caribou herds. The Porcupine herd, numbering some 152,000 animals, winters in the southern portion of the Refuge and in Canada. Calving and post-calving activities occur on the coastal plain from late May to late June. Up to one-fourth of the Central Arctic herd, which numbers about 18,000 animals, utilizes the northwestern part of the Refuge. All three species of North American bears (black, grizzly, and polar) are found on the Refuge. Grizzlies, which den in mountainous areas, exist throughout the Refuge. They are thought to number between 130 and 150 on the north slope. Black bears inhabit the south side boreal forest. A few polar bears annually den on the coastal plain. The Refuge contains about 400 muskoxen, which often are observed along rivers on the coastal plain. Large populations of Dall sheep occur in the mountainous areas of the Refuge, although a reliable population estimate does not exist. Other mammals found on the Refuge include moose, wolverine, wolf, arctic fox, lynx, marten, and snowshoe hare. Grayling and Arctic char are the primary sport fish that inhabit Refuge rivers.

Approximately 180 species of migratory birds have been seen on the Refuge. The coastal plain is especially important for shorebirds and waterfowl that nest on or otherwise use the area during summer. Oldsquaw is the most common waterfowl species in coastal lagoons, but king and common eiders, pintails, brant, and other species also are found. Some 7 5 pairs of tundra swans nest on the coastal plain, concentrating on wetland dotted river deltas. From mid-August to mid­ September, the eastern part of the coastal plain serves as the fall staging area for an average 117,000 snow geese. The Refuge also supports the northernmost breeding population of golden eagles and includes critical habitat for the endangered peregrine falcon, much of it along the Porcupine River.

Local Residents

Residents of several Native villages harvest subsistence resources on the Refuge. Kaktovik, located on the northern edge of the coastal plain, is an Inupiat Eskimo village with about 210 people. Villagers utilize bowhead whale, caribou, polar bear, waterfowl, walrus, seal, Dall sheep, muskox, wolves, ptarmigan, and several species of fish. Arctic Village, an Athabascan Indian village with about 130 residents, is located on the East Fork of the Chandalar River just outside the Refuge's southern boundary. Although villagers rely mainly on the Porcupine caribou herd, they also take moose, Dall sheep, wolves, marten, beaver, lynx, fox, and several other species. Limited fishing occurs, primarily for whitefish and lake trout. Residents of Fort Yukon, Venetie, and Chalkyitsik also use Refuge resources, but to a lesser degree.

Public Access and Use

Public access is unrestricted except for all-terrain vehicle use. Almost all visitors get to the Refuge by bush plane. Subsistence users rely on boats, snowmobiles, and occasionally dog sleds.

The Refuge is open to public use year-round. Due to the isolated, pristine nature of the area, wilderness related activities predominate. Hunting, river floating, and backpacking are the most popular. Weather limits almost all visitation to June through early October. Trips generally range from one to three weeks, partly due to the remoteness of the Refuge and the high cost of getting there. Peak use occurs in July (floating, backpacking) and August-September (hunting). Visitors can capture breathtaking views like this throughout the Refuge. Barry Whitehill

"Natural history" evidence like this helps make the Refuge a special place. Barry Whitehill TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. HIGHLIGHTS 1

B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ...... 2 c. LAND ACQUISITION ...... 3

1. Fee Title ...... (Nothing to Report) 2. Easements ...... (Nothing to Report) 3. Other...... 3

D. PLANNING ...... 4

1. Master Plan ...... 4 2. Management Plan ...... (Nothing to Report) 3. Public Participation ...... (Nothing to Report) 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates ...... 4 5. Research and Investigations ...... 5 6. Other ...... (Nothing to Report)

E. ADMINISTRATION ...... 15

1. Personnel ...... 15 2. Youth Programs ...... 17 3. Other Manpower Programs ...... 17 4. Volunteer Program ...... 18 5. Funding...... 18 6. Safety ...... 19 7. Technical Assistance ...... (Nothing to Report) 8. Other ...... 19

F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT ...... 20

1. General ...... 20 2. Wetlands ...... (Nothing to Report) 3. Forests ...... (Nothing to Report) 4. Crop lands ...... (Nothing to Report) 5. Grasslands ...... (Nothing to Report) 6. Other Habitats ...... (Nothing to Report) 7. Grazing ...... (Nothing to Report) 8. Haying ...... (Nothing to Report) 9. Fire Management ...... 22 10. Pest Control ...... (Nothing to Report) 11. Water Rights ...... 22 12. Wilderness and Special Areas ...... 22 13. WPA Easement Monitoring ...... (Nothing to Report)

G. WII..,DLIFE ...... 24

1. Wildlife Diversity ...... 24 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species ...... 25 3. Waterfowl ...... 27 4. Marsh and Water Birds ...... (Nothing to Report) 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species ...... (Nothing to Report) 6. Raptors ...... 27 7. Other Migratory Birds ...... 28 8. Game Mammals ...... 28 9. Marine Mammals ...... 34 10. Other Resident Wildlife ...... (Nothing to Report) 11. Fisheries Resources ...... 34 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking ...... (Nothing to Report) 13. Surplus Animal Disposal ...... (Nothing to Report) 14. Scientific Collections ...... 35 15. Animal Control ...... (Nothing to Report) 16. Marking and Banding ...... 35 17. Disease Prevention and Control ...... (Nothing to Report)

H. PUBLIC USE ...... 36

1. General ...... 36 2. Outdoor Classrooms- Students ...... 42 3. Outdoor Classrooms- Teachers ...... 44 4. Interpretive Foot Trails ...... (Nothing to Report) 5. Interpretive Tour Routes ...... (Nothing to Report) 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations ...... 44 7. Other Interpretive Programs ...... 48 8. Hunting...... 48 9. Fishing ...... 52 10. Trapping ...... 52 11. Wildlife Observation ...... (Nothing to Report) 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation ...... 53 13. Camping ...... (Nothing to Report) 14. Picnicking ...... (Nothing to Report) 15. Off-Road Vehicling ...... (Nothing to Report) 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation ...... (Nothing to Report) 17. Law Enforcement ...... 60 18. Cooperating Associations ...... 60 19. Concessions ...... (Nothing to Report) I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES ...... 61

1. New Construction...... 61 2. Rehabilitation ...... 61 3. Major Maintenance...... 61 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement ...... 61 5. Communications Systems ...... 61 6. Computer Systems ...... 61 7. Energy Conservation ...... 62 8. Other...... 62

J. OTHER ITEMS ...... 62

1. Cooperative Programs ...... 62 2. Other Economic Uses ...... 63 3. Items of Interest ...... 63 4. Credits ...... 67

K. FEEDBACK ...... 70

APPENDIX - Newspaper and magazine articles ...... Tab 1

INFORMATION PACKET - Refuge brochures, flyers, and handouts ...... Tab 2

LIST OF TABLES

1. 1997 temperature data (degrees F) for Barter Island, Arctic Village, and Old Crow, Yukon Territory ...... 2 2. Funding summary FY91-FY97 (figures expressed to the nearest $1,000) ...... 18 3. Training received by employees in 1997 ...... 20 4. Peregrine falcon productivity, Porcupine River, AK, 1997 ...... 26 5. Peregrine falcon nestlings banded on the Porcupine River on the Arctic NWR, July 14-18, 1997 ...... 35 6. Hunting guide-outfitter special use permit report data, 1997 ...... 50 7. History of muskoxen harvest in Game Management Unit 26C ...... 51 8. CATG harvest data for Arctic Village and Venetie, 1993-95 ...... 52 9. Recreation guide special use permit data, 1997 ...... 55 10. Commercial recreation use days,_1987-1997 ...... 58 11. Private recreation reported in charter aircraft special use permit reports, 1997. . 59 A. HIGHLIGHTS

Muskox and moose surveys continued (see D.5, pp. 5-8, and G.8, pp. 30-31).

Ecological monitoring began at the alpine site in Atigun Gorge (see D.5, pp. 9-11 ).

Marsh Fork Canning River was surveyed for recreational impacts (see D.5, pp. 11-12).

Chum salmon spawning study began on the Yukon and Porcupine rivers (see D.5, p. 13).

Managers re-organized administrative staff and hired a maintenance worker to serve all Fairbanks Refuges (see E.l, pp. 15-16).

Refuge sponsored two UAF interns, with mixed results (see E.3, p. 17, and H.17, p. 60).

Raptors were surveyed on several rivers (see G.2, pp. 25-26, and G.6, pp. 27-28).

Staff conducted aerial surveys for snow geese on the Refuge coastal plain (see G.3, p. 27).

Caribou were collared in Canada (see G.8, p. 30, and G.l6, pp. 35-36).

Island-bound muskoxen were forced to swim to the mainland (see G.8, pp. 31-33).

Refuge web site continued to expand and improve (see H.l, p. 36).

Refuge tours were conducted for Congressional and DOl personnel (see H.l, pp. 36-37).

Staff co-sponsored and gave programs at the Recreational Impacts Conference (see H.l, p. 41).

Fairbanks Refuges expanded and improved NWR Week celebration (see H.6, pp. 44-47).

Local support groups sponsored the 1st Annual Run for the Refuge (see H.6, p. 47).

Federal board extended subsistence season for muskoxen (see H.8, p. 51).

Reported commercial recreation use was the lowest since 1988 (see H.12, p. 55 and p. 58).

North Slope Borough dredged gravel from part of Kaktovik Lagoon (see J.2, p. 63).

U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the United States in No. 84 Original (see J.3, pp. 63-64).

Warthog well in Camden Bay was drilled and then plugged (see J.3, pp. 65-66).

Department of Interior considered alternatives for Lease Sale 170 (see J.3, pp. 66-67).

1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Weather stations at Barter Island, Arctic Village, and Old Crow, Yukon Territory, are the only reliable sources of climatic data for the Refuge. Barter Island, on the Beaufort Sea coast, represents the north side. Arctic Village, on the Refuge's southern boundary, represents the south side and Old Crow, 30 miles east of the Refuge border in Canada, represents the southeast side. Winter temperatures were warmer than average for each of these reporting stations. Table 1 shows monthly temperature data for these three stations.

Table 1. 1997 Temperature data (degrees F) for Barter Island, Arctic Village, and Old Crow, Yukon Territory. M =missing data.

Barter Island Arctic Village Old Crow

Max. Min. Ave. Max. Min. Ave. Max. Min. Ave.

Jan -8.4 -20.2 -14.6 -12.2 -26.7 -19.5 -23.0 -32.3 -27.7

Feb -11.2 -20.7 -16.0 3.6 -13.4 -4.9 3.9 -14.5 -5.3

Mar -11.4 -23.5 -17.5 2.9 -21.6 -9.4 -0.2 -22.2 -11.2

Apr 11.3 -4.6 3.4 24.5 0.1 12.3 26.9 1.3 14.1

May 27.6 18.2 22.9 45.3 29.3 37.3 46.1 29.5 37.8

June 38.4 31.6 35.0 61.4 46.6 54.0 64.3 47.1 55.7

July M M M 62.5 48.1 55.3 57.5 51.8 59.7

Aug 47.9 40.0 44.0 59.2 44.0 51.6 62.7 46.5 54.6

Sept 36.3 33.2 34.8 46.6 36.1 41.4 50.9 36.7 43.8

Oct 21.4 11.2 16.3 14.4 0.1 7.3 19.3 10.3 14.8

Nov 15.2 4.6 9.9 6.5 -7.1 -0.3 0.1 -10.8 -5.4

Dec M M M -2.1 -16.9 -9.5 -4.8 -13.5 -9.2

2 Rain storms are quite common in the Brooks Range during summer. Barry Whitehill

C. LAND ACQUISITION

1. Fee Title

Nothing to Report

2. Easements

Nothing to Report

3. Other

Native Allotments

Under the Native Allotment Act of 1906, qualified Alaska Natives each could claim up to 160 acres of unreserved land until December 18, 1971. Each 160 acre claim (allotment) could consist of up to three parcels. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ALRS computer records system indicates that about 95 individuals have approximately 150 active (not rejected) allotment parcels on the Refuge comprising some 14,000 acres.

3 The BLM transmitted three allotment actions this year including a proposed allotment relocation, a decision modification, and notice of an allotment subject to mineral reservation.

Native Allotments present a significant management challenge since the owners can do virtually anything they wish with the land after it is conveyed. It is important for the Refuge to maintain up-to-date files on locations and sizes of the allotments because they are considered private land upon acceptance of the application. Management decisions must consider all possible conflicts that could occur with allotments.

D. PLANNING

1. Master Plan

An Ecological Monitoring Plan (EMP) was completed in December 1996 and was used to help plan the 1997 field season. The plan deviates from a Wildlife Inventory Plan in that it considers ecosystem functions, biological diversity, and other concepts of conservation biology while maintaining inventory responsibilities. In November a decision was made to further refine the plan during the first quarter of 1998. The EMP is considered a working document that will be revised and updated as needed.

2. Management Plan

Nothing to Report

3. Public Participation

Nothing to Report

4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates

Compatibility determinations and subsistence use evaluations were completed for all activities on the Refuge requiring special use permits.

The focus of the Army Corps of Engineers cleanup of Formerly Used Defense Sites this year was the Manning Point and Drum Island areas on land owned by the village of Kaktovik adjacent to the Refuge. Work at Demarcation Bay is complete. Removal of barrels, equipment and other remedial work remains for the Beaufort Lagoon, Brownlow, and Collinson Point sites.

4 The barrels and other debris are now gone from the Drum Island site. H. Heffernan

5. Research and Investigations

Research on wildlife and vegetation continued on the Refuge in 1997. Work was conducted by biologists from the Refuge and the Biological Research Division of the United States Geological Survey (BRD-USGS). A permit was issued to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) for helicopter assess to recollar radio-tracked grizzly bears. Scientific permits were issued to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF) for studies of glaciers, and to the University of Washington for collection of lake sediment cores for paleoecology studies. Permits also were issued to the Ecosystems Center, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to sample stream characteristics on two rivers in the Refuge, and to the California Academy of Sciences to collect fossil mollusks on the coastal plain. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) received a permit to establish remote radio tracking stations to track tagged salmon on the Porcupine River. A permit was again issued to the USGS for work reevaluating the oil potential of the 1002 area. The Poker Flats Rocket Range annually receives a permit to infrequently impact rocket debris and parachute instrument payloads onto the Refuge during winter as part of its aurora and other atmospheric research.

I. Population status and distribution of muskoxen on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Patricia E. Reynolds, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK

5 Population abundance, distribution, and sex and age structure were determined for the Refuge muskox population in 1997. During a pre-calving census in mid April, 541 muskoxen were counted along all major drainages on the Refuge coastal plain in Game Management Unit (GMU) 26C and along drainages west of the Refuge between the Sagavanirktok and Canning rivers in the eastern half of GMU 26B. During the same period, ADF&G biologists Geoff Carroll and John Coady flew muskox surveys from the Colville River to the Sagavanirktok River (western half of GMU 26B). A total of 324 muskoxen were counted in the Refuge and 309 were counted west of the Refuge in GMU 26B. In late June, sex and age composition of muskoxen was determined from ground observations of muskox groups. A total of 485 muskoxen were classified; 362 in the Refuge and 123 west of the Refuge in GMU 26B. Calf production was estimated from calf/adult female ratios and observations of marked female muskoxen. Adult male/adult female ratios also were calculated. Radio-relocation surveys were flown in April, June, and September to determine distribution and range expansion of muskoxen in and near the Refuge. Results of muskox investigations are summarized in Section G.8 (see pp. 30-33).

A small group of muskoxen near the Sadlerochit River in September.

Analysis of information collected during the past several years continued in 1997. Rates of population growth, productivity estimates, survival, emigration, and range expansion all were used to determine changes in abundance and distribution, and to generate population models to study past and future population growth.

Examination of information on seasonal distribution, habitat use, activity patterns, and patterns of dispersal for muskoxen also continued this year. This information

6 is being summarized in a series of technical papers. Data on muskox biology was provided to biologists from the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Subsistence Division, ADF&G, BLM, the North Slope Borough, Canadian wildlife agencies, and UAF, as well as interested members of the public. Muskox information was incorporated into a draft "Management Plan for the Harvest of Muskoxen on the North Slope," which is being prepared in cooperation with the North Slope Game Management Department, ADF&G, and other federal agencies.

Reports. papers, and publications

Reynolds, P .E. Dynamics and range expansion of a re-established muskox population in northeastern Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Management (in press).

Nellemann, C. and P.E. Reynolds. 1997. Predicting late winter distribution of muskoxen using an index of terrain ruggedness. Arctic and Alpine Research. 29(3): 334-338.

Reynolds, P.E. 1997. Status of muskox and harvest strategies for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Game Management Unit 26C. Unpublished report prepared for Arctic NWR, the Federal Subsistence Office, and members of the Muskox Working Group.

Reynolds, P .E. 1997. Muskoxen in northeastern Alaska: Dynamics of a re­ established population (abstract). The Wildlife Society 4th Annual Conference, Snowmass, Colorado, Sept. 21-27, 1997.

IT. Population and harvest significance of Southern Brooks Range moose concentrations

Francis J. Mauer, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK

This was the third year of data collection for this four year study of moose movements and population identification in the eastern part of the Refuge. Fourteen relocation surveys were conducted during 1997, documenting the seasonal migration of radio-collared moose from winter ranges in Alaska to summer habitat in Old Crow Flats, Canada, and back to Alaska during the fall. Production and survival of calves of marked females and mortality of marked adults were also monitored for the third year.

7 Reports, papers, and publications

Mauer, F.J. Moose migration: northeast Alaska to northwest Yukon. Presented at the 4th International Moose Symposium, UAF, Fairbanks, AK, May 17-23, 1997.

III. 1002-area caribou and bear studies

Thomas R. McCabe, BRD-USGS, Anchorage, AK Brad Griffith, FWS Cooperative Reseatch Unit, Fairbanks, AK Donald D. Young, ADF&G, Fairbanks, AK

The Executive Summary of the final report is nearing completion. Two manuscripts were published, one manuscript was accepted for publication, and one manuscript was submitted to a scientific journal. In addition, results were presented twice at professional meetings.

Reports, papers, and publications

Young, D. D. and T. R. McCabe. 1997. Estimates of grizzly bear predation rates on caribou calves in northeastern Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Management 61(4): (in press).

McCabe, T. R., B. Griffith, and J. C. Jorgenson. 1997. Assessing caribou habitat selection at a landscape level. Arctic Research of the United States, Vol. 11 (Spring/ Summer).

Young, D. D. and T. R. McCabe. 1998. Grizzly bears and calving caribou- what is the relationship with river corridors? Journal of Wildlife Management 62(1): (in press).

Griffith, B., D. C. Douglas, D. E. Russell, R. G. White, T. R. McCabe, and K. R. Whitten. Implications of a greener north for a nomadic ungulate and sustainability of arctic communities. Submitted to Nature.

McCabe, T. R. Assessing caribou habitat selection at a landscape level. Presented (with B. Griffith and J. C. Jorgenson) at The Wildlife Society 3rct Annual Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio.

8 McCabe, T. R. Weight gain of free-ranging caribou calves during early lactation. Presented (with B. Griffith, N. E. Walsh, and D.C. Douglas) at the Wildlife 1 Society 4 h Annual Conference, Snowmass, Colorado, Sept. 21-27, 1997.

N. Long-term ecological monitoring

Janet Jorgenson, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK Beverly Reitz, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK

Permanent study sites for long-term ecological monitoring are being established, one in each of the five major ecological zones of the Refuge. Monitoring of flora, fauna, and environmental variables will be concentrated in these areas through the years. The objectives are to:

1) Obtain baseline data on ecosystem components such as weather, vegetation, soils, small mammals, birds, and invertebrates. 2) Accumulate a long-term spatial and temporal data base to allow elucidation of the relationships between these components. 3) Detect natural and human-caused changes by repeated monitoring of permanent plots.

Tundra and boreal forest study sites were established in 1996. This year an alpine site was established in Atigun Gorge in the Philip Smith Mountains of the Refuge. The site is two miles east of the FWS Galbraith Lake field station and the Dalton Highway, between 2800 and 3600 feet elevation. The gorge is prime Dall sheep habitat and one of three areas in the Refuge where sheep are monitored yearly. Vegetation at the site is typical of the Brooks Range and varies due to different bedrock geology, moisture, depth, slope, aspect, and duration of winter snow pack. Four biologists and one volunteer conducted field work from July 9-13. Four permanent study plots were established and sampled, two on areas with acidic sedimentary rock and two on areas with calcareous limestone. Detailed vegetation studies were done at each of three plots in 10 permanently marked one-metei quadrats, measuring plant species composition and spatial distribution, microtopography of ground surface, and plant canopy. Terrestrial invertebrates also were trapped at each plot using sweep nets and pit-fall traps, to compile a list of species for each vegetation type. The fourth plot was established on a steep slope with large solufluction lobes, topography caused by soil and vegetation slipping slowly down-hill due to underlying permafrost. The topography was surveyed along two permanent transects down the slope. Measurements at all plots will be repeated every five years to detect changes over time due to natural biological processes or changes in weather and climate.

9 Working a permanent vegetation plot at the alpine site. B. Reitz

Botanists sample vegetation at the alpine site. J.Jorgenson

10 Reports, papers, and publications

Jorgenson, J. C., B. E. Reitz, B. H. Boyle, J. Johnson, and M. Emers. Ecological monitoring at long-term study sites in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: initial projects in 1996. Annual progress report, FWS. 39 pp.

V. Baseline survey of recreational impacts along rivers of the Arctic NWR

Mike Emers, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK Beverly E. Reitz, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK Janet C. Jorgenson, Arctic NWR, Fairbanks, AK

The survey of recreational impacts along high use rivers in the Refuge continued in 1997. The purposes of the study are to determine baseline levels of impact to riparian habitats in high use recreational areas, establish permanent plots to detect changes over time, and provide a baseline for determining limits of acceptable change in high use areas. Ten campsites were located along 57 kilometers of the Marsh Fork Canning River. Sites were mapped, photographed, and evaluated for impacts to riparian and tundra habitats. Three sites had high disturbance, five had moderate disturbance, and two had little disturbance. All the campsites were near access points (airstrips). Dryas benches (dry benches dominated by the mat-forming shrub Dryas integrifolia) were more impacted than sites on gravel bars where vegetation was more open. Site information was recorded using a system that facilitates re-evaluation in the future.

Mcisaac and Jorgenson measure impacts to vegetation at a campsite on the Marsh Fork Canning River. B. Reitz

11 Reitz and Mcisaac line through shallows on the Marsh Fork Canning River. J. Jorgenson

Reports, papers. and publications

Emers, M., and B. E. Reitz. Recreational impact study along the Canning River of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Annual progress report, FWS. 32 pp.

Emers, M. Recreation impact monitoring in the Arctic NWR. Presented at the Recreational Impacts in Alaskan Ecosystems Conference, Fairbanks, AK, April 15-17' 1997.

VI. Effects of global climate change on ungulate resources of the arctic coastal plain

Thomas R. McCabe, BRD-USGS, Anchorage, AK

A book was published containing a chapter on results from the global climate change research on the coastal plain. Final analyses and report writing occurred throughout the year.

Reports, papers, and publications

Walsh, N. E., T. R. McCabe, J. M. Welker, and A. N. Parsons. 1997. Experimental manipulations on snow depth: effects on plant nutrient content and implications for caribou. Global Change Biology 3: 101 -107.

12 VII. Upper Yukon- Porcupine River fall chum salmon radio telemetry and mark recapture program

John Eiler, NMFS, Auke Bay Lab, Juneau, AK

This is an inter-agency project (involving NMFS, FWS, ADF&G, and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans) which aims to delineate spawning areas and document the size of spawning populations for chum salmon in the upper Yukon and Porcupine rivers. The program, proposed for several years, involves the use of telemetry receiver towers at key locations in conjunction with a salmon capture and marking effort in the Yukon River Ramparts area. The Arctic Refuge authorized the placement of two telemetry towers on the Porcupine River near the international border from August 13 - 16, 1997. Mauer helped with site selection to ensure that the towers were placed in locations that avoided conflicts with known peregrine falcon nest sites.

Telemetry tower like those on the Porcupine River. R. Brown

13 On September 30, Monty Millard (Fairbanks Fishery Resource Office) and Steve Miller (Anchorage FWS Fish Genetics Lab) conducted a helicopter reconnaissance of the Salmon Trout River in the Refuge. The purpose of the flight was to look for evidence of chum spawning activity. No salmon or evidence of their presence were observed during the survey. Evidence provided by local residents indicates that in the past significant numbers of chum salmon spawned in the Salmon Trout River. Plans are to continue monitoring this stream to determine if there is an intermittent spawning pattern.

The Salmon Trout River near its confluence with the Porcupine River. F. Mauer

Vlll. Wetlands mapping at United States Air Force radar sites

Jonathan Hall, Ecological Services, Anchorage, AK

The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) project was funded by the United States Air Force to prepare detailed, large-scale wetlands maps of 21 Long Range Radar Sites throughout Alaska. In addition to the site maps, the agreement specified production of standard NWI maps for the USGS 1:63,360 scale quadrangle(s) containing the radar sites. Two of the sites, Barter Island and Bullen Point, are surrounded by Arctic Refuge property. In 1996, NWI field staff conducted ground truthing of aerial photography covering the two radar sites. The team also visited sites on Refuge property in the Barter Island (A-5) and Flaxman Island (A-5) quadrangles. This year the NWI staff updated and published revised maps for these two quadrangles.

14 6. Other

Nothing to Report

E. ADMINISTRATION

1. Personnel

Permanent Appointments

1. James W. Kurth, Refuge Manager, GS-14, Entered on Duty (BOD) 8/21/94. 2. Donald P. Garrett, Deputy Refuge Manager, GS-13, BOD 3/18/84. 3. Roger W. Kaye, Wilderness Specialist/Pilot, GS-12, BOD 12/23/84. 4. David C. Sowards, Pilot, GS-12, BOD 2/28/88. 5. Janet S. Jorgenson, Botanist, GS-12, BOD 5/24/88. 6. Francis J. Mauer, Wildlife Biologist, GS-11, BOD 6/28/81. 7. Patricia C. Reynolds, Ecologist, GS-11, BOD 1111/81. 8. Harvey A. Heffernan, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, GS-11, Transferred 6/22/97. 9. Thomas R. Edgerton, Outdoor Recreation Planner, GS-11, BOD 3/25/90. 10. Catherine H. Curby, Wildlife Interpretive Specialist, GS-11, BOD 411/83. 11. Barbara Boyle, Wildlife Biologist, GS-11, BOD 4/1/96. 12. Julia M. Mcisaac, Computer Assistant, GS-05, BOD 6/2/91. 13. Patrick Scannell, Computer Specialist, GS-11, BOD 4/1196. 14. Alan Brackney, Wildlife Biologist, GS-11, BOD 8/3/97.

Shared Permanent Appointments

1a. Don Carlson, Maintenance Mechanic, WG-09, BOD 8117/97.* 2a. Perry Grissom, Wildlife Biologist/Fire Management Officer, GS-11, BOD 6/26/96.** 3a. Greg McClellan, Refuge Operations Specialist/Subsistence Coordinator, GS-11, BOD 10/27/96.** 4a. Eleanore B. Patterson, Administrative Officer, GS-09, BOD 06/22/97.*** 5a. Mabel Generous, Administrative Technician, GS-06, BOD 6/22/97.*** 6a. Donna L. Christensen, Administrative Technician, GS-05, BOD 6/22/97. *** 7a. Almeda Gaddis, Refuge Clerk, GS-05, BOD 10/26/97.***

15 * On staff of Arctic NWR, but shared with Kanuti and Yukon Flats NWRs. ** On staff of Yukon Flats NWR, but shared with Arctic and Kanuti NWRs. *** On staff of Kanuti NWR; on Administrative Team for all Fairbanks Refuges.

Term Appointments

lb. Michael Emers, Botanist, GS-11, EOD 617/91, Resigned 6/18/97. 2b. Beverly E. Reitz, Biological Technician, GS-07, EOD 6/16/91 (NTE 6115/99). 3b. Dale L. Dufour, Maintenance Worker, WG-08, EOD 6118/93 (NTE 6112/98).

Contract Employees

lc. Cheryl Evans, Secretary, EOD 11/20/96, Resigned 6115/97. 2c. Erica Moore, Secretary, EOD 6/15/97, Duty ended 9/30/97.

Volunteers

ld. Jack Moermond, Michigan, 5/23/97-9/5/97. 2d. Jean Moermond, Michigan, 5/23/97-9/5/97. 3d. Andrea Schulman, Fairbanks, AK, 5112/97-5/16/97.

16 2. Youth Programs

In November and December, Kaye met with a group of social workers, counselors, corrections officials, and others interested in developing a wilderness-based therapeutic program for at-risk and delinquent youth. A local social service agency has agreed to serve as the home base for the program and a coordinator has been selected. When funding is found, therapy/community service projects on public land will be explored.

3. Other Manpower Programs

The Refuge sponsored two UAF student interns during the summer, one from Arctic Village and one from Japan. The internship consisted of two parts: 1) meetings and discussions with staff regarding training programs, and 2) a month-long project collecting public use data at Red Sheep Creek. One of the interns had a serious attendance problem. In addition, during the field project he went hunting and shot a sheep, despite clear instructions that hunting would not be allowed. He was cited for hunting without a license and given an "F" for the course. The other intern performed well in every regard, completing an excellent report entitled "Red Sheep Creek Monitoring Project. "

Student interns Buddy Peters (center) and Taro Kanazawa (right) talk to hunting guide Joe Hendricks on the Marsh Fork Canning River. R. Kaye

In December Kaye helped UAF graduate student Jessica Kuntz design a research project related to the Refuge's history. Kuntz will examine the values underlying arguments for and against oil development in the Refuge, developing the subject into a master's thesis. A student internship or other cooperative program in being explored.

17 4. Volunteer Program

Edgerton collaborated with personnel from the BLM and National Park Service (NPS) to recruit, hire, and train summer volunteers to staff the Coldfoot Interagency Visitor Center. Jack and Jean Moermond, a retired couple from Michigan, were selected as the ones sponsored by the FWS. They worked nearly 15 weeks, from late May through early September.

For five days in mid-May, Andrea Schulman assisted Curby with an insect study on the western side of the Refuge near Galbraith Lake along the Dalton Highway.

5. Funding

Refuge funding increased approximate 4% in fiscal year (FY) 97 (see Table 2). The total allocation of $1,496,000 funded a variety of projects including continued monitoring of Dall sheep at Arctic Village and Atigun Pass, caribou census, moose movement study, outreach, muskox studies, ecological monitoring, data network, rare plant survey, peregrine falcon survey, repair/cleanup of field facilities, replacement of field gear, and the Coldfoot operation. Fire Program funds for training, travel, equipment, and maintenance totaled $2, 167.

Table 2. Funding summary FY91-FY97 (figures expressed to the nearest $1,000).

Program FY91 FY92 FY93 FY94 FY95 FY96 FY97

1120 160 1221 69 1122 10 1261 1,127 1,194 1,101 1,122 1,041 1,206 1,291 1262 557 480 541 606 418 174 185 1411 92 4960 8 8610 1 9110 1 61 2 14 9120 9 20 16 8 9251 3 2 9231 0.5

Total 2,014 1,695 1,719 1,740 1,473 1,433 1,496

18 6. Safety

A Safety and Health Inspection was conducted at the Refuge administrative office, storage facility, and hangar to identify hazardous conditions and determine compliance with safety/health requirements. There were no violations at the administrative or storage facilities, and the six conditions identified at the hangar were corrected.

Refuge staff enjoyed another accident-free year. Personnel attended safety training on a required or as-needed basis, including CPR/First Aid, aircraft refresher, bear safety, and firearms requalification. Mentor pilot Sowards again enhanced the Region 7 safety program by providing 40 hours of training to Service pilots.

7. Technical Assistance

Nothing to Report

8. Other

Employee Awards

Special Act Service Awards were given to Jim Kurth, Cathy Curby, Tom Edgerton, and Patrick Scannell.

19 Table 3. Training received by employees in 1997.

Course Title Date(s) Employee(s)

Research Methods & Source in North 1/14-5/15 Kaye ERDAS 2/3-6 Boyle, Reitz, Emers, Jorgenson Managing Performance & Conduct 3/10-14 Garrett Visa 3/24 All Employees Post EarthQuake Damage Assessment 3/27-29 Edgerton, Sowards Collateral Duty Safety Officer 3/25-27 Garrett Hostile Territory 3/20 Curby IntranetWare Netware 4.11 Admin. 4/21-23 Mcisaac FileMaker Pro 517 All Employees Basic Aircraft Safety 5/13 Edgerton A* Hardware Certification 5/19-22 Mcisaac PC Optimizing/Network Troubleshooting 05/23 Mcisaac Advanced Wilderness Management 5/29-6/5 Garrett Adult CPR 6/4 Jorgenson, Heffernan Alaska Soil Geography Field Studies 6/14-21 Jorgenson IntranetWare Netware 4.11 Adv. 6/17-6/19 Mcisaac, Scannell Networking Technologies 7/1-3 Scannell Warrant Authority 7/14-18 Christensen FEA Pre-Retirement Seminar 7/21-22 Edgerton Bomb Threat Training 7121 All employees Service and Support 8/11-15 Scannell Introduction to Arc View 9123-24 Boyle IntranetWare Netware 4.11 Adv. 9/29-10/3 Mcisaac Administrative Workshop 1117-11 Christensen, Garrett NAI Workshop 11/8 Edgerton PowerPoint 12/2 Edgerton, Curby, Reynolds, Garrett Bear Safety Reynolds OAS Ground School 1217-12 Carlson, Kaye, Sowards

F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT

1. General

The Arctic Refuge is our nation's single conservation area consisting of an undisturbed continuum of arctic and subarctic ecosystems from the Beaufort Sea to the Yukon River drainage. Management is oriented to preserve and maintain these systems in their original state, allowing for natural processes to continue with minimum human intervention. Collection of appropriate baseline information on plant and animal communities is integral to current and future management requirements. There are no habitat manipulation practices currently employed on the Refuge.

20 The Canning River, the northwestern boundary of the Refuge, flows past the Sadlerochit Mountains on its way to the coastal plain and Beaufort Sea. Barry Whitehill

2. Wetlands

Nothing to Report

3. Forests

Nothing to Report

4. Croplands

Nothing to Report

5. Grasslands

Nothing to Report

6. Other Habitats

Nothing to Report

7. Grazing

Nothing to Report

21 8. Haying

Nothing to Report

9. Fire Management

Wildland fire helps create a mosaic of plant communities on the Refuge, which supports a diverse wildlife community. Fire is especially important in the boreal forest region in the southern part of the Refuge. About 98% of the Refuge is under Limited Protection, operating under a near-natural fire regime. Fires in those areas are usually only monitored by air. The remainder of the Refuge is in Modified Protection. Fires there are suppressed early in the season, but are usually only monitored later on. Sites with specific value (e.g. permitted cabins) are protected regardless of the fire protection category of the land surrounding them.

The fire regime of the boreal forest is characterized by periodic years with severe fire weather resulting in large, intense fires . This year was one of the calm in-between years, and no fires were reported on the Refuge. Recurring and often heavy rains caused near­ flood conditions in June on the lower reaches of the Christian, Chandalar, Coleen, Sheenjek, and Porcupine rivers. Wet conditions allowed early conversion of Modified to Limited Protection on July 3.

10. Pest Control

Nothing to Report

11. Water Rights

During 1997, the Region 7 Water Resources Branch filed water rights applications with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources for 65lakes within the 1002 area.

12. Wilderness and Special Areas

The vastness, remoteness, scenic grandeur, wildlife, and opportunity to experience wilderness combine to make the Arctic Refuge America's premier wilderness refuge. The eight million acres of designated Wilderness within the Refuge is more than in all the "lower 48" refuges combined. Recognizing the importance of wilderness on the Refuge, Kaye officially became the Refuge Wilderness Specialist this year.

22 Scenic splendor awaits those drawn to mountaintops in the Refuge. Barry Whitehill

In May, Kaye served as a trip leader/instructor for the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center's wilderness training for land managers held in Missoula Montana. While in Missoula, he made presentations on wilderness values of the Brooks Range at both the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute and the University of Montana School of Forestry. He later met with researchers at these institutions to discuss the utility of various methods of researching experiential and symbolic values of Brooks Range wilderness.

In November, as part of the Region 7 effort to update Comprehensive Conservation Plans, the Refuge developed a common management direction for Alaskan refuge wilderness and a table for considering compatibility of management and public activities in wilderness.

Kaye taught a Leave-No-Trace wilderness program at the 1997 interagency Earth Quest youth camp (see H.2, p. 43). The program was based on a slide show and story about two Yupik youth who practice Leave-No-Trace techniques in the wilderness. In spite of Kaye's effort and attempt to maximize cultural relevance, several students were observed littering shortly after the program. The concepts of wilderness and Leave-No-Trace are quite alien to most village youth and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect that one isolated program should have a significant affect on behavior. But exposure to this new way of looking at the land and our role in it may some day come back to these teens.

23 13. WPA Easement Monitoring

Nothing to Report

G. WILDLIFE

1. Wildlife Diversity

The proximity of the Brooks Range to the Arctic Ocean in northeast Alaska and northern Yukon Territory affords a unique assemblage of Arctic plant and animal communities repeated nowhere else in the circumpolar region. The southern boundary of the Arctic Refuge extends well into the northern boreal forest zone, combining Arctic and subarctic life forms. This provides for an unusual diversity of wildlife. For example, all three species of North American bears (black, brown and polar) occur in the Refuge. Ungulates such as moose, Dall sheep, muskox, and caribou often are found in close proximity, occasionally overlapping in certain habitats. The Refuge also supports the northernmost breeding populations of golden eagles and Dall sheep in North America. Several plant species are at their extreme limits of distribution on the Refuge. About 180 bird species have been recorded on the Refuge. Some come from distant places such as Africa, India, Australia, and Patagonia. The Refuge supports an unusual diversity of wildlife and habitats; the majority exist in a relatively undisturbed condition.

By August, after weeks of constant harassment, caribou can roam nearly mosquito-free. Barry Whitehill

24 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species

Peregrine falcon

Two subspecies of peregrine falcons nest on the Refuge. The American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum) nests south of the Brooks Range divide, and is currently being considered for de-listing from the endangered species list. The Arctic peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius) nests north of the Brooks Range divide and was removed from the threatened species list in November, 1994.

The 19th consecutive annual survey of cliff-nesting raptors on the Porcupine River was conducted by Refuge personnel from July 13-19 (see G.6, p. 27, and G.16., p. 35). Twenty-two of 26 pairs of peregrine falcons produced a minimum total of 50 young (see Table 4, p. 26). Single adult peregrines were also observed at four historic nest territories. A recent increase in Golden eagle nesting activity on the Porcupine River appears to be having a negative influence on peregrine nesting success at two sites.

Kurth basks in the light of the midnight sun with Brooks Yaeger (DOl Planning and Policy Development) after a day surveying peregrines on the Porcupine River. F. Mauer

25 Table 4. Peregrine falcon productivity, Porcupine River, AK, 1997.

Productivity parameter 1996 1997 18 year ave.

Total pairs 30 26 18.4 Pairs with young 19 22 13.2 Total young 43 50 30.8 Young fledged!fotal pairs 1.43 1.92 1.67

Refuge personnel also conducted peregrine falcon surveys on the Canning and Kongakut rivers on the Refuge north slope. The purpose of these surveys was to obtain current data on abundance, distribution, and productivity of arctic peregrines for population status assessments associated with the monitoring of a de-listed species. One of three peregrine pairs produced a total of two young on the two rivers in 1997. Two separate adults and one pair of peregrines also were seen hunting along the rivers.

During the Porcupine River survey, Mauer and Curby collected soil samples from a site containing evidence of ancient forests, perhaps more than six million years old, for pollen studies by Dr. Thomas Ager of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver.

Curby collecting soil samples from the site along the Porcupine River. F. Mauer

26 3. Waterfowl

According to Kaktovik resident Walt Audi, staging snow geese from the Western Canadian Arctic began arriving on the Refuge coastal plain in early September. Poor weather conditions prevented Refuge staff from flying to Barter Island until September 7, when a partial survey of the birds was done. A more complete survey on September 9, conducted by Brackney, Boyle, Carlson, and Sowards, found about 104,000 snow geese on the coastal plain. High numbers of geese were concentrated between the J ago and Okpilak. rivers and between the Aichilak. and Niguanak rivers. Poor weather prevented another survey, and the exact departure date of the geese is unknown.

Breeding bird surveys on the Refuge coastal plain were not conducted this year by the Fairbanks Migratory Birds Office due to increased efforts around the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska lands. Tundra swan nesting and brood surveys also were not done.

4. Marsh and Water Birds

Nothing to Report

5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species

Nothing to Report

6. Raptors

Surveys for cliff-nesting raptors were conducted on the Porcupine River in mid-July, and the Canning and Kongak.ut rivers from late June to early August (see G.2, pp. 25-26). Five of 21 golden eagle nest territories on the Porcupine River were occupied by adults, and four nests produced a total of four young eagles.

A pair of white phase Gyrfalcons successfully fledged two young on the Canning River by the bluff strip. White phase Gryfalcons are considered rare in northeastern Alaska. Also along the Canning River, a Say's phoebe nest with young was located about 18 feet from a Gyrfalcon nest. According to Ted Swem, Raptor Biologist with the Fairbanks Ecological Services Office, this is a fairly common occurrence. By nesting close to Gyrfalcons, Say's phoebes are able to protect their nest from predators like ravens.

27 Boyle scans a cliff along the Canning River for raptor nests. Barry Whitehill

7. Other Migratory Birds

In late June, Refuge staff tried to conduct off-road point counts as part of the long term ecological monitoring program at the Coleen River site, but were deterred by flooding of the river which completely covered the gravel bar they needed to land on.

8. Game Mammals

Caribou

Most of the Porcupine caribou herd spent the winter of 1996-97 in Canada in the southern Richardson Mountains, upper Ogilvie Basin, and possibly the Knorr and Trevor Mountains located in the extreme southeastern portion of the herd's range. It was the fourth consecutive winter that caribou were not accessible to hunters from Arctic Village. One radio-collared caribou was found in early February near the southern border of the Refuge, east of Vundik Lake. Tracks in the area indicated that only a small number of caribou were present. Extensive high altitude radio telemetry surveys over traditional

28 winter range during February and March failed to document any other caribou in Alaska. Late winter composition surveys in Canada indicated good calf abundance (38 calves/100 females).

In early May, local residents reported caribou tracks crossing the Yukon River upstream of Fort Yukon, and later, residents of Chalkyitsik found caribou tracks in their area. Apparently the tracks were quite limited and did not indicate a major migration. These observations suggest that small numbers of Porcupine herd caribou wintered south of the Yukon River in Alaska.

Migrating caribou were observed crossing ice jams on the Porcupine River on May 7. Residents of Kaktovik harvested a number of migrating females in the foothills near the Aichillik River on May 17.

Calving was distributed from the Sadlerochit River in Alaska to nearly the Babbage River in Canada. Major calving concentrations occurred between the Sadlerochit and Okerokovik rivers in Alaska and in the vicinity of Spring Creek and Crow River in Canada. A minimum 76% of radio-collared adult females gave birth to calves; 20 of 35 productive females were in Alaska at calving time.

A small band of caribou crosses the Canning River. Barry Whitehill

By June 24, large concentrations of caribou were in the foothills west of the Aichillik River. A cold front moved across the region June 25-27, and the caribou responded by moving southeast into the mountains. By June 28, most caribou were east of the Kongakut River in the British Mountains. They continued moving rapidly and reached the upper Babbage River in early July. This movement, coupled with cool weather,

29 prevented a scheduled census of the herd. Scattered groups of bulls remained in the eastern Brooks Range of Alaska until early July. In mid-July, scattered groups of caribou were hunted in the hills east of Arctic Village.

Relatively mild September weather delayed the caribou migration across the Porcupine River near Old Crow, and therefore efforts to collar caribou during the crossings. Nine satellite transmitters and two conventional VHF transmitters were finally deployed in October and November. In early October there were strong movements of caribou in the vicinity of the Dempster Highway towards the Peel River and upper Ogilvie Basin. Evidence of caribou was not observed in the Arctic Village region during aerial flights on November 16, suggesting that few if any caribou will winter there in 1997-98.

Moose

Fall moose surveys by Refuge staff on the north slope between the Dalton Highway and the Canning River documented a total of 97 moose. A moderate abundance of calves (30/1 00 females) was observed. These results suggest that moose have declined since 1995 and 1996 when 145 and 141 moose were counted. Overall, the moose population in that area has dropped from about 600 in the late 1980's. The reason for the decline remains speculative. Factors such as winter weather, increased predators, over browsing, and disease have been identified as possible inter-related causes. Beginning in 1996, the Alaska Board of Game and the Federal Subsistence Board closed the north slope to moose hunting (except for a limited subsistence hunt near the village of Nuiqsut). We expect this closure to remain until north slope moose populations increase.

Results of moose studies in the southern Brooks Range (see D.5, pp. 7-8) suggest relatively low calf survival during the winter of 1996-97, and high mortality (23%) of radio-collared adult moose. Weather and light snow conditions precluded a fall moose count in the southern Brooks Range in 1997.

Muskox

Population status. During the pre-calving census in mid-April and composition counts in early July, 324 muskoxen older than calves were counted on the coastal plain of the Refuge, 217 were counted west of the Refuge between the Canning and Sagavanirktok rivers, and 92 were counted west of the Sagavanirktok River. Counts were not conducted in northwestern Canada this year. Numbers of muskoxen are increasing throughout their range. In the Refuge, the population has been stable at less than 350 animals for the past 11 years. This stability is due primarily to a declining trend in calf production and annual variability in survival, although emigration of muskoxen has also contributed.

30 fu late June, 362 muskoxen were classified on the Refuge; 26 calves/100 females greater than two years old were seen, the lowest calf production recorded on the Refuge in the past 15 years. Only 10% of the animals classified were calves. Calf production was especially low in the central part of the Refuge along the Sadlerochit and Hulahula rivers, where only nine calves/100 females greater than two years old were counted. The largest groups in these drainages had no calves. fu April, many groups of muskoxen were located high on mountain slopes. Deep snow conditions likely contributed to the shift in distribution and low calf production. Predation, including hunting, also may have affected distribution and calf production. Adult males made up 19% of the population and 48 adult males/1 00 cows greater than two years were observed on the coastal plain.

Radio-tracking surveys showed that muskoxen continued to use regions along the Sadlerochit, Tamayariak, and Okerokovik rivers which have been occupied since shortly after their re-introduction to the Refuge in 1969 and 1970. Muskoxen also have expanded their range into the Aichilik, Kongakut, and Clarence drainages to the east and the Kavik and Sagavanirktok drainages to the west. Mixed-sex groups are now becoming established along the Ribdon River, along the Sagavanirktok River near Happy Valley, and near Nuiqsuit in the Itkilik Hills. Bull muskoxen have been seen south of the Brooks Range mountains on several occasions. fu 1997, an adult male was observed as far south as the Yukon River near Circle City, and muskox stew was on the menu in at least one Venetie household.

Arey Island muskoxen. fu mid-May, a small band of muskoxen crossed a frozen lagoon to Arey Island, a narrow barrier island west of Barter Island. When the animals had not left the island by mid-June, Kaktovik residents began to worry that they would become stranded. Efforts to chase them off by snowmachine were unsuccessful. By late June, the sea ice began to break up. Kaktovik residents suggested everything from flying in food to shooting the animals. Reynolds went to the island in late June and found a group of seven muskoxen: two males, three females, one yearling, and one calf still in residence. Although most of the island was devoid of vegetation, the central section had several stands of low growing willows (Salix sp.), patches of dried grass (Elymus arenarius ), and many species of forbs that were just starting to bloom. The vegetation appeared to be in good condition. The presence of a calf, a yearling, and a lactating female indicated that the animals were not in poor condition. The western end of the island was less than 112 mile from the mainland across the shallow Okpilik River delta, where mudflats were solid enough to support a large animal. The delta had only one deep channel less than 50 yards wide, and muskoxen had been seen swimming across rivers wider than that. Thus the muskoxen had to swim only a short distance to leave the island. It was assumed they would do so once they ran out of food.

Because Arey Island is village corporation land, ADF&G had legal jurisdiction over the muskoxen. fu mid-July, lawyers and letters from Kaktovik asked ADF&G for removal of the muskoxen, claiming the animals were destroying cultural resources and preventing people from using the island. Options presented by ADF&G included drugging and

31 moving the animals by helicopter, hazing them off the island, and issuing permits to shoot them. Only the last option was acceptable to Kaktovik residents. In late July, ADF&G biologist Geoff Carroll, North Slope Borough mayor Ben Nageak, and three Kaktovik residents traveled to Arey Island to review the situation. The island's vegetation appeared to be heavily grazed, but the animals did not appear to be starving because the calf and yearling were still alive. An attempt to drive the animals off the island toward the mainland was not successful. After talking to local residents, whose suggestions ranged from "harvest them so they don't starve .. ."to "find out what they feed captive muskoxen and get some of that," it was decided to wait a few more weeks to see if the animals would leave the island on their own.

In early August, Reynolds, Carroll, and his daughter went to Kaktovik to make a last attempt to remove the muskoxen from Arey Island before ADF&G issued permits to shoot them. They were taken to the island by Ben Linn in his fishing boat, along with three people from North Pole attending Bible camp in Kaktovik. Fenton Rexford brought his boat so that one could be positioned on each side of the island. The muskoxen were located about a mile from the western end of the island. The passengers disembarked and began to walk toward the muskoxen who responded by moving west. Fortunately the bulls in the group were young males, instead of large aggressive males in the middle of rut. The calf and yearling were there, indicating that the animals were not yet starving. When the muskoxen reached the western end of the island, closest to the mainland, they stopped and faced the people, apparently averse to enter the water.

Arey Island muskoxen pose before their swim to the mainland. P. Reynolds

Linn returned to his boat and brought it along the seaward side of the island. Carroll began firing cracker shells at the muskoxen, forcing them into the shallow water. The animals first attempted to walk out and around the people, who entered the water to prevent the animals from returning to land. As the water became deeper, the calf was forced to swim. Carroll and his daughter, wading almost up to their chests, literally

32 pushed the animals off shore, while Reynolds struggled through waist deep water trying to keep the cracker shells dry. Rexford decided to get his boat. The animals, reluctant to cross the main channel, instead moved along it, trying to get around the Carrolls, who were waving arms and shooting cracker shells. The muskoxen had nearly succeeded when Rexford an:ived with his boat, positioning it between the animals and the island. At that point, the animals finally swam the short distance across the channel to shallow water and the mainland. Afterwards, Rexford build a huge bonfire to warm up and dry the sodden biologists after their 20 minute wade in the arctic waters of the lagoon.

After their swim, the Carrolls warm toes and clothes by a fire built by Rexford. P. Reynolds

An examination showed that most of the island's vegetation had been heavily grazed. Forbs were no longer present and willows had been mostly eaten, although small patches of grass, seabeach sandwort, and chickweed remained in scattered areas. It is unlikely that this forage could have sustained the animals two more months until the lagoon ice was strong enough to cross.

Dall sheep

In mid-June, age and sex composition surveys were conducted in the Atigun area near the Dalton Highway. Results indicated only a moderate abundance of lambs (31 lambs/1 00 ewes). Reported 1997 sport harvest of Dall sheep in the Refuge was 99 rams, up slightly from the reported 1996 harvest of 81 rams.

33 9. Marine Mammals

Polar bears and bowhead whales are protected by federal law. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, only Alaska Natives can hunt and use polar bears, bowhead whales, and other marine mammals for food, clothing, and traditional crafts.

Polar bears

From September through November, polar bears frequently occur along the coastal areas of the Arctic Refuge prior to their freezeup. In 1997, groups of up to 30 polar bears were seen near Kaktovik, attracted by whale carcasses harvested by the local Inupiat hunters. Polar bears seen in September near Kaktovik were mostly family groups or young bears. This year no maternity dens were located on Refuge lands. Eleven polar bears were radio-collared near the Refuge; five of these also carried satellite collars. At least one polar bear was killed by Kaktovik hunters in September.

Bowhead whales

Inupiat Eskimo whaling crews from Kaktovik harvested four bowhead whales near the Arctic Refuge in 1997. Whales are hunted by Kaktovik residents only during fall because sea ice conditions preclude spring whaling. Spring is the most important hunt in other north slope communities, including Barrow, Wainwright, and Point Lay.

10. Other Resident Wildlife

Nothing to Report

11. Fisheries Resources

No fisheries work was done on the Arctic Refuge in 1997. Future studies of fish and aquatic systems is addressed in the Refuge EMP.

12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking

Nothing to Report

13. Surplus Animal Disposal

Nothing to Report

34 14. Scientific Collections

During the summer, staff botanists collected 20 vascular plant specimens and 58 moss and lichen specimens for the Refuge herbarium, most from the Atigun Gorge long-term ecological monitoring site (see D.5, p. 9).

15. Animal Control

Nothing to Report

16. Marking and Banding

Peregrine falcon

From July 14-18, Mauer captured and banded seven peregrine falcons at nest sites on the Porcupine River. The birds were estimated to be 20-25 days old. They were marked with an aluminum leg band, size 7 A, on the right tarsus and a color-coded aluminum leg band (auxiliary marker), on the left tarsus (see Table 5). This banding effort contributes to continent-wide peregrine falcon studies, in accordance with peregrine recovery plans and Refuge wildlife inventory plan procedures.

Table 5. Peregrine falcon nestlings banded on the Porcupine River on the Arctic NWR, July 14-18, 1997.

Age (Days) Sex Right Tarsus Left Tarsus 20 unknown 1807-02180 OT(VHBlk) 22 unknown 1807-02181 OU(VHBlk) 22 unknown 1807-02182 OV(VHBlk) 25 unknown 1807-02183 OY(VHBlk) 22 unknown 1807-02184 OX(VHBlk) 28 unknown 1807-02185 OW(VHBlk) 25 unknown 1807-02186 1A(VHBlk) 25 unknown 1807-02178 OR(VHB1k2

Caribou

No caribou were captured or marked on the Refuge in 1997. However, animals from the Porcupine herd were marked in Canada. Ten bull caribou were fitted with radio-collars

35 in March and five radio-collars were put on female caribou between September and November. Eight female caribou were fitted with satellite collars in September, and two satellite collars were put on female caribou in November. Locations of satellite collared caribou are available on a web site, and Canadian biologists are providing technical support to schools to use the data.

17. Disease Prevention and Control

Nothing to Report

H. PUBLIC USE

1. General

Due to the remoteness and expense of getting there, relatively few people visit the Arctic Refuge. Many, however, are interested in this wonderful place. Because of this, Refuge staff continued to devote much time and energy to the Refuge's World Wide Web (WWW) site. The web site is being served from the Regional Office in Anchorage. A number of new pages where added to the site this year, bringing the total to 80. This year, there were 19,189 visits to pages on the site, an average of 53 each day. The Arctic Refuge WWW site can be reached at: http://www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/arctic/arctic.html.

As they do every year, Refuge personnel answered several hundred letter, phone, e-mail, and in-person requests for information about recreational opportunities, natural resources, management issues, guides, permit requirements, employment, and potential oil development on the Refuge. These included the distribution of numerous information packets - pocket folders with 14 one-page sheets about Refuge resources, maps of wildlife use areas on the coastal plain, and Department of Interior (DOl) position papers on oil development. Several organizations and individuals also asked to borrow slides, videos, and photographs to use in publications and programs.

In January, a NWR System calendar, the NWR System "Promises for a New Century" document, and letter of thanks were sent to approximately 40 people and organizations that supported and/or helped the Refuge during 1996.

On June 28-29, Kurth, Mauer, and Sowards visited a group of Congressional personnel camped in the Refuge near the Aichilik River. The party included Representatives David Bonior (Michigan), Rich Boucher (Virginia), and Diana DeGette (Colorado).

36 On July 6-7, Kurth, Mauer, Kaye, and Sowards provided a tour of the Refuge for Kathleen McGinty (Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality), Beth Viola (Associate Director for Public Affairs, Council on Environmental Quality), and Dan Sakura (Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, DOl). The tour included an overflight of the Refuge coastal plain and overnight camping in the Brooks Range.

L-R: Beth Viola, Katie McGinty, and Dan Sakura at the campsite at Spring Creek. J. Kurth

Kaye provided an overflight tour of the southern part of the Refuge for Senator Jeff Sessions (Alabama) and his son, Sam, on August 25.

Every year, numerous news reports, opinions, and stories about the Arctic Refuge are published in newspapers and magazines in Alaska and the "lower 48" states. This year there were fewer pieces than in recent years. A sampling is included in the Appendix (see Tab 1).

Section H.6 (see pp. 44-47) includes information about media activities associated with NWR Week.

From February 16-22, Mauer and Curby responded via email to questions about caribou posted on Discovery Online's WWW site. The complete conversation is available at http://www .r7 .fws.gov/nwr/arctic/carcon.htrnl.

37 In early December, Edgerton edited and distributed to Fairbanks media a Washington Office press release summarizing the results of the 1996 Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

Kurth and Edgerton responded to and made several calls to photographers and videographers regarding the possibility of getting stock footage of Refuge scenes, critters, and activities to meet future media and programming needs.

During the year, staff reviewed information about the Refuge for a book by the National Geographic Society and Round Stone Press, and helped fact-check articles for several other media publications.

Meetings

Throughout the year, various staff met with commercial operators to answer questions and discuss issues of concern. Edgerton participated in several teleconferences of the Alaska Recreation and Parks Association and Garrett attended monthly meetings of the Alaska Outdoor Council. Boyle attended monthly meetings of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee, which facilitates data distribution through its clearinghouse (www.agdc.gov) and prioritizes data needs for the State of Alaska. Finally, Curby attended monthly meetings as a member of the Board of Directors of the Fairbanks School District Partners in Science program. The program, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, links students and teachers to scientists using computer network technology.

Several times from January through April, and again in December, Edgerton met with BLM and NPS personnel to plan and coordinate volunteer hiring/training and operation of the Coldfoot Interagency Visitor Center.

Intermittently from January through September, Curby met with the principal and various sixth grade teachers of Ladd Elementary School to discuss environmental education.

Reynolds attended meetings in Barrow on January 28-29, March 19-20, May 15, July 14, and September 16-17 to discuss muskoxen on Alaska's North Slope. McClellan also attended the September meeting. The meetings, hosted by entities including the North Slope Regional Advisory Council, the North Slope Borough, and the Muskox Working Group, were attended by Council members and borough, state, and federal specialists, depending on the meeting.

Kaye met several times from February through October with Gates of the Arctic National Park staff to discuss their wilderness planning program.

On January 24, Kaye met with UAF faculty, social workers, and community members to explore opportunities to involve at-risk and delinquent youth in wilderness-focused treatment programs.

38 From February 3-6, Edgerton met with BLM and NPS staff to brainstorm and discuss interpretive needs for a potential new visitor center at Coldfoot. He also met with the group several times from late September through December for specific interpretive planning.

On February 4-5, McClellan attended the Eastern Interior Regional Advisory Council meeting in Tanana, where the Venetie Tribal Government presented proposals concerning caribou migration across the Sheenjek River, and the boundary of the Arctic Village Sheep Management Area.

Kurth and McClellan attended a village meeting in Venetie on March 5, and McClellan attended the Yukon Flats Fish and Game Advisory Committee meeting in Fort Yukon on March 10-11.

Mauer attended the second gathering of the Northern Yukon Ecological Knowledge Cooperative on March 18-19, and the first meeting of the Yukon North Slope Long Term Research Planning Workshop on March 20-21, both in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. The gathering was an unprecedented effort to meld government and local community efforts into a coordinated ecological monitoring program for the area coinciding with the range of the Porcupine caribou herd.

Several staff attended presentations at the Alaska Ecotourism Conference at UAF on March 20-21.

In April, Kurth, Garrett, Grissom, and the managerial staffs of Yukon Flats and Kanuti NWRs met with Alaska Fire Service manager Scott Billing to discuss fire management policy, especially in Modified Protection areas.

McClellan attended the Federal Subsistence Board meeting in Anchorage from April 7- 10. During April and May, he also conducted interviews of candidates for the Eastern Interior and North Slope Regional Advisory Councils. McClellan was a member of both nominating panels, which met on May 6-7 to nominate three candidates for each council.

From April 7-11, Edgerton participated in a meeting of employees from Washington, regional offices, and refuges around the Nation who volunteered to develop a new recreation chapter for the Refuge Manual. He subsequently drafted and submitted one of the chapters to the Washington Office.

Several staff attended sessions of the Recreational Impacts Conference at UAF from April15-17 (seep. 41).

On May 2, Edgerton participated in a field training exercise as part of the Alaska DOl Disaster Response Team.

39 On May 5-7, Kurth, Garrett, Mauer, and Geographic Associate Regional Director Dick Pospahala attended the International Porcupine Caribou Board meeting in Fort McPherson, North West Territories, Canada.

Reynolds and Mauer joined other wildlife biologists at the 4th International Moose Symposium in Fairbanks from May 17-23.

Numerous times from August through December, Edgerton (and sometimes Kurth) met with BLM and NPS employees to discuss preliminary plans, funding concerns, and other issues related to a potential new interagency visitor center at Coldfoot. On September 18, Edgerton flew to Coldfoot as part of an interagency group to talk about the visitor center with Pat Shay (new BLM Director), a strong advocate for the facility.

Interagency group at the Coldfoot Visitor Center. L-R: Edgerton, Jeff Mow (NPS), Dee Richie (BLM), Pam Tacquard (BLM), and Pat Shay (BLM).

Curby met on August 25 with the sixth grade teachers of Ladd Elementary School to discuss their plan to have students establish an interpretive foot trail behind the school.

On September 10, Reynolds issued muskox permits (via drawing) to hunters in Kaktovik.

On September 26, Kurth and McClellan met with Davey James, the Natural Resource Director of the Council of Athapaskan Tribal Governments.

Kurth and Mauer attended the 1997 Yukon North Slope Conference from September 29- 0ctober 1, and the Yukon North Slope Long Term Research Planning Workshop on October 2, both in Dawson. The theme was "Building Bridges Across Borders."

40 On October 8, Edgerton met with Guy Douglas of Cameo Broadcasting to decide details of the radio promo spots and live broadcasts for NWR Week. He met with Ed Willis of the Bentley Mall on October 9 to discuss space and logistical needs for the event.

On October 10, Kurth and McClellan attended the annual meeting of the Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government in Venetie. McClellan also traveled to Dot Lake, where he attended the Eastern Interior Regional Advisory Council meeting on October 15-16.

Kurth and Mauer attended the Borderlands Managers Meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Canada, on October 28-29.

On November 12, Kurth, Garrett, and Mauer hosted a meeting of the International Porcupine Caribou Board at the Regency Hotel in Fairbanks.

Kurth, Reynolds, McClellan, and Donna Dewhurst (Regional Subsistence Office), attended a village meeting in Kaktovik to discuss muskox management and other issues of concern on November 18.

On December 10-11 , McClellan attended the North Slope Borough Fish and Game Management Committee meeting in Barrow; muskoxen was the main topic discussed.

Presentations

On April3, Edgerton gave a slide show about the Refuge at the Sullivan Arena as part of the Anchorage Sportsman's Show. Only three people attended.

The Arctic NWR co-sponsored a workshop entitled "Recreational Impacts in Alaskan Ecosystems" with UAF and the National Outdoor Leadership School. The workshop, held at UAF from April 15 - 17, brought together more than 40 land managers and researchers from Alaska and Canada for presentations and discussions related to assessing and monitoring recreational impacts in northern ecosystems. This was the first meeting of land managers in Alaska to discuss the subject and it generated a great deal of sharing and enthusiasm. Kaye gave a talk on the psychological effects of physical impacts in wilderness, and Emers gave a program about the ongoing survey of recreational impacts along Refuge rivers.

On May 23, Mauer presented the paper: "Moose Migration: Northeast Alaska to Northwest Yukon" at the 4m International Moose Symposium in Fairbanks.

Kaye made presentations for staff of Gates of the Arctic National Park on "wilderness values of the Brooks Range" (May 6) and considerations of the values of wilderness in wilderness planning and management (October 19).

On July 6, Reynolds presented information about muskoxen in and near the National Petroleum Reserve at a briefing for Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbit and his staff.

41 On July 28, Curby gave an evening program about a family of wolves for about 45 people at the Chena River campground.

Reynolds attended The Wildlife Society's 4th Annual Conference in Snowmass, Colorado from September 21-27 and presented the paper "Muskoxen in Northeastern Alaska: Dynamics of a Re-established Population."

In late fall, Edgerton coordinated and advertised a series of informal luncheon programs to be presented biweekly by Fairbanks FWS staff beginning in early January 1998.

2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students

From April 21-25, several staff helped ADF&G with the annual Fifth Grade Birdwatch at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.

On May 13, Jorgenson and Reitz provided information and activities about vegetation mapping and photo interpretation to 60 fifth grade students at Twin Bears Camp near Fairbanks.

Fairbanks Outdoor Days is an annual multi-agency program that gives sixth grade students hands-on experience with the natural resource work of various agencies. This year the event, which occurred May 19-22, involved 1069 students from 17 schools (199 students and three schools more than last year). Each student participated on one of the four days, visiting six activity stations on one of three different trails. Curby coordinated and conducted classroom visits from May 12-16 to prepare the students for the program.

Fifth grade class breaks for lunch during Fairbanks Outdoor Days. Betsy Whitehill

42 Earth Quest

Earth Quest, the multi-agency/organization youth camp initiated in 1994 by the Arctic Refuge, was held June 7-18. Twenty teens from rural Alaska attended. Goals of the camp are to introduce rural youth to resource agency missions, resource management concepts, the ecological approach to decision making, hands-on scientific field work, collaborative approaches to resolving resource issues, and resource management careers.

This year, the program was held at Coal Creek within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. Both student and instructor evaluations indicated the program was significantly less successful than previous years. There are likely several reasons, but Earth Quest board members remain divided on the subject.

Other Activities

Several Refuge staff served as judges for school and District -wide science fairs throughout Fairbanks in February and March.

On April 19, Curby presented a story about wolves four times to a total of 60 Brownie Scouts and eight adults at Ryan Middle School.

Edgerton gave an interactive program on waterfowl identification to a second grade class at Joy Elementary School on April22.

On April 23, Reitz spoke with 22 freshman at Lathrop High School about careers in biology, wildlife refuges, and management issues and studies in the Arctic Refuge.

Curby helped Tikasuk Brown Elementary School teachers create an hour-long program about wildlife survey techniques as part of a grant they received. She presented the program to six first and second grade classes September 23-24. She also gave a program about trees to a first grade class at Badger Road Elementary School on September 30, and three programs about bears to Tikasuk Brown first graders on October 2.

Kaye spoke about interviewing techniques to an Outdoor Recreation Management graduate class at UAF on October 16.

In late October, Edgerton was interviewed by a UAF graduate class on the topic "The Changing Role of the Outdoor Recreation Manager." On December 11, he attended a seminar at which the students shared what they learned from those they interviewed.

Kaye spoke about BobMarshall's role in the evolving wilderness movement to a Wilderness Concepts class at UAF on November 19, and spoke on the issue of place names in wilderness to the Northern Studies graduate class at UAF on November 21.

43 3. Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers

In March, the Refuge sent NWR Week packets, along with additional activity ideas focused on Alaska, to schools in Arctic Village and Kaktovik.

On September 15, Curby presented information about Alaska mammals for 22 docents in training at the U AF Museum.

4. Interpretive Foot Trails

Nothing to Report

5. Interpretive Tour Routes

Nothing to Report

6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations

Coldfoot

The Coldfoot Interagency Visitor Center, along the Dalton Highway 250 miles north of Fairbanks, offers exhibits, interpretive programs, free publications, and a sales outlet of the Alaska Natural History Association (ANHA). The facility is run cooperatively with the BLM and NPS. The Center was open daily June 1-September 5 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. During that time, services were provided to 5,399 visitors, 14% more than in 1996.

The FWS-sponsored volunteers (see E.1, p. 16, and E.4, p. 18) worked with BLM and NPS seasonal/volunteer staff to maintain the visitor center, provide information to visitors, conduct interpretive programs, and work the sales outlet.

National Wildlife Refuge Week (October 12-18)

Refuge staff worked with the Kanuti and Yukon Flats Refuges to plan and celebrate 1997 NWR Week in Fairbanks. The theme of this year's event was "National Wildlife Refuges- for Wildlife, Habitat, and People."

Efforts to promote the event focused on the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner with paid advertisements, public service announcements (resulting in several short summaries), and graphic advertisements submitted as space fillers. Public service announcements also were sent to KUAC radio (89.9 FM) and Faimet. Two local television stations were contacted but chose not to cover the celebration. Activity flyers and information about NWR Week activities were distributed to all the local schools and PTAs. Information also was posted on the FWS WWW site.

44 The 40' NWR Week banner made in 1996 (updated/repainted this year) was again put up in downtown Fairbanks to announce the event to the local community. The banner, hung by the city utility company in early October over Cushman and 11th A venue, was still hanging at years end due to the sale of the utility and their difficulty in hiring a new contractor to remove it. Free-standing plywood road signs were set up October 18-19 to encourage Fairbanksans to celebrate NWR Week at the Bentley Mall (see below).

Sign encourages Fairbanksans to enjoy something more fun than winter driving. J. Akaran

The three refuges paid for thirty-five 30-second promotional spots broadcast during the week on KIAK (102.5 FM) and MAGIC (101.1 FM) radio, with messages about NWR Week and the activities at the Bentley Mall (see below). Disc jockeys on both stations added numerous spots to conduct contests and give away free items supplied by the FWS andANHA.

During the week a small tabletop display about the event and the NWR System was set up at the Alaska Public Lands Information Center (APLIC), and a large self-standing NWR System exhibit was set up in the Wood Center at UAF. Efforts to secure a space for a NWR System exhibit at the Fred Meyer West Store in Fairbanks proved fruitless.

The crowning event of NWR Week in Fairbanks was a two-day celebration at the Bentley Mall the weekend of October 18-19. The three refuges were helped by the FWS Fisheries Assistance and Ecological Services offices, employees of the Bentley Mall, Comco Broadcasting, singer/songrwriter Susan Grace, falconers Ted Seto and Bill Tilton, John Lentine (Mr. Checkers the Magician), bird rehabilitator Sandy Garbowski, and local artists Mark Ross, Dan Kennedy, and Randall Compton. Twenty-foot banners were hung over the two main entrances of the Mall encouraging people to "Celebrate NWRs."

45 KIAK and MAGIC conducted four-hour live radio broadcasts during the weekend, featuring interviews with FWS employees and local supporters ( 14 spots on KIAK October 18, 11 spots on MAGIC October 19). An estimated 15,000 people heard the radio broadcasts and 5,000 to 6,000 people participated in activities at the Mall. Visitors saw seven different exhibits, live falcons and ravens, and a magic show; listened to conservation-oriented folk songs and talks by refuge employees; and tried a wildlife census computer program and interactive puzzles from the Arctic Refuge WWW page.

Artist Dan Kennedy gives pointers to Junior Duck Stamp Contest hopefuls. Betsy Whitehill

Children and their parents participated in a treasure hunt, tried two different art activities, received "washable" blue goose tattoos, worked on entries for the Junior Duck Stamp Contest, and created their own "blue goose" cookies. People interacted with nearly 30 FWS employees and a Teddy Roosevelt "look-alike"(Chuck Fulleton of the Regional Office). They received free handouts, pencils and balloons (nearly 1,700) with educational messages, bumper stickers, and NWR Week posters. One hundred seventy three people also entered a drawing to win a chance to volunteer at one of the three Refuges during summer 1998. The winner for Arctic Refuge was Tom Wiseman of North Pole, Alaska.

46 Disc jockey Michael Rogers talks with kids at the Bentley Mall event. Betsy Whitehill

Alaska Public Lands Information Center

The Fairbanks and Anchorage APLICs provide VlSltors with exhibits, programs, information, and brochures about various public lands in Alaska, including the Arctic Refuge. Refuge staff ensure that information at the APLICs is updated and complete.

Run for the Refuge

On August 4, Edgerton set up and staffed an exhibit (with handouts) at the First Annual Run for the Refuge, a community event sponsored by Frontier Flying Service and The Nmthem Alaska Environmental Center to support the Arctic Refuge.

State Fairs

Refuge staff worked with other Fairbanks FWS employees to develop and staff an information booth at the Tanana Valley State Fair from August 1-9. The annual wildlife census contest was not conducted this year. Instead, fairgoers had the chance to enter a free drawing to win either a beautiful poster (The Refuge Experience) or a book about national wildlife refuges (Seasons of the Wild), produced by John and Karen Hollingsworth. One of each item was drawn and awarded each day. On Kid's Day, several Refuge staff provided free face painting of endangered species. FWS personnel contacted and provided information to 4,206, 28% more than in 1996.

On August 21 -22, Curby set up and worked a FWS booth at the Palmer State Fair.

47 7. Other Interpretive Programs

Throughout the year Edgerton served on the FWS Region 7 100x100 Outreach Team, helping to determine, develop, and implement specific outreach strategies and programs. He also continued to serve as the FWS northern representative to the Alaska Watchable Wildlife Steering Committee.

This year Arctic, Kanuti, and Yukon Flats Refuges purchased and received a new self­ standing NWR System exhibit, Jr. Refuge Manager badges, blue goose tattoos, NWR System pencils, and moose and fox costumes that will be used in future interpretive programs in Fairbanks and local villages. The refuges also were collectively allocated $15,000 to develop new exhibits as part of the Region 7 100x100 outreach program. Edgerton arranged to bring Tom Kelley, Region 3 computer design interpretive specialist, to Fairbanks from October 8-12 to help design new self-standing exhibits about the Refuge System in Alaska and each of the three refuges. He ordered four new Nomadic exhibit frames and arranged a sole source contract for the exhibit panels to be fabricated by the company that designed the new NWR System exhibit (Digi-Graphics of Minneapolis, MN). The panels will be fabricated and shipped with the frames in 1998.

8. Hunting

Sport hunting continues to be one of the most popular recreational activities on the Refuge. Dall sheep is the most popular species, followed by moose, grizzly bear, and caribou. Wolverine and wolf are usually taken when encountered by residents and non­ residents. The few muskox available for harvest were declared a subsistence-only species and may now be hunted only by rural villagers. Moose season was closed by the State north of the Brooks Range in response to low moose numbers (see G.8, p. 30).

Hunting activity on the Refuge has continued to grow, although the number ofDall sheep and moose hunters has dropped the last few years. The decline may have occurred due to changes in guides and guide areas, and the downward fluctuation in sheep numbers shown by surveys. The moose season closure north of the Brooks Range this year also had an effect.

The number of non-resident hunters, required by Alaska state law to have a guide when hunting sheep or brown bear, is now limited by the operations plans submitted by guide­ outfitters and incorporated into their special use permits. Multi-species hunts are quite common with some guides, especially those catering to European hunters. Maximum guided-hunter client limits resemble recent harvest numbers in most areas.

The number of resident hunters is not limited on the Refuge, except perhaps by ever­ increasing air transporter costs. To reach hunting areas, most resident hunters must purchase air "transporter" fares which are significantly higher than air charter rates.

48 Hunting Guide-Outfitters

The Refuge has been divided into 18 exclusive guiding areas since July 1993. Until mid- 1995, all the areas were held by a total of 13 guides, including two areas shared by two adjacent guides. All but two areas were held by guides in 1997.

Draft regulations proposing changes to special use permits, including changes to the guide areas, were published on November 1, 1996 and finalized on August 27, 1997. Among the most significant changes is the provision to allow current guides to keep their areas another five years. Permit renewal for guides that qualify will take place in 1998.

Hunting guide-outfitter special use permit report data for 1997 is summarized in Table 6 (see p. 50).

49 Table 6. Hunting guide-outfitter special use permit report data, 1997.

NON-HUNTING GUIDE SHEEP GRIZZLY BLACK MOOSE CARIBOU WOLF WOLVERINE CLIENT NO. OF AVE. ~LIENT~ BEAR DAYS CLIENTS HUNT PERIOD Number Days

Andreis, Art (A&L Outdoor Enterp.) 0 0

Buist, Pete (Clearwater Outdoor Serv.) 0 0

Hendricks, Joe (Fair Chase Hunts) 6 3 66 12 5.5

Jacques, Jerry (Jacques Adven. Co.) 6 2 33 6

Jamieson, Sandy (Bushcraft Guide) 4 5 51 4 12.75 12

Koontz, Keith (Chandalar River Out.) 2 3 3 70 6 11.7

Mackler, Len (AK Wilderness Vent.) 10 2 100 II 9.1

Peterson, John (Bristol Bay Out.) 5 3 3 4 82 10 8.2

Rivers, Larry (A.W. Enterprises) 9 5 9 42 14 3.0

Schetzle, Harold (Kichatna Guide) 5 2 98 10 9.8

Want, Joe 3 27 3 9.0

Witt, Eugene (Brooks Range Hunts) 13 2 6.5

Witt, Patton 0 0

TOTALS 44 18 1 11 25 1 582 78 7.46 1 12

50 Subsistence

The Refuge, in conjunction with the FWS Office of Subsistence, administers a subsistence muskoxen hunt for the residents of Kaktovik. Both the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons ran from October !-November 15 and March 1-March 31 with a limit of 10 bulls. For the 1996-97 season, the Federal Subsistence Board, per a proposal from the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation, increased the season to September 15-March 31 with a limit of 15 bulls. On April4, the Board had a special meeting to rule on a request from the Village of Kaktovik to extend the hunting season until mid-April (the onset of the calving season), due to extremely cold March weather and a mistake in the season dates printed on the permits. The Board granted an extension until April 10. The season length and harvest limit, however, remained the same for the 1997-98 season. Table 7 shows the subsistence muskoxen harvest the last three years.

Table 7. History of muskoxen harvest in Game Management Unit 26C.

Regulatory #of Permits #of Bulls #of Cows Total Year Applicants Issued Taken Taken Harvest

1994-95 21 10 8 0 8

1995-96 29 10 8 1 9 1996-97 15 12 3 15 1997-98 20 15

At the North Slope Regional Advisory Council meeting in Barrow on September 16-17, the council requested the federal subsistence staff to write up a proposal to change the harvest in GMU 26C from a bull only harvest to a mixed sex harvest.

In 1993, a subsistence harvesting monitoring program administered by the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) under a cooperative agreement with the Federal Subsistence Management Office was initiated. Employees of CATG conducted household interviews bimonthly in the 10 CATG villages, including Arctic Village and Venetie. Data collected should include harvest information for all subsistence species. Data has been slow to come for various reasons. Table 8 (see p. 52) shows some of the data received to date.

51 Table 8. CATG harvest data for Arctic Village and Venetie, 1993-1995.

Arctic Village Venetie Species 1993 1994 1995 1993 1994 1995 Caribou 50 137 144 19 55 145

Moose 13 4 15 31 17 18 Marten NA 1 NA 36 23 70

Ducks NA NA 45 NA 45 383 Whitefish 741 450 614 NA NA NA

The North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management has been working on a subsistence harvest documentation project for the Village of Kaktovik. A draft of the report should be available early in 1998.

9. Fishing

Sport fishing for grayling, Arctic char, lake trout, and northern pike occurs incidental to other recreational activities on the Refuge, especially river floating. Fishing is not a primary recreational activity because of the Refuge's remoteness and the fact that better fishing is found elsewhere in Alaska.

Subsistence fishing for saltwater and freshwater species is important to local residents. Whitefish, grayling, and Arctic char are the primary subsistence species sought on the Refuge. Kaktovik residents fish in the coastal lagoons during summer and at several traditional fishing holes, mainly on the Hulahula River, in spring. Residents of Arctic Village net whitefish and grayling in the Chandalar River during summer and pursue lake trout at Old John Lake in winter.

10. Trapping

Trapping is allowed Refuge-wide without a permit. Trapping effort on the Refuge has declined in the last decade and is at or near its lowest level since the Hudson Bay era of the 1860's. At the tum of the century there were active trapping camps all along the Porcupine River within the Refuge. Ten years ago there were just four. This year there was one trapping camp active for only half the season. Low fur prices are a major factor. Federal and state money in the villages has reduced the incentive for many residents, and there just seems to be less interest. Proposed restrictions on leg-hold traps may further discourage young Natives from trapping, an activity that has been the primary incentive to develop winter travel skills and learn snowshoe and sled construction.

52 The Refuge does not actively administer a trapping program although trappers are visited when flights occur in their vicinity.

11. Wildlife Observation

Nothing to Report

12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation

Visitors continue to seek the superlative river floating, backpacking, camping, wildlife viewing, photography, and related activities for which the Refuge is renowned. Due to logistical difficulties and the desire to minimize intrusive management activities, Refuge staff does not closely monitor public use. However, staff observations and commercial guide and air taxi operator reports indicate that 1997 visitation was the lowest in several years.

Caves like this one along the Kongakut River are sometimes used by Dall sheep for protection and cover. Barry Whitehill

53 Recreation guide special use permit data for 1997 is summarized in Table 9 (see pp. 55- 57). Commercial recreation use days (primarily floating and backpacking) from 1987- 1997 are shown in Table 10 (seep. 58). Private recreation reported in charter aircraft and transporter special use permit reports for 1997 is shown in Table 11 (seep. 59).

New snow, or "termination dust," appears in the mountains after a late July storm- reminding these floaters that winter is approaching. Barry Whitehill

54 Table 9. Recreation guide special use permit data, 1997. Page 1 of 3.

PERMIITEE PERMIT USE* PUT IN** TAKE-OUT** TRIP# JUN JUL AUG SEP TRIP PARTY USE TOTAL TOTAL USE I NUMBER I I I I I I I I I DAYS I SIZE I DAYS I PERSONS I DAYS Adams, Macgill 97-Rl2 H Hula Hula- Grasser's GRASSERSLS I 2-6 5 5 25

(Wilderness Alaska) H U.Aichilik M.Aichilik 2 8-21 14 5 70

F Marssh Fork Middle Canning 3 21-30 6 11 3 30

F Main Cannin ' Canning Delta 4 27 5 10 3 33 16 158

Dittrick, Bob 97-R10 F U. Marsh Fork Canning Della I 16-26 I 11 10 110

(Wilderness Birding Adventures) F U Kongakut Caribou Pass 2 29 8 10 6 60

B Demarcation Bay Caribou Pass 3 8 14 7 3 21 19 191

Jamieson, Sandy 97-R6 F Shcctljck- Last Utke Koncss I 25 1 8 2 16

(Bushcraft) H Porcupine Lake Porcupine Lake 2 34 2 2 4 7

H Last Lake Eskimo Lake 3 9-12 4 3 12

H Eskimo Lake Eskimo Lake 4 14- 15 2 3 6 10 38

FinnoiT, Ramona 97-R2 H Drain Creek Drain Creek I 4-15 12 3 36

(ABEC's Alaska Adventures) H Jago Aichilik 2 8-16 9 7 63

F Drain Creek Caribou pass 3 15-24 10 12 120

H Chandalar Grasscrs 4 17-24 8 4 32

F Grassers Lower Strip 5 24 5 12 7 84

H Marsh Fork Canning 6 21 -28 8 3 24 36 309

55 Table 9. Recreation guide special use permit data, 1997. Page 2 of 3.

PERMITTEE PERMIT USE* PUT IN** TAKEOUT** TRIP# JUN JUL AUG SEP TRIP PARTY USE TOTAL TOTAL USE I NUMBER I I I I I I I l l DAYS I SIZE I DAYS I PERSONS I DAYS Kasza, Carol 97-Rl3 H E. Patuk E. Patuk I 5/3I. 7 4 28 6/6

(Arctic Treks) F GRASSERS l.ower Strip 2 19-28 10 4 40

F Kongakut, upper Caribou Pass 3 28· 7 11 !0 110

H Marsh Fork Spring Creek 4 II -18 8 4 32

F Marsh Fork Lower Strip 5 19-29 11 8 88 30 298

Weller, Steven T. 97-RI4 F USHEENJEKR Last lake I 22 I 8 12 96 12 96

(Alaska Wilderness Journeys)

Benson, Hulda No Report

(Sourdough Outfitters)

Hardy, Charles 97-R9 H Kongakut Margrct Lake, Canada I 1-5 5 5 25

(Sierra Club) H Aichilik Aichilik 2 10-21 12 II 131

H Mid-Jago Mid-Aichilik 3 14-23 lO 12 120

H Old Woman- Hula Hula Grasser's 4 11 -22 11 10 110 38 386

Leghorn, Ken 97-RS F DRAINCRK CARIBOU PASS I 13-22 10 12 120

(Alaska Discovery) F DRAINCRK CARIBOU PASS 2 22 I II 9 99 31 219

56 Table 9. Recreation guide special use permit data, 1997. Page 3 of 3.

PERMITEE PERMIT USE* PUT IN** TAKE-OUT** TRIP# JUN JUL AUG SEP TRIP PARTY USE TOTAL TOTAL USE I NUMBER I I I I I I I I I DAYS I SIZE I DAYS I PERSONS I DAYS Ron Yarnell 97-R4 H Schrader Lake Knob Hill I 8-15 8 7 56

(Wilderness Alaska) F East Patuk, Hula Hula Aery island 2 15-25 II 12 131

H Aichilik Mt. Drain Creek 3 14-25 12 3 36

F Drain Creek Caribou pass 4 25 4 10 8 80

H Caribou pass Caribou pass 5 26 1 6 4 24

H Echooka River upper Ivishak 6 18 2 15 2 30

H Spring Creek Marsh l'ork 7 20-26 7 4 28

F Marsh Fork Canning 8 26 2 8 6 48 46 357

Ford, Don 97-R4 H,F EF CHAND ALAR R rcrugc border I 15-30 16 10 165

(Nat. Outdoor Leadership) F Last Lake Koness River 2 Il -23 13 10 130

H Haul Road M Atigum Pass Atigun pass 3 4-6 3 II 33 31 328

Clarence Crawford 97-R7 H Caribou Pass Caribou pa~s I 9-19 11 7 77

(Sunlight North Expeditions) H Caribou Pass Caribou Pass 2 19-29 11 3 33 lO 100

Paul Allred 97-Ril F Grasser's coastal plain I 12-19 8 4 32 4 32

(0u7£l Expeditions)

TOTALS 43 371 2512

*Usc Types: H - Hiking/Backpacking **Abbreviations used: CRK-Crcck L- Lower M- Middle R- River

F M Floating E- East LK-Lake MT- Mountain U- Upper AC - Camping EF - East Fork LS - Landing Strip HW - Headwaters HC- Horseback Camping IS -Island MF- Marsh Fork or Middle Fork WF- West Fork

57 Table 10. Commercial recreation use days, 1987-1997. (F=floaters; H=hikers; HC=horseback camping; AC=aircraft camping)

Area Users 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Kongakut River F 425 786 1684 731 1014 955 1021 854 785 720 589 H 81 28 10 184 74 129 92 52 50 48 185 Hulahula River H 167 410 1032 671 736 545 535 461 523 358 287 H 36 126 220 112 60 42 44 58 30 141 53 Sheenjek River F 607 461 424 274 580 586 250 364 551 697 242 H 10 211 40 123 60 142 103 56 12 Canning River F 190 494 308 486 680 !58 525 209 292 309 H 123 90 12 36 62 48 42 84 Aichilik River F 94 36 40 90 42 H !53 52 120 81 104 86 232 78 105 104 237 Jago River F 238 187 219 24 120 H 24 163 160 42 192 48 114 109 137 183 Wind River F 106 H 7 12 Chandalar River F 6 25 165 H 30 80 100 131 32 HC 314 53 Coleen River F 36 70 140 Junjik River F 24 35 91 H 10 12 Ivishak River F 50 12 H 8 47 26 14 30 Turner River F 28 H 12 15 47 19 Katakturuk River H 24 60 Okpilak River H 70 Sadlerochit/Shublik Mtns. H 134 53 196 521 228 60 133 85 93 Other Areas/Brooks Range H 167 608 768 834 616 71 I 391 932 95 AC 50 6 30 Schrader/Peters Lake H 182 278 390 317 130 72 10 40 Sub Totals F 1235 2023 3774 2136 3125 3043 2274 2319 2092 2241 1592 H 404 569 1101 2021 1938 1799 1464 1468 1031 1738 920 HC 314 53 30 AC 50 6 Totals 1639 2592 4875 4157 5063 4842 3738 4151 3182 4009 2512

58 Table 11. Private recreation reported in charter aircraft special use permit reports, 1997.

Use Type Animals transported for private hunters Company Floaters *Other Private Sheep Caribou Moose Wolf Grizzly Rec. Hunters

Wright Air 28 36 11 3 9 Arctic Wild. Lodge 2 21 8 Alaska Flyers 3 10 13 9 2 Pyxis Ltd 25 15 Umiat Enterprises Yukon/Canning Air 16 12 31 2 16 7 1 Sourdough!Brooks 9 7 Range Circle Air 10 12 2 4 1 W arbelow's Air

Totals 29 77 137 37 23 17 1 1

* Includes hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, photography and unreported types.

59 13. Camping

Nothing to Report

14. Picnicking

Nothing to Report

15. Off-Road Vehicling

Nothing to Report

16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation

Nothing to Report

17. Law Enforcement

The Refuge has three officers; Sowards, Kaye, and Garrett. In January they attended law enforcement training in Tucson, Arizona.

Hunting pressure appeared to be down from previous years. Sowards combined an orientation flight of the Refuge for Special Agent Rayfield with law enforcement patrols during the first week of sheep season. Kaye conducted patrols during the end of the sheep season. Garrett helped with a State investigation resulting in two citations for wanton waste of a big game animal.

lllegal take of cow muskoxen during the federal subsistence hunt continues to be a problem on the Refuge. This year three citations were issued to Kaktovik residents for the offense. The fine for each violation was $500, which all three individuals paid.

On August 25, a hunting guide informed Kaye that one of the Refuge's UAF student interns went hunting and killed a sheep while working on a FWS-sponsored monitoring project. Kaye cited the intern, an Arctic Village resident, for hunting without a license. See E.3, p. 17 for more information.

18. Cooperating Associations

The FWS supports an ANHA sales branch that includes the main store at the Coldfoot Interagency Visitor Center and a smaller outlet at the Yukon River Crossing. The branch, administered by the BLM, brought in $12,454.77 during 1997, and increase of 32% from 1996. Sales items included a variety of books, wildlife posters, post cards, note cards, natural history slides, videos, and topographic maps.

60 19. Concessions

Nothing to Report

I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES

1. New Construction

Carlson and Sowards conducted site inspections of Refuge facilities at Galbraith Lake, Peters Lake, Arctic Village, and Kaktovik. New electrical service, plug-ins, and a yard light were installed at the Refuge fuel facility at the Fort Yukon Airport, work that proved worthwhile for pre-heating and fueling aircraft during moose surveys.

2. Rehabilitation

Inspection of the aging Peters Lake facility resulted in plans to remove an old diesel generator.

3. Major Maintenance

The heating fuel tank at Galbraith Lake was leveled and re-plumbed to help keep contaminants out of the fuel.

4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement

In January, Edgerton coordinated with Assistance Refuge Manager Deines of Yukon Flats to order additional modular furniture for the three refuge offices in Fairbanks. The items arrived and were distributed to staff during summer.

Carlson procured a good supply of maintenance tools and equipment to tackle numerous repairs and construction projects for Arctic and the other Fairbanks-based refuges.

5. Communications Systems

This is the second year the Refuge used satellite telephones as the primary means of field communications. One of the briefcase model telephones was traded in for a smaller laptop-sized one. Refuge staff have been happy with both units. The FM repeater stations will be removed from remote sites on the Refuge as time and money allows.

6. Computer Systems

Improvements in the Refuge computer system this year included Intranet access to the color printer and plotter, and faster, more secure Internet access through ARTNET's Tl

61 service and the BorderManager firewall. These changes enabled more effective staff communication, information access, documentation and sharing, further enhancing the ability of the Refuge to meet the FWS mission.

Use of the Network by Refuge staff has been a challenge to keep up with. A second Unix workstation was acquired to meet the demands of GIS users, and another nine gigabytes of space was installed to meet increased demands for shared network disk storage. The increased storage will allow greater sharing of data files.

7. Energy Conservation

To reduce fuel oil costs, the heat was again turned off for the winter at the Barter Island Field Station and bunkhouse, except for the garage where equipment and supplies are stored.

8. Other

In January, all the outdated computers and associated hardware was transferred to the General Services Administration. Near the end of the year, the remaining old, broken, and outdated outoard motors, tents, and miscellaneous property was surplused to the Reclamation Department at Fort Wainwright. This completed the organizational and cleanup work begun in 1996, helping to provide more efficient and safer storage areas.

J. OTHER ITEMS

1. Cooperative Programs

North Slope Borough- Refuge staff attended meetings and communicated often by phone regarding Refuge issues and projects with various officials, leaders, biologists, and other personnel.

Research - Staff from the Refuge, ADF&G, and USGS cooperated on a wide range of studies and projects within the Refuge.

University of Alaska and other Projects- Special use permits were issued for Porcupine River chum salmon studies by the National Marine Fisheries Service, rocket/payload retrieval, and glacier and geological studies on the Refuge. Permits also were issued for a lake bottom sediment study by the University of Washington, and lake and stream sampling of aufeis reaches in the Lupine and Ribdon river valleys by Woods Hole Biological Laboratory.

Public use - Numerous presentations and activities were conducted at village and Fairbanks area schools. Refuge personnel also worked with other agency and FWS

62 offices to conduct activities such as Fairbanks Outdoor Days, Earth Quest, the Tanana Valley State Fair, and NWR Week.

Coldfoot Interagency Visitor Center- Joint operation of this facility with the NPS and BLM continued under a cooperative agreement signed in 1991.

Alaska Public Lands Information Center - Refuge personnel coordinated with staff of the Fairbanks APLIC on a variety of activities, including the dissemination of wildlife/wildlands information and NWR Week.

Other - Cooperative efforts with other federal and state offices included wildlife research and inventories, law enforcement, environmental compliance, and permitting. Refuge personnel shared information as needed or by request with American and Canadian natural resource agencies, biologists working on arctic issues and species, local residents, visitors, the media, and a variety of public and private organizations.

2. Other Economic Uses

Guided recreation is the main economic use on the Refuge. Guided hunting probably grosses the most money, followed by guided float and backpacking trips. Fourteen non­ hunting recreation, 12 hunting guide, and 10 air charter permits were active during 1997. Other, non-wildlife/wildlands uses continued at a low level. One permit was issued for gravel dredging, two for commercial filming, and one to USGS for helicopter landings for a re-assessment of oil and gas resource potential on the coastal plain.

East Lagoon gravel dredging, Barter Island

In 1996, the North Slope Borough was issued a permit to dredge gravel (up to 500,000 cubic yards over a two year period) from East Lagoon (part of Kaktovik Lagoon) for a large water and sewer public works project in Kaktovik. The lagoon was determined to be the only practicable source for gravel of the quality needed for the project. Dredging resulted in the removal of 187,000 and 175,000 cubic yards during the summers of 1996 and 1997.

3. Items of Interest

Supreme Court Ruling

The United States and the State of Alaska disputed ownership of the submerged lands along Alaska's northern coast, beneath both the territorial sea and tidally influenced inland waters, including lands within the Arctic Refuge. The case, No. 84 Original, dates back to June 18, 1979 when the U.S. Supreme Court granted the United States motion for leave to file a complaint. A Special Master was appointed by the Court to review the

63 complex issues involved in the dispute. The Supreme Court received the Report of the Special Master and ordered it filed on May 20, 1996.

The Special Master's report found that the application for withdrawal and creation of the original wildlife range did not effectively withhold coastal submerged lands within the Range from ownership by the State. The report generally found in favor of the United States' position in areas outside the Refuge. At stake in the dispute was the future of the coastal plain of the Refuge and more than $1 billion in escrowed oil revenues. Both the United States and the State filed exceptions to the Special Master's report with the Supreme Court. Arguments were heard before the Supreme Court on February 24, 1997.

This "barrier island" helps define the northern boundary of the Refuge, separating its lagoon waters from the Beaufort Sea.

Lawyers for United States argued that section 6(e) of the Alaska Statehood Act expressly excepted from transfer to the State "lands withdrawn or otherwise set apart as refuges or reservations for the protection of wildlife." They contended that the 1958 application to withdraw lands for the purpose of establishing the original wildlife range effectively "otherwise set apart" those lands, retaining them in federal ownership when Alaska became a state in 1959. Alaska disagreed, arguing that the withdrawal was not completed until 1960, after statehood.

The Supreme Court issued its decision on June 19, finding in favor of the United States in all the disputed areas.

64 Sourdough Prospect

The Sourdough Prospect is located less than one mile west of the Refuge's western boundary, approximately four miles south of the Beaufort Sea coast. British Petroleum Alaska has explored the area and this year publicized the discovery of oil at the site. Recoverable reserves have not yet been determined. British Petroleum has drilled three exploratory wells in the Sourdough area, and several companies drilled exploratory wells in the Point Thomson area, on the coast about six miles west of the Canning River. British Petroleum likely will drill two more exploratory wells during the winter 1997-98, one in the Sourdough area and one in the Point Thomson area. Future development of these areas likely would utilize the infrastructure and pipelines at the Badami oil field, some 20 miles west of Point Thomson.

Warthog Prospect and Camden Bay Unitization

ARCO Alaska acquired several leases within Camden Bay (offshore of the Refuge) during the State Lease Sale 50 (June 1987) and the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Sale 144 (September 1996). ARCO applied to the State of Alaska for unitization of its Camden Bay leases in April 1997. Unitization requires ARCO to provide a plan of operation for the unit, including exploration and development. A Unit Plan of Exploration was submitted to the Regional Supervisor of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. An agreement allows ARCO to hold valid its claim to all unit leases if it complies with the Unit Plan of Exploration, which requires drilling the Warthog exploration well before April 30, 1998.

ARCO went ahead with a plan to directionally drill an exploratory well (Warthog) from an OCS lease block in Camden Bay north of Simpson Cove to reach a bottomhole location in an adjacent State lease block. The bottomhole location is about three miles offshore of the mouth of the Katakturuk River, located in the Refuge. ARCO submitted an exploration plan for the project to MMS, which released the plan for agency review in July. ARCO began drilling the Warthog well in November, then requested permission from MMS to plug and abandon the well in December. Neither ARCO nor MMS have released any information about the drilling results at Warthog.

65 The Warthog exploratory well.

Lease Sale 170

Lease Sale 170 encompasses 1.7 million acres 3-25 miles offshore in the central Beaufort Sea from 12 miles west of Kaktovik to some 20 miles west of Prudhoe Bay. The lease sale, proposed for 1998, would be the first one scheduled in the current OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 1997-2002.

Offshore development and oil spills have the potential to provide tremendous impacts on many species using the Arctic Refuge, including polar bears, other marine mammals, caribou, waterfowl and other migratory birds, and coastal fisheries. Fish and Wildlife Service comments on the Lease Sale 170 Draft Environmental hnpact Statement (EIS) recommended that the area offshore of the Refuge be deferred from leasing, and that the area be considered as a separate unit when considering future lease sales. The recommendations were repeated following FWS review of the alternatives developed by MMS. The FWS believes that reasonably foreseeable impacts, including those associated with development, must be considered to the extent possible at this stage of planning. The Draft EIS defers an in-depth analysis to the lessee(s) at some later date.

The DOl must balance the missions of two Bureaus (FWS and MMS) in formulating policy on Lease Sale 170. The Department recognizes the need for caution in considering activities that may affect the Refuge, including a possible deferral of OCS leasing north of the Refuge. The Department can offer 1.08 million acres of the Beaufort Sea OCS through Lease Sale 170 while protecting the Arctic Refuge coastal areas,

66 offering a balanced approach to conservation and energy development. A deferral does not preclude the Department from leasing offshore of the Refuge in the future, nor does it affect the status of existing OCS leases offshore of the Refuge. It does indicate that analysis of potential impacts on the resources of the Arctic Refuge from offshore leasing and development needs additional scrutiny. The extraordinary wildlife and wilderness values of the Refuge require extraordinary caution.

Caribou from the Porcupine Herd seek relief from insects along the Beaufort Sea coast of the Refuge. Debbie Miller

4. Credits

Introduction ...... Phil Garrett Table of Contents and List of Tables ...... Tom Edgerton A. Highlights ...... Tom Edgerton B. Climatic Conditions ...... Roger Kaye C. Land Acquisition ...... Alan Brackney D. Planning 1-3 ...... Alan Brackney 4 ...... Roger Kaye 5, 6 ...... Janet Jorgensen E. Administration 1, 5, 7 ...... Eleanor Patterson

67 2, 3 ...... Roger Kaye 4 ...... Tom Edgerton 6...... Dave Sowards 8 ...... Donna Christensen F. Habitat Management 1-8 ...... Fran Mauer 9 ...... Perry Grissom 10-13 ...... Roger Kaye G. Wildlife 1-2, 6 ...... Fran Mauer 3-5, 7 ...... Barbara Boyle 8 ...... Fran Mauer and Patricia Reynolds 9-13, 15-17 ...... Patricia Reynolds 14 ...... Janet Jorgenson H. Public Use 1-5 ...... Cathy Curby 6-7, 18-19 ...... Tom Edgerton 8 ...... Alan Brackney and Greg McClellan 9 ...... : ...... Alan Brackney 10-16 ...... Roger Kaye 17 ...... Dave Sowards I. Equipment and Facilities 1-4, 7-8 ...... Don Carlson 5 ...... Dave Sowards 6 ...... Patrick Scannell J. Other Items 1, 2 ...... Alan Brackney 3 ...... Phil Garrett 4 ...... Tom Edgerton K. Feedback ...... Jim Kurth Appendix and Information Packet ...... Tom Edgerton

Word processing: Individual section contributors Tables 1, 9, and 10: Roger Kaye Table 2: Eleanor Patterson Table 3: Donna Christensen Tables 4 and 5: Fran Mauer Tables 6 and 11: Alan Brackney Tables 7 and 8: Greg McClellan Compiling, formatting, and editing: Tom Edgerton Computer editing and cropping of photographs: Tom Edgerton Photo selection, layout, and insertion: Tom Edgerton Photo Captions: Tom Edgerton, Bev Reitz, Pat Reynolds, Fran Mauer, Roger Kaye, Janet Jorgenson, and Barbara Boyle.

68 River terrace flower garden along the Marsh Fork Canning River. B. Reitz

69 K. FEEDBACK

Midnight sunsets are a special treat after a long day of field work. Barry Whitehill

70 ~ Qnlity Services

~ (907)274-1056

Date JAJf 0 7 199Z Daily Sentinel (Sitka)

Client No._J.;,~c....o___ _ ANWR Boundary Case Due ~~e!9:e Supreme Court Soon ANCHORAGE (AP) - The U.S. miles seaward. The federal govern­ Supreme Court will hear arguments ment claims the court should measure next month in a 16-year-old case that out three miles from the coastline, and has implications for drilling in waters then draw three-mile circles around off the coast of the Arctic National the barrier islands. That would leave Wildlife Refuge. large areas between the coast and the Arguments in the 16-year-old case islands in federal hands. are scheduled for Feb. 21, with Tom · More than a decade ago, the federal Koester, a former state assistant attor­ government leased disputed property ney general, presenting Alaska's case. in the area, which includes British Koester is now in private practice, but Petroleum's Northstar field. More he has been involved in the litigation than $1.4 billion in proceeds from the for years. Alaska ~ttomey General lease sales is being held in escrow. .. Bruce Botelho is expected to go to A special master appointed to make ..... Washington for the presentation. recommendations on the case con­ ';:"'-_ The justices will decide where cluded in April that most of the· dis­ . ·. ~ Alaska's territorial waters end and puted land belongs to the United where federal waters begin. That de­ States. pends on how boundaries are drawn But the special master said Alaska around a string of barrier islands just owns tidal areas between ANWR and offshore. barrier islands just offshore. A 1987 Alaska maintains that the barrier is­ [nterior Department report found lands form a line from which the those tidal areas could overlay rich oil state's border should be drawn three deposits. A Quality Services ~ (907)274-1056

Date FEB 1 4 1997 Daily Sentinel (Sitka)

Client No. l 1.-d Senate Passes Resolution Seeking ANWR Drilling J").c . JUNEAU (AP) -The Alaska Sen­ resolution last year. ate once again went on record Thurs­ The resolution now goes to the day urging the federal government to House for its approval. After that. the open the Arctic National Wildlife Legislature will send copies to Refuge to oil development. Congress, President Clinton, Vice President A1 Gore and Interior Secre­ The Senate unanimously passed a tary Bruce Babbitt. resolution asking Congress to lift the Congress last year sought to lift the current ban on oil drilling in the ban, but Clinton vetoed it With Clin­ refuge, which is considered Alaska's ton remaining opposed, there appears best prospect to replace declining little chance that the ban on drilling in petroleum revenues from Prudhoe the refuge will be lifted in the next Bay. four years, but state leaders said they The Legislature passed a similar need to keep up the pressure.

1.:- arctic refuge. B~..... ; the rest Depending on how of the case, Mann'sided with pressly retained its owner­ the federal government and QUALITY SERVICES ship of these lands before the high court urged the Supreme Court to statehood. rule for Alaska in only one oate FEB 2 4 1997 The federal government rules, Alaska could small portion representing claims the refuge intertidal about $4 million of the $1.4 gain title to billion jackpot. Anchorage Daily News areas and coastal areas off the National Petroleum intertidal areas of The court's nine justices Hescrve-Alaska meet the ex­ are not bound by Mann's find­ Client No. --....___,:;:.__L 2.. a __ ception because they were in­ the Arctic National ings and recommendations. tended to remain in federal Its ruling, expected this year ownership. Wildlife Refuge. will be final and not subject ,High court considers But Alaska asserts there to further appeal. was nothing in the federal ac­ Alaska Attomey General tions creating the petroleum Bruce Botelho will attend to­ oil-boundary dispute day's arguments, but the J reserve and the refuge that the Supreme Court case has explicitly reserved the sub­ state's case will be handled By DAVID WHITNEY ownership of offshore areas come to be known. merged lands for the United The case was filed in 1979 by Juneau lawyer Tom Daily News Washington Bureau close to Prudhoe Bay. State States. And without a clear Koester, a former assistant WASHINGTON - The and federal leasing in these when the state and the feder­ declaration, the state insists, al govemments were pursu­ attomey general to whom the U.S. Supreme Court will hear disputed waters has generat­ the lands must be awarded to case was first assigned when arguments today on a ed an escrow fund of more ing off-shore leasing in the Alaska. aftermath of Pmdhoe Bay's it was filed. boundary-dispute case that than $1.4 billion that will be The escrowed money from Koester arrived in Wash­ could change the course of oil disbursed on the basis of the development. They agreed to offshore leasing is tied up by set aside lease proceeds in an ington last week and was , development on Alaska's Supreme Court's ruling. a related dispute over a se­ holed up in a Capitol Hill ho­ North Slope. Filed nearly 17 years ago, interest-producing escrow ries of islands that lie off­ account pending a Supreme tel preparing for the inten­ Depending on how the high the case hinges on the high shore from Prudhoe Bay be­ sive arguments.· Ordinarily, court rules, Alaska could gain court's interpretation of laws Court decision. yond the state's three-niile Because the lawsuit in­ cases before the high court \{\ J title to intertidal areas of the and federal actions tal

(907) 274-!056

Date FEB 2 5 1997 Fairbanks Daily News Miner

Client No. ) ;2 0 Alaska- BOUNDARY: Dispute /:::uJ pleads case. Continued from Page A-1 two of the most persistent que the case except the waters off the tioners. arctic refuge's coastal plain. Under previous court ruling While the master's recommen­ unless the federal government l in boundary dations opened the possibility of Congress expressly declared th• the state's gaining a foothold for the intertidal areas were reservE development of the refuge's po­ for federal ownership, they aut tentially enormous oil reserves, it matically transferred to Alaska dispute also meant that all but about $4 the time of its statehood,-1959. /20 million of the development pro­ When Assistant Attorney G Scripps McClatchy ceeds from earlier lease sales neral Jeff Minear, arguing for tl WASHINGTON-The U.S. Supreme Court would go to the federal govern­ federal government, insisted th heard arguments Monday on Alaska's claim to in­ ment. the refuge's intertidal areas a.I tertidal areas off the North Slope, clearing the way Several· of the nine justices in­ lagoons were intended to rema for a ruling that could let the state develop gas and dicated Monday that they didn't in federal ownership at tbr "'r oil resources under disputed waters lapping the necessarily support all the con­ of statehood, O'Connor Je Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. clusions of the former Stanford rupted him to say that "we Inig A ruling could come by summer. University law school dean, J. disagree with that." At stake is ownership of coastal areas and la­ Keith Mann, who served as the "One way to read that is th goons stretching from the arctic refuge's coastal special master, but it was not expressly mean:; expressly plain, regarded as the most promising site for a clear how they would rule. Rehnquist added. giant oil fmd in North America, to the National Pe­ Federal claims to waterS off Minear then said the hi troleum Reserve Alaska In between are waters off the arctic refuge raised doubts court could defer the question · Prudhoe Bay, where about $1.4 billion in proceeds among several on the court. Congress, saying that if Congre from earlier lease sales will go to the winner. Among them were Chief Justice did not intend that the areas 1 Alaska claims the waters off the refuge and the William Rehnquist and Justice main in federal hands, it has t petroleum reserve because the federal government Sandra Day O'Connor, who were power to give them to Alaska. did not explicitly reserve them for federal owner­ ship at the time of statehood. It also argues that the waters off Prudhoe Bay should belong to Alaska be­ cause the boundary was not properly ·drawn out­ ward from a string of offshore islands that belong to the state. Last year a court-appointed special master sided with the federal government in all critical areas of See BOUNDARY, Page A-8

I~ QUALITY SERVICES Date M.c\R 0 6 '1997

Anchorage Daily News

Client No. 1~~~~------The Anchorage Times . . Publisher: BILL J. ALLEN "Believing in Alaskans, putting Alaska first" Editors: DENNIS FRAOLEY. PAUL JENKINS. WILLIAM f. TOBIN The Anchoroge TimP.S Conunentary in this segment of the Anchoroge Daily News does not represent the views of the Daily News. It is written and published under an agreement with fonner owners of The TimP.S. in the interests of preserving a diversity of viewpoints in the conununity. ; Another threat A LASKANS' enthusiasm for operiing the coastal plain of the ...t1A.rctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas development was dampened in November when the Clinton-Gore team was elected for another four years. Notwithstanding the likelihood of Alaska's congressional delega­ tion once again getting the necessary support to pass ANWR legis­ lation, it's a certainty that Bill Clinton would veto such authoriza­ tion -just as he did two years ago. He's not likely to cross his partner AI Gore. Gore, who already has started his campaign to succeed Clinton in 2000, is. squarely in the camp of extreme environmentalists. That means no opening of ANWR, in spite of its potential to hold the largest untapped oil field in North America. While Alaskans may be disheartimed with the current situatiOil;, the anti-ANWR crowd sees it as an opportunity to lock up the coastal plain forever. Legislation introduced a few days ago in the House of Representatives would permanently set aside the region as a national wilderness area. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Vento, D-Minn.', carries the ti­ tle of the Morris K Udall· Wilderness Act, in honor of the Democrat from Arizona who chaired the Interior Committee before retiring in 1992. Vento's bill has 71 co-sponsors; including two Republicans ···· and one Independent. Sen. William Roth, R-Del., soon is expected to introduce an identical bill in the Senate. The rhetoric that Rep. Vento is using with his bill is the same. bunk the anti-growthers have spouted for decades. "If active oil ex­ ploration and development are allowed, the special values of the fragile coastal plain will be lost forever." Caribou and musk oxen, he says, would be lost "at the expense of our children's natural legacy." ·· That's what the extremist crowd said 30 years ago when the Bruce Ventos of that day tried to block the opening ofPrudhoe Bay. They were proved wrong. Vento also claims that the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act intended to permanently protect the coastal plain from development. , · Wrong again. In ANILCA, Congress established the 19 million- · acre ANWR, but specifically recognized the coastal plain for its petroleum potential. That law directed the secretary of Interior to make a recommendation to Congress regarding the area's suit-. ability for oil development. The secretary did so - a decade ago - recommending it be leased. But like the current White House, politicians like Vento pre­ fer to offer ANWR as a gift to the big-time national environmen­ tallobbv. {(. QUALITY SERVICES

Date MAR 0 6 1997 Anchorage Daily News

Client No. l 1...,. ANWR deserves protection The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is in the news again with the oral arguments be­ fore the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dinkum Sands case, and the introduction of a Coastal Plain Wilderness bill in the '!J.S. Congress. It's interesting to note that when Interior Secretary Seaton first established the Arctic National Wildlife Range in 1960, the intent was to preserve the full range of arctic ecosystems, from the Beaufort Sea, across the coastal plain, across the foothills and mountains of the Brooks Range, into the Bo­ real forest on the southern flanks of the mountains. The range was established for the express purpose of "preserving unique wildlife, wilderness and recreational values." When ANILCA was passed in 1980, the range was renamed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, expanded, and the purpose of the refuge redefined to "conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their nat­ ural diversity." As som~ne who has walked over much of the Arctic Refuge, from Camden Bay across the coastal plain and through the mountains, there is no doubt that this is, in the words of George Collins, "a magnificent place of beau­ ty ... that largely comes from being part of a mu-n larger, varied and interconnected sys­ tem." The coastal plain has a subtle beauty that has to be experienced to be believed, and the mountains are simply incomparable. This is a place, with. its ecosystem. still intact and unviolated, that must be preserved for the fu­ ture. Despite what the oil companies say and the greed of Alaska's politicians, we, as a state and a people, do not need to destroy this one intact corner of Alaska. For once, we need to do the right thing and preserve the Arctic Refuge, in its entirety, as wilderness. · !:loa ~'f.s:u ..:1~ -Tom Warner Bethel

,....., ANWR .3/t; /9 7 The legislators who attend­ ed the Energy Council meet­ ing said they spent ·some of support their spare time lobbying to open ANWR. Republican Rep. Joe Green said he found falls off many members of Congress still support the state's effort. · "But the enthusiasm was By RALPH THOMAS just a little less," said Green, Daily News Juneau Bureau R-Anchorage. JUNEAU- In the effort Green and Rep. Scott Ogan to open the Arctic National complained that too many Wildlife Refuge to oil devel­ people have been sold on the opment, Alaska still has plen­ argument that developing ty of-allies in the nation's cap~ ANWR will harm caribou · ital, said a group· Qf state leg­ populations. Ogan suggested islators who traveled east last wolves are a bigger threat to. weekend for a national ener- caribou than oil development, gy conference. · alluding to a. recent incident But those allies seem less in which wolves were sus• · enthusiastic this year about pected of chasing thousan~s · helping Alaska. push the con-. of caribou out onto the Arct1c troversial cause, the legisla­ Ocean ice. tors said. "We've never had a docu­ Six state lawmakers, led mented case of an oil rig by Republican House Speak­ chasing caribou out onto the . er Gail Phillips of Homer, pack ice,". said Ogan, R­ went to Washington, D.C., for Palmer. an annual gathering of the Phillips said one of the Energy Council, a coalition of hottest issues at the Energy legislators from 10 energy­ Council conference was the producing states. The law­ federal Environmental Pro­ makers talked· about their tection Agency's proposal to trip during a meeting tighten air-quality standards. Wednesday with reporters. Phillips said the cha~ges, In 1995, Alaska's congres­ which would place stncter sional delegation overcame limits on industrial emis­ opposition from national en­ sions would "very definitely vironmental groups in push" affect us in Alaska." ing through legislation. that Events at the conference would have allowed oil explo­ ration within ANWR's coastal plain. But the effort was killed by the Cliriton adminis­ tration. ANWR·: State finds allies losiog.tbeir .. enthusiasm '·~ ' . ,, 'l ;, > ... •

Continued from Page· B-1 \ bers for a ceremonial unveil­ ing of a portrait of Alaska included a speech by the Clin­ Rep. D.on Young, the panel's chairman. ton administration's Under­ · Republican Sen. Drue secretary of State Tim Wirth, Pearce of Anchorage, past who issued stern warnings chairwoman of the Energy about global warming qaused Council, said the coalition is by pollution. scheduled to hold an(}ther na7. Green called Wirth's pre­ tiona! conference next Sep­ sentation "dogmatic" and as­ tember in Anchorage. Pearce serted "there is no scientific said as many as 100 legisla­ data to support" claims that tors from other states are ex­ global warming is actually pected to attend the Anchor­ taking place. age conference. While in Washington, the The other states represent­ Alaska legislators attended a ed on the Energy Council are breakfast meeting with 12 Alabama, Arkansas, Col­ congressman.. They were also orado,. Louisiana, Mississippi, on hand in the House Re­ New Mexico, Oklahoma, source~· Committee cham- Texas and Wyoming. ----______,, ______

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Date MAR 1 d. 1991 Ketchikan Daily News

Client No. /Z"C ~o·-o--::-:il Companies announce-. potential oil find near ANWR ;>() 1?-0 3~5"11 t.t~ ov1CI ?-ti1P . · . By DAVID GERMAIN Alaska's oil production. The field abuts developers expect to get out of Prudhoe Associated Press Writer the wildlife refuge, which is considered . Bay by the time the oil runs out there. JUNEAU- Two oil companies said the best prospect for a major oil field to ButstateoilmanagerssaySourdough Thursday they might develop a field replacedecliningproductionatPrudhoe and other smaller fields the industry is next to the Arctic National Wildlife Ref- B~y. opening will help keep oil flowing uge, which President Clinton has de- If the Sourdough field is developed, it through the trans-Alaska pipeline while clared off-limits for oil drilling. could be a test of the industry's ability to Alaska searches for another major pe- BPExploration(Alaska)Inc.andChev· safely drill around the wildlife refuge. troleum strike. Oil money accounts for ron USA Inc. said testwellsdrilledsince Clinton vetoed an effort by Congress four-fifths of the state's revenue. 1994 indicate there could be 100 million last year to allow oil exploration there. "A hundred million barrels here, a · barrels· of recoverable oil in· the Sour- · Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is- hundred million barrels there. 1t'U' add -dough· field,·where the· two companies .-~sued-a statement on-ilie Sourdbtrghne!d"\i!1foreal on,- said Gov."Tony Knowles. own petroleum rights. . saying the administration remains op- "These are big finds." · The companies plan to sink another posed to oil drilling in the refuge. Bab- · · test well next winter to determine if it bitt said his "number one concern con- would be profitable to develop the field, tinues to be the protection of the rich said BP spokesman Paul Laird. A deci· biological resources of the Arctic ref- sian on whether to develop the field uge." could be made next year. Environmentalists who oppose open- The earliest production could begin ing the refuge to oil drilling say it could would be 2001, Laird said. hurt a huge caribou herd that breeds in The Sourdough field is about 50 miles the area. east of Prudhoe Bay, the center _of The federal government will work · · · with BP, Chevron and state oil manag­ ers to make sure the Sourdough project does not harm the environment, Babbitt said. "We're aware there's going to be some sensitivity because of the field's proximity" to the refuge, Laird said. The Sourdough project would require up to 35 miles of extended pipeline to link up with BP's Badami oil field to the west. That would bring the state's oil­ transport system right to the edge of the refuge. Alaska officials said development of the Sourdough field would be proof that the state can continue to develop its resources without damaging the envi­ ronment. U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski, R· Alaska, said that as oil development gets closer to the wildlife refuge, it could prod the federal government to study the oil prospects there and on other untapped parts of the Arctic coast. The Sourdough field would be tiny compared with the 12 billion barrels VOL. XCV, No. 74 FAIRBANKS, ALASKA, SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 1997 $1.50 per copy 94Pages State weighs lobbying effort By DIRK MillER opening the refuge. Since 1995, the state has spent about the years. Arctic Power helps coordinate morrow, people would come together Associated Press Writer Two years ago, Congress authorized $2.3 million pushing the issue, with the effort with the state. and we'd be able to take advantage of JUNEAU-State officials are drawing oil exploration on the refuge's coastal about $1.2 million of that money going The money goes to pay for brochures, . it." up new plans to convince Congress and plain, but PrllJ1ide~t Clinton vetoed it. to Arctic Power, Ramseur said. tours of the area by members of Con­ Two years ago when Congress voted the White House to open the Arctic Na­ With Clinton in office for another four "What we're trying to decide is, how gress and their staff, advertising and to open the refuge, the state spent more tional Wildlife Refuge to oil develop­ years, Alaska politicians, state officials much should we put in?" Ramseur said. visits by Alaskans to key states and to than a million dollars lobbying. About a ment. and othern are pondering how much ef­ "We certainly want to have ANWR lob­ Washington, D.C. third of that was used to hire a Wash­ Millions of state dollars have been fort to put into the campaign. bying, we're just not sure at what level." Toohey said when the issue is getting ington lobbying firm to work the halls of spent in past years on the effort. This David Ramseur, Gov. Tony Knowles' Cam Toohey, Arctic Power's executive little attention, private funds can dry up. Congress. Ramseur said the firm, The year, the Knowles administration is deputy chief of staff, said the administra­ director, said the oil industry, North "When the debate becomes heated Wexler Group, is working on the issue looking at spending about $500,000 on tion has been talking this month about Slope Borough, labor unions and munic­ and hot in D.C., sometimes the level of for the state again. the campaign, which is being worked out the issue with Arctic Power, the private ipal governments have all chipped in to !JXPenditures has to be increased," That same year, at least 16 state law­ with a private organization dedicated to advocacy group. · pay for some of the lobbying effort over Toohey said. "If the issue became hot to- See ANWR. Page A·7

ANWR: State debates funding effort Continued from Page A-1 dropped during a recent D.C. The refuge's coastal plain is makers spent more than $65,000 trip. thought to be. the state's best on refuge-related lobbying, "The big concern on the hill is hope for a major oil find. according to legislative records. they don't want to give up any­ Former state lawmaker David Toohey said the Alaskans' thing just to get another veto," . Finkelstein, an Anchorage Demo­ touch makes a difference. It also Green said. "It's not apathy, but crat, said lobbying Congress on helps to have both Republicans it's not quite as much energy." the refuge while Clinton is in of­ and Democrats working together John Katz, who runs the . fice is fruitless. He said state on the issue, he said. state's Washington, D.C., office, money should not be spent on the But som\) say Congress may said the attitude of some mem­ matter when private interests not be as interested in the issue bers of Congress is that the would get most· of the benefits this time, . especially since the refuge is like a bank and the from refuge development. Clinton administration is main­ United States can always make a "I think it's a V'{aste of money taining a hard ·line against devel­ withdrawal of oil in the future. and I also think it's inappro­ opment in the refuge. "There really are a lot of pre­ priate," Finkelstein said. "This is Last week, Interior Secretary sent members of Congress who the oil companies' goal." · Bruce Babbitt:made it clear that say this isn't the time to deal .. When Finkelstein was in the the adrniilistration's· position has with ANWR," Katz said. state House, he was a consistent

not changed, 0 in response to the But Katz said that the state opponent of refuge development. announcement of an oil discovery needs to keep the refuge issue House Speaker Gail Phillips, on the edge of . the refuge's alive. One concern for Alaska is R-Homer, disagreed. boundaries. 0 that as' production drops on the ','It's never been a waste of State Rep. Joe Green, R-An­ Nort~ Slope, there may come a money for us to lobby for chorage, said that la\vmakers time when there's not enough oil ANWR," Phillips said. "What could tell Congress's enthusiasm to justifY keeping the trans­ we'r~.lobbying for is Alaska's fu- for the refuge development had Alaska pipeline running. . ture. Omc HAR 2 4 1997 ALl\SKl\ JOURNAL 01? COMMERCE

Client No. /;) 0 BP, Chevron plan more exploration for Sourdough field on North Slope Lawmakers tout find as important sign for ANWR _;

n oil accumulation on Alaska's North Slope that could contain an estimated A100 million barrels of recoverable reserves extends to the border of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. spokesman said March 14. The discovery at the Sourdough Prospect, which BP and partner Chevron USA announced March 13, wasactuallymadewiththedrillingof the Sourdough No.2 exploratory well in 1994 sntllll:e BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and confirmed witl1 Sourdough No. 3 in April. "Ordinarily, we like to k<.'Cp our explor­ The Sourdough Prospect is a part of the atory results confidential until we're ready to Point Thomson unit, which also contains the do something with them," said BP spokesman Point Thomson Prospect owned by Exxon Co. Paul Laird, "but in this case, we felt with the USA, Phillips Petroleum and others. That field, appraisal work we have planned for ne.xt which contains 200 million barrels of oil and winter, it wouldn't remain confidential." 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in estinlated BP has a two-thirds interest in Sourdough recoverable reserves, is undeveloped largely and is field operator. Chevron holds the re­ due to a lack of nearby infrastructure that maining one-third interest. Further e.xplora­ would make it economic. tion and appraisal options, including a delin­ The Sourdough discovery is hcing hailed by eation well next winter, arc being considered, Alaska'scongrcssionaidelegationandthe:.1:!1c's BP said. governor as significant because it is me farthest "BP and Chevron believe the field could be east oil has been found on me North Slope, and economically developable," said Eric Luttrell, it is close to ANWR's coastal plain, a 1-million- vice president of ex­ acre area believed to ploration and new de­ Further exploration and contain at least 5 billion velopments for BP­ appraisal options, including a barrels of recoverable Alaska. "We are in the crude oil. process of planning delineation well next winter, Congress auiliorized further technical work are being considered. oil exploration in in the area to deter- ANWR last year, but mine the extent and economic viability of the President Clinton vetoed the legislation. discovery." Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said recent oil Laird said seismic data 13P collected on the discoveries, including discovery wells at the Sourdough prospect, which lies about 15 Tarn, Alpine and Badami prospects, indicate miles inland from the Beaufort &>a and 50 sizable accumulations that would help to miti­ miles cast of Pntdhoe Bay, indicate that the gate the production at Prudhoe Bay. accumulation extends very close to ANWR's Sourdough's development also will help border. demonstrate that oil development in me arctic "We don't know if it extends beyond the can be done in a safe and cnvironmcntmly border bcc:1use ANWR is closed to oil explo­ sensitive way, said Stevens and Alaska Gov. ration." L!i rd said. Tony Knowles. , ..

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MAR 2 7 fJ97 D ate ______Anchorage Daily News

Client No. / Zb Youiig vows to get ANWR in budget News conference touches on oil exploration, forest management plan (.,u;> t.-io !Jo .J'i.sA ,.;3.S"o 0'-3o oJ fCharlotte goshawl< and the lion in revenues that oil leas­ the minds of his fe1low la~­ fight with the U.S. Forest Ser­ Alexander Archipelago wolf es in ANWR would generate makers. ~ vice over a management plan on the endangered species if the provision were ap­ Oil companies considf' for the Tongass National For­ list to further limit logging. proved. ANWR's coastal plain pe­ est. He said he would consider a Young, R-Alaska, and U.S. haps the last place in Norll Federal officials have said lawsuit if that happens. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, June 20,1997 .

<·:LANDS:' '·· Feds win -' -" Continued from Page A-1 administration was given perniis­ outcome because the federal sion to "sue" Alaska in the na­ Fedswin policy has been basically to deny tion's .highest court to resolve access to development," he said. ownership of the land. Gov. Tony Knowles told Alas­ The court 18 years ago in­ kans not to be discouraged. voked its original jurisdiction, a "This decision also under­ rarely used power that allows it scores the need to move forward to hear certain governmental dis- on our other initiatives regarding putes before lower courts. . lands fight, North Slope oil and gas develop­ The justices later appointed ment," he wrote. It also means Stanford University law pro­ Alaskans must step up "efforts to fessor J. Keith Mann as a special convince the federal govern­ master to conduct hearings High. .court says government, . ment-and the American gather evidence and make recom­ ,o~ people-that this development mendations. not state; submerged areaj can take place in an environmen­ His recommendations werE tally responsible manner." contained in a 505-page report Th~ .Associated Press :: :~; ;}~<· · Reserve-Alaska. Knowles' spokesman Bob King WASHINGTON-Ther Su­ submitted to the court last year. The refuge encompasses more said the state may ask the high The justices considered both preme Court rUled ThurSday that than 18 million acres and is riCh; court to rehear parts of the case, the· federal government-and not sides' objections to Mann's find­ in wildlife. Oil and gas produc­ but it is too soon to know for ings in oral arguments last Fe- A.la.sk.a-owns disputed offshore, tion is banned there, but .A1.ask& sure. bruary. . submerged: lands along the officials had said the state would: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, The report and objections to it state's northeast coast. if allow such drilling offshore in part of her 62-page opinion for focused on how to define the The 6-3 decision in a high­ their Supreme Court fight wer&. the court, said, "The United boun~ stakes battle over territory consi­ · • States did not transfer to Alaska three-mile offshore success ful . . d · hin th along a Coastline that ind": Alaska. ·g. 1979, when President Carter's Original. •'

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Dare JUN 0 6 1997 Daily Sentinel (Sitka)

Client No. l J. 0 Young: Won't Fight for f\~~JI!-v~ydget Debate ANCHORAGE (AP) - Conceding the White House that is intended to that Clinton administration opposition erase the: federal deficit by 2002. is insunnountable, U.S. Rep, Don That agreement will serve as a Ynung says he won't try adding pro­ blueprint tn Hou<;e and Senate com­ visronsto federal budget legislation to miuecs, which then will begin work open the Arctic National Wildlife on one bill to implement spending Refuge to oil developmenL cuts and tax measures. "We're realistic enough to know While the budget agreement antici­ that with President Clinton and Vice pated no revenues from the refuge's President Gore where they are, this opening. Young and Murkowski, isn't going to happen," Young, chainnan of the Senate Energy and chainnan of the House Resources Natural Resources Committee. could. Committee. told the Wa'ihington pub­ have pursued a leasing provision to lication CQ Monitor for its Thursday raise money to meet budget targets edition. under their jurisdiction. Young and Sen. Fmnk Murkowski succeeded two years ag·o in inserting a "On the Senate side, there has nev­ provision into budget legislation that er been any intention of putting AN­ called for raising about $1.4 billion WR into a reconciliation bill this from oil leasing in ANWR's coastal year," Murkowski's press aide, plain. Clinton cited the provision as Chuck Kleeschulte, said Thursday. one of the reasons he vetoed the. pack­ However, after Clinton's re-elec­ age. tion last November, Young told Young's decision comes as Alaskans he still might try a refuge Congress is wrapping up work on a initiative this year in an etfort to keep budget agreement reached earlier with the issue alive in Congress. y=f!5!r "'AN~ * *' .• 7t' *· ' ' ··*. ·*:··~-~·,, ~- Daily Newws-llliner ~ * \* \ .. :.. The Voice oflnterior Alaska '

VOL. XCV, No. 227 ·~ FAIRBANKS, AlASKA. MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 1997

6.ntinuod from Page A-1 team at 10:30 p.m. McCalley said Trek walking stick and leaned their the search and rescue crew deter­ body weight forward. McCalley mined that Forsythe was said the stick acted as a third leg, knocked unconscious when she and hikers let only one leg leave tried to maneuver in the river. the ground. They slowly shuffled "'l'he reason I was evacuated sideways through the current. with the body was because I was turns.,. :::. He led and was followed by a slightly injured myself in· the smaller hiker. Forsythe was third rescue attempt," McCalley said . and was approaching the middle "We decided it was prudent for .. ;!:loi gravel bar. n1e to come out." ·r~.c : : McCulley said he decided to re­ McCalley was accompanied out t group and head back to the by the hiker who crossed the middle bar. He wanted the more river just before Forsythe. The experienced hikers to help ferry second leader stayed with the backpacks across. As he turned to group of eight remaining hikers, ~woman dies help the hiker ·behind him, who have since turned back and someone said "Diana is down." decided not to finish their 55- "She was out of her pack im­ mile excursion. McCalley expects onANWRhike mediately and was in tho process them to urrivo in Fuirbunks by ByALSLAVIN of swimming with current down­ the end of the week. StaffWri!er stream, which is what you do," McCalley said he was the one McCalley said. , who broke the news to t'ortiythe's ·\ Diriiia Forsythe spent the, last : . McCalley forged ahead toward :night of her life watching a gyr­ the. other side while the other husband. falcon ch!JSe a golden eagle across lea'der, who was trailing behind McCalley has participated in an arctic sky. She also caught a the group, hiked down the other more than 30 hiking excursions, glimpse of a grizzly bear across side of the riverbank. McCalley which have inCluded previous the Hulahula River that evening. ~d he fell and was forced to re­ trips to the Arctic National Wild­ It was her second hiking ex­ Bon Grossmann photo move his backpack. He struggled life Refuge. cursion into the Arctic National on to an island and then finished He said he has been re-evalu­ Wildlife Refuge and had the po­ PAINFUL MEMORIES-Drew McCalley, one of the leaders of the Sierra Club hiking trip on vyhich Dian~ Fpr­ Jhe river crossing. ating every moment of this re­ tential for a memorable trip. dro~ed •· "The other leader was going cent trip. The' personal loss of a sythe died, points out the area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where she while attempting to close friend is coupled with a Drew McCalley, the lead guide, cross the Sadlerochit River. up the shore that we started on;'' now finds it unforgettable for the . KicCalley said. "We didn't find sense of responsibility. McCalley all the wrong reasons. lier around the comer, and the said the rescue crew assured him working, strong willed and un­ · j:jf;her leader continued on down that he did everything possible Forsythe, 49, of Palo Alto, flappable. Traits that make this Calif., lost her footing as she i!_le river. I couldn't because I ran when they talked during the tragedy that· much harder to ac­ out of room. He found her four-hour helicopter flight back crossed the Sadlerochit River on cept. Thursday afternoon and 1\iash"'l up about a mile down the to Barrow. drowned. "That's why she was good at fiver." "Djana was moving quite \veil this," McCalley said. "Last year, "Even in replaying everything ..:, McCalley said they flagged and it was a matter of a slip on a she handled all of this beauti­ l:iown a passing helicopter, which rock," McCalley said. "Once she in my mind, as I have a thousand fully." times, it was still a decent t,adioed for help. The North Slope hit the water, she did do all the He said they managed five proper procedure. You're vulner­ crossing sitc " said McCalley, of Borough Police Department ar­ 1 river and stream crossings last rived IVith a Search and reSCUe able to a slip." Menlo Park, Cali[ McCalley ac­ year in much colder water. This companied Forsythe's body to year she signed on for another, Barrow and is currently staying Sierra Club sponsored outing, a in F.iirbanks until the other 55-mile hike that would end near hikers arrive. Camd,m Bay on the Beaufort Sea. McCalley and Forsythe had It involved crossing the Sadlero­ known each other since the early chit River. '70s when Uwy both took grad· McCalley said he selected a uate courses in anthropology at spot where five gravel bars Cornell University in New Yorlj:. braidei:I across the 100-foot wide Hiker's route --- "She wound up succeeding in body of water. At the deepest, the 0 50 100 anthropology, and I would up water at this point was about washing out and becoming an ac­ waist deep, he said.· , I coun•--t.," McCalley said. They each hiked with a .. Mlleo >scribed her as hard See DROWNING, P119o A.S -. fa./,, b CL N )(,s ]::; q_,-1../ /'Je.W.S - [>') ,-r-1 e..f\ t,_ cc.....-tc.b~;- ) 9'17 0 0 '" J q._ 'I ) G,

FAIRBANKS AROUND TOWN Kessel, Regehr to speak at After 5 Club "It's for the Birds" is the theme of the Oct. 14, dinner meeting of the After 5 Club, a Christian women's organization. Ornithologist Brina Kessel will give tips on how to attraCt winter birds to a bird feeder and explain their habits. Featured speaker is Joyce Regehr from British Columbia. Her topic is how she rises above the everyday stresses of life. Music will be provided by Lilly Morral. Reservations and cancellations must be made by Oct. 12. Con­ tact Joanne at 479-7633. · Project to provide screenings for kids Project TEACH will be at Fort Wainwright Oct. 14 and 15 to provided free developmental screenings for Fort Wainwright 1 children from ages birth to 3. . Professional staff will look at each child's development through the use of fun activities. Screenings will be held at the Child Development Center from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Please call the CDC, 353-7190, to schedule a time for your baby or toddler. Wildlife Se..Vice presents fun weekend A celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System with a family-oriented weekend of fun activities, exhibits and presenta­ tions at the Bentley Mall, will be presented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Oct. 18 and 19. There will be art activities, games, special presentations, exhi­ bits, clowns, magicians, live birds, puppets and more. Children and young-at-heart adults can solve a · computer puzzle, create their own wildlife art, orparticipate in a treasure .. hunt and become a 'Junior Refuge Manager. There will be free balloons, washable tattoos, posters and other information. Adults can win a chance to visit and volunteer at a Fairbanks­ ... based National Wildlife Refuge during summer 1998. The multi• .. media event will be held from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Oct 18 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Oct. 19 · Fairbanks is headquarters for three of the 511 national wild- . life refuges: Arctic, Kanuti and Yukon Flats. Together, these three areas comprise one-third of the 92 million acre National Wildlife Refuge System. September Bridge Club winners Farthest North Bridge Club winners for September are Shirley Craft and Shirley Daniel, twice, Sue Cox· and Shirley Liss, Lana Blizzard and Corky Peterson, Emily and Gordon Bower, twice, Sue Cox and Ivan Grondin, twice, Margie Johnson and Ivan Grondin, Maxine Wilkinson and Ruth Greer, Ruth Burnett and Nancy Williams tied Jerry Holland and Ivan Gronclin. I o / ?....o / '] '7 NCLJ..s- P1t"c~~A....-

At top, Nick Deines, 10, and ian Edgerton, 9, right, work on wa­ tercolor paintings of a green­ wing teal at the Bentley Mall on Sunday. The Bentley Mall was full of booths celebrating Na­ tional Wildlife Refuge Week that featured Alaska animals and of­ fered several attractions for kids including a live peregrine falcon, Mr. Checkers the Magician, duck tattoos and duck coloring tables. At right, John Maxwell, 6, gets some help from his mom, Al­ lyson, as he puts together an animal puzzle on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web site at the mall. The USFWS had a booth set up with computers linked to their web site so that children could enjoy the puzzles. ~...... ·.-o:"j~~ D~ily[\J~ner, Frlday, Novembert4, 1~~::· _ fi~;::·~- it:Lr:m ·Generalia ro~ ·ci>~es; '~J ;~~- \vi~il~~~1

••~, ..... ¥ ._. . -~pingin:tlate balloons. We ap-· mentarySChoolfortheu5eof:nu;:.~ ~;g·e-Week /.~----~ ... :::. ·:·-~tteded .the wotanti?-erful, .. thembye- merous folding cbairs~-.FiriallY,:'f ~~- ·, . , . , · onen .presen ons giVen . cleanup and other miscellimeous '-·,·''!'he O.~aiil:t-Wildlifli -John. Lentine. as Mr. Checkers tasks would not have,gone· as~ .Service Wishes tO thank those in-··· the Magician;. We are grateful· to smoothly or quickly. .without~ tb.&, divid:i:talS. and organizations that · KIAIC and MAGIC FM Radio for· enthusiastic help ·or ran,-~­ contributed to the success of the their promo_ ·spo~ to Clint Mi- . and Cathy· Jl!dgerlon;'Z· Nick:; 1997 National Wildlife Refuge chaels . and Michael Rogers for Deines, · Caryn--· Pavelsky; :and Week. celebration held at Bentley their excellent work ~ndueting Lolly and Polly Andrews. Thank:: Mall.. Oct. 18-19. National Wild- the live radio broadcasts, and to . you all! · · , ·· ._, ·_,. · : , life. Refuge Week. is recognized those individuals who were sur- .We app' rec;"te 'th·. e: •su',.p·po. rt.'_of· . annually during the second week prise guests on the radio .. Thanks = - of October to help raise. people's , also go out :to the Fairbanks · · our Fairbanks friends and neigh- · awareness of and appreciation for Daily News-Miner for helping bors and are pleased • that. so America's National Wildlife Re- spread the word about the event:, many of you helped us celebrate fuges, the beautiful and diverse the Alaska Natural History Asso- Ainerica's National Wildlife Re­ system of public lands estab- ciation for books to give away fuge System. Until next· year, lished to conser.ve our rich wild- during tJ:le radio promo spqts, Sa- visit, support, or learn about a life heritage. · feway for frosting. for the "Blue National Wildlife Refuge! .. Go ,. ki Crai "ck' p -U.S. Fish and Wildlife . Activities,. presentations aru:r ose:.:...coo es,.- gn 8 arty · · · · - · --service displays at Bentley Mall helped Store for the use of~ wildlife us meet this goal ·and ·provide people a fun time. The success' of the event was due to· the support and assistance of many people and organizations, including staff at Bentley Mall (Ed Willis, Da- nelle Ice, and· Jerry Newby) and Comco ·.Broadcasting (Guy Douglas, all the DJs, and sup!>Ort staff). Special thanks go out to local' artists Mark Ross, Dan Ken- nedy, and Randall Compton· for the time spent· helping. kids with their Junior Duck Stamp art- work; to singer/songwriter Susan Grace for her musical entertain- ment; to falconers Ted Seto and BW Tilton for showing and talking about their beautiful birds of prey; to bird rehabilitator Sandy Garbowski for sharing her live raven, to Susan Fullerton for helping with various· activity sta- If\\ Quality Services ~ (907) 274-1056

Date HOY 1 4 1997 Anchorage Daily News neltl1ng-in I :J.o .:NSJ} ..s.:tJ deceir FI'ER DECADES of working to convince the American pub­ Alic and Congress that the coastal plain of the Arctic Nation.11 Wildlife Refuge is a onC-Qf:a-k:ind \vildlife habitat, too special to allow the intrusion of even the most delicate footprint for oil development, the national environmental lobby is moving on. No. the green army is not marching out of Alaska- we couldn't be that lucky. The special interest groups are just aiming their pro­ paganda cannons at a different target. They apparently have just discovered that, by golly, ANWR is .not the only unique arctic wildlife habitat that needs their attention. Where is the new location? It's tlw National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, to the west of ANWR and the oil.fields of Prudhoe Bay. The greenies want to seal off the area, all23 million acres that Congress set aside decades ago specifically for oil and gas production. In their propaganda about NPR-A, of course, the greens don't mention that this is a "petroleum" reserve. They choose to call it on­ ly a national "reserve," thereby hoping to bamboozle the Lower 48 press and others into mistakenly believing it has some special wildlife status. "The reserve is the largest expanse of undeveloped public land in America," says the latest bulletin issued by the Northern Alaska Environmental Center and relayed nationwide by the Defenders of Wildlife. "It is one of the most important arctic habitats for migrato­ ry waterfowl and other wildlife. For thousands of years, traditional people have used. the area for subsistence hunting and fishing... The reserve belongs equally to every American and should be part of our grandchildren's natural heritage. " Laden with such rubbish, the green machine's propaganda is aimed at rallying an uninformed public to ask Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt to hold a series of hearings next year in major cities across the nation. If Babbitt agrees, it would delay completion of a pending NPR-A environmental assessment. While in Alaska, Babbitt committed to Gov. Tony Knowles that he would make a final NPR-A leasing decision by mid-1998. The environmental lobby, using its muscle and its heavy propaganda machine, wants to persuade the secretary not to go forward at all. "Bwning 'more oil will add to problems of global climate change and not bring us one step closer to a sustainable energy future," this latest hooey proclaims. The obvious objective is to block oil production in Alaska, any­ where it is contemplated. And they won't hesitate to crank out a new set of lies each time a new location is considered for develo,P­ ment. How long will it take for the national media and the American public to catch on? r. United States Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Federal Building & Courthouse !O J 12th Avenue, Box 20 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701-6267 IN REPLY REFER TOo

Greetings:

Thank you for your request for information about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Enclosed are several items that should answer most of your questions. As a potential visitor to the area, please be aware that little information is available regarding specific hiking routes and rivers in the refuge.

Consequently, you will find no packaged trip plans or trail maps pointing the way. Rather, an experience in the Arctic Refuge is one you must search out for yourself. Perhaps more than anywhere in America, the Refuge is a place where the sense of the unknown, of horizons unexplored, of nameless valleys remains alive.

These rare qualities place the symbolism of wilderness before the visitor, not as an abstract image, but as a real place where decisions have consequences. Be aware that where the wild has not been taken out of the wilderness, there are risks. Where freedom, discovery, and exploration prevail, experience and self-reliance are required.

If you seek the wilderness opportunity the Arctic Refuge has to offer, and are willing to make the mental, physical, and material preparations necessary, we encourage you to read the enclosed information and begin planning. Be aware that permits are not required for non-commercial trips in the Refuge.

If you make a trip to the Refuge, feel free to call or stop by the office on your way through Fairbanks. Office hours are 8:00-4:30, Monday through Friday. The telephone number is (907) 456- 0250. For more information, VISit the Arctic Refuge web site at: http://www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/arctic/arctic.html.

Please let me know if I can provide further assistance.

Sincerely,

ft:>f- James W. Kurth Refuge Manager VALUES, GOALS AND MANAGEMENT Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with 19.28 million acres of federal land, is the largest refuge in the Nation. The premier feature of the refuge is the diversity of undisturbed arctic and subarctic ecosystems, including the south side boreal forests, the rugged Brooks Range mountains and the arctic tundra of the coastal plain. These habitats exist in close proximity, supporting an outstanding mix of flora and fauna including 36 fish, 169 bird, 36 terrestrial mammal, and eight marine mammal species. The refuge contains the greatest biodiversity of any conservation area in the circumpolar north. Other special features include an abundance of magnificent scenery, the four tallest peaks and most glaciated region of the Brooks Range, numerous prominent geological formations, and several warm springs.

The refuge's wilderness qualities stand out among its many special values. The need to preserve these qualities in an arctic environment formed the basis for establishing the original Arctic National Wildlife Range. The Range was established in 1960 to preserve the area's unique wildlife, wilderness and recreational values, a purpose that remains today. In 1980, Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands conservation Act (ANILCA), which enlarged and renamed the refuge. The ANILCA also expanded the purposes of the refuge, specifying that it shall be managed:

• to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity; • to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife; • to provide continued subsistence opportunities for local residents; and • to ensure water quality and quantity within the refuge.

The ANILCA designated three wild rivers within the refuge and established much of the original wildlife range as an eight million acre wilderness area (the largest in the National Wildlife Refuge system). The wilderness area is managed in accordance with the ANILCA and the Wilderness Act of 1964, emphasizing primitive recreation, solitude, and preservation of the area's natural integrity. The remaining 11 plus million acres, as de facto wilderness, are managed to maintain the refuge's undeveloped state, existing fish and wildlife populations, and their habitats.

The refuge supports recreational activities that are dependent on the wilderness environment of the refuge~ Visitors are drawn by the refuge's wilderness qualities, remoteness, scenery, wildlife and pristine environment to float rivers, hike, hunt and conduct other wildlife-oriented activities. The activities are concentrated along the rivers, which have a limited number of access sites. Management works to minimize the adverse effects of this concentrated use on refuge resources, wilderness qualities and users.

Information is collected from permit reports and monitoring activities to help direct and manage public use activities on the refuge, using only the minimum amount of regulation required. Management works to ensure, through permits and law enforcement activities, that public use activities are compatible with refuge purposes and that refuge users adhere to Federal and State laws and policies.

Research on refuge fish and wildlife populations and habitats is important to increase our knowledge of the resources and our understanding of the effects of human disturbance on fragile arctic and subarctic environments. The refuge helps facilitate and conduct this research with other international, Federal, State, and private organizations. Research activities focus on fish, climate, geology, water resources, caribou, muskox, bears, snow geese, and other wildlife. Section 1002 of the ANILCA directed that the natural resources of 1.5 million acres of the coastal plain be studied to determine the potential impacts of oil and gas leasing. The main study was completed in 1986. Followup studies and activities occur as need and funding allow. When the oil development controversy fades, staff redirect their energy toward other management issues of concern to the refuge.

To help ensure that refuge wildlife populations and habitats remain healthy, and to warn management if species numbers decline or resource damage occurs, the refuge monitors various wildlife populations and public use areas.

The international Porcupine caribou herd (160,000 animals) uses much of the refuge, especially the coastal plain in early summer for calving and foraging. The northernmost population of Dall sheep and numerous moose live on the refuge. Surveys of these three species are conducted to determine their abundance, productivity and population trends. The information is used to help establish sport and subsistence hunting regulations.

The refuge supports a population of muskoxen that is expanding and re­ establishing itself on Alaska's north slope. The animals and their habitats are studied to provide information that helps the Service maintain the long­ term viability of the muskoxen and their value to refuge users.

The two subspecies of peregrine falcon on the refuge are listed as either threatened or endangered. Annual surveys are conducted to determine the abundance and productivity of these birds as part of a long-term program to monitor the health and recovery of their populations.

Botanists study plant communities on the refuge to obtain information about areas especially important for wildlife. They also monitor plant recovery in areas disturbed by past seismic work to obtain information that can be used to minimize disturbance from future human activities.

The refuge tracks caribou, sheep, and muskox harvests, designates subsistence hunting areas, and analyzes the need for restrictions to preserve important subsistence activities mandated by the ANILCA.

Refuge staff meet with individuals, conduct public meetings, answer public inquiries, and take public comment on management issues of concern to help facilitate communication with and obtain the support of interested parties. The refuge works with Kaktovik and Arctic Village residents and other local users to resolve conflicts pertaining to refuge management, subsistence, and public use.

Interpretive programs and education activities are conducted in Fairbanks, Kaktovik, and Arctic Village to provide information about the refuge and promote an understanding of wildlife needs, the importance of habitat, and wildlands issues.

7/94 LITERATURE LIST Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Books:

Nameless Valleys, Shining Mountains - by John P. Milton. Walker and Co., New York. 1970.

Earth and the Great Weather - the Brooks Range - by Kenneth Brower. McCall Publishing Co., New York. 1971.

Two in the Far North - by Margaret E. Murie. Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., Anchorage. 1978.

A Whaler and Trader in the Arctic - by Arthur James Allen. Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., Anchorage. 1978.

Caribou and the Barren Lands - by George Calef. Firefly Books Ltd., Toronto. 1981.

Arctic Wildlife - by Monte Hummel. Key Porter Books, Toronto. 1984.

Kingdom of the Ice Bear: A Portrait of the Arctic - by Hugh Miles. British Broadcasting, London. 1985.

Alaska Paddling Guide - by Jack Mosby and David Dapkus. J & R Enterprises, P.O. Box 140264, Anchorage AK 99514. 1986.

Arctic Dreams - by Barry Lopez. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. 1986.

The Arctic and its Wildlife - by Bryan Sage. Facts on File Publication, New York. 1986.

TheArctic National Wildlife Refuge:·· Its People, Wildlife Resources, and Oil and Gas Potential - Arctic Slope Consulting Engineers, 313 E Street, Suite 2, Anchorage AK 99501. 1986.

Reminiscences of Four Years in Arctic Alaska - by Roy Sylar. North Slope Borough Planning Dept. (Alaska), Inupiat History, Language and Culture Division. 1987.

America's Hidden Wilderness: Chapter 5 Arctic Awakening - by George F. Mobley. National Geographic Society Special Publications Division, Wash. D.C. 1988.

Vanishing Arctic: Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge - by T.H. Watkins. Aperture Books/The Wilderness Society, Wash. D.C. 1988.

North Slope Now - Alaska Geographic Society, Vol. 16, No.2, Anchorage AK. 1989. To the Arctic: An Introduction to the Far Northern World - by Steven Young. Wiley, New York. 1989.

Midnight Wilderness: Journeys in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - by Debbie Miller. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco. 1990.

Alaska's Brooks Ranqe: The Ultimate Mountains - by John M. Kauffmann. The Mountaineers, Seattle Wash. 1992.

Children's books:

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - by Alexandra Siy. Dillon Press, New York. 1991.

Our Living World of Nature: The Life in the Far North - by William Fuller and John Holms. McGraw-Hill, New York. 1972.

The Arctic and the Antarctic: What Lives There - by Lee Huntington. Coward, McCann and Geoghegan, New York. 1975.

A Closer Look at Arctic Lands - by J.L. Hicks. Franklin Watts, New York. 1977.

Tundra: The Arctic Land - by Bruce Hiscock. Atheneum, Macmillan Pub. Co., New York. 1986.

Living in Polar Regions - by Theodore A. Rees Cheney. Franklin Watts, New York. 1987.

Journey to the Top of the World - by Janet Foster. Prentice Hall Books for Young Readers. 1987.

Magazine Articles:

"We Hiked Across the Arctic" by Bernd Gaedeke. Alaska Sportsman Magazine, Vol. XXXIII. No. 1, January 1967. "Canoeing the Sheenjek" by Averill s. Thayer. Alaska Magazine, October 1970.

"Our Last Arctic Wilderness - A Gift Denied?" by George Laycock. Audubon Magazine, Vol. 78, No. 4, July 1976.

"Numbers Beyond Counting, Miles Beyond Measure" by George Calef. Audubon Magazine, Vol.78, No. 4, July 1976.

"Arctic Range at a Crossroads" by Don Ross. Alaska Magazine, Vol. XLIII. No. 6, June 1977. "A Passage of Caribou" by Wilbur Mills. The Living Wilderness, Vol. 41, No. 410, January/March 1978.

"Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Range - Our Wildest Wilderness" by Douglas Chadwick. National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 156, No. 6. December 1979.

"Arctic International Wildlife Range - Last Chance for the Porcupine Caribou Herd" by Nancy J. Russell-LeBlond and William E. Rees. Northern Perspectives, Vol. 7, No. 7, Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, Ottawa. 1979.

"The Finding of N720" by Debbie Miller. The Living Wilderness, Vol. 43 No. 147, December 1979.

"Refuges on the Rocks" by Jim Doherty. Audubon Magazine, July 1983.

"The Last Pork Chop" by Edward Abbey. Outside Magazine, March 1984.

"Across Arctic Mountains" by Ted Kerasote. Sports Afield Magazine, February and March 1984.

"Flying for 1002 11 by Ted Kerasote. Alaska Magazine, Vol. L No. 7, July 1984.

"Refuge in the Arctic: Special Issue" Wilderness, Vol. 50 No. 174, Fall 1986.

"Fuel for an Arctic controversy" by L. Williamson. Outdoor Life, Vol. 179, March 1987.

"High stakes in a land of plenty" by T.A. Lewis. National Wildlife, Vol. 25, June/July 1987.

"Confrontation-in the North" by Tom Kizzia. D~fenders- Magazill~ of Defenders of Wildlife, Vol. 62 No. 2, September/October 1987.

"Summer on the Sheenjek" by Margaret E. Murie. Defenders - Magazine of Defenders of Wildlife, Vol. 62 No. 2, September/October 1987.

"Polar Opposites" by James R. Udall. Sierra, Vol. 72 No. 5, September/October 1987.

"Preserving Alaska's wildlife" by M. Udall. National Parks, Vol. 61, November/December 1987.

"Cumulative impacts of oil fields on northern Alaskan landscapes" by D.A. Walker and others. Science, Vol. 238, November 1987. "Edge of the Arctic" by D. Frazier. National Parks, Vol. 61, November/December 1987.

"Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Special Issue" Audubon Magazine, May 1988.

"Oil in the wilderness: an Arctic dilemma" by Douglas Lee. National Geographic, Vol. 174 No. 6, December 1988.

"The future of big oil" by P. Nulty. Fortune, Vol. 119, May 1989.

"Tundra plunder" The New Republic, Vol. 200, May 1989.

"Beating the drum for caribou" by M. Peale. Sierra, Vol. 74, MayjJune 1989.

"Impacts of petroleum development in the Arctic" by D. Walker and others. Science Vol. 245, August 1989. "Shadow over an ancient land" by s. Reed. People Weekly, Vol. 32, September 1989.

"It's time to drill Alaska's refuge" by P. Nulty. Fortune, Vol. 123, January 1991.

"Trespassing the serpent world" by D. Baum. Buzzworm, Vol. 3, July/August 1991.

"The great Alaska debate: can oil and wilderness mix?" by T. Egan. The New York Times Magazine, August 1991. FLOAT TRIP PLANNING INFORMATION Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

General

The refuge has no roads and therefore no access for cars, buses or trains. Summer recreationalists generally use charter aircraft to access the refuge, then backpack or float down one of the rivers.

Transportation to nearby villages that serve as departure points to the refuge is by commercial aircraft from Fairbanks or Anchorage. In past years, charter aircraft have been available from Ft. Yukon, Kaktovik and Deadhorse. Planes land on the refuge at various unimproved upland airstrips, river gravel bars and lakes (in float equipped aircraft}. Extra time should be allowed for air travel into and out of the refuge due to possible weather delays, especially if visitors travel through the village of Kaktovik. Visitors are encouraged to correspond directly with the various air charter companies and commercial guides regarding availability and entryjexit locations. Information on various trip rates and equipment rentals can also be obtained from commercial guides.

River Floating

Rafts, canoes, kayaks and Klepper boats can all be used on the rivers. However rafts are the most popular due to their easy portability in aircraft. Canoes and kayaks are very expensive to transport (unless they are collapsible} and are more hazardous in whitewater sections found on many rivers, especially on the north slope.

Refuge rivers must always be evaluated and run according to current conditions. River ratings are somewhat subjective and can change slightly depending on the stage of the river at any one time. Although rivers are generally open June through September, the safest water levels and best weather occur during July and early August. Visitors should be cautious of higher­ than-average flows which can be encountered anytime of the year, especially after localized heavy rains upstream. Low water can be a concern on the Kongakut and Hulahula in August but is generally not a serious problem. It is possible to line through or portage the most difficult sections of the rivers.

Spring breakup generally occurs on north slope rivers during late May and early June. Water levels are often at flood stage during this time with ice floes and "aufeis" that make navigation hazardous. Aufeis are thick layers of ice formed by successive freezing of stream overflows during winter. During breakup, rivers carve vertical walled canyons through aufeis fields that can be a mile or more in length. During early summer or high water later in the season, it can be dangerous to attempt travel through such areas. By mid to late June, the channels are generally carved and melted wide enough to allow passage. However, aufeis fields can be dangerous any time during the summer if river levels rise due to rains upstream. Therefore visitors should scout all ice areas prior to floating through to ensure that the river is not flowing under or through tunnels in the ice.

Refuge Rivers

Scenic grandeur, a variety of habitats and landscapes, wildlife, and opportunities for solitude, adventure and challenge all make refuge rivers appropriate and highly sought after for wilderness­ oriented recreation. Most refuge rivers are relatively swift and possess boulder-strewn or braided gravel beds, especially on the north slope. Water quality is considered excellent, although rivers are high and turbid during spring and after summer storms. Some rivers, particularly the Hulahula and Okpilak, carry a substantial glacial silt load in the summer. Following is a brief introduction to the primary rivers used by refuge floaters and hikers.

Aichilik River - The Aichilik begins among the high glaciated peaks of the Romanzof Mountains and flows north to the Arctic Ocean. Steep sided valleys of the river's upper reaches provide scenic hiking, but poor access, rapids, braiding and low flows combine to discourage floating. On the coastal plain, the river is the eastern boundary between the 1002 area and designated wilderness.

Canning and Marsh Fork Canning Rivers - The Canning is the longest and has the greatest volume of the refuge's north flowing rivers. Both the Canning and its major tributary, the Marsh Fork, have good headwaters access and flow through scenic glaciated-valleys. Through th~~ountains, the river contains generally flat steady current. The Marsh Fork has short stretches of whitewater. Some 15 miles before the Canning empties into the Arctic Ocean, it becomes extensively braided, widening up to three miles in some areas.

Hulahula River - The Hulahula originates in the highest peaks of the Brooks Range, flows north 40 miles through steep-walled glacial valleys, then abruptly breaks out onto the coastal plain. Swift and turbid with glacial silt in the summer, the river is the most technically challenging of the regularly run north slope rivers. At average flow rates, rapids on the Hulahula are generally class I and II, although there are stretches of class III. Since the lower river is a prime area to see caribou, most floaters travel through at least a part of the coastal plain and some travel all the way to Kaktovik. Due to its scenery, accessibility and floatability, the Hula is the second most popular recreational river in the refuge. river is generally accessed fairly high in the headwaters at place called Grassers Strip. A narrow twisting pass across continental divide between the headwaters of the Hulahula an Chandalar Rivers provides a natural hiking route and a frequ used corridor for airplanes. The river is heavily hunted an fished by Kaktovik villagers.

Ivishak River - A designated wild river, the Ivishak flows f the Philip Smith mountains north for some 60 miles through t refuge. Fed by flows from relic hanging glaciers, the river develops a broad, braided flood plain typical of other north slope rivers. Although scenic, the river's shallow water, p defined channel and marginal access results in low use by floaters.

Kongakut River - The Kongakut is the only major refuge river whose entire course is within designated wilderness. Origin high in the mountains of the eastern Brooks Range, the river flows east for some 25 miles before heading north through 60 miles of rugged mountains to the coastal plain. Clear water scenery, wildlife, fishing and fair access combine to make t Kongakut the most sought after and heavily used recreational river in the refuge.

The river is generally accessed fairly high in the headwater a place called Drain Creek. At average flow rates, rapids o Kongakut are generally class I and II, although there are stretches of class III. Most floaters take out at Caribou P (an 8-10 day trip) although a few float all the way to the Beaufort Sea.

Okpilak River - The Okpilak travels north through a classic shaped valley in the heart of the most active glacial area o refuge. The silt-laden river was recommended as a national natur_al landmark beCaUSe Of itS prominent moracineS I fanS 1 Sa dunes, outwashes and other glacial features. The upper rive too wild and dangerous for most river floaters and the terra precludes aircraft access. These factors, however, offer hi an uncommonly tranquil and scenic experience.

Coleen River - The clear, shallow Coleen, which flows south the east side of the refuge, was a traditional route for Esk seeking trade with the Athabascan Indians. The river's uppe tributaries are braided, have poor aircraft access and flow through scenic, but undramatic mountains. Although its fore middle and lower sections have good access, the Coleen is on the refuge's less floated rivers.

East Fork Chandalar River - The Chandalar is a major Yukon R tributary. The East Fork of the river flows swiftly south f its high mountainous headwaters nearly 60 miles through a wi mountain-rimmed valley. From there it meanders slowly throu forested lake-dotted valley. The river passes Arctic Village and serves as a highway to subsistence hunting, fishing and trapping areas. Sheenjek River - The Sheenjek; originating from glaciers at the continental divide, drains the south side of the Brooks Range's highest and most massive mountains. This designated wild river flows nearly 200 miles through dramatic mountains and forested foothills to join the Porcupine River in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Single-channeled and relatively calm with numerous access points, the Sheenjek is the most popular of the refuge's south-flowing rivers. Most of the river is class I although a stretch in the upper reaches near Table Mountain is class II.

Wind River - This designated wild river begins across the divide from the headwaters of the Ivishak and flows 94 miles southeast to the East Fork of the Chandalar. Open tundra valleys fringed by limestone and shale mountains characterize its upper reaches. Forested hills, lakes and meadows dominate the lower river.

Other rivers - Many other rivers are scenic and have good wildlife viewing opportunities, but are not generally suitable for floating because of low water levels, extensive braiding andjor lack of aircraft access sites in the headwaters. They include the Aichilik, Egaksrak, Firth, Jago, Katakturuk, Sadlerochit and Tamayariak on the north slope and the Junjik on the south side. Stretches of these rivers may be navigable at certain times but it is difficult to anticipate when such conditions may occur. As a result, one cannot plan successful trips in advance.

3/92 List of Authorized Commerical Air Charter Services Arctic National Wildlife Refuge June 2,1997

Name and Address Phone

Yukon Air Service (907) 479-3792 (Fairbanks) (Canning Air) (907) 662-2445 (Ft. Yukon & FAX) ATTN: Don Ross 2532 Roland Road Fairbanks, AK 99709

Alaska Flyers (907) 640-6324 (Kaktovik) ATTN: Walt Audi (FAX) 640-6218 P.O. Box 67 Kaktovik, AK 99747

Sourdough Air Service/ (907) 692-5444 (Summer) Brooks Range Aviation (FAX) 692-2185 ATTN: Jay Jesperson (520) 426-1275 (Winter Phone & FAX) P.O. Box 10 1-800 692-5443 Bettles, AK 99726 Winter Address: 18140 West Carol Ave. Casa Grande, AZ 85222

(907) 376-7955 (Wasilla) Arctic Wilderness Lodge/ Archery Outfitters (FAX) 373-5252 ATTN: David Neel P.O. Box 876606 Wasilla, AK 99687

PYXIS, Ltd, (907) 457-4235 (Phone & FAX) ATTN: Eric Stirling P.O. Box 82612 Fairbanks, AK 99708

(907) 474-0502 Wright Air Service (907) 479-6539 ATTN: Robert P. Bursiel (FAX) 474-0375 P.O. Box 60142 Fairbanks, AK 99706

(907) 852-8333 Cape Smythe Air Service (FAX) 373-5252 P.O. Box 549 Barrow, AK 99723 List of Authorized Commerical Air Charter Services Arctic National Wildlife Refuge June 2,1997

Name and Address Phone

Warbelow' s Air (907) 474-0518 Ventures (FAX) 479-5054 ATTN: Art Warbelow P.O. Box 60649 Fairbanks, AK 99706

Umiat Enterprises (907) 488-2366 ATTN: Eleanor Smith (FAX) 488-2392 P.O. Box 60569 Fairbanks, AK 99706 (Air Charter Service operations located in Umiat, AK)

Circle Air (907) 520-5223 P.O. Box 35 (FAX) 520-5332 Central, AK 99730

Sheenjek River Air (907) 662-2563 P.O. Box 353 (FAX) 662-2990 Fort Yukon, AK 99740 List of Authorized Commerical Recreational Guides Arctic National Wildlife Refuge June 2, 1997

Name and Address

Sourdough Outfitters ( 907) 692-5252 ATTN: Hulda Benson P.O. Box 90 Bettles, AK 99726

Arctic Treks ( 907) 4 55-6502 ATTN: Jim Campbell P.O. Box 73452 Fairbanks, AK 99707

Wilderness Birding (907) 694-7442 Adventures Phone/Fax ATTN: Bob Dittrick P.O. Box 103747 Anchorage, AK 99510-3747

ABEC' s Alaska ( 907) 457-8907 Adventures (FAX) 457-6689 ATTN: Ramona Finnoff 1550 Alpine Vista Ct. Fairbanks, AK 99712

Alaska Discovery (907) 780-6505 ATTN: Kenneth S. Leghorn (FAX) 780-4220 5449 Shaune Drive, Suite 4 Juneau, AK 99801

Sunlight North Expeditions (907) 346-2027 ATTN: Clarence A. Crawford (FAX) 346-2063 P.O. Box 112983 Anchorage, AK 99511

Ouzel Expeditions, Inc. (907) 783-2216 ATTN: Paul Allred P.O. Box 935 Girdwood, AK 99587 List of Authorized Commerical Recreational Guides Arctic National Wildlife Refuge June 2,1997

Name and Address

National Outdoor Leadership (907) 745-4047 School (FAX) 745-6069 ATTN: Don Ford P.O. Box 981 Palmer, AK 99645

Sierra Club (415) 977-5629 ATTN: Charles Hardy (FAX) 977-0636 85 2~ St., 2~ Floor San Francisco, CA 94105

Bushcraft, Inc. (907) 479-3608 ATTN: D.Y. Sandy Jamieson P.O. Box 130 Ester, AK 99725

Mountains & Rivers (907) 373-5221 ATTN: Chris Morris P.O. Box 874254 Wasilla, AK 99687

Wilderness Alaska .(907) 345-3567 ATTN: Macgill Adams P.O. Box 113063 Anchorage, AK 99511

Wilderness Alaska/Mexico (907) 452-1821 ATTN: Ron Yarnell (907) 479-8203 1231 Sundance Loop Fairbanks, AK 99709 List of Authorized Commercial Hunting Guides Arctic National Wildlife Refuge June 2, 1997

Names, Address and Areas

Joe Hendricks (907) 274-3996 P.O. Box 102104 (602) 966-1935 Anchorage, AK 99510-2104 Winter Address: (520) 299-6826 5151 North Camino de la Cumbre Tucson, AZ 85750-1536 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 6)

Jacques Adventure Co. ( 907) 733-2504 Jerry Jacques P.O. Box 35 Talkeetna, AK 99676 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 12)

Kichatna Guide Service ( 907) 696-3256 Harold Schetzle P.O. Gox 670790 Chugiak, AK 99567 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 5)

Joe Want (907) 457-4736 P.O. Box 10044 Fairbanks, AK 99701 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 8)

Patton Witt ( 907) 4 52-5509 252 D Street Fairbanks, A~ 99701 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 18)

Chandalar River Outfitters ( 907) 488-8402 Keith Koontz P.O. Box 74877 Fairbanks, AK 99707 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 14)

Art Andreis (907) :33--2352 P.O. Box 55818 North Pole, AK 99705 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 2) List of Authorized Commercial Hunting Guides Arctic National Wildlife Refuge June 2, 1997

Names, Address and Areas Phones

Alaska Wilderness Ventures ( 907) 488-3259 Len Mackler 411 Rhonda Street Fairbanks, AK 99712 (Authorized Guide Areas ARC 1, 4, 10)

A.W. Enterprises (907) 733-2473 Larry Rivers (FAX) 7 33-1070 P.O. Box 107 Talkeetna, AK 99676 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 9)

Bristol Bay Outfitters (907) 278-0994 John Peterson (Phone or Fax) 3450 Stanford Drive Anchorage, AK 99508 (Authorized Guide Areas ARC 3, 7)

Alaska Safaris/ Brooks Range (907) 452-8751 Arctic Hunts Ltc. Eugene M. Witt, USA (Ret) 455 3~ Ave., Apt. 512 Fairbanks, AK 99701-4743 (Authorized Guide Areas ARC 11)

Bushcraft Guide Service (907) 479-3608 Sandy Jamieson P.O. Box 130 Ester, AK 99725 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 16, 17)

Clearwater OuLdoor Services (907) 457 7189 Pete Buist P.O. Box 71561 Fairbanks, AK 99707 (Authorized Guide Area ARC 13) Aircraft Access and Transportation Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Most visitors access the refuge by flying to Arctic Village, Fort Yukon, Deadhorse or Barter Island, then chartering a bush plane to their starting location. Aircraft also may be chartered from Fairbanks, but this is more expensive. Attached is a list of air charter companies that are authorized to operate on the refuge.

What type of aircraft do you need? The type of plane depends on the number and weight of people in your party, the amount of gear, the size and condition of the landing area, and weather conditions. Shorter, rougher landing areas require lighter loads. Do not pressure the pilot into taking more weight than he/she feels the aircraft can safely handle for the existing conditions.

Where can you land? Although you are allowed to land anywhere within the refuge, including sensitive tundra sites, we recommend that you consider using the more durable surfaces (e.g. gravel and sand bars, lakes) that can withstand repeated landings with less aesthetic and environmental impact.

How much will the charter cost? The cost depends on the aircraft's hourly rate and round trip flying time. Poor weather and winds can increase flying time. Some companies have a fixed rate to the more popular locations. Be sure that you understand how costs will be figured before you leave Fairbanks.

What about pickup arrangements? Make sure there is no confusion about where and when you should be picked up. The pilot should know the landing area and be certain that his plane can land there. Discuss options with the pilot in case the area becomes unlandable due to flooding, rain, wind, etc. If multiple trips are needed, be sure that you are not left in the field without survival gear.

What about the weather? Inclement weather is common, especially north of the Brooks Range. Plan an extra day or two on each end of your trip for weather delays. Remember that the weather can be fine at your pickup site but unflyable where the plane is based. If your pilot feels that it is unsafe to fly, believe him/her.

Can aircraft carry canoes and rafts? Float planes may transport canoes, but usually only when there are no people on board. Canoes also must be chartered from Fairbanks since the cost of shipping them to a bush community is extremely high. For these reasons, canoes are not practical in the refuge. Collapsible watercraft are preferred since they readily fit in Cessna and larger aircraft.

Other concerns? Remember that the altitude and flight path of your trips into and out of the refuge can affect wildlife and other refuge visitors. Work with your pilot to minimize visual and noise impacts that result from your flights. 8/94 Preparations Campsites

The Arctic wilderness requires Campsite selection is the most that you be well-prepared and self­ critical part of minimizing your sufficient. Equipment, supplies, impact, Gravel bars make excellent and emergency services may not be campsites. They are durable, well­ readily available. In many areas it drain~d, and often have fewer can be weeks or months before you mosquitoes than upland sites. High encounter another person. water in the spring will also erase Your Your equipment should be signs of your presence. Remember sturdy and functional, with adequate that high water can occur at any repair kits. First aid knowledge time so locate your camp well above Arctic and supplies are a must. Signaling current water levels. devices (smoke flares, mirrors, If you must choose a vegetated strobes, signal cloths) should be site, select a location with hardy carried for emergencies. vegetation such as moss or heath Adventure Leave your itinerary with a plants, rather than fragile lichens. dependable person and make firm Soft-soled shoes will help minimize arrangements with an air taxi impacts. Trenching around tents and operator. Planes may be delayed using branches for beds or caches several days due to weather, so are unnecessary. carry extra food. Consult a good Move your camp every 2-3 days, backpacking guide for more or before signs of your presence information. become noticeable. Make every effort to return the campsite to its Groups natural appearance.

Sharing enhances a wilderness water trip. However, groups should be small enough to enrich the Water sources may contain wilderness experience. Large groups Giardia larnblia or other intestinal Arctic Alaska, with its can have especially noticeable and parasites. Take preventive measures delicate balance of tundra, boreal lasting impacts on arctic by treating or boiling your water. forest, coastal wetlands, and ecosystems. Use a collapsible water jug - fewer mountains, contains some of the trips for water reduces trail greatest wilderness in the world. Trails formation. Bathe and wash dishes at Although it is vast, the arctic least 100 feet from water sources ecosystem is· extremely fragile, and use biodegradable soaps. easily impacted by human activities. Trails can form quickly in the Certain standards of behavior Arctic, scarring the land. Healing, are required to preserve the Arctic if it occurs at all, can take years. ecosystem - standards unnecessary in Groups should travel in fan pattern areas with more resilient systems. whenever possible to limit trail The techniques presented here will formation. Use game trails, but be help ensure your safety and minimize alert for wildlife in brushy areas. your impact on the environment. Leave your route unmarked. Latrines Litter Wildlife

Bury human feces at least You can help keep the Arctic Observing wildlife in ita 150 feet from all potential water pristine. Please pack out what you natural habitat can be one of the sources. On the tundra, remove a pack in. If you find litter, carry moat rewarding aspects of your trip. fiat-full of vegetation and scoop it out if possible. Do not bury Remember that you are a visitor. out a small depression. Mosses, garbage, as it will resurface due to Help ~nsure your safety and protect leaves, and snow are natural toilet frost action or curious animals. the wildlife by following these papers. Burn or pack out all paper Bears that dig up garbage can begin practices: products, including tampons and associating people with food, a sanitary napkins. Replace the potentially dangerous situation. * Cook and cache food away from tundra. Check with local residents before sleeping areas. disposing of garbage in a rural * Avoid strong smelling foods and community. keep yourself free of food odors. Fires * Select campsites away from game trails and fresh bear sign. If Trees grow slowly in the Private Property a bear repeatedly visits or shows Arctic; a spruce tree only inches in unusual interest in a campsite, diameter may be hundreds of years Private lands and property are move to another area. old. This and other factors makes scattered throughout remote Alaska. * Give wildlife the right-of-way on wood scarce or nonexistent in some Check with the area land manager to game trails. areas. Gas or propane stoves are determine land status. * Avoid bears with cubs and moose recommended for cooking and Private cabins, caches, with calves. emergencies. traplines, and fishnets should not * Make noise and stay alert in bear If you need an open fire, be disturbed. The use of cabins in country. build it on exposed inorganic soil. emergencies is acceptable. If you * The Arctic produces fewer fish Fire at other locations will kill use supplies or firewood, you must than other areas. Take only what plants and create long-term scars. notify the cabin owner and replace you will eat; practice catch and Burn only dead and downed wood. the items. The owner may depend on release. Erase all traces of the fire them, especially in winter. * Use binoculars, spotting scopes before you leave. Remove all foil, Prehistoric or historic sites and long lenses for watching and wire, and other unburned materials usually hold great significance for photographing wildlife. Keep from the ashes and pack them out. the local Native people. Respect away from nests and dens. Deposit ashes and charcoal in the their heritage and leave the sites main current of a river, if undisturbed. Natural Heritage possible. Return rocks to their If you visit a rural community original locations. Using a fire during your trip, remember that Wilderness areas belong to pan will prevent fire scars. community privacy is important to everyone. By using them wisely and many residents. Be sensitive to gently, we can preserve their their lifestyle and activities. remote, pristine nature for both Obtain permission to use community ourselves and future generations. facilities and photograph residents or private property. ,,..,..,....,..uull1ff......

' ...... WEATHER Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Snow persists on the refuge for nearly eight months of the year, although snow and freezing temperatures can occur during any month. Spring and fall are brief. Thawing begins in late April, breakup in early to mid-May (later north of the Brooks Range). Ice remains in most coastal lagoons until early July. Cold temperatures and snow return in September; rivers and lagoons freeze by early October. November through February brings the lowest temperatures and strongest winds. The Beaufort Sea has a major influence on the arctic coastal climate. The water moderates both the warming effects of the summer sun and the extreme temperatures of winter. In summer the coast experiences cool temperatures, frequent cloudiness, fog, high humidity, and strong winds. Inland (sometimes only a few miles), clear skies are more common, with moderate temperatures and variable winds. The climate south of the Brooks Range is more typical of the northern Alaskan Interior, with higher rainfall, greater temperature extremes, and lighter winds than the coastal plain.

·.·· Fishes of The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Freshwater Species

Sheefish Stenodus leucichthys Round whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum Lake trout Salvelinus namaycush Arctic char Salvelinus a/pinus Northern pike Esox lucius Lake chub Couesius plumbeus Longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus Trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus Burbot Lota Iota Ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius Slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus Threespine stickleback Gasterasteus aculeatus Alaska blackfish Dallia pectoralis Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus

Anadromous Species (* denotes freshwater only form of species also)

Least cisco* Coregonus sardinella Bering cisco* Coregonus laurettae Arctic cisco Coregonus autumnalis Broad whitefish* Coregonus nasus Humpback whitefish* Coregonus pidschian Pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch Rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax Arctic lamprey* Lampetra japonica Dolly Varden* Salvelinus malma

Marine Species

Pacific herring Clupea harengus Pallas Capel in Mallotus villosus Arctic cod Boreogradus saida Saffron cod Eleginus gracilis Fourhom sculpin Myoxocephalus quadricornis Arctic sculpin Myoxocephalus scorpioides Greenland seasnail Liparis tunicatus Pacific sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus Slender eelblenny Lumpenus fabricii Stout eelblenny Lumpenus medius Eel pouts Lycodes spp. Arctic flounder Pleuromectes glacialis Starry flounder Platichthys stellatus Arctic hookear sculpin Artediellus scaber Arctic staghom sculpin Gymmocanthus tricuspis Whitespotted greenling Hexagrammus stelleri Bering wolffish Anarchichas orienta/is April 2, 1997 SHREW FAMILY MOUSE FAMILY Mammals of the Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus) Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) Arctic National Wildlife Moist tundra, bogs, and forests. Meadows and open forests south of the mountains. Refuge Dusky Shrew (Sorex obscurns) Wet meadows south of the mountains. Tundra Vole (Microtus oeconomus) Meadows near water south of the Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus) mountains. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is located in Wet sedge tundra. the northeast corner of Alaska. In this region of Yellow-cheeked Vole Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi) extensive cold, much of the Refuge's soils are (Microtus xanthognathus) Forests and bogs south of the mountains. underlain with permafrost. Spruce forests near bogs.

The Beaufort Sea washes against the north coast Singing Vole (Microtus miwus) of the refuge. These waters remain ice-covered Tundra and shrub thickets near water. RABBIT FAMILY for eight or more months each year. The ~ce pack. Brown Lemming (Lemus sibiricus) is the winter home for polar bear and numerous Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus) Wet tundra north of the mountains. seals. During the summer, whales migrate through Forests and shrub thickets. these waters. Northern Bog Lemming (Synaptomys borealis) South of the coast lies a broad expanse of flat Bogs, spruce forests, and meadows south of the mountains. arctic tundra composed mostly of sedges and low SQUIRREL FAMILY shrubs. Musk oxen live year-round on this coastal Collared Lemming (Dicrostonyx torquatus) plain, and caribou produce their calves here in Alaska Marmot (Mannota broweri) Sedge tundra. late spring. Rocky, mountainous areas.

The arctic tundra rises to the south through Arctic Ground Squirrel ( Spennophicus penyii) foothills to the rugged, rocky mountains .of the . JUMPING MOUSE FAMILY Brooks Range. Dall sheep search for winter Dry, sandy areas. forage along windblown slopes, while marmots Red Squirrel (Tamiasciwus hudsonicus) Meadow Jumping Mouse hybernate within stony crevices for nine months Spruce forests. (Zap us hudsonius) each year. Moist meadows and shrub thickets south of the mountains. Further south, the mountains gradually merge into the spruce and shrubs of the boreal forest. BEAVER FAMILY Beaver, mink, and moose, as well as numerous small rodents, inhabit the wet meadows, bogs, and Beaver (Castor canadensis) rivers within this forested region. Wooded streams. PORCUPINE FAMILY WALRUS FAMILY Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) Martin (Manes americana) Walrus (Odebenus rosmarus) Forests, shrub thickets, and tundra. Spruce forests. Rare along the coast Ermine (Mustela enninea) Open forests and tundra. DOG FAMILY Least Weasel (Mustela nivalis) EARLESS SEAL FAMILY Open, wet areas. Coyote (Canis !a trans) Spotted Seal (Phoca largha) Rare in open areas. Mink (Mustela vison) Coastal waters and on drifting ice. Near wet areas south of the mountains. Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida) 'Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) Wolverine (Gulo gulo) Ice along the coast. All plant communities throughout the Forests and tundra. refuge. Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) River Otter (Lutra canadensis) Coastal waters and on drifting ice. Arctic Fox (Alopex lagopus) Rivers and lakes mainly south of the Tundra north of the mountains. Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata) mountains. Coastal waters and edge of ice pack. Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) All plant communities throughout the refuge. DEER FAMILY WHAlE FAMILIES Moose (A lees a lees) Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Willow thickets and wet areas. CAT FAMILY Coastal waters. Canbou (Rangifer tarandus) Lynx (Felis lynx) Narwhale (Monodon monoceros) All plant communities throughout the Forests throughout the refuge. Rare in coastal waters. refuge. Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Rare in coastal waters. BEAR FAMILY Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) CATILE FAMILY Coastal waters. Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) Forests throughout the refuge. Tundra north of the mountains. Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Dall Sheep (Ovis dalli) Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Open areas throughout the refuge. Rocky slopes and tundra in the mountains. 101 12th Ave., Box 20 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Along the coast and on ocean ice. 4/1994 LARKS _American Pipit: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Rare breeder and Homed Lark: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Rare breeder and visitor uncommon fall migrant on coastal plain. Observation Notes - on coastal plain. Uncommon visitor along coast. Birds of the WAXWINGS SWALLOWS _Bohemian Waxwing: Common visitor and probable breeder on south slope. Tree Swallow. Uncommon breeder on south slope. Casual visitor on north _Cedar Waxwing: Accidental visitor on north slope. Arctic National Wildlife slope. _Violet-green Swallow: Uncommon breeder on south slope and in Brooks SHRIKES Range. Casual visitor on north slope. Northern Shrike: Uncommon breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Refuge _Bank Swallow: Uncommon visitor and probable breeder on south slope. Rare visitor and possible breeder on coastal plain. Casual visitor on north slope. _Cliff Swallow: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. WOOD WARBLERS, SPARROWS, BUNTINGS, BL<~.CKBIRDS Casual visitor on north slope. _Orange-crowned Warbler: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Casual _Bam Swallow: Rare visitor on north slope. migrant on north slope. _Magnolia Warbler: Accidental visitor on north slope. JAYS, CROWS Yellow Warbler: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Rare breeder in _Gray Jay: Uncommon to common resident breeder on south slope. Rare - Brooks Range. Probable rare breeder on coastal plain Casual visitor along breeder in Brooks Range. Casual visitor on north slope. coast Common Raven: Uncommon resident throughout Refuge. Uncommon _Yellow-romped Warbler: Common breeder on south slope. Rare breeder in - breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range;._ .. Brooks Range. Accidental visitor on north slope. _Palm Warbler: Accidental or casual visitor on south slope. ClllCKADEES _ Blackpoll Warbler: Uncommon visitor and probable breeder on south slope. _Black-capped Chickadee: Probable resident on south slope. Accidental visitor on north slope. Siberian Tit: Rare breeder in Brooks Range. _Northern Waterthrush: Uncommon visitor and probable breeder on south =Boreal Chickadee: Uncommon resident breeder on south slope. slope. _Kentucky Warbler: Accidental visitor on north slope. DIPPERS _Wilson's Warbler: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Casual fall migrant _American Dipper: Uncommon resident throughout Refuge, except along on north slope. coast. _Canada Warbler: Accidental visitor on north slope. _American Tree Sparrow: Abundant breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Uncommon breeder on coastal plain. Casual visitor along coast. _ Chipping Sparrow: Casual visitor on north and south slopes. _ Clay-colored Sparrow: Accidental visitor on north slope. 180 bird species have been recorded on the Arctic Refuge. This list _Savannah Sparrow: Uncommon to common breeder throughout Refuge. describes their status and abundance. _ Fox Sparrow: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Rare visitor and possible breeder on coastal plain. Casual visitor along coast _ Song Sparrow: Accidental visitor on north slope. REGIONS OF THE REFUGE _ White-throated Sparrow: Accidental visitor on north slope. _Golden-crowned Sparrow: Rare visitor in Brooks Range. North Slope- The coast and the coastal plain. _White-crowned Sparrow: Abundant breeder on south slope. Common Coast- The area within six miles ofthe Beaufort Sea, including breeder in Brooks Range. Uncommon breeder on coastal plain. Casual nearshore waters. visitor along coast Coastal Plain· 1be area between the coast and the Brooks _Dark-eyed Junco: Abundant breeder on south slope. Rare migrant on north Range. OLDWORLDWARBLERSANDFLYCATCHERS,KINGLETS, slope. Brooks Range • 1be mountains, valleys, and foothills north and south THRUSHES _ Lapland Longspur: Abundant breeder in Brooks Range and on north slope. _Arctic Warbler: Uncommon breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Common migrant on south slope. ofthe continental divide. Accidental visitor on north slope. _Smith's Longspur: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Rare visitor on north South Slope - The area south ofthe Brooks Range. _Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks slope. Bird observation data from visitors will help update and improve this Range. _ Snow Bunting: Common to abundant breeder along coast STATUS _ Bluethroat: Uncommon migrant and breeder on western coastal plain _Red-winged Blackbird: Casual visitor on north slope. list Please send infonnation on species, number, date, and location to: _Northern Wheatear: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Rare visitor on Western Meadowlark: Casual visitor in Brooks Range. Resident - Present throughout the year. Refuge Manager north slope. -Rusty Blackbird: Common breeder on south slope. Uncommon breeder in Migrant - Travels through on the way to wintering or breeding areas. _Townsend's Solitaire: Uncommon visitor and probable breeder on south - Brooks Range. Casual migrant and visitor on north slope. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Breeder- Occurs as a breeding species (prefixed by "possible" or slope and in Brooks Range. _ Brown-headed Cowbird: Accidental visitor on north slope. 10112thAve.,Room266 "probable" if concrete evidence is unavailable). _Gray-cheeked Thrush: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 Range. Casual visitor on north slope. FINCHES Visitor- Occurs as a non-breeding species. _ Swainson's Thrush: Uncommon visitor and probable breeder on south slope. _Rosy Finch: Uncommon breeder in Brooks Range. _Hermit Thrush: Possible breeder on south slope. Accidental visitor on north Pine Grosbeak Uncommon resident and probable breeder on south slope. u.s. ABUNDANCE slope. =White-winged Crossbill: Uncommon to abundant breeder on south slope FISH & WILDUFE SEKI/ICE _American Robin: Abundant breeder on south slope. Uncommon breeder in and in Brooks Range. Abundant- Occurs in suitable habitats, with some areas heavily used Brooks Range. Casual visitor on north slope. _Common and Hoary Redpolls: Uncommon breeders on south slope and in Common - Occurs in nearly all suitable habitats, with some areas Varied Thrush: Common breeder on south slope. Rare visitor on north Brooks Range. Rare to abundant breeders on coastal plain Uncommon slope. breeders along coast Residents on south slope. sparsely used _ Pine Siskin: Uncommon visitor on south slope and in Brooks Range. Rare Uncommon· Occurs regularly, but uses little ofthe suitable habitat WAGTAILS; PIPITS visitor on north slope. Rare - Occurs regularly, but in very small numbers. _Yellow Wagtail: Uncommon breeder on coastal plain. Probable breeder ~ Casual- Beyond its nonnal range, but irregularly observed. along coast Rare visitor on south slope. Accidental- Far from its nonnal range. Further observations unlikely. 6196 LOONS _Greater Scaup: Uncommon migrant along coast. Uncommon visitor on PLOVERS JAEGERS, GULLS, TERNS _Red-throated Loon: Uncommon breeder and common migrant along coast. north slope and in Brooks Range. Black-bellied Plover: Rare breeder on north slope. Uncommon migrant _ Pomarine Jaeger: Rare to common breeder on north slope. Common spring Rare visitor in Brooks Range and on coastal plain. _ Lesser Scaup: Abundant breeder on south slope. Common breeder in along coast Rare migrant on coastal plain. migrant and uncommon fall migrant on north slope. _Pacific Loon: Common breeder on north and south slopes. Uncommon Brooks Range. Rare breeder and visitor on coastal plain. _American Golden-Plover: Uncommon breeder on north slope and in Brooks _ Parasitic Jaeger: Uncommon breeder on north slope. Rare breeder in breeder in Brooks Range. Common migrant along coast. _Common Eider: Uncommon breeder and visitor along coast Common Range. Abundant fall migrant along coast Brooks Range. _ Common Loon: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Rare migrant or visitor migrant along coast, especially offshore. _ Semipalmated Plover: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks _ Long-tailed Jaeger: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Uncommon spring along coast _ King Eider: Uncommon breeder along coast. Uncommon migrant along Range. Rare breeder on north slope. Rare visitor and migrant along coast. migrant and breeder but common visitor on north slope. _Yellow-billed Loon: Possible breeder on nor'.h slope. Uncommon migrant coast, especially offshore. _Killdeer: Casual visitor on north slope. _ Bonaparte's Gull: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Casual visitor on along coast. Rare migrant on coastal plain. _ Spectacled Eider: Rare to uncommon breeder along coast. Eurasian Dotterel: Casual visitor on north slope. north slope. _Steller's Eider: Casual visitor along coast. _Mew Gull: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Probable GREBES _Harlequin Duck: Uncommon breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. SANDPIPERS breeder on coastal plain. Rare spring migrant and summer visitor on north Horned Grebe: Common breeder on south slope. Casual visitor on north Rare breeder on coastal plain. Uncommon visitor on north slope. _ Lesser Y ellowlegs: Abundant breeder on south slope. Casual visitor along slope. slope. _ Oldsquaw: Common breeder on north slope. Uncommon migrant on south coast. _Herring Gull: Uncommon breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Red-necked Grebe: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Casual visitor on slope. Abundant visitor and migrant along coast _ Solitary Sandpiper: Abundant breeder on south slope. Rare migrant and visitor on north slope. north slope. _Black Scoter: Uncommon migrant along coast _Wandering Tattler: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Uncommon breeder _Thayer's Gull: Rare migrant and visitor on north slope. _Surf Scoter: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Uncommon visitor and on coastal plain. _ Slaty-backed Gull: Casual ~sitar along coast. SHEARWATERS migrant along coast. _Spotted Sandpiper: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. _Glaucous Gull: Common breeder and migrant along coast Uncommon _ Short-tailed Shearwater: Casual summer and fall visitor along coast, mostly _ White-winged Scoter: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Uncommon breeder on coastal plain. Rare visitor along coast. visitor and probable breeder on coastal plain. Uncommon visitor in Brooks offShore. Range. Possible breeder on coastal plain. Uncommon visitor and migrant _Upland Sandpiper: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Range. along coast. _Whim brei: Uncommon breeder in Brooks Range. Uncommon visitor and _ Black-legged Kittiwake: Rare migrant along coast, mostly offshore. _Common Goldeneye: Probable breeder on south slope. Rare visitor along migrant on north slope. _ Ross' Gull: Rare fall migrant along coast coast _ Hudsonlan Godwit: Casual visitor on north slope. _Sabine's Gull: Uncommon breeder along coast Uncommon fall migrant _Barrow's Goldeneye: Probable breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. _ Bar-tailed Godwit: Rare migrant along coast. along coast, mostly offibore. _ Buffiehead: Common breeder on south slope. _Ruddy Turnstone: Uncommon breeder on north slope. Uncommon to _Ivory Gull: Rare migrant along coast _Common Merganser: Casual visitor on north slope. common fall migrant along coast _Arctic Tern: Uncommon breeder but common visitor on south slope and in _Red-breasted Merganser: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Uncommon _ Surfbird: Rare breeder in Brooks Range. Brooks Range. Uncommon breeder and migrant along coast. Rare breeder breeder on coastal plain. Rare breeder and uncommon migrant along coast _ Red Knot: Rare migrant along coast. on coastal plain. _ Sanderling: Casual breeder on coastal plain. Rare spring and uncommon fall HAWKS, EAGLES, HARRIERS migrant along coast. ALCIDS _ Bald Eagle: Rare breeder and uncommon visitor on south slope. Rare _ Semipalmated Sandpiper: Abundant breeder on north slope. Common fall _Thick-billed Murre: Rare migrant along coast visitor in Brooks Range and on coastal plain. migrant along coast. _Black Guillemot: Uncommon migrant and rare breeder along coast _Northern Harrier: Common probable breeder in Brooks Range. Rare \~sitor _Western Sandpiper: Casual spring and uncommon fall migrant along coast. _Horned Puffin: Casual visitor along coast. on north slope. _Least Sandpiper: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. _ Sharp-shinned Hawk: Uncommon visitor on south slope. Rare migrant on north slope. OWLS _Northern Goshawk: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Rare visitor in _ White-rumped Sandpiper: Possible breeder along coast. Rare spring Great Horned Owl: Uncommon resident breeder on south slope. Brooks Range and on coastal plain. migrant and uncommon fall migrant along coast. _ Snowy Owl: Rare visitor to common breeder along coast. _ Swainson's Hawk: Rare breeder and visitor on south slope. _Baird's Sandpiper: Uncommon breeder on north slope and in Brooks Range. _Northern Hawk-Owl: Uncommon resident breeder on south slope. _ Rough-legged Hawk: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Rare breeder on Uncommon migrant on north slope. _Great Gray Owl: Resident and probable breeder on south slope. ~I plain. Uncommon visitor on north slope. _Pectoral Sandpiper: Abundant breeder across north slope. Abundant fall _ Short-eared Owl: Rare spring visitor or migrant to common breeder _Golden Eagle: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Probable breeder on migrant along coast. throughout Refuge. coastal plain. Uncommon visitor along coast _ Sharp-tailed Sandpiper: Casual migrant on north slope. _Boreal Owl: Probable resident breeder on south slope. _ Dun lin: Uncommon to rare breeder along coast Uncommon fall migrant FALCONS along coast. GOATSUCKERS _American Kestrel: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Rare breeder in _Stilt Sandpiper: Uncommon breeder and fall migrant on north slope. _Common Nighthawk: Casual visitor on north slope. SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS Brooks Range. Casual visitor on north slope. _Buff-breasted Sandpiper: Uncommon breeder on north slope. _Tundra Swan: Common breeder along coast _Merlin: Uncommon breeder in Brooks Range. Possible breeder on coastal _Ruff: Casual visitor on north slope. HUMMINGBIRDS ~Trumpeter Swan:__ Rare breeder along coast _, . plain. Rare visitor elsewhere on the· Refuge. ~-Long-billed Dowitcher: Uncommon breeder on north slope. Common fail _Rufous Hummingbird: Casual visitor on south slope and in Brooks Range. _Greater White-fronted Goose: Uncommon spring migrant Possible _Peregrine Falcon: Common breeder on south slope. Uncommon visitor or migrant on north slope. breeder and comtnon fall migrant on north slope. breeder on coastal plain. Rare breeder along coast Uncommon summer _Common Snipe: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. KINGFISHERS _ Snow Goose: Uncommon spring migrant throughout Refuge. Rare breeder visitor and/or migrant throughout Refuge. Rare breeder and visitor on north slope. _ Belted Kingfisher: Uncommon visitor and possible breeder on south slope. and abundant fall migrant on north slope. _Gyrfalcon: Uncommon resident breeder in Brooks Range. Uncommon _Red-necked Phalarope: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks _Ross' Goose: Casual spring visitor on north slope. visitor elsewhere on the Refuge. Range. Uncommon breeder on north slope. Common fall migrant along WOODPECKERS _Brant: Uncommon breeder and abundant migrant along coast. coast. _Downy Woodpecker: Uncommon resident breeder on south slope. _Canada Goose: Uncommon breeder on north and south slopes. Uncommon GROUSE, PTARMIGANS _Red Phalarope: Uncommon breeder on north slope. Uncommon fall migrant _Hairy Woodpecker: Resident and probablebreeder on south slope. migrant on north slope. _ Spruce Grouse: Uncommon resident and probable breeder on souL'> slope. along coast. _Three-toed Woodpecker: Uncommon breeder on south slope. _Green-winged Teal: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. _Willow Ptarmigan: Uncommon resident breeder along coast Uncommon to _Northern Flicker: Uncommon breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Uncommon breeder on coastal plain. Rare breeder and migrant along coast. abundant resident breeder elsewhere on the Refuge. _Mallard: Uncommon breeder but common visitor on south slope and in _Rock Ptarmigan: Common resident breeder throughout Refuge, except rare TYRANT FLYCATCHERS Brooks Range. Rare breeder and uncommon visitor on north slope. in winter along coast _Olive-sided Flycatcher: Uncommon breeder on south slope. _Northern Pintail: Common breeder on south slope. Uncommon breeder but _Alder Flycatcher: Common breeder on south slope. common visitor and migrant on north slope. COOTS _Hammond's Flycatcher: Accidental visitor on north slope. _Northern Shoveler: Uncommon breeder on south slope. Rare visitor and American Coot: Rare visitor on south slope. _ Eastern Phoebe: Accidental visitor on north slope. migrant on north slope. _Say's Phoebe: Common breeder in Brooks Range. Casual ;,sitor on north _ Eurasian Wigeon: Casual visitor on north slope. CRAl"'ES slope. _American Wigeon: Common breeder on south slope and in Brooks Range. Sandhill Crane: Rare breeder on north slope. Probable breeder on south Eastern Kingbird: Accidental visitor on north slope. Uncommon migrant and visitor on north slope. slope. Rare spring migrant on coastal plain. Uncommon visitor along coast _ Canvasback: Rare visitor on south slope. Casual migrant on north slope. and on south slope. Celebrate Your , NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES at The Bentley Mall Saturday & Sunday, October 18 & 19 7r Bean-bag toss 7r Computer puzzles 7r Art and craft activities 7r Exhibits 7r Treasure Hunt 7r Magicians, clowns, and puppets 7r Live birds 7r Special presentations ;v- VVashabletattoos 7r Free balloons, posters, and more 7r Drawing to volunteer at a Refuge yr Guest appearance by Teddy Roosevelt, founder of the National VVildlife Refuge System ~_ilL '\)~JJ Xj ~~ ~ ~'---.._:, l. l \ - - Admission is FREE to all activities. America's National Wildlife Refuges- where wildlife comes naturally! A.MERICA.•s NA.TIONA.L ~ILDLIFE REFUGES •••

where wildH f: e come naturally! ~ ~

If you . avel much in the wilder sections of our country, sooner or lai you are likely to meet the sign of the flying goose -­ the emblem of the National Wildlife Refuges.

You may meet it by the side of a road crossing miles of flat prairie in the Middle West, or in the hot deserts of the Southwest. You may meet it by some mountain lake, or as you push your boat through the winding salty creeks of a coastal marsh.

Wherever you meet this sign, respect it. It means that the land behind the sign has been dedicated by the American people to preserving, for themselves and their children, as much of our native wildlife as can be retained along with our modem civilization.

Wild creatures, like men, must have a place to live. As civilization creates cities, builds highways, and drains marshes, it takes away, little by little, the land that is suitable for wildlife. And as their space for living dwindles, the wildlife populations themselves decline. Refuges resist this trend by saving some areas from encroachment, and by preserving in them, or restoring where necessary, the conditions that wild things need in order to live.

- Rachel Carson

This essay introduced the series, "Conservation in Action," a marvelously written collection of narratives about Refuges and the Refuge System. Rachel Carson was a scientist and chief editor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1939-1952. (Photograph used by permission of Rachel Carson History Project.) ~lDl~FlE REFUGE SPECIAL ABOUT CTIC REFUGE?

• It is the Nation's largest and most northerly • It is home to 36 species of land mammals. national wildlife refuge; South Carolina could almost fit inside its borders. • It protects most of the calving grounds for the Porcupine caribou herd, the second largest herd • Eight million acres are designated as Wilderness, in Alaska. more than on any other national wildlife refuge. • It contains all three species of North American • The majestic Brooks Range rises from its coastal bears (black, brown, and polar). plain only 10-40 miles from the Beaufort Sea. • Nine marine mammal species live along its coast. • It includes the four highest peaks and most of the glaciers in the Brooks Range. • 36 fish species inhabit its rivers and lakes.

• There are 18 major rivers; three designated as • There are no roads, developments, or trails. You _Wild (Sheenjek, Ivishak, and Wind). must fly, boat, or walk to get there.

• It includes three major physiographic areas • The spirit of wilderness prevails there. (arctic tundra, Brooks Range, and boreal forest), which contain a full range of arctic and subarctic • It offers outstanding scenery and recreation. habitats.

• Numerous sites have been recommended as National Natural Landmarks.

• It contains the greatest variety of plant and animal life of any conservation area in the circumpolar north.

• 180 bird species from four continents have been seen there.

• Peregrine falcons, endangered or threatened in the lower 48 states, are common there.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA \Nne~e \N\\d\\\e came~ na\u~a\\"J\ ~lDl~flE I I lRlEfUGlE ' '

CTIC :REFUGE • It is as primitive and undisturbed as any • It borders two Canadian national parks. conservation area in the Nation. • It is used by two different caribou herds. • North America's farthest north Dall's sheep population lives there. • Continuous light prevails there from late April to mid-August; the sun stays below the horizon • It is the only national conservation area that from mid-November to mid-January. I I provides a complete range of arctic ecosystems. • It has no introduced species. • It has two designated Research Natural Areas. • Permafrost underlies most of it, helping to keep • More than 300 archaeological sites have been the landscape wet and productive in summer. found there. I I I • Huge fields of overflow ice ("aufeis") form along • It contains North America's two largest and most many of its rivers every winter. northerly alpine lakes (Peters and Schrader). j1. I • 1t is open to public use year-round, offering • Kaktovik, an Inupiaq Eskimo village, and Arctic unparalled opportunities to experience solitude, Village, an Athabascan Indian community, border challenge, and adventure. its north and south sides.

• Its coast is a major migration route for several waterfowl species.

• Numerous prominent geological formations, including a range of permafrost and glacial features, are found there.

• It contains several warm springs, which support plant species unique to the area.

• The Nation's northernmost breeding population of golden eagles occurs there.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR A f4ERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILP,LIFE REFUGES ••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 -ALASKA wnere wild lire comes naturaLly! ~lDl~flE lRlEfUGlE luge Description Mountains to meadows ... ~~··,_,~, with peaks to 9,000 feet, a layer of peat overlain by a extends east-west through the carpet of mosses, sedges, and The closeness of the Brooks Refuge 15-100 miles from the flowering plants. Spruce, Range to the Arctic Ocean in Beaufort Sea Coast. The poplar, and willow trees shade northeastern Alaska creates a Range's four highest peaks and the south slope valleys. combination of landscapes and only extensive glaciers are habitats unique m North found on the Refuge .. Continuous summer daylight America. The area has produces rapid but brief plant exceptional scenic, wildlife, A rich and fragile land growth. Underlying permafrost wilderness, recreation, and and low evaporation cause scientific values. This is the The Refuge includes alpine and many areas to remain wet Arctic National Wildlife arctic tundra, barren mountains, throughout the summer. These Refuge, the only protected area boreal forests, shrub thickets, factors, along with shallow in the Nation where people can explore a full range of arctic and subarctic ecosystems.

First set aside in 1960 to preserve its unique values, the Refuge more than doubled in size with passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980. Today the Refuge encompasses nearly 20 million acres, an area about the size of South Carolina.

The Refuge extends more than 200 miles west to east from the Trans Alaska pipeline corridor to Canada, and nearly 200 miles · and wetlands. The coast has plant roots and a slow north to south from the numerous points, shoals, mud revegetation rate, result in a Beaufort Sea to the Yukon Flats flats, and barrier islands that fragile landscape easily National Wildlife Refuge. The shelter shallow, brackish disturbed by human activities. rugged, spectacular Brooks lagoons. The tundra is typically

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7- ALASKA where wildli re comes naturally! ~lDl~flE RlEfUGlE

Arctic Village D 1002Area Wilderness Area 0 50 100 -..... Wild River Miles

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7- ALASKA where wildlife comes naturally! ~lDl~flE lREFUGlE aa ISHMENT AND EMENT TIME LINE

1903 President Theodore Roosevelt established the National Wildlife Refuge System, designating Pelican Island in Florida as its first unit. 1949 The National Park Service began a recreational survey in Alaska to identify areas with special natural values. 1954 The National Park Service recommended that the undisturbed lands in the northeastern corner of Alaska be preserved for their wildlife, wilderness, recreation, scientific, and cultural values. 1957 The Department of Interior announced plans to ask Congress to establish an 8,000 square mile wildlife reserve in the area identified by the National Park Service study. 1960 After Congress debated but failed to create the wildlife reserve, the Secretary of Interior signed a Public Land Order establishing the 8.9 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Range. 1964 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act, establishing the National Wilderness Preservation System and policies for wilderness management. 1968 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, establishing the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, which protects designated rivers as either wild, scenic, or recreational. 1969 The first manager was hired for the Arctic National Wildlife Range. 1971 President Richard Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The Act gave the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation surface rights to 69,000 acres along the arctic coast within the Range. 1980 President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The Act expanded the Arctic Range to 18 million acres, renamed it the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, designated eight million acres as Wilderness, designated three rivers as Wild, and called for wildlife studies and an oil and gas assessment of 1.5 million acres of the Refuge coastal plain. 1983 Nearly one million acres were added to the south side of the Refuge when the State of Alaska decided not to retain control of lands it had selected under the Statehood Act. 1987 The governments of the United States and Canada signed an international agreement for management and long term protection of the Porcupine Caribou herd. 1988 Congress added 325,000 acres to the south side of the Refuge, bringing its total size to 19.8 million acres. 1996 President William Clinton signed an executive order defining the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System "to preserve a national network of lands and waters for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and plant resources of the United States for the benefit of present and future generations."

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AttERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ••• U.S . FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 -ALASKA wnere wildliye comes naturally! ~lDl~flE REfUGE D THE COASTAL PLAIN The coastal plain to survive their first Central Arctic herd use the only 10 percent of the week, until they become strong Refuge coastal plain when Refuge. Yet from May to July, enough to outrun their pursuers. calving is completed. This it is the center of biological essential area contains forage activity on the Refuge. For The Refuge coastal plain also and a variety of habitats that centuries, animals from the provides an abundance of plant provide insect relief, including Porcupine caribou herd have species preferred by caribou. the coast, uplands, ice fields, used the coastal tundra to calve, Nutrition is very important to rocky slopes, and gravel bars. obtain nourishment, avoid the pregnant cows, particularly insects, and escape predators. after the long winter. The Their annual visit to the Refuge timing of snow melt and plant coastal plain brings new life The calving grounds of the "green up" on the coastal plain and vitality to the caribou. It is Porcupine caribou herd include coincides with their calving an important part of their life the northern foothills of the period. This gives the new cycle. The coastal plain Brooks Range and the arctic mothers access to the most provides the caribou vital coastal plain from the Tamayariak River in Alaska to the Babbage River in Canada. The most often used calving area, however, is on the Refuge coastal plain between the Katakturuk and Kongakut Rivers. Commonly, one-half to three quarters or more of the calves are born within this area.

The Refuge coastal plain is very important to calving success and calf survival in the Porcupine caribou herd. There are two main reasons for this. nutritious food when it is most nourishment and a better First, fewer brown bears, important for their health and chance of avoiding predators wolves, and golden eagles live the proper development of and insects. This relationship is on the coastal plain than in the nursing calves. part of the unaltered system that adjacent foothills and makes the Arctic Refuge such a mountains. As a result, the The entire Porcupine caribou wondrous place. newborn calves have a better herd and up to a third of the

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA 'N\\e~e 'N\\d\\\e came~ na\u~a\\\J\ ~lDl~flE lRlEfUGlE INE CARIBOU HERD Like antlered gypsies, the herd joins the cows and herd will winter on the south ground caribou are always calves on the coastal plain of side of the Refuge or m the move. Exactly when and the Refuge. In late June and Canada. where they go is impossible to early July, when hordes of predict. Most herds, however, mosquitos hatch, the caribou Hunted by local residents, are drawn to a specific calving gather in huge groups chased by predators, harassed area. The 152,000 member numbering in the tens of by insects, challenged by river Porcupine caribou herd has thousands. Seeking relief from crossmgs, and faced with such a connection with the the insects, they move along the difficult terrain and weather, Arctic National Wildlife coast, onto ice fields, and to the Porcupine herd confronts Refuge. uplands in the Brooks Range. many hardships. Yet it thrives, every summer staging a Named for the major river The herd leaves the coastal magnificent wildlife spectacle within its range, the Porcupine plain by mid-July, heading back on the arctic coastal plain. The herd uses an area the size of Wyoming m the Refuge, Yukon, and Northwest Territories. The herd winters in the southern portion of its range, including the Refuge, where they are an important resource for the Gwichin people.

Twice a year the herd migrates more than 700 miles to and from its traditional calving grounds on the arctic coastal plain. Sometime in April, the caribou head north. The route they take depends on snow and east and south toward its fall caribou are a vital part of the weather conditions. and wintering areas. Just as no natural system that operates one knows in advance precisely there. Unalterably linked to the By early June, the pregnant where most of the caribou will area, the herd both depends on females reach the calving areas drop their calves in the spring, and enhances the dynamic and give birth. Shortly no one knows until it happens wilderness that is the Arctic thereafter, most, and often all, whether the majority of the Refuge.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES••• U.S. FI SH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA where wildlife comes naturally! MOVEMENTS OF THE PORCUPINE CARIBOU HERD Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The migration of the 160,000 member Porcupine Caribou Herd to their calving grounds begins in early May. Adult females leave first from wintering areas south of the continental divide in Alaska and in central Yukon and Northwest Territories in Canada. Groups ranging in size from a few to 1,000 animals move in single file lines west along the foothills and north through the major river corridors of the Brooks Range . Depending on snow conditions and the onset of spring weather, by late May the caribou usua~ly reach their calving grounds on the foothills and coastal plain north of the mountains. The animals immediately disperse on the open tundra and give birth. A majority of the animals calve within a two to three week period. The traditional calving area of the herd extends from the Canning River in Alaska to the Babbage River in Canada. However some (often a majority) of the animals calve in the area south of Barter Island every year. The spring migration of males, juveniles and barren females is usually two to three weeks later than adult females. The animals move more gradually and in smaller groups. They tend to follow the same general routes of the females, reaching the calving grounds about the third week of June.

In late June and early July, the caribou gather in huge post­ calving aggregations that can number in the tens of thousands. Some groups move rapidly north and east along the Beaufort Sea coast while others move south through the Brooks Range . The animals are constantly on the move during this time. Their locations and travel routes, which can vary year to year, are not predictable enough to identify specific sites where they can definitely be seen. Spotting large groups of caribou in mid-summer is therefore a "hit or miss" prospect. The herd generally leaves the coastal plain by mid-July. From late August to late September, migrating caribou sometimes cross the Porcupine River near and at sites upstream of the village of Old Crow, Yukon Territory. Movements of the animals, however, are unpredictable as there is much variation from year to year. ~lDl~flE REfUGlE MUSKOXEN

Inupiaqs call it "omi .. 5 ,, ...... short-legged The entire Refuge coastal plain "the bearded one." Shaggy The animals has muskoxen. In summer, social, with an almost surreal also don't move around much in they are concentrated along quality, the muskox, more than winter to conserve energy. major rivers including the any other animal, conjures up Canning, Tamayariak, Sadle­ images of the cold, remote In summer, muskoxen feed rochit, Jago, Aichilik, and arctic. Seeing one takes you along rivers on a wide variety Kongakut. Muskoxen are an back . . . to the time of the of plants. In winter they move important part of the Refuge mammoth, the short-faced bear, to areas with low snow cover to ecosystem, adding to the area's and the saber-toothed cat. feed on sedges and shrubs. diversity and providing a year-

Muskoxen thrive on the Arctic Refuge coastal plain. This was not always so. They disappeared from Alaska's north slope more than 100 years ago. They were brought back to the Refuge in 1969. Today about 350 muskoxen live on the Refuge, and they have expanded to areas both west and east.

As the only large mammals that live year-round on the Refuge coastal plain, muskoxen are Adult females, young animals, round food source for predators uniquely adapted to a frigid and some males live in social and other animals. environment. They have to be. groups year-round. Other Winter lasts nine months of the males are solitary in summer The once endangered muskox year, temperatures routinely and live together in winter. brings a special majesty and drop to minus 30 or colder, and When threatened, muskoxen aura to the Refuge, one not winds blow almost constantly. typically run together to form a offered by any other animal. Yet muskoxen stay warm. tight circle or line. This The Arctic Refuge protects How? Their long, skirt-like unusual defensive technique is habitats for this ice-age relic. guard hairs and thick "quiviut" quite effective against It's one of the many reasons this wool provide insulation, and predators. special Refuge was created.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7- ALASKA where wildlife comes naturally! ~lDl~FlE REfUGE DALL SHEEP

Watchful and ailability of forage requires Winter weather is the main

approach, Dall sheep vlJsnowfall is challenged - by the harsh alpine diet with regular visits to light, and winds sweep many environments of Alaska and mineral licks. The sheep ridges and slopes, keeping northwestern Canada. The usually roam in small social snow cover light. These animals meet this challenge units, either maternal ewe, lamb conditions allow the sheep because of several unique and yearling groups, or groups good access to winter forage. adaptations. One place they do of rams. However heavy snows, well is the Arctic National temporary thaws, and freezing Wildlife Refuge. Sheep forage is limited by the rains can create a frozen barrier cool temperatures and nutrient preventing the sheep from The Refuge contains North poor soils of the northern alpine digging for the plants. America's northernmost Dall ~nvironment. Under these Conditions like these can cause sheep population. Year-round conditions, the sheep mature population "crashes." residents of the Refuge, the slowly and have low sheep live mostly above reproductive rates. Females Dall sheep walk a survival timberline on ridges, dry reach breeding age at three to tightrope, although they do it meadows, and steep mountain slopes. There are always rocky outcrops and cliffs nearby. The sheep rarely venture far from this rugged terrain, using it to escape predators, including wolves, golden eagles, bears, and humans. Natural mountaineers, sheep negotiate this terrain with speed and agility. They rarely fall. four years and produce only rather effectively. They have one lamb per year. Males breed lived since the Pleistocene in Dall sheep eat grasses, sedges, when their horns are large places such as the Arctic forbs, and dwarf willows. In enough for them to establish a Refuge. They are one of the winter, when these foods are dominant position in the ram special wildlife assets of this scarce, the sheep add lichens to hierarchy, usually at seven to magnificent place. their diet. The distribution and nine years.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA 'N'\\e~e 'N\\d\\\e came~ na\u~a\\\1\ ~lDl~FE REfUGlE POLAR BEAR

It's a magnificent, powerful, rnr.thArc nurse and care for the uniformly along the coast. One fearless animal; the young until March or early reason may be that the Refuge largest land carnivore. The April, when they emerge from coastal plain and northern polar bear is a unique part of the dens. After several days foothills have more uneven our natural heritage - directly getting used to the outside terrain than areas to the west, connected to the Arctic Refuge. environment, including short allowing snow drifts to form How? Every year, several of trips to strengthen the cubs, the more readily. Within the these impressive animals come families leave the dens. They Refuge, bears have denned in to the Refuge to den and give birth. Many others congregate along the coast of the Refuge in October and November.

These bears are part of the Beaufort Sea population, estimated at 2,000 animals. They use an area extending more than 800 miles along the north coasts of Alaska and Canada. The bears spend most of their time on the drifting pack ice, feeding, resting, and denning. Each year, however, many of the pregnant females move back to the sea ice to hunt the Canning River Delta, come to shore to dig maternity ringed seals and other prey. Camden Bay area, and Pokok dens in snow drifts. The cubs stay with their Lagoon bluffs. mothers, learning to hunt, for The pregnant females move about the next two and a half The Arctic Refuge is the only onshore in late fall. When and years. national conservation area where they go depends on where polar bears regularly den weather, formation of sea ice, Along Alaska's coast, the and the most consistently used and snowdrift patterns. The highest density of polar bear polar bear land denning area in pregnant bears dig their dens in land dens occurs within the Alaska. These are just two of November, then give birth to Refuge. Many more dens have many reasons the Refuge is one or two tiny cubs in been found here than would be such an incredible natural area. December or January. The expected if bears denned

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR At'ERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7- ALASKA wncrc wild lire comes naturally! ~lDl~flE REfUGE BROWN BEARS Brown bears are the .... u"""~-' When snows return, resources. As a result, they monarchs of the open by mid-September, the have small bodies, low and mountains of Alaska. On bears again dig for ground reproduction rates, and slowly the Arctic Refuge, they live squirrels and roots. maturing young. This farther north than any others of northernmost population has their species. Also called Most Refuge brown bears den remained remarkably stable, grizzlies because of the in the mountains south of the however. The only enemies "grizzled" blond tips of their coastal plain. Because the these monarchs have are old fur, brown bears can be shades Refuge is underlain by age, other brown bears, and of cream, brown, or black. permanently frozen ground, occasionally man. bears select rock caves, or Brown bears escape the sandy soils that have thawed Brown bears are plentiful on Refuge's long winters by more than four feet deeo. The the Refuge. Listening at night hibernating for up to eight months each year. During this long sleep, bears do not eat or drink. They do, however, give birth and nurse their cubs.

Outside the den, brown bears explore widely for foods that are often in short supply. While spring snows remain, bears eat carrion, ground squirrels, and roots. In early June, some bears, especially sows with young, prey on newborn caribou. This opportunity lasts only a few weeks, until the soils can collapse easily unless through paper-thin tent walls, calves are too nimble to catch. the top four inches are frozen; walking through dense willows, During the summer, brown so bears must wait, usually until or cresting a hilltop - the bears feed mainly on greens. mid-October, for a hard freeze possibility of meeting a bear Some search high into the before excavating their dens. heightens our senses. Without mountains for new growth these magnificent animals, the emerging from late-melting Brown bears on the Refuge are special wilderness quality of the snows. Later, the bears faced with a long winter Arctic Refuge would be greatly consume large quantities of hibernation and limited food diminished.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA \N'\\e'e \N\\<:1\\\e came~ na\u,a\\\1\ lDl~flE lRlEfUGlE GRAY WOLF Wolves have long in pairs. Some are frequent trips there from May lightning rod for "drifters." Others may switch to July when the Porcupine They evoke passionate feelings packs or move to new areas, caribou herd is present. After in many of us. Some people perhaps following the caribou the caribou leave the coastal love them, a few fear them, migration. In winter the packs plain, the wolves stay in the others prefer that they be shot. stay together more to hunt. mountains and foothills hunting On the Arctic Refuge, however, caribou, along with Dall sheep these differences are seldom Gray wolves mate in late and moose. Wolves, however, voiced. Why? The wolf is February and March. The pairs are opportunistic feeders. They wild, · beautiful, and inspiring. then move to maternity dens will catch small rodents, birds, So is the Refuge. The two near rivers in the foothills and and ground squirrels if they belong together. People know mountains. About four to can. it and expect it. seven pups are born in late May or early June. The pups are Natural relationships between Cousin to the dog, the gray weaned during the summer, and predator and prey still prevail wolf is a highly social animal, the dens are abandoned in July on the Arctic Refuge. Here the preferring to live in packs. The pack, dominated by a male/female pair, may include their pups of the year, wolves born the previous year, and other adults.

Gray wolves may be shades of gray, brown, black, or white. Wolves of all these colors roam the Refuge. Some five packs totalling 25 to 30 animals live on the Refuge's north slope east of the Canning River. The wolves are found primarily in or August. By early winter, the wolfs connection to the caribou the mountains and foothills pups can travel and hunt with and the land continues as it has along major rivers. the adult wolves. for centuries. Untamed and free, the wolf is a symbol for The makeup of wolf packs on Although to date, no dens have the Refuge - a truly remarkable the Refuge's north slope varies. been found on the Refuge place. In summer, many wolves hunt coastal plain, wolves make

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Af4ERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUG~S ••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA wnere wildli re comes naturally! ~lDl~flE lRrEfUGlE ch Arctic Refuge birds tr~vel to·or through y area.· ~

Each summer, birds use the ar"lrrr- Ri~TtiCie , feed, or rest. They then migrate to destinations in the States and oe~~K>na c:"""uc: some birds that may visit your area.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AttERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA wnere wild lire comes naturally! ~lDl~flE RlEfUGlE SNOW GEESE To those who have seen · They look for areas of Good cottongrass feeding sites cottongrass means beauty tundra where there are few are small, patchy, and widely perhaps a dried flower other plants growing. dispersed; there's never much arrangement. But to a snow food at one place. The sites goose, the plant means fat, The birds feed like crazy - up to make up only about three energy, and survival. To get it, 16 hours a day. They eat as percent of the Refuge coastal thousands of these birds fly much as a third of their weight plain. Snow geese, especially hundreds of miles to dine at a every day, increasing their body young birds, need access to very special table - the Arctic fat by 400% in only two to large, undisturbed areas so they National Wildlife Refuge. three weeks- the same as a 150 can find these sites and get pound person gaining 30 enough food - and fat - to The geese come from their pounds of fat. survive migration. nesting grounds in Canada. They gather on the Refuge and The geese gather in different The patchwork of gold and the Canadian coastal plain for places each fall. In some years, crimson tundra, the cool, crisp only a few weeks in late August many of the birds feed on the air, the waves of snow-white and September.

Having just raised their young, the adult geese are low on energy. The young geese are still growing. All of the birds need to put on fat quickly. Why? Winter storms will soon drive them south along Canada's Mackenzie River to California and Mexico. When the geese leave, they'll fly nonstop more than 1,200 miles before they rest and feed again. Refuge coastal plain, often birds against a cobalt blue sky - The fat will supply the energy between the Okpilak and together this is what makes fall they need. Aichilik rivers. In other years, on the coastal plain such a a majority stay on the coastal magical time, and the Arctic The geese get much of it by plain in Canada. Numbers seen Refuge such a wonderful and eating the underground stem on the Refuge range from important place. bases of cottongrass, a highly 13,000 to more than 300,000 nutritious and digestible plant birds.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Af4ERICA'S ~ATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES••• U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7- ALASKA wnere wild lire comes naturally! ~lDl~FE REFUGE ARCTIC CISCO It is not a game fish, h from where they began. sustenance, however. The obscure name, can't easily Juveniles overwinter in this Inupiaq name for Kaktovik seen, and has no great claim to river for a few years until they ("Qaaktugvik") means seining fame. Yet the Arctic cisco reach the sub-adult stage. place. The word is a constant plays a big role in the arctic. It They then travel another 100 reminder of the cisco is a critical link in the marine miles west to overwinter in the ("Qaaktag"), and the villager's food chain, provides food for Colville River. When they seining efforts ("Qaaktug"), to local residents, and brings mature, Arctic cisco return each catch them. money to commercial year to the Mackenzie River to fishermen. spawn and overwinter. Sub-adult Arctic cisco from the Colville River are an important Cousin to Interior Alaska's Although fish of different ages commercial resource. sheefish, Arctic cisco feed and overwinter in separate river Overwintering fish taken from migrate in summer through the drainages east and west of the there are sold in Barrow, nutrient rich waters of the refuge, in summer Arctic cisco Anchorage, and a few other Arctic Refuge coast. These of every age are found in locations in Alaska. metallic silver fish eat marine invertebrates, and are themselves an important food source for larger fish and marine mammals. Arctic cisco can reach 20 inches and weigh up to two pounds.

Mature Arctic cisco begin spawning at age eight or nine, continuing beyond 13 years of age. They lay their eggs in abundance in the nearshore Little-known away from Canada's Mackenzie River. waters of the Refuge coast. Alaska's northern coast, Arctic After hatching, the finger­ cisco help sustain the wildlife length juveniles migrate west An important food resource for and people of the arctic. along the Refuge coast. Kaktovik Natives, Arctic cisco Similarly, the Arctic Refuge Prevailing easterly winds help are netted or seined from contains coastal waters which "push" the young fish to the August through early sustain this important natural Sagavanirktok River west of September. The fish brings resource. the Refuge, more than 200 more to the village than

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA \N\\e~e \N\\d\\\e came~ na\u~a\\\j\ ~lDl~fE REfUGE ARCTIC GRAYLING Always on the lookout waist deep, and freeze to fish by early July. Poor tasty insect morsel, bottom each winter. swimmers, these young fish grayling are popular with Grayling are found only in the usually stay in the waters near anglers for their willingness to few river systems with deep their spawning areas. take a lure. This characteristic, pools that remain unfrozen Biologists don't know where however, is more than a special under six feet of ice. The the juveniles overwinter. gift from nature. It is one of grayling survive here because the grayling's unique they tolerate the low levels of The Refuge's short summers adaptations to arctic Alaska. dissolved oxygen lethal to and long winters slow grayling many other fish. growth. On the coastal plain, Sporting an elegant sail-like grayling don't reach their dorsal fin, Arctic grayling are In late May or June, when spawning length of 11 inches freshwater cousins of the trout. spring meltoff opens the rivers, for six or seven years, although During the short summer mature grayling swim upstream they can exceed 16 inches and season, they feast on huge to their traditional spawning live more than 12 years. numbers of drifting aquatic insects. They prefer to feed in clear flowing rivers so they can see their prey. Grayling use silty glacial rivers as summer migration corridors and for overwintering.

Summer feeding frenzies prepare grayling for the frozen, foodless months of winter. By fall, the fish have large stores of fat, which will provide the areas. After spawmng, they An angler's dream, a caddis energy they need to survive continue upstream to their fly's nightmare: grayling are eight months under the ice. summer feeding grounds. well adapted to survive in the Mature grayling also begin There they remain until fall, harsh arctic environment. They producing eggs and sperm in when they return to the depend on the clean gravel and anticipation of spawning the overwintering pools. water supplies of the Arctic following June. Refuge, and are a valuable The grayling eggs remain in the component of its diverse Many rivers on the Arctic gravel stream beds for three natural resources. Refuge coastal plain are less weeks, releasing their half-inch

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA \Nne~e \N\\d\\\e came~ na'u~a\\"l\ ~lDl~flE REfUGE DOLLY VARDEN

Bright green, with red spots Dolly Varden may faster and larger than their a flaming red belly; the migrate to the sea as early as freshwater comrades. For Varden gets attention. Known their second year, but most wait example, one non-migratory until recently as the Arctic char, until they are three or four. Fish fish measured 12.5 inches, the Dolly Varden is a renowned from the Refuge disperse into while anadromous fish of the sport fish on rivers and lagoons nearshore waters west of the same age and from the same of the Arctic Refuge. Refuge and east into Canada, drainage measured 18 and 20 where they mix with Dolly inches. An exceptional Dolly Dolly Varden live in north­ Varden from other river Varden caught in Beaufort flowing Refuge rivers that have drainages. They return to lagoon was 32 inches long and year-round springs. The fish freshwater springs each fall. weighed 10.6 pounds. use the springs to spawn and spend the winter. Many Dolly Dolly Varden in the Refuge Sparkling like brilliant gems in Varden are anadromous, usually spawn by age eight, but pristine waters, Dolly Varden wintering in the rivers and only half survive to spawn a provide recreational enjoyment summering in coastal marine second time. Those who do to Refuge VISitors, and waters. Others never visit the may wait two years, while they nourishment to local residents. sea, spending their entire lives rebuild the energy reserves they The fish depend on the in the rivers of their birth. need. freshwater springs and nearby

In late summer and fall, Dolly Varden deposit their eggs in nests scraped into the gravel. The nests are located just downstream from spnngs, where fresh, cold water percolates up through the river gravel. The eggs mature slowly, hatching into fry in March. These tiny fish remain hidden in the gravel, absorbing nutrients from their yolk sacs, Although they can live 16 years marine waters of the Arctic until they emerge in late May. or more, Dolly Varden over 10 Refuge, and are an integral part The young fish feed on insects are uncommon in the Refuge. of its spectacular natural in the water. The anadromous fish grow resources.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ... U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE REGION 7 - ALASKA \Nne~e \N\\d\\\e came~ na'u~a\\"1\ /

Lease· Sale 170 - Issues of Concern Offshore of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

AS~· "s~~~b'.l u "' U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Fairbanks Alaska

~ !

~OF 'Oil'· December 1997

AMERICA'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES ••• where wildlife comes 11aturatly! The Proposal - Lease Sale 170 MMS ~£~;;s...ent

The Minerals Management Service proposes to offer leasing ofthe outer continental shelf within a 1. 7 million-acre area in the central Beaufort Sea.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recommendation

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recommends deferral of the area north of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Lease Sale 170. It also recommends that the area north of the Refuge be treated as a separate planning unit in future lease sales. Introduction

The U.S. Department of Interior's Mineral Management Service (MMS) administers the leasing, exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources on the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) while protecting the human, marine, and coastal environments.

Lease Sale 170 includes 1. 7 million acres located 3-25 miles offshore in the Central Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean) from 12 miles west of the community of Kaktovik (approx. 144° W. long.) to approximately 150° W longitude. The eastern boundary of the lease area is approximately 80 miles west of the Canada border and the western boundary is about 20 miles east of the National Brownlow Point and the Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA). Water depths within the sale Beaufort Sea area range from 1-40m. The proposed Lease Sale 170 is tentatively scheduled to be held in 1998 and will be the first sale scheduled in the current OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 1997- 2002.

The FWS has worked closely with MMS on Lease Sale 170. A chronology of FWS involvement with MMS is detailed in Appendix 1. As a result of comments from the public and the FWS, MMS agreed to analyze two new alternatives in the fmal EIS. The alternatives being analyzed include: Alternatives: Alternative I - The Proposal, offers for lease the entire 1. 7 million acre area.

Alternative II No Lease Sale, cancels Lease Sale 170.

Alternative III Kaktovik Deferral, offers for lease 1.3 million acres, a 25% decrease from Alternative I. The area deletes blocks from approximately 12 mi west of the community of Kaktovik (144° W. long) to a line approximating 145°07' W. longitude to protect subsistence activities by Kaktovik residents.

Alternative IVa. The Cross Island Deferral is designed to provide a 10-mile radius buffer around Cross Island to minimize use and potential noise disturbance from petroleum activities with subsistence whaling by Nuiqsut residents.

Alternative IVb. Cross Island Mitigation, includes a new stipulation which prohibits permanent production facilities within a 10-mile radius around Cross Island, unless the lessee can demonstrate that the permanent facility will not preclude reasonable subsistence access to bowhead whales by Native hunters.

Alternative Va. Deferral of Areas Offshore the Arctic Refuge. This alternative defers areas offshore the Arctic Refuge from the sale area, and offers about 1.08 million acres for sale. This alternative was recommended by the FWS. The Kaktovik deferral area is wholly contained within the proposed deferral under this alternative.

Alternative Vb. Arctic Refuge Mitigation, proposes three new stipulations and three Information to Lessees (ITL). The stipulations are meant to provide protection of wildlife and habitats (both land and marine), subsistence, recreation, and other concerns raised during the comment period.

Beaufort Sea

NPRA 1002Area Arctic National 0 20 40 Wildlife Refuge Miles

Proposed Deferrals Offshore of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

State Lease Sale - Beaufort Sea Areawide 1999 OCS Lease Sale 170

Kaktovik Deferral Alternative Ill ~ Area Offshore Arctic Refuge Altemative V

USFWS Nov. 1997

U.S. Fish and Wildlife In its comments on the Lease Sale 170 DEIS, the FWS Service recommended that the area offshore the Arctic Refuge be deferred Recommendations from leasing, and that this area be considered as a separate planning unit for future lease sales. These recommendations were reiterated following FWS review of the additional alternatives developed by MMS to evaluate leasing offshore of the Refuge. 2 The FWS feels strongly that reasonably foreseeable effects, including those associated with subsequent development, must be considered to the extent possible at this stage of planning. The Draft FEIS defers an indepth analysis to the lessee(s) at some later date.

The basis for the FWS's concerns and recommendations are as follows:

(1) The draft Final EIS does not adequately address the potential effects of the proposed action on the environment, particularly on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Conclusions drawn from the analyses presented in the document do not always correspond to the data. Analyses sometimes contain contradictions and factual errors which lead to erroneous conclusions. The draft FEIS defers critical decisions, such as oil spill response, until the exploration or development stages. The draft FEIS does not present development scenarios to allow assessments of potential impacts. For example, Flaxman Island, located less than two miles from the Refuge's eastern boundary, and a favored site for polar bear denning, is mentioned as a possible landfall for a subsea pipeline as well as a potential Black Guillemots location for development infrastructure. The draft FEIS does not present sufficient details to allow an assessment of impacts, particularly from oil spills and wildlife disturbance.

(2) Because industrial development is not allowed in the Arctic Refuge, there is a unique development scenario for offshore waters. The Arctic Refuge cannot be used as a staging area or as an access point, and access over water or ice is limited during certain parts of the year, severely limiting offshore emergency response. The response to any spill and/or blowout north of the Refuge will be delayed due to transportation difficulties. The restriction on development in the Arctic Refuge will result in much longer subsea pipelines than would be required elsewhere in the sale area where subsea pipelines can follow the shortest route to land. Furthermore, it is unclear what other types of production facilities may need to be located offshore the Refuge. Beaufort Sea ice These issues were not addressed in the draft EIS.

(3) In the absence of direct experience and/or definitive evidence to the contrary, the FWS is concerned whether an arctic undersea pipeline of the length required to access wells north of the Refuge can be operated safely. A stipulation is included in the draft FEIS in an effort to address this concern but, as written, the stipulation merely reflects an action that will occur in the near future (i.e., the subsea pipeline associated with the Northstar development); it does not provide standards by which the question of safety will be evaluated for longer subsea pipelines. The stipulation ensures that a subsea pipeline offshore the Arctic Refuge would not be the first such pipeline installed and operated 3 under Beaufort Sea conditions, but does not address the larger concern of longterm operation of such pipelines.

(4) The Arctic Refuge has extraordinary values, which requires extraordinary caution in assessing the potential effects of development in the adjacent offshore waters. When assessing the impact of leasing, the scientific and analytical basis for comparing alternatives in the FEIS must include discussion of possible conflicts between the proposed action and the objectives of Federal, regional, State, and local land use plans, policies and controls for the area concerned. The proposed action clearly has the potential to conflict with land use plans and policies for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There is no discussion in the draft FEIS of possible conflicts between the proposed action and Bull caribou skull on the Arctic the purposes for which the Arctic Refuge was established, the Refuge coastal plain Department and FWS policies concerning the Refuge, and the objectives of the Arctic Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

4 Background Why the Concerns Now? There have been six previous Beaufort Sea OCS lease sale and 28 exploratory wells drilled. Nine of the wells were determined to be producible, two of which (Hammerhead and Kuvlum) are located offshore of the northwest comer of the Arctic Refuge (see Appendix 2 for a summary ofOCS drilling history). The FWS has worked with MMS to address environmental concerns related to OCS activities. The FWS has provided comments to MMS on all past OCS lease sales. A summary of FWS involvement in past lease sales in found in Appendix 3.

Lease Sale 170 is the first OCS sale for which the FWS has addressed in detail the concerns associated with impacts to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is also the first in which the FWS has made a specific recommendation to defer areas offshore the Arctic Refuge.

Until recently, North Slope oil development has been concentrated in and around the Prudhoe Bay complex. The likelihood of offshore development north of the Arctic Refuge has been viewed as unlikely, unless adjacent Refuge lands were open to development. More recently, the infrastructure has expanded 30 Badami development miles closer to the Arctic Refuge with the development of British Petroleum's (BP) Badami prospect. Concurrently, BP has been preparing their development plans for Northstar, a prospect located six miles offshore from the Prudhoe Bay field which would include a subsea pipeline, a critical technology for development of offshore prospects. In addition to the expanded infrastructure and the likelihood that subsea pipelines will be used in the Beaufort Sea, BP announced a producible find at the Sourdough prospect, an onshore development located immediately west of the Arctic Refuge. Establishment of the Camden Bay Unit in 1997 and ARCO's drilling of the Warthog exploratory well in Camden Bay also clearly established industry interest in State and Federal reserves located immediately offshore of the Refuge. A more detailed summary of some of the North Slope development prospects is included in Appendix 4. Warthog exploratory well Federal and State leasing activity has required review of environmental effects of a number of potential developments and raised concerns about the cumulative effects of development. A summary of recent leasing activity is found in Appendix 5. Even

5 as new lease sales have been offered, a number ofleases adjacent to the Refuge have recently expired or will in the near future. The changing status of offshore leases in proximity to the Arctic Refuge is illustrated in Appendix 6.

The FWS has focused attention during the past three years on reviewing the ecological importance of the nearshore areas of the Refuge and the potential effects of oil development on these areas because of the U.S. Supreme Court case No. 84, Original. The case involved a long standing dispute between the State of Alaska and United States over ownership of submerged coastal lands within the Refuge. In 1997, the Supreme Court found in favor of the United States, upholding federal ownership ofthe disputed areas.

Fish and Wildlife The Beaufort Sea is home to a remarkable array of wildlife - Resources of the marine birds, mammals, and fishes. Many of these creatures are Beaufort Sea only adapted to live in the arctic seasonally. They migrate to warmer climates or waters during the long arctic winter. Others may use the Beaufort Sea as only one component of their habitat. For example, Dolly Varden char spawn in fresh water rivers, then migrate to the waters of the Beaufort Sea. Still others, such as the polar bear, live in the region year round.

The request to defer areas offshore the Arctic Refuge is not meant to imply that this area of the Beaufort Sea has higher values to fish and wildlife than other areas. It recognizes, however, that the Arctic Refuge was established to protect the outstanding wildlife and wilderness resources of the area, and activities in the adjacent Beaufort Sea have the potential to adversely affect those resources. The FWS and Department's responsibility for the Arctic Refuge require additional scrutiny of those potential effects.

6 The Arctic Refuge

Oil development is prohibited on the Arctic Refuge, but that prohibition does not protect the Refuge completely from the potential adverse effects of oil development. Additional conservation planning is essential to conserves the Refuge and its resources.

ANILCA directed that Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP) be prepared for each National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The Arctic Refuge CCP directed minimal management for all areas of the refuge outside designated wilderness and wild rivers. Minimal management is directed at maintaining the existing conditions of areas that have high fish and wildlife values or other resource values by maintaining the Refuge in an undeveloped state. Beaufort Sea coast of the Specifically, no onshore developments necessary to service Arctic Refuge offshore oil facilities are permitted.

Even with these safeguards in place, activities outside the Refuge boundary can impact the Refuge. That is why the FWS, through its Ecological Service Field Office, coordinates review of such potential threats with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge manager.

The following briefly describes some of the Refuge resources that could be affected by development.

Physical and The arctic climate is a dominant feature of the area. Mean annual Ecological Processes temperature is approximately 1o oF and annual precipitation ranges of the Arctic Refuge from 57," most of which occurs as summer rain. Winds are Coastal Areas predominantly easterly and average 11 mph; from January through April, wind direction may shift to the west. The sale area is partially covered by sea ice for 9 months of the year. During September, the arctic ice pack edge ranges from 12 to 68 miles offshore; in mid October, more than half of the area is covered with ice; and, from November through May, more than 90% of the sale area is icecovered. In late June through July, open water with a few ice floes expand along the coast and there is a seaward migration of pack ice. Cold temperatures, winds, sea, and ice are all important considerations in offshore oil development in the arctic.

7 0 5 Miles

20 L

Coastal Waters of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Marine (cold, Physical and Ecological Processes of Arctic Refuge Coastal saline waters) Waters Offshore (warmer, In spring, rivers introduce large quantities of freshwater, and organic and brackish waters) inorganic sediments, into shallow lagoons and adjacent marine waters. Coastal currents create barrier islands which protect lagoons from pack ice Lagoon (warmer, erosion and cold marine waters. brackish waters) Breaks in barrier islands regulate the mixing of fresh and marine waters in ~ Barrier Islands lagoons, and allow movement of fish and marine mammals between lagoons and offshore waters. ~ Prevailing winds During summer, water temperatures rise in the shallow lagoons, supporting high productivity of plankton and diverse populations of invertebrates, which in Prevailing currents turn are food for fish and waterbirds. Warm lagoon waters mix with marine and fresh water runoff to create a zone of / Rivers (freshwater) warm, brackish water along the outside of the barrier islands, serving as a critical migration corridor and feeding area for anadramous fish.

Hydrological cycles in the nearshore waters are important to the ecology of the nearshore waters. In spring, rivers introduce large quantities of freshwater, and organic and inorganic sediments into shallow lagoons and adjacent marine waters. Coastal currents create barrier islands which protect lagoons from pack ice erosion, and cold marine waters. Breaks in barrier islands regulate the mixing of fresh and marine waters in lagoons, and allow movement of fish and marine mammals between lagoons and offshore waters. During summer, water temperatures rise in the shallow lagoons, Barrier islands separate the supporting high productivity of plankton and diverse populations Beaufort Sea from lagoon of invertebrates, which in tum are food for fish and waterbirds. waters Warm lagoon waters mix with marine and fresh water runoff to create a zone of warm, brackish water along the outside of the barrier islands, serving as a critical migration corridor and feeding area for anadramous fish.

8 BEAUFORT SEA

ALASKA

Polar Bear Den Locations on Land or Shorefast Ice -1981 -1992 0 Den Locations

Polar Bears The northern portion of the Arctic refuge and the adjacent offshore waters are important to polar bears of the Beaufort Sea population which has been estimated at approximately 1,800 individuals. When coastal waters freeze in October, polar bears move from the pack ice to the near shore ice zorie to hunt ringed seals, and to feed on beached marine mammal carcasses. Pregnant female bears excavate maternal dens where drifted snow accumulates in the lee of bluffs and other steep terrain features. The highest density of land dens in Alaska occurs within the Arctic Refuge. During 11 years of radiotelemetry studies, 45% of all known terrestrial polar bear dens were in the Refuge. Currently between 20-30 dens are believed to occur in the Refuge during a given year.

Disturbances from development activity may interfere with female bears as they seek denning areas, and could also displace bears from dens prematurely, causing greater mortality of cubs. Polar bears are attracted to industrial and other sites of human activity because of their propensity to investigate novel objects, noises and smells. This can lead to the killing of problem bears for human safety reasons. A major risk to polar bears is from oil spills in the water and ice environment. Because polar bears hunt and swim among ice floes, leads and seal holes, they are vulnerable to spilled Polar Bear sow with cub oil. Oil reduces the insulative properties of fur, and the resulting changes in metabolic rate could be fatal. Polar bears could also ingest oil during grooming, and thus become poisoned and die.

Caribou The Porcupine caribou herd, now estimated at 152,000, calves on the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge. Following calving during late May and early June, caribou begin to coalesce into large aggregations of females with young calves, barren females, and eventually the bulls. When harassing mosquitos emerge in late June, caribou clump into dense aggregations and often move rapidly to the barren tidal flats, river deltas, barrier islands, and open water of coastal lagoons, where cooler temperatures and frequent wind reduce insect harassment.

9 Caribou on offshore ice

Caribou seek relief from insects along the Beaufort Sea coast

A portion of the Central Arctic caribou herd uses coastal areas generally west of Barter Island, especially the Canning River delta and Camden Bay area. Access to insect relief habitat allows caribou to reduce energy losses associated with stress, loss of blood, and rapid movements.

Oil spills pose the greatest threat to caribou using coastal areas. Although the probability of a spill occurring at the proper time to directly contaminate large numbers of caribou is quite low, it should not be ignored when considering implications of offshore development.

Migratory Birds The northern coastal region of the Arctic Refuge provides a variety of habitats for migratory water birds. The near shore waters north of the barrier islands are used by approximately 371,000 king eiders and 74,000 common eiders that migrate along the coast of Alaska to breeding grounds in Canada. Over 30,000 black brant also migrate along the refuge coastline to and from breeding areas in Canada. A few hundred of these birds regularly stop during 10 their migration and make extensive use of coastal salt marsh habitats that fringe many of the refuge lagoons. Common eiders, arctic terns and laucous Us nest on the barrier islands. [£;J Beaufort Sea

1 002 Area Boundary ,-" ------· //"" I l ------,I / I 0 10 20 Mollie .Beattie Wilderness L------1 Miles

Migratory Bird use of the Coastal Habitat of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Shorebird concentrations are highest in coastal lagoon habitats associated with freshwater and brackish wetlands, saltmarshes, riverine estuaries, and gravel beaches along barrier islands and spits.

Offshore Waters: Approximately 371,000 King Eiders and 74,000 Common Eiders migrate along the north coast of Alaska in spring, while Eiders, Oldsqaw, and Red-necked Phalaropes fly along the ocean side of the shoreline during fall migration. 30,000 Black Brant migrate annually past coastal areas on their way to and from their breeding areas in western Canada.

Barrier Islands: Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Red Phalaropes, Common Eiders, Glaucous Gulls, and Arctic Terns use the barrier islands for feeding, nesting, and/or resting. In addition, up to 16,000 phalaropes have been counted along the Arctic Refuge barrier islands during fall migration.

Coastal Lagoons: 33 species of birds use the lagoons and offshore habitats. More than 50,000 water birds inhabit the lagoons during peak summer season. These include Oldsquaw, White­ winged and Surf Scoters, Black Brant, and Tundra Swans. All three loon species (Yellow-billed, Pacific, and Red-throated} use the lagoons for breeding and nonbreeding activities, and up to 35,000 Oldsquaw use the lagoons when they are molting

River Deltas/Saltmarshes/Wet Sedge: River deltas are important spring habitat. They provide open water for migrating waterbirds, and early snow melt on the dunes provides open tundra for migrating shorebirds. Shoreline use by shorebirds and passerines increase dramatically in midsummer, when nesting is finished, and the birds move to the shorelines for feeding and staging before migration. 12 bird species are known to breed in shoreline habitats on the Refuge, and 59 species have been observed in shoreline areas.

Large concentrations of breeding and post-breeding migratory birds use the refuge coastal lagoons during the short open water season each year. Oldsquaw ducks undergoing post-breeding molt and premigratory staging are the predominant species present. The peak number of oldsquaw on the Refuge reaches at least 30,000- 35,000 birds annually. Approximately 150 loons (yellow-billed, red-throated and Pacific), 400 king and common eiders, and 600 11 surf and white-winged scoters use the lagoons and nearshore waters during July and early August. Many of the loons and eiders represent locally breeding birds and their young, both of which make extensive use of coastal lagoon waters for feeding. Like oldsquaw, most of the scoters using coastal waters are non­ breeding birds undergoing post-breeding wing molt prior to migration.

During mid to late August, tens of thousands of juvenile red­ necked phalaropes form dense post-breeding flocks in coastal waters adjacent to barrier islands and other shoreline habitats. Shorebird concentrations are highest in coastal lagoon habitats associated with freshwater and brackish wetlands, salt marshes, riverine estuaries, and gravel beaches along barrier islands and spits. Common Eider nesting on a barrier island Oil spills during the open water season could directly affect significant numbers of birds, depending on the timing and location of spilled oil. Oil may drift into the near shore environments and contaminate beaches, mud flats, salt marshes and other shoreline habitats used by birds.

Coastal Fish Twenty-four species of fish occur in the nearshore coastal waters of the Arctic Refuge. Of these, 8 species are anadromous, 13 species are marine, and 2 are primarily fresh water species. The most common anadromous species were the Dolly Varden char and the Arctic cisco, both of which are important to subsistence fishermen. Common marine species include Arctic cod, fourhom sculpin, and Arctic flounder.

Coastal lagoons provide warm and highly productive refuges from the extremely cold water of the Arctic Ocean. Before its dissolution in the fall from reduced freshwater runoff, the warm brackish water along the coast serves as a critical migration, feeding and rearing habitat for anadromous fish. The 3-month openwater period is when anadromous fish accumulate energy Dolly Varden Char reserves critical for overwintering and reproduction. Young Arctic cisco move westward during the openwater period and mature adults move eastward for spawning. Adult Dolly Varden char also feed within the brackish water zone and make extensive movements to the larger rivers which they ascend to spawn. In the fall, Arctic cod move into the nearshore area in high densities. Several species of fish eating birds such as loons and redbreasted mergansers rely on these dependable food sources during the open­ water season.

Construction of marine ports, docks and causeways could jeopardize the integrity of the near shore zone of warm brackish water which is critical to many fish species. Water pollution 12 resulting from oil spills and other contaminant spills could seriously impact fish and their habitat, with negative implications for the subsistence fisheries of coastal communities in northern Alaska and northwestern Canada.

Policy Issues As the Department formulates its policy on Lease Sale 170, it must balance the missions of two Bureaus- the FWS and MMS. The following are issues and questions relevant to that policy development.

Balancing Conservation and The Department can offer 1.08 million acres of the Beaufort Sea OCS through Lease Sale 170, protect the Arctic Refuge coastal Development areas, and offer a balanced approach to conservation and energy development. A deferral does not preclude the Department from offering leases offshore the Arctic Refuge in the future, nor does it affect the status of existing leases in the OCS offshore the Arctic Refuge or the three existing units that are near the Refuge (Hammerhead, Kuvlum, and Camden Bay). It does indicate that the analysis of potential effects, including cumulative impacts, to the resources of the Arctic Refuge from offshore development needs additional scrutiny.

By deferring leases of waters north of the Refuge, the Department will be recognizing the need to proceed with caution with development activities that may affect the Refuge. The extraordinary wildlife and wilderness values of the Refuge require extraordinary caution.

Ice in Camden Bay The Department has other activities in the Beaufort Sea OCS. Planning is underway to develop the Northstar and Liberty prospects. Their proximity to the industrial infrastructure at Prudhoe Bay allows for prompt response to spills. The Department is also evaluating potential leasing in NPR-A.

Consistency A decision concerning leasing offshore the Arctic Refuge should include consideration of related decisions the Department may be faced with over the next several years. Deferral does not preclude the Department from allowing further exploration or development requests at Hammerhead, Kuvlum, or Camden Bay. It does properly alert industry to concerns and questions that would be raised in response to future requests in these areas.

Hammerhead and Kuvlum are located further to the west, i.e., closer to the Refuge's western boundary, than is Camden Bay and other prospects to the east. Development in Camden Bay or in 13 areas further to the east would require lengthy subsea pipelines ~ N orthstar because onshore infrastructure is not permitted on adjacent Refuge Homme!heod lands. It is reasonable to expect that industry would prefer access Kt.Mum through the Refuge rather than building lengthy subsea pipelines. - Wa1hog - 0CS Sole I 70 southeosl CO

10 20 Miles

Distance Differences: Closest Landfall vs. Off-Refuge Landfall Additional Subsea Pipeline Required - Proposed Sale 1 70

10 20 30 40 Distance Difference in Miles

Access The issue of access through the Refuge for pipelines necessary for offshore development is critically important. For example, if commercial development were pursued in Camden Bay near the Warthog prospect, industry could request a transportation and utility corridor through the Arctic Refuge under Title XI of ANILCA. While the request would be incompatible with the purpose for the Arctic Refuge, and thus could be denied, Title XI requires an environmental impact statement and includes appeals to the President. In evaluating alternatives, the Department would be faced with assessing an alternative subsea pipeline route with its inherent environmental risks, unproven technology, and high costs against an incompatible route through the Refuge. It is prudent to establish the technology required and environmental safety record of arctic subsea pipelines before facing such alternatives. 74 Drainage An important issue relative to development offshore the Arctic Refuge is the potential for drainage of oil from under the Refuge. Such drainage would likely occur from areas leased by the State of Alaska, but could include reservoirs extending into the OCS. The extent to which leasing in the OCS encourages development of reservoirs that may extend under the Refuge must be considered. Industry representatives on the OCS Advisory Committee have indicated that deferral of areas offshore the Refuge would have a dampening effect on industry's interests in these areas. If drainage did occur, the Department would be required to negotiate a compensatory royalty agreement with the producer, because leasing of oil from the Refuge is not permitted. This raises additional problems with field delineation and revenue sharing. The Department already is faced with these issues at BP's Sourdough prospect.

15 Conclusion

The MMS proposes to offer leasing of the outer continental shelf within a 1.7 million-acre area in the central Beaufort Sea. The FWS recommends deferral of the area north of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Lease Sale 170. The FWS also recommends that the area north of the Refuge be treated as a separate planning unit in future lease sales. We believe this position balances the Department's responsibility for conservation and development. A deferral is consistent with policy to protect the Arctic Refuge while allowing the flexibility to permit future activities in the Beaufort Sea.

Bird tracks

76 Appendix 1. Chronology of Fish and Wildlife Service Involvement with MMS on Lease Sale 170

September 30, 1996 Call for Nominations and Information.

November 8, 1996 Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

November 14, 1996 Secretary Babbitt approves MMS's 19972002 Five Year Program, which includes five sales to be considered in four areas of the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf, including Lease Sale 170.

October 22, 1996 MMS requests concurrence on endangered species issues.

November 26, 1996 FWS sends comments in response to Call for Nominations and Information and the request for concurrence with a proposed list of endangered species. FWS suggested an ITL regarding spectacled eiders, input on proposed listing of Steller's eider, and suggested revision to the ITL for polar bears.

March 4, 1997 MMS provides Biological Evaluation to FWS, with a request for formal consultation under the Endangered Species Act.

May 20, 1997 MMS issues Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

July 29, 1997 FWS submits comments on DEIS; recommends deferral of areas offshore of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

August 5-6, 1997 First OCS Advisory Committee meeting; MMS agrees to evaluate alternatives which defer areas offshore of the Arctic Refuge, and an alternative with stipulations to address FWS concerns while allowing leasing.

October 7, 1997 MMS provides revised sections ofDEIS which address alternatives pertaining to waters offshore of the Arctic Refuge.

October 1997 Meetings continue between MMS and FWS to address issues/concerns.

October 10, 1997 Biological Opinion provided to MMS by FWS to conclude formal consultation on threatened and endangered species.

November 5-6, 1997 Second OCS Advisory Committee meeting to discuss and evaluate new alternatives (Arctic Refuge and Cross Island deferrals).

December 2, 1997 Memo from FWS to MMS addressing specific concerns with Alternatives Va and Vb

17 Appendix 2. Wells Drilled to Date in the Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf

Prospect/Well Latitude Longitude Drilling Dates Water Depth Producible

BEECHEYPT 1 70 23' 11.79"N 147 53' 27.98"W 1111 /81 - 3/31 /82 18FT No

BEECHEYPT2 70 23' 11 .79"N 147 53' 28.71"W 12/27/81 - 3/1 5/82 18 FT Yes

TERN 1 70 16' 46.02"N 147 29' 45.61 "W 5/28/82 - 9118/82 21FT Yes

TERN2 70 16' 46.33"N 147 29' 44.90"W 10/16/82 - 3/3/83 21FT Yes

MUKLUK 70 41' 00.04"N 150 55' 11.89"W 11 /1/83 - 1124/84 48FT No

SEAL 70 29' 31.44"N 148 41' 35 .80"W 2/4/84 - 6/30/84 39FT Yes

ANTARES 1 71 02' 10.05"N 152 43' 25.28"W 1111184 - 1118/85 49FT No

ANTARES2 71 02' lO.OO"N 152 43' 25.46"W 1119/85- 4/12/85 49FT No

SEAL 70 29' 31.77"N 148 41' 34.68"W 2/22/85 - 7/21 /85 39FT No

HAMMERHEAD 1 70 21' 52.6"N 146 01 '27.9"W 8/10/85 9/24/85 103FT Yes

HARVARD 70 35' 05.4"N 149 05' 48.8"W 9/2/85 - 1/25/86 49 FT Yes

ORION 70 57' 22.3"N 152 03' 46.6"W 11110/85 - 12/15/85 50FT No

SANDPIPER 70 35' 05.45"N 149 05' 48.40"W 2/8/86 - 7/12/86 49FT Yes

MARS 70 50' 34.83"N 152 04' 17.98"W 3/12/86 - 4/27/86 25FT No

CORONA 70 18' 52.6"N 144 45' 32.9"W 7/28/86-9/18/86 116FT No

PH EO NIX 70 43' 01.99"N 150 25' 40.15"W 9/23/86- 12/1 9/86 60FT No

HAMMERHEAD 2 70 22' 41.79"N 146 01' 52.41"W 9/27/86 - 10/11186 107FT No

TERN 70 16' 46.33"N 147 29' 44.89"W 2/10/87 - 5/10/87 22FT Yes

AURORA 70 06' 33.02"N 142 47' 05 .88"W 1112/87 - 8/30/88 66FT No

BELCHER 70 16' 31.16"N 141 30' 46.49"W 9/5/88 - 8/29/89 167FT No

FIRE WEED 71 05' 16.723"N 15236' 11.479"W 10/19/90 - 12/25/90 50FT No

DIAMOND 71 19' 58.354"N 161 40' 47.928"W 9/7/91 - 10/5/91 152FT No

GALAHAD 70 33' 38.68"N 144 57' 35.75"W 9/14/91 - 10/ 13/91 166FT No

CABOT 71 19'25.44"N 155 12' 56.48"W 11 /1191 - 2/26/91 55FT No

KUVLUM I 70 18' 57.38"N 145 25' 10.97"W 8/22/92 - I 0114/92 110FT Yes

KUVLUM2 70 18' 36"N 145 32' 18.2"W 7/28/93- 8/30/93 96FT No

WILD WEASEL 70 13' 22.41 "N 145 29' 57.11 "W I 0/ 13/93 - 11 /9/93 87FT No

LIBERTY 70 16' 45 .113"N 147 29' 47.145"W 2/7/97- 3/30/97 21FT No

18 Appendix 3. Past OCS Lease Sales in the Beaufort Sea - U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Comments

There have been six OCS Lease Sales in the Beaufort Sea. The first was Sale BF, a joint Federal/State lease sale, held in December, 1979. The eastern boundary of the sale was near the Canning River delta, which forms the western boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The FWS expressed concern that discoveries in the eastern portion of the sale could result in demands on Arctic Refuge resources (e.g., gravel and water) and recommended that BLM should evaluate alternatives to protect Refuge resources.

Lease Sale 71 was held in October, 1982, and included waters from Point Barrow to the U.S./Canada border. In February 1982 comments, the FWS agreed with various proposed deferrals, but expressed concern that such deferrals may be ineffective without a commitment from the State of Alaska to defer State tracts inshore of the federal deferrals. Official comments from the Director included in the Final EIS did not include this concern.

Lease Sale 87 was held in August 1984, and also included waters from Point Barrow to the U.S./Canada border. In response to the Call for Comments, the FWS stated:

"The FWS .. .is mandated ... to maintain both high levels of ecological integrity and quality subsistence resources within ANWR. In order to carry out this responsibility and at the same time facilitate compatible development of oil and gas offshore of ANWR, FWS will need to be apprised at the earliest possible time of any proposed development schemes which might affect the refuge. This level of coordination should lead to a much more efficient regulatory process and would undoubtedly reduce the time necessary for designing appropriate mitigating measures to protect the environment while allowing development to proceed."

In comments on the DEIS for Lease Sale 87, FWS expressed concerns that the impacts of onshore pipelines, including potential pipelines across the Arctic Refuge, should receive greater consideration. The FWS also advised that assumptions regarding the routing, regulatory constraints, and impacts of "offshore" pipelines should be qualified until litigation regarding ownership of coastal lagoons was concluded.

OCS Lease Sale 97 took place in March 1988, and included waters from Point Barrow to the U.S./Canada border. In its response to the DEIS, the FWS stated:

"The Sale 97 DEIS does not address potential impacts on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; the issue is avoided by showing undersea pipelines from the eastern sale area coming ashore at Bullen Point. However, we can assume that if the ANWR coastal plain is opened for oil and gas development, any offshore development would logically tie into the onshore infrastructure. This probability, and the potential cumulative environmental effects, should be fully addressed in the Sale 97 EIS."

The FWS recommended that a preferred alternative would include all three deferral options (Chukchi Sea, Kaktovik, and Barrow), and concluded that the Kaktovik deferral would minimize the vulnerability of the Arctic Refuge shorelines to oil spills. The FWS recommended that an ITL be included to inform lessees of the land status of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, along with advice that facilities onshore

19 the Arctic Refuge may not be allowed. Comments also addressed the possibility of Congressional action to open the l 002 area to leasing, with a recommendation to lessees that onshore facilities would be subject to stipulations developed in conjunction with the 1002 actions.

OCS Lease Sale 124 included waters from the U.S./Canada border to a point west of Point Barrow, and was held in June 1991. In response to the Call for Information, the FWS stated that "Consideration should also be given to tract deletions immediately seaward of environmentally sensitive areas, including the Point Barrow area, principal river deltas (e.g., the Colville, Canning, and Kongakut), and wilderness areas within the ANWR (i.e., the AichilikDemarcation Pt. area)." The FWS did not conduct an indepth review of the DEIS but supported the Barrow deferral and the Barter Island deferral presented in the DEIS.

OCS Lease Sale 144 extended west of Point Barrow to the U.S./Canada border. The sale was held in September 1996. In response to the Call for Information, the FWS recommended that lease blocks adjacent to river deltas be deferred, and specifically mentioned concerns regarding the Colville, Canning, and Kongakut river deltas. The FWS also supported the Point Barrow and Barter Island deferrals (east of Barter Island) because of high fish and wildlife habitat value. In comments on the DEIS, the FWS reiterated its support of the Barter Island deferral.

20 '

Appendix 4. Current Development Prospects of Interest on Alaska's North Slope

Sourdough Prospect

The Sourdough Prospect is located less than one mile west of the Arctic Refuge's western boundary and approximately four miles south of the Beaufort Sea coast. British Petroleum Exploration Alaska (BP) has explored this area using a multiyear, insulated ice pad, as well as conventional ice pads. Recoverable reserves have not been estimated, but BP has publicized the discovery of oil at Sourdough. BP has drilled three exploratory wells in the Sourdough area and several companies have drilled exploratory wells in the Point Thomson area. BP will likely drill two additional exploratory wells during the winter of 1997/98, one in the Sourdough area and one in the Point Thomson area. Although there are no current plans for development in this area, BP is moving forward with potential development which would likely utilize the infrastructure and pipelines at the Badami oil field.

Northstar Prospect

The Northstar oil field project proposed by BP is located about 6 miles offshore in the central Beaufort Sea, just west of Prudhoe Bay, and is estimated to hold 145 million barrels of recoverable oil. BP proposes to develop the reservoir by rebuilding and enlarging a previously constructed artificial island (Seal island) that was used for exploratory drilling. The produced oil would be transported from the island to shore via a subsea pipeline, buried about 10 feet below the sea floor, and onshore by aboveground pipelines to Pump Station 1.

Because this would be the first offshore oil development in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea using the technology of subsea pipelines, it is considered a precedentsetting project. The Corps of Engineers is requiring an EIS, which is now being written by a consulting firm, contracted by BP but directed by an interagency team. The EIS process is now into a third year. A preliminary draft EIS was released to the Northstar interagency team in late August 1997; following review, the interagency team requested the document be rewritten to increase accuracy and clarity. The Draft EIS is expected to be released for agency review by 1998. Construction would begin in the winter following approval of all necessary permits.

National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) Proposed Leasing

The flat thaw lake plain of the NPRA, a collection of habitats poorly represented in other federal conservation units in Alaska, includes some of the richest waterbird and shorebird habitat on the arctic coast. The northeast comer ofNPRA incorporates some of the most sensitive of these habitats (Teshekpuk Lake area) and is now being considered for possible oil and gas leasing.

BLM has prepared an EIS that assesses the potential impacts of oil and gas leasing on NPRA. The Public Review Draft is available over the Internet, and printed copies will be available in midDecember, 1997. The EIS examines a range of alternatives for leasing, ranging from the "no leasing" alternative to leasing the entire northeast planning area. No preferred alternative will be identified until after the public comment period. All but the least restrictive alternative specify deletion of the Teshekpuk Lake goose molting area (north and east ofTeshekpuk Lake) and the calving grounds of the Teshekpuk Lake Caribou herd from potential lease sales. While the Teshekpuk Lake area contains some of the highest 21 wildlife resource values in the area, it also contains some of the highest potential for oil and gas.

The FWS provided BLM with unpublished data on migratory birds, and technical review of the draft document, particularly for sections dealing with our trust resources: birds, polar bears, wetlands, and threatened and endangered species.

ARCO Warthog Prospect and Camden Bay Unitization

ARCO Alaska acquired several leases within Camden Bay (offshore of the Arctic Refuge) during the State Lease Sale 50 (June 1987) and the Federal OCS Lease Sale 144 (September 1996). ARCO applied to the State of Alaska for unitization of its Camden Bay leases in April of 1997. Unitization requires the applicant to provide an initial plan of operation for the unit, including Exploration and Development Plans. An Initial Unit Plan of Exploration was submitted to the Regional Supervisor ofMMS and the Commissioner of ADNR. The agreement allows ARCO to hold valid its claim to all unit leases if it complies with the Unit Plan of Exploration, which requires drilling the Warthog exploration well prior to April30, 1998.

ARCO has gone forward with a plan to directionally drill an exploratory well from an OCS lease block in Camden Bay north of Simpson Cove to reach a bottomhole location in an adjacent State Lease Block. The bottomhole location is approximately 3 miles north of the mouth of the Katakturuk River in the Arctic Refuge. ARCO submitted an Exploration Plan for this project to MMS, which released the plan to agencies for their review (July 1997). ARCO began drilling the Warthog well in November 1997 and requested permission from MMS to plug and abandon the well in early December. ARCO 's exploration plan described post drilling evaluation activities. The plan states: "At the conclusion of drilling and log evaluation, several options are presented, depending on what is discovered in the Warthog No. 1 well. If the well is a dry hole and the operator elects to cease all further work, the well would be permanently plugged and abandoned (P&A), and the rig placed in cold stack condition until demobilization the following summer during the open water season. If drilling results are encouraging, the operator may elect to flow test the well. This activity is anticipated to take between two and four weeks depending on the test program. At the conclusion of testing, the well will be either P&A'ed as in the previous scenario, or plugged back and redrilled to a different bottomhole location in order to gain additional reservoir information within the 199798 winter drilling season. The sidetrack well may or may not be tested at the election of the operator. Following evaluation, the sidetrack hole will be P&A'ed at the rig placed in cold shutdown condition, as in the previous scenario." Neither ARCO nor MMS have made public any information about the drilling results at the Warthog well.

22 Appendix 5. Recent State and Federal Leasing Activities

OCS Lease Sale 144. Lease Sale 144 was the first MMS offshore sale in the proposed 1992-1997 Comprehensive Natural Gas and Oil Resource Management Program to be held off Alaska. The proposed Lease Sale 144 covered approximately 29.5 million acres in approximately 5,420 blocks and ranged from about 10 miles east of Kaktovik to approximately 30 miles east of Barrow. The final EIS was published in May 1996. The final Notice of Sale for Lease Sale 144 was issued on August 16, 1996 and offered 7.3 million acres for lease. Areas included in the Kaktovik deferral, east of Barter Island, were deferred from the sale. The final area was located 3 to 60 miles offshore in waters from 33 to 2970 ft deep.

Lease Sale 144 was held on September 18, 1996. About 99,983 acres were leased for a total bid of over $14.5 million. Of the 1,364 blocks offered for lease, five companies submitted bids on 47 blocks. Relative to the Arctic Refuge, leases occurred just north of Maguire and Flaxman Barrier Islands and within Camden Bay. The Warthog well was drilled from a lease acquired in sale 144.

State Oil and Gas Lease Sale 86 Central Beaufort Sea. On December 21, 1993, the Alaska Department ofNatural Resources Division of Oil and Gas (ADNR) requested general information on the proposed Sale 86 Central Beaufort Sea which consisted of approximately 600,000 acres of stateowned tide and submerged lands in the Beaufort Sea. As a result of the planning process, ADNR offered 370,341 acres for sale on August 20, 1996. Lease Sale 86 occurred on November 18, 1997, and resulted in the sale of 162 tracts (324,000 acres) for over $37 million. Some ofthe tracts attracting the highest bids were near Flaxman Island, Foggy Island Bay, off the Colville River delta, and Oliktok Point. Of particular importance to the federal Lease Sales 144 and 170, Lease Sale 86 leased tracts less than 2 miles north of the Macguire and Flaxman Islands. Onshore lease blocks at Bullen Point (approximately 12 miles west ofPt. Thomson) extended from the coast to 6 miles inland. All of the offshore tracts which were not leased may be included in the proposed Beaufort Sea Areawide Sale scheduled for 1999.

State Oil and Gas Lease Sale 87 North Slope Areawide. Issuance of the Preliminary Best Finding concerning proposed State Lease Sale 87 was given on August 20, 1997. The proposed area encompasses approximately 5.1 million acres between the Arctic Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve. The sale area does not include any tidal or submerged lands. The proposed sale area includes 1,225 tracts ranging from 640 to 5,760 acres. The FWS reviewed the Preliminary Best Finding and submitted comments on October 20, 1997. ADNR expects to make a final finding available to the public on or about March 18, 1998. If a decision is made to hold the sale, ADNR has tentatively scheduled Lease Sale 87 for June 23, 1998.

Beaufort Sea Areawide Sale 1999. Beaufort Sea Areawide 1999 is a combination of two State of Alaska Beaufort Sea sales that were proposed in 1995 (Sales 83 and 89) and now scheduled for 1999. Areawide 1999 will require a best interest finding, and that is scheduled to be issued approximately 90 days prior to the proposed sale date. The area for this proposed sale consists of all unleased stateowned tide and submerged lands lying between the Canadian Border and Point Barrow, and some coastal uplands acreage located along the Beaufort Sea between the Staines and Colville Rivers. The sale area includes the area adjacent to the entire coastline of the Arctic Refuge. The gross proposed sale area is in excess of 2,000,000 acres. However, the actual acreage available for leasing will not be known until the time of the sale.

23 Appendix 6. Lease Sale Expirations

Beaufort Sea

• Corona

Bay Unit leases active in June 1997

Beaufort Sea

• Corona

ctive after April 1998 Expiration

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Active Lease Area

• Well site

0 10 20 Miles