NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Overview Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Alaska

Contact Information For more information about the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Foundation Document, contact: [email protected] or (907) 644-3626 or write to: Superintendent, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, 240 West 5th Avenue, Suite 236, Anchorage, AK 99501 Purpose Significance and Fundamental Resources and Values

Significance statements express why Lake Clark National Park and Preserve resources and values are important enough to merit national park unit designation. Statements of significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. These statements are linked to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Significance statements describe the distinctive nature of the park and inform management decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and protecting the most important resources and values of the park unit.

Fundamental resources and values are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to merit primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance.

The purpose of LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE is to protect a region of dynamic geologic and ecological processes that create scenic mountain landscapes, unaltered watersheds supporting Bristol Bay red salmon, and habitats for wilderness-dependent populations of fish and wildlife, vital to 10,000 years of human history. Significance and Fundamental Resources and Values

Mountain Landscapes: Lake Clark National Park and Subarctic Fish and Wildlife Populations and Habitats: Preserve protects extraordinary mountain landscapes Lake Clark National Park and Preserve protects vast, dominated by two active volcanoes and cradles a system of undisturbed landscapes of coastal areas, mountain ranges, turquoise-hued lakes and free-flowing rivers that epitomize tundra, foothills, and lake regions that support a full Alaska’s scenic beauty. complement of subarctic fish and wildlife species. • Mountain Vistas • Wildlife • Watersheds • Intact Ecological Relationships • Coastal Features • Migratory Habitats • Wilderness Character • Coastal Environment

Mosaic of Landforms and Ecosystems: Lake Clark National Cultural Tapestry: Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Park and Preserve protects a complex mosaic of landforms protects a tapestry of cultural places woven from 10,000 years and ecosystems that continue to evolve from dynamic tectonic, of human occupancy that is vital to the cultural and spiritual volcanic, glacial, and climatic processes. continuance of the Dena’ina culture. • Glaciers and Glacial Landforms • Historic Resources • Mountains • Richard Proenneke Historic Site • Ecosystem Diversity • Museum Collections • Weather and Climate • Archeological Resources • Science and Education Opportunities • Kijik National Historic Landmark Archeological District Salmon Fishery: Lake Clark National Park and Preserve • Prehistoric Rock Paintings protects necessary spawning and rearing habitat at the • Telaquana Trail headwaters of the world’s most productive red (sockeye) salmon fishery. • Ethnographic Resources • Healthy Salmon Population Wilderness: Lake Clark National Park and Preserve manages • High Degree of Water Quality one of the largest wilderness areas in the United States • Unaltered Watersheds providing visitors with superlative opportunities for solitude, • Nutrient Cycling challenge, and self-reliance. • Wilderness Character Subsistence: Lake Clark National Park and Preserve protects • Wilderness-dependent Species resources and provides opportunities for local rural residents • Wilderness Purposes to engage in activities necessary to support a subsistence way of life. • Wilderness Recreation • Subsistence Resources • Cultural Knowledge • Preference for Subsistence Uses Description

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve was established on December 2, 1980, under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), to protect the watershed supporting red salmon, the scenic beauty and quality of portions of the Alaska and Aleutian ranges, and the habitat for and populations of fish and wildlife, and to permit subsistence uses where such uses are traditional.

Located in southwest Alaska, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve covers approximately 4 million acres of land and is a microcosm of many regions of Alaska. Elevations range from sea level to Mount Redoubt’s 10,197 feet. The park’s spectacular scenery stretches from the shores of Cook Inlet, across the Chigmit Mountains, to the tundra-covered hills of the western interior. The Chigmits, where the Alaska and Aleutian ranges meet, are an awesome, jagged array of mountains and glaciers, which include two active volcanoes,

r Strandline e Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna. Lake Clark, 42 milesv long and the Lake i R ft i S k T Sw R w IUM sixth-largest lake in Alaska, and many other lakes and rivers within the e VI n RA t TE The parkn and preserve is a cultural a GLA Ri CI C ver ER park are key salmon habitat for the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, one of theSnowcap hillig landscape long used by indigenous peoples. Mountain a n R Mount ive The Dena’Ina AthabascansTorbert have lived in this r 11413ft largest sockeye salmon fishing grounds in the world. The park also contains area for more than a thousand3479m years. Many C E A P P place names recall stories or events or S three designated wild rivers: the Chilikadrotna, Mulchatna, and G

TheThe park park and and preserve preserve is isa aculturalidentify cultural landscape a landscape family lineagelong long used used with by by indigenousthe indigenous place. G N L a ACIER peoples.peoples. The The Dena'ina Dena'ina Athabascans Athabascans have have lived livedg in in this this area area for for over over a a N is Tlikakila rivers. h Mount Spurr l er a 11070ft thousandthousand R iyears.v years. Many Many place place names names recall recall stories storiesm or or events events or or identify identify a a a in 3374m itn a A Ig R familyfamily lineage lineage with with the the place. place. iv e r RNoNorthrth Lake Clark National Park contains some 2.6 million Me 0 0 5 5 2020 Kilometers Kilometers rril l Rive LAKE hak r AMNA C ach S KACH atn t Merrill0 0 5 5 CHA 2020 Miles Miles a o r n e An Ri acres of public land and includes almost all of the iv Pass ot r v y R her Rive e Riv Kenibuna r e PrivatePrivate Lands Lands Lake r Two Lakes A rugged and glaciated Chigmit Mountains as well as (Tutnutl'ech'a ManyMany tracts tracts of ofprivate private lands lands LakeLake Clark Clark NativeNative Corporations Corporations Vena) The Lands Lands in inand and near near the the parkTusk park and and NationalNational Park Park K PleasePlease do do not not preservepreserve are are not not open open tor to e trespass.trespass. 123 miles of coastline along Cook Inlet. The iv LakeLake Clark Clark publicpublic use use or ortravel travel without Rwithout s NationalNational Preserve Preserve n S o landland owners’ owners’ permission. permission. Be Be c a e eacol N courteouscourteousN and and respect respect national preserve encompasses more than 1.4 WildernessWilderness area area RangerRanger station station ER A privateprivate property. property. boundaryboundary CI LA G M E L AD c million acres and adjoins the national Private Lands: Many tracts of privateCK lands in and near A WILDERNESS AREA O r BL t Old Village site T the park and preserve are not open to public use or h KE ela u ISH LA ana Rive qu r Y TEF qu r ana A park on the south and westHI in an area la Lake Telaquana R A W Te (Dil travel without land owners’ Blockadepermission. Be courteous iv B ah Vena) Pass e and respect private property.Lake r G LAKE CLARK IN of rolling foothills, boreal forests, D A R alpine lakes, wild rivers, and sweeping NATIONAL T

PRESERVE ig River Lake Clark Pass k B expanses of tundra. Approximately 2.4 M (Qizhjeh Vena Tustes) or Big u F (V lc th River a h Summit r / a Telaquana S o Lakes ts t Lake N 'a n W million acres of the park and preserve t a Mountain E n S S R T a Turquoise Lake 8020ft L q i N F v (Vandaztun Vena) O L ' e 2445m R I ) r E LAKE CLARK I L A H B N are designated wilderness to preserve i r g D e v R Chilikadrotna A i i A NATIONAL PARK R v g er Z River i the area’s natural conditions and T DOUBLE B rk N Fo Twin Lakes th A Sou N (Ni/qidlin N Vena) GLACIER wilderness character in perpetuity.O ver B Richard Proenneke Ri Snipe Lake U (K'ada/a Vena) Historic Site ver Ri

O r Rive Y ik ft ij ri A K D B Located approximately 100 air miles ) M u T n B t U la h O from Anchorage, access to Lake Clark ki n Fishtrap Lake ka la D Portage li i E (Nunch'qe/chixi T Q r R Lake e Vena) 'a iv iq R National Park and Preserve (/ nk to Redoubt Volcano Otter ko T Lachbuna Lake ho Lake C E (Bentuggezh er (Nl'a/i Vena) iv I K'enulgheli) Caribou R u) is almost exclusively by small n Lakes /t 10197ft k a ji d k i ' r 3108m k a M G K a l ' C KALGIN h e ke aircraft. The park is not C g a ISLAND ( L a e t k tl G r e Lit e o

r P N accessible by road. A small Kijik Mountain C I (K'unust'an) K Crescent T R ) Kijik Lake A A H Lake (K'q'uya Vena) L A C Kijik site N re visitor contact station is C E s c E (Qizhjeh) V C e P Caution. C er n o u iv t ll k R y Private property rr e R Redoubt Point Ko H a Cre i R C k n i se E t n v re located in Port Alsworth.tn interspersed with E d ek L a K J e e x r R public lands. A H u iv L Z Tomm T e y r I C

r R T N Q Due to the remote nature ( E U I XE C D Tanalian Mountain N NI Port Alsworth A B (Tanq'nust'in) WILDERNESS AREA L AY I G Visitor Center of the park and preserve, I National Park Tanalian River N A D Field Headquarters (Tanilen Vetnu) E CHISIK

Long X Tanalian Falls Trail, ISLAND Lake Kontrashibuna Lake U limited visitor Post Office, lodgings, T er (Qen/ghishi Vena) I Chulitna Riv and private airstrips (Ch'alitnu) T services are Jo K t hn Slope Sixmile Lake n so oi n (Nundaltin) P Mountain es Ri y ve 3510ft Ninilchik Ke U r O also offered in 1070m Lower Tazimina Lake Upper Tazimina Lake Iliamna Volcano (Taz'in Vena) (Unqeghnich'en Tazin Vena) E (Ch'naqa/'in) O the gateway Pickeral 10016ft Silver Lakes 3053m Salmon L W Lakes e C

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r G ive Salmon R l Nondalton a A a Creek n c (Nuvendaltin) i i m e i r r Hickerson of Homer, z e k a v C Lake T i r e R e e e r k C e il k i Alexy P Kenai, and r a l Lake a Roadhouse

T Mountain C Y A BA r l ITN e N e CHI Anchorage. p a p r U w a ter Creek A L U S N I N E P

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