Edited by: Steve Chase and Mark Madison 2 Acknowledgments and Sponsors Arctic 50th Historical Special thanks to: Clayton McBride Symposium Planning Team Todd Harless Geoff Haskett, LaVerne Smith, Keith Mantheiy Jay Slack, Director, National and Todd Logan, U.S Fish and Thelma Flynn Conservation Training Center, Wildlife Service, Region 7, Mike Beth Ann Ring U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Boylan, Richard Voss, Larry Bell Laura Creamer Becky Edgar Steve Chase, Chief, Division of Marca Piehuta Education Outreach, National Georgia Jeppesen Conservation Training Center, Sponsors Dawn Lagrotteria U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alicha Burlett Kerrick Reisbig Dr. Mark Madison, Service Historian, National Conservation Gail Testa National Conservation Training Training Center Andrew Weinberg Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service George Krull Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Ben German Jimmy Fox, Region 7, U.S. Tara Lowe Fish and Wildlife Service The Conservation Fund Cynthia Fraula-Hahn David Klinger Maureen Clark, Arctic 50th Voices of the South Shepherd University Department of Coordinator, Region 7, U.S. Contemporary Art and Theater Fish and Wildlife Service Patrick Wallace American Conservation Film Festival Sarah Gannon-Nagle, Strategic And for their efforts and support NCTC ARAMARK Staff Communications Manager, National of this symposium, thanks to: NCTC Raven Services Staff Conservation Training Center, NCTC Security Staff U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service All of our speakers Jay Slack Thelma Flynn, Event Planner, Jim Willis National Conservation Training Kelly Kennedy Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rollie Jacobs Beth Stevens Dr. Jim Siegel, National Christine Eustis Conservation Training Center, Karin Christensen U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chris Horsch Kris Hoellen Juanita Gustines, National Jeanne Harold Conservation Training Center, Keenan DeLawder U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Steve Duerr, The Murie Center Richard DeVries Susan DeStephanis, National Kelly Fike Conservation Training Center, Mike McAtee U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ryan Hagerty 3 In January of 2011, the National Conservation Training Center and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge presented the Arctic National Refuge 50th Anniversary Historic Symposium in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. NCTC is home to the Introduction to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is a center for the history of the Service and the American conservation movement. The NCTC has a 15-year tradition of commemorating the Transactions: important historic milestones and figures in American “For the immediate present, the most pressing need is to conservation. Arctic is one of the Service’s greatest stories. establish and maintain for scientific use an undisturbed research area of adequate size in the heart of the last and The symposium was planned to share that history with greatest remaining Arctic Wilderness region. For the many of the living principal players and the legions of future needs of Alaska and the entire nation, this superb wilderness aficionados who see Arctic Refuge as a crown area should be planned and dedicated now for perpetual jewel of the American wilderness system. These 150 or preservation as a scientific field laboratory and also for so participants were a “who’s who” of the conservation the education, enjoyment, and inspiration of all outdoor and wilderness fields. This document attempts to capture minded people.” —George Collins and Lowell Sumner the spirit and scholarship of this seminal event, and its publishing in 2014 is especially relevant as we celebrate the For more than a half-century Americans have studied 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act, one Arctic Refuge, visited it, and described it. Yet Arctic’s size of the great conservation laws of the twentieth century. and scope defy easy definition. The story of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a tale of conservationists and visionaries. For three days symposium participants explored and discussed the history, science, and uniqueness of Arctic In 1953 George Collins and Lowell Sumner began to National Wildlife Refuge. Some highlights included a advocate an ecosystem-sized, protected area in the fascinating conversation with Arctic refuge managers, far reaches of Alaska. Three years later, Olaus and including the legendary Ave Thayer; the Voices of the Margaret Murie, accompanied by three young graduate South’s play Wild Legacy, with George Schaller and Bob students, spent a season living on the south slope of the Krear, two characters in the play, actually in the audience; a Brooks Range, studying and experiencing the unique screening of the film America’s Wildest Refuge: Discovering qualities that only a land untrammeled by civilization the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; and a visit from could provide. The film of their experiences, “Letter Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. from the Brooks Range,” helped Americans visualize for the first time this remote wilderness landscape. Day one featured America’s finest conservation historians and some of its most prominent conservation leaders, who The early cohort who fought for Arctic Refuge were told stories of the arduous and trial-marked creation of themselves an example of diversity. Supreme Court Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Day two examined the Justice William O. Douglas, who visited the Muries in unique place that is Arctic through the eyes of former 1956; A. Starker Leopold, son of Aldo Leopold; Alaskan refuge managers, early and contemporary explorers of conservationist Ginny Wood; and English ornithologist the refuge, and writers and academics who have made the and ecologist F. Fraser Darling were some of the earliest refuge and its intangible values a focus of their scholarship. voices for creation of a unique refuge in this place. The final day examined the rich scientific heritage of Arctic Refuge as we heard from prominent scientists who have Their efforts came to fruition in December 1960, when studied the birds, fish, mammals, geology, and climate of Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton signed an order this wild landscape over the last 50 years. These speakers protecting the 8.9 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Range, also addressed future scientific programs at the refuge calling it “one of the world’s great wildlife areas.” In 1980, and conservation challenges to its delicate ecosystem. President Jimmy Carter signed landmark legislation, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which For 50 years the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has created the 19.6-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge stood as a place rich in wildlife, spectacular scenery, and designated 8 million of those acres as wilderness. rugged landscapes and what Olaus Murie called “intangible resources.” In addition to its rich natural Three decades later, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge history, the refuge is also an important repository stands as testament to the vision of Leopold, Collins, of cultural history. We welcome you, through this Sumner, the Muries, Douglas, Seaton, Carter, and several document, to relive those extraordinary three days. generations of Alaskans. It is a wild place where man has left little sign of his vast civilization, providing a Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is important not only for rich ground for scientific study, biodiversity, adventure, its immense physical size but also for the monumental inspiration, and imagination... a place where wild nature impact it has had in shaping our understanding of still flourishes, waiting the discovery of future generations. refuges, wildlife, wilderness and the American spirit. Steven Chase, Mark Madison—Organizers 4 Welcome from Jay Slack and LaVerne Smith Americans who’ve lived and hunted on the refuge, scientists who’ve studied the extensive natural and geological features of the refuge, and adventurers who’ve sought the solitude and the intrinsic values of the wilderness area and the refuge. The refuge is certainly one of the most majestic places that are on this planet, and we’re celebrating that. It is a national treasure for the people of the United States and of the world, and perspectives of those people are as diverse as the people and as diverse as the landscape of the refuge itself. But no matter which point of view you’ve come from, obviously that value of the refuge is there, and it is tremendous. Our focus for this symposium over the next few days will be on the value of that place, the people that visit, the people that live there and exist there, the science surrounding the refuge, its exploration, and its current scientific value, and natural value, obviously. USFWS/Ryan Hagerty USFWS/Ryan We have an extraordinary lineup of speakers; you’ve NCTC Director Jay Slack all seen the program: national leaders, historians, field biologists, refuge managers, writers, filmmakers, Jay Slack: Let me start by saying, welcome to the National and adventurers. Each of those people have their Conservation Training Center. I’m Jay Slack; I’m the unique perspective and views on the refuge, and Director here at the Training Center. We, from time to we’re trying to set a backdrop where we can hear time here at NCTC, have these historic symposia. This is about all of those views and all of those values the fifth one that we’ve done, and we’re proud to be able that those people hold dear about the place. to put this one on for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary. We have a huge list of folks here that Finally, we recognize the place as a national treasure; have come a long ways, and we appreciate you coming. I’ll obviously, protecting a national treasure is an important start, before I talk a little about the symposium, with a thing. The state of Alaska has a huge, huge role in the little bit of background about NCTC. I know about half of conservation and the value of that place, and so we you, and others I’m still looking forward to meeting.