Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea on the North and West from the Pacific Ocean on the South and East
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ALASKA PENINSULA/BECHAROF NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX King Salmon, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT 0 Calendar Year f 991 0 Department of the Interior and Wildlife Service WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM REVIEWS AND APPROVALS ALASKA PENINSULA/BECHAROF NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX King Salmon, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1991 US FISH & WILDLI FE SERVICE--ALASKA 111~~~~~00~~~~~~~~ 3 4982 00020984 0 ALASKA PENINSULA/BECHAROF NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX King Salmon, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1991 U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION A. HIGHLIGHTS .............................. 9 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS .................... 10 C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title .......................................................... 14 2. Easements ......................................................... NTR 3. Other ............................................................. NTR D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan ....................................................... NTR 2. Management Plan .................................................... 16 3. Public Participation ............................................... 17 4. Compliance with Environmental Mandates ............................. 18 5. Research and Investigations ........................................ 20 6. Other .............................................................. 20 7. Subsistence ........................................................ 21 E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel .......................................................... 23 2. Youth Programs ..................................................... 38 3. Other Staffing Programs ............................................ 39 4. Volunteer Programs ................................................. 40 5 . Funding ............................................................ 40 6. Safety ............................................................. 42 7. Technical Assistance ............................................... 46 8. Other Items ........................................................ 47 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT l. General ............................................................ 49 2. Wetlands ........................................................... 50 3. Forests ........................................................... NTR 4. Crop lands ......................................................... NTR 5. Grasslands ........................................................ NTR 6. Other Habitats ..................................................... 51 7. Grazing ........................................................... NTR 8 . Haying ............................................................ NTR 9. Fire Management ................................................... NTR 10. Pest Control ...................................................... NTR 11. Water Rights ...................................................... NTR 12. Wilderness and Special Areas ....................................... 52 13. WPA Easement Monitoring ........................................... NTR 14. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ............................................. 54 G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity ................................................ NTR 2. Endangered andjor Threatened Species ............................... 56 3. Waterfowl .......................................................... 57 4. Marsh and Water Birds ............................................. NTR 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species ....................... 67 6. Raptors ............................................................ 76 7. Other Migratory Birds .............................................. 77 8 . Game Mammals ....................................................... 7 9 9. Marine Mammals ..................................................... 89 10. Other Resident Wildlife ........................................... NTR 11. Fisheries Resources ................................................ 90 12. Wildlife Propogation and Stocking ................................. NTR 13. Surplus Animal Disposal ............................................ 93 14. Scientific Collection ............................................. NTR 15. Animal Control .................................................... NTR 16. Marking and Banding ............................................... NTR 17. Disease Prevention and Control .................................... NTR 18. Subsistence ........................................................ 93 H. PUBLIC USE 1. General ............................................................ 94 2. Outdoor Classrooms- Students ...................................... 98 3. Outdoor Classrooms- Teachers ...................................... 99 4. Interpretive Foot Trails .......................................... NTR 5. Interpretive Tour Trails .......................................... NTR 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations ............................... 99 7. Other Interpretive Programs ....................................... 100 8. Hunting ........................................................... 103 9. Fishing ........................................................... 106 10. Trapping .......................................................... 108 11. Wildlife Observation .............................................. NTR 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation ................................ NTR 13. Camping ........................................................... NTR 14. Picnicking ........................................................ NTR 15. Off-Road Vehicling ................................................ 108 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation ............................ NTR 17. Law Enforcement ................................................... 109 18. Cooperating Associations .......................................... 114 19. Concessions ....................................................... NTR 20. Cabins ............................................................ 114 21. Guides and Outfitters ............................................. 116 22. Take Pride in America and Alaska .................................. 122 23. Subsistence ....................................................... 124 I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 1. New Construction .................................................. 124 2. Rehabilitation .................................................... 125 3. Major Maintenance ................................................. 127 4. Equipment and Utilization and Replacement ......................... 129 5. Communications Systems ............................................ 130 6. Computer Systems .................................................. 131 7. Energy Conservation ............................................... 132 8. Other ............................................................. 133 J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs .............................................. 133 2. Other Economic Uses ............................................... 134 3. Items of Interest ................................................. 135 4. Credits ........................................................... 137 K. FEEDBACK ........................... 138 INTRODUCTION The Alaska Peninsula splits Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea on the north and west from the Pacific Ocean on the south and east. This rugged peninsula juts out in a southwesterly crescent from the mainland beginning a t the 59th parallel of latitude and running nearly 400 miles to about the 54th parallel. The southwestward crescent is continued for another 1, 500 miles by the Aleutian Islands . The backbone of the Alaska Peninsula is the Aleutian Mountain Range . This volcanic mountain range lies along the Pacific coast on the east side of the peninsula. Numerous peaks rise above 6,000 feet elevation. This creates a Pacific coast that is rocky and heavily fjorded. The Aleutian Range, including the Aleutian Islands , contains nearly 50 volcanoes known to have erupted or vented steam since 1760. They are part of a chain of volcanoes that rim the Pacific Ocean known as the "Ring of Fire" . The Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges (Figure 1) are superimposed over this rugged range of mountains . The Kejulik Pinnacles on the Becharof Refuge and Katmai National Park boundary typify the rugged Aleutian Mountain Range. 7/91 , DAD r The Becharof Refuge contains approximately 1.2 million acres (Figure 2 ) . It is 10 miles south of King Salmon and 295 mil es sou thwest of Anchorage. The refuge lies between Katmai National Park and Alaska Peninsula Refuge . The refuge landscape consists of tundra, lakes, wetlands, and volcanic peaks. Becharof Lake , the second largest lake in Alaska, is nestled between the low tundra wetlands to the north and west and the Aleutian Mountain Range to the east and south. Mount Peulik drops to the edge of the lake about midway along its southern shore. The geologically active Ukinrek (Ookeenuk) Maars bares scars of the eruption that took place in 1977 . :C>:t:J 1-'· 1-'· }-'()Q 0..~ 1-'t-l 1-'· (!) >-h (!) !-' !AI (!) >-h l' Katmat National Park ~ 0 ()Q () & Preserve (!) Ill (JJ rt 1-'· 0 ::l 0 >-h rt ::r """ (!) ;J> 1-' Ill (JJ,.. ~<Q'l>-"i Ill ·F:;,\.0 <Q~ (!) "'::l 1-'· ::l Becharof National (JJ ~ Wildlife Refuge 1-' Ill Ill ::l 0.. tJj (!) Ugashik Unit () ::r Alaska Peninsula Ill t-1 National Wildlife 0 >-h Refuge z Ill rt 1-'· 0 Chignik Unit Pacific Ocean ::l Ill Alaska