ALASIQ\ MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Homer, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1984 U. S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NAT IONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM A.LASKA r,lJ\,.RITH1E NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Horner, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 84 1011 E. Tudu· ' 9950:!~, Anchorage1 Alaska u. s. rtment the Interior Fis and Wildli Service NATIONA.L WILDLIFE REFUGE HOMER OFFICE ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE HOl1ER, ALASKA ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT CALENDAR YEAR 1984 ~~~: _______ ~-: al Of~~~proval Date ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\~~~ili[lllii~~~~mlilll[li 3 4982 00020965 9 The 1,400,000 ha (3.500,000 ac) Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR) was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). This act added 186,000 ha (460,000 ac) of additional lands to eleven existing refuges combining practically all coastal refuge areas under one office. There are about 3,000 headlands, islands, islets, and pinnacle rocks within the refuge. These areas are used annually by about 30 million nesting seabirds representing about 75% of Alaska's seabird population. Each of the eleven refuges included in the AMNWR had their own establishing authority and purposes but ANILCA supersedes these stating management shall 1) conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity •••• ; 2) fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats; 3) provide the opportunity for continued subsistence uses by local residents; 4) provide a program of national and international scientific research on marine resources; and 5) ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, water quality and necessary water quantity within the refuge. ANILCA also established five distinct geographic refuge units: The Chukchi Sea Unit (CSU), The Bering Sea Unit (BSU), The Aleutian Islands Unit (AIU), The Alaska Peninsula Unit (APU), and The Gulf of Alaska Unit {GAU) (See maps). The entire Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge complex is administered from the port town of Homer, Alaska located on the south end of the Kenai Peninsula, about 360 km (220 mi) by road from Anchorage. There is a sub-headquarters at Adak, on the Aleutian Islands, which administers the AIU. All other units are administered from Horner. Horner receives funds from the Regional Office. Adak receives a portion of the funds from Horner and the remainder is used to manage the other units and the Horner office. Personnel are managed in much the same way with the AIU having a separate staff and the other unmanned units operating from Homer. The sea is common to all refuge areas, but each unit has its own unique features. Lush rain forests dominate much of the precipitous small islands in the GAU; there are mountains rising directly from the sea to over 2750 km (9,000 ft) on the volcanic and treeless. AIU; and treeless areas of permafrost and high coastal escarpments are found in the CSU. Overall remoteness, bad weather and accompanying rough seas, swift currents, rocky shorelines, poor anchorages, and high cost of transportation make administration of the refuge difficult. Recent interests in the oil-rich areas off Alaska's coast, increased demand for fishery stocks, increased population, and increases in efficient and more comfortable tourist transportation to remote areas are adding to management responsibilities of the refuge. i INTRODUCTION Page TABLE OF CONTENTS i A. 1 B. 1 1. Fee title ••••••••••••••••• • •• Nothing to report 2. Easements •••• .. • .Nothing to report 3. Other •••••••• • •••••• Nothing to report 1. Master Plan •••••••••••• . ................. 1 2. Management Plan •••••••• • ••• Nothing to report 3. Public Participation ••••••••• • •• Nothing to report 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Man­ dates . ....................... •••••••••• Nothing to report 5. Research and Investigations ••• • ••••••• Nothing to report 6. Other ••••••••••• ..Nothing to report 1. Personnel •••••••••••• . .. .. .. • .2 2. Youth Programs ••••••••••••• . .. • • 7 3. Other Manpower Programs. .. • • 7 4. Volunteer Program •• . .. ..8 5. Funding •••••••••••••••••• .. • .9 6. Safety ................. .10 7. Technical Assistance ••• ... .12 8. Other . ......... .. .. .12 1. General •• . .. ... • •• Nothing to report 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 8. Haying ••••••••••• • 0 e e • o • . •• Nothing to report ii 9. Fire Management •••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 10. Pest Control ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 11. water Rights ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 12. Wilderness and Special Areas ••••••••••••• Nothing to report 13. WPA Easement Monitoring •••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 1. Wildlife Diversity ••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species ••••• Nothing to report 3. Waterfowl •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 4. Marsh and Water Birds •••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 5. Shorebirds, Gulls,Terns & Allied Species.Nothing to report 6. Raptors •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 7. Other Migratory Birds •••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 8. Game Mamrnals ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 9. Marine Mammals ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 10. Other Resident Wildlife •••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 11. Fisheries Resources •••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking •••••••• Nothing to report 13. Surplus Animal Disposal •••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 14. Scientific Collections ••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 15. Animal Control ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 16. Marking and Banding •••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 17. Disease Prevention and Control ••••••••••• Nothing to report 1. Genera 1 ..........•..•..•••.........••..•..••.•.......... 13 2. Outdoor Classrooms- Students •••••••••••• Nothing to report 3. Outdoor Classrooms- Teachers •••••••••••• Nothing to report 4. Interpretive Foot Trails ••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 5. Interpretive Tour Routes ••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations ••••• Nothing to report 7. Other Interpretive Programs ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• l3 8. Hunting •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 9. Fishing •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 10. Trapping ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 11. Wildlife Observation ••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation ••••••• Nothing to report 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 ..•..•.•........•..................•..... 15 18. Cooperating Associations •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• l5 19. Concessions •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 1. New Construction ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 2. Rehabilitation ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report iii 3. Major Maintenance •••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement ••••••••••••••.•••• l5 5. Communications Systems ••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 6. Computer Systems ........................................ l5 7. Energy Conservation •••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 8. Other •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 1. Cooperative Programs ••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 2. Other Economic Uses •••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 3. Items of Interest ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• l6 4 • Credits ................................................. 16 1 The refuge permanent staff increased by two during the year with a much expanded volunteer program. Vessel charter for 122 day program was very successful. Open house held for office during National Wildlife Week. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act {ANILCA) requires all Alaskan refuges to prepare a comprehensive plan. These plans are to serve as the station master plan and will be initiated by a special planning team from the Regional Office. The primary objectives of the comprehensive plans are to (a) inventory and describe the resources and values of the refuge, {b) specify management programs for conserving fish and wildlife resources and/or values, (c) specify other compatible uses, and (d) specify opportunities for fish and wildlife oriented recreation, research, etc. The revised AMN~ffi schedule is as follows: ActiyjJ;y Date Initiate discussions with refuge staff 5784 Prepare planning directives 9/85 Hold scoping meetings 3/86 Collect and document data 4/86 "Affected Environment" section draft completed 6/86 Review data 6/86 Identify resource potentials 8/86 Formulate alternatives 11/86 Finalize alternatives 2/87 Assess impacts and effects 6/87 "Alternatives and Effects" section draft completed 6/87 Identify preferred alternative 8/87 Publish draft 11/87 Public review 1/88 Publish final 5/88 Protest period 6/88 On February 16 the planning team met for the first time with the staff. A large list of refuge "resource issues" was worked up by the staff