Our Alaska Resources: News from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ISSUE 129 | SUMMER 2018 Wild Waters Jeremy Matlock ISSUE: 129 what’s inside 4 Wild & Scenic Rivers 9 Prepare to Go Wild 10 Wild & Buggy Chosen [to be] 11 Frozen 12 No Bugs, No bears Transportation, 14 Travel, and Trails Matthew R. Porebski 15 Caribou Cam Welcome to frontiers! Our Wild Waters issue is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Mad Scientists and Scenic Rivers Act. We worked to fill this issue with tips and information you 16 Hands-On Learning can use as you visit BLM Alaska-managed Wild and Scenic Rivers this sum- mer. We manage six – Fortymile, Delta, Gulkana, Beaver Creek WSR, Birth Preparing to Go Creek, and Unalakleet. We also have other stories from around the state. 18 With the Flow We hope you enjoy this issue. DinoChat 2018 Karen J. Laubenstein 20 Editor 22 frontiers flashes CREDITS BLM Alaska frontiers may contain copyrighted material that is used with permission of the Managing editor copyright owner. Publication in a government Karen J. Laubenstein, (907) 271-3318 document does not authorize any use or [email protected] appropriation of this copyrighted material without consent of the owner, as it is not in the public Contributing writers domain. Any text or photo without attributed Jen Christopherson, copyright may be reproduced in whole or in part Lisa Gleason, Stacie McIntosh, Robben Taylor as it is in the public domain. Please credit BLM Alaska. Photographers Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, Lonnie Bryant, Jen Christopherson, Lisa Gleason, TO SUBSCRIBE (free), please email the editor to Jeff Kowalczyk, Kathryn Logan, Jeremy Matlock, receive a notice when frontiers is online. Craig McCaa, Kim Mincer, Matthew R. Porebski, Jake Schlapfer, Robben Taylor, Laurie Thorpe, BLM/AK/GI-94/005+1120+912 Matthew Vos, Bob Wick, Donna Wixon @BLMAlaska Design/Illustration Vanessa Rathbun 2 Summer 2018 | frontiersfrontiers #WildWednesday Visitor Let’s Ride! Summer is here. Before you head out to your public lands for some off-roading fun, here are few things to remember … When to Go Check trail conditions with BLM Field Offices. Wait for dry conditions with firmer trails. Some Places to Go • Tangle Lakes Archaeological District • White Mountains National Recreation Area • Steese National Conservation Area • Fortymile Area Safety Tips and Rules • Check the ATV weight limit for the trails before you go, yours might be too heavy. In some areas, larger UTVs may be limited to designated routes. • Always wear a helmet. • Bring a map of the area. • Carry survival supplies. • Be cautious of and courteous to other trail users. • Do not disturb, damage or remove natural materials, signs or facilities. • Cross creeks and rivers at designated cross- ings. Jake Schlapfer Wednesdays are usually themed “Wild Wednesdays” on • Pack out what you pack in. our BLM Alaska Social Media Channels. Wednesday, • Only operate vehicles on designated trails, at June 13, did not disappoint! A small black bear stopped a safe speed. by early in the morning at the Anchorage Federal • Carry the appropriate number of passengers Building where the BLM Alaska State Office and thatTV your A is designed for. Public Information Center (Public Room) are located. • Be safe! Drive responsibly. It provided a timely reminder to all of our Facebook followers that Alaska is bear country, even in our urban most areas. This particular bear made the rounds that day and was spotted in several areas of downtown Anchorage. More bear safety info at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Living with Bears Safety website. rules to play by play to rules Craig McCaa Limited Use Area in the Fortymile Wild and Scenic River Corridor. frontiers | Summer 2018 3 ALASKA’SWild WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS Jeremy Matlock Gulkana Wild & Scenic River 4 Summer 2018 | frontiers ave you ever ached for a scenic escape into the grizzly bears, wolves, and caribou; furbearers including wilds of Alaska? As the nation commemorates lynxes, beavers, martens, wolverines, muskrats, or foxes. the 50th anniversary of the National Wild and Overhead, you may see eagles, peregrine falcons, or owls. Scenic Rivers Act this year, BLM Alaska is Migratory waterfowl include merganser, shovelhead, Hcelebrating its six designated “Wild and Scenic Rivers” goldeneye and harlequin ducks – many spending – the Beaver Creek, Birch Creek, Delta, Fortymile, summers along Beaver Creek, while others migrate Gulkana, and Unalakleet rivers. The Alaska National on. The valley bottoms usually consist of permafrost Interest Lands Conservation Act, or ANILCA, designated (permanently frozen soil) about a foot beneath the these rivers as Wild and Scenic on Dec. 2, 1980, adding surface. Forests are short-stunted black spruce, deep them to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. sedge tussocks, and thick stands of willow. Creekside Some activities like hunting, fishing, and trapping require gravel soils support tall white spruce trees and dense federal or state permits or a license. brush. The more you learn about these rivers, the more they call The area is important for caribou calving and to you to come and experience them. summering/wintering areas. Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River This river flows from the windswept ridges and alpine tundra of the Steese National Conservation Area into the broad expanse of the Yukon Flats in central Alaska and eventually flows into the Yukon River. For almost its entire length of 344 river miles (126 designated river miles), there are few signs of other people, with the exception of several log cabins. Visited primarily in summer, Birch Creek provides an Wild exceptional floating experience, as only a few places in Alaska offer such a primitive segment of river accessible by road. While canoeing is the most popular recreational activity, you can hunt, fish, trap, hike, rock hound, or study nature. You can also experience primitive camping Bob Wick and photography. Beyond the wild fireweed on the sand bar, a floater looks out at Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River. Winter activities may include dog mushing, trapping and With its headwaters in the White Mountains about 50 cross-country skiing. Each February, Birch Creek is on miles north of Fairbanks, this river flows west past the the route of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race mountain’s stunning jagged limestone ridges and then between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, and snowmachining flows north and east through the Yukon Flats until it along the creek is popular in late winter and early spring. empties into the mighty Yukon River. The first 127 miles of Beaver Creek is mostly within the BLM-managed White Mountains National Recreation Area, and the last 16 designated miles are within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-managed Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Boasting the ‘longest road-to-road float trip in North America,’ Beaver Creek is a popular spot for river adventurers. Its clear waters, modest rapids, and unforgettable scenery make a relaxing trip. It can take seven days to three weeks to float. You can arrange for an air taxi to pick you up on a gravel bar near Victoria Creek for the shorter float trip. The longer 360 river-miles trip will go to the Yukon River with take-out at the bridge on the Dalton Highway. Beaver Creek fisheries consist mostly of Arctic grayling, Craig McCaa with the lower river reaches featuring Northern pike, A packrafter on the rapids of the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River. sheefish and whitefish. The White Mountains’ ridges are home to Dall sheep and endangered peregrine falcons. In the valley, you may find moose, black and frontiers | Summer 2018 5 Delta Wild and Scenic River Wild & Hot Building a Safe Campfire Everyone loves a campfire when enjoying Alaska’s great outdoors. Once started, campfires can be difficult to extinguish. Pouring water on your campfire may not be enough. Roots and other organic matter may still be burning a foot or more underneath the surface, especially in tundra and alpine areas. Here are a few tips for building a safe campfire this summer. • Clear a spot to build your campfire where it can’t spread (every year, campfires cause wildland fires across Alaska). • Select a site without overhanging branches, Mathew Vos ground debris, or adjacent shrubs. Fisherwoman catches Arctic Grayling at Tangle Lakes in the Delta • Use a “fire pan” or “fire ring.” Wild and Scenic River Corridor. • Keep water nearby in case the fire begins to The Delta River watershed extends from the Upper Tangle spread. Lakes downstream to Black Rapids and 62 of its river miles are • Never leave your campfire unattended. designated wild and scenic. Unlike other rivers on the southern To safely extinguish a campfire: side of the Alaska Range, the Delta River flows north through the dominantly rugged and glacial peaked (6,000-9,000 feet) • Dig all material with a shovel down to permafrost or mineral soil. Alaska Range to join the Tanana River and, eventually, the Yukon River. Few rivers anywhere in the world can match the • Pour large amounts of water or soil on the fire quality and quantity of Arctic grayling fisheries in the Delta and embers, stirring with a stick or shovel until the area is cool to the touch. River. High-quality lake trout fishing is available in late winter and early spring. Tangle Lakes and the Delta River also support • Double-check for remaining heat, especially around the edge of the campfire. round whitefish, lake trout, burbot, and longnose suckers. For current fire information, visit The Delta is one of the few easily accessible Wild and Scenic http://fire.ak.blm.gov. Rivers in Alaska. It provides both day use and overnight backcountry excursions.