This is the second diary in my Expanding The National Park System series. Last week I looked at Alabama. This week, I visit the largest state in the union, Alaska. Alaska is called the Last Frontier for a reason, it has huge expanses of wilderness, national parks, preserves and monuments, and at over 663000 miles in area, there's' barely 1 person per mile in the state. today I will look at the existing national parks and monuments, as well as describe the ones I'd like to add and rename.Fitting for a state one-fifth the size of the entire Lower 48, there's going to be a lot of them, and they are going to be massive.
This is the second diary in my Expanding The National Park System series. last week I looked at Alabama. This week, I visit the largest state in the union, Alaska. Alaska is called the Last Frontier for a reason, it has huge expanses of wilderness, national parks, preserves and monuments, and at over 663000 miles in area, there's' barely 1 person per mile in the state. today I will look at the existing national parks and monuments, as well as describe the ones I'd like to add and rename. Fitting for a state one-fifth the size of the entire Lower 48, there's going to be a lot of them, and they are going to be massive.
Theodore Roosevelt once considered setting aside the entirety of Alaska as a national Park, which would have been the largest National Park in the world, by hundreds of thousands of miles. fortunately, he decided not to set aside ALL of it,because, hey people have to live here too. Nearly 70% of Alaska is federal, only Nevada has a higher percentage of federally owned land, and since Alaska is 6 times bigger, a lot more land is protected than in Nevada. But despite all this, there are still areas in Alaska that are not protected yet and should be..
ALASKA
Total area 663 267 sq miles
land area 571 951 sq miles
Water 91 316 sq miles
coastline 6640 sq miles
additional national monuments- 20
Currently Alaska has 8 national Parks, 5 national monuments, 16 wildlife refuges, including the 11 largest in the country, 2 national Forests, 10 national preserves- 7 of which are part of the national parks- and 2 historic sites.
National parks -8
Denali- Established 1917 covers 4,740,912 acres in the park
Denali , originally called Mount McKinley, was set aside in 1917 and was later expanded by President Carter.
Much of the park is wilderness, including the area around Mount McKinley, which is the tallest mountain in North America, at 20, 237 feet. Denali means ' the High One' in Athabascan, and refers to the mountain. the park contains several rivers and almost a sixth of the park is covered with glaciers. native animals include Dall Sheep, grey wolves, grizzly bears, black bears caribou, and snowshoe hares, among others. Denali lies in the subduction zone where the North American and Pacific plates collide, and regularly sees earthquakes. Denali was picked as Alaska's National Park Quarter, it was the last of the five 2012 quarters.
Gates of the Arctic- Established 1980 and covers 7,523,898 acres in the park.
It is the northernmost park in the US -north of the Arctic Circle-and the second-largest, only Wrangell-St Elias is bigger. It is surrounded by several preserves and wildlife refuges, as well as the Petroleum Reserve to the north. almost all of the park is wilderness and there are no roads in the park. the park contains much of the Brooks Range mountains, and the continental divide runs through the park.
Glacier Bay- Established 1925 and covers 3,224,840 acres in the park.
Not to be confused with Glacier National park in Montana, Glacier Bay lies on the Alaska Panhandle, a narrow strip of land which stretches down the coastline to 54'40 latitude. Glacier Bay was first established as a national monument by Calvin Coolidge in 1925, and lands were later added by FDR and Carter. The park has no roads, the only access is by ship or by plane. The park contains 15 tidewater glaciers and also sees frequent seismic activity.Local animals include halibut, wolverines, wolves, black bears and mountain goats.
Katmai- Established in 1980 and covers 3,674,530 acres in the park.
The Park was first set aside in 1918 after the eruption of the Novarupta volcano in 1912 which created the Valley of Ten Thousands Smokes. the Park contains 18 volcanoes, 7 of which have been active since 1900. originally preserved due to the eruption, other prominent features include its wildlife and the nearly 500 miles of shoreline.
Kenai Fjords- established 1980 and covers 669, 983 acres.
One of the smallest national parks or monuments in Alaska, Kenai protects the fjords on the Kenai Peninsula, as well as one of the largest ice fields in the US, the Harding ice field, which contains almost 40 glaciers. Kenai is one of the most visited parks in Alaska and is located close to Seward.
Kobuk Valley- Established 1980, and covers 1,750,717 acres.
Like Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk is located above the Arctic Circle. the park preserves the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, as well as migration routes for caribou. no roads are in the park, access is by air,on foot, snowmobile or dogsled.
Lake Clark- Established 1980 and covers 2619733 acres in the park.
Clark covers a wide variety of terrain, from active volcanoes, including Mount Redoubt, rainforest, tundra, to rivers and lakes. Lake Clark protects the eastern part of the Bristol Bay watershed which contains the most productive fishery in the world. there are no roads in the park,access is by air or boat.
Wrangell St Elias- Established in 1980, covers 8323148 acres in the park.
The largest national Park in the US, Wrangell St Elias covers much of the Alaska panhandle, and runs along the Canadian border to the Tongass National Forest.. much of the park is wilderness, comprising the largest amount of wilderness in a single park. the park contains Hubbard Glacier one of the largest glaciers in the US, and 9 of the tallest mountains in the US including Mount St Elias, which the second tallest in Canada and the US at 18074 feet. the combined size of the park and preserve make it bigger than Switzerland.
National monuments-5
Admiralty Island- Established 1978, covers 955,747 acres. the monument makes up most of Admiralty Island in the Alaska panhandle, and is located within Tongass National forest. all but 18000 acres is wilderness. the monument has the largest concentration of black bears in the country and one of the highest concentration of bald eagles in the world.
Aniakchak- Established 1978, covers 137176 acres in the monument.
Protects Aniakchak Volcano in the Alaska peninsula, as well as the Aniakchak river. has large numbers of sealife as well as bear and moose. Is one of the least visited NPS sites, having only 19 visitors in 2012. There are no roads in the monument.
Cape Krusenstern- Established 1978, covers 649,082 acres.
Located above the Arctic circle along the shore of Cape Krusenstern, the monument protects 9000 years of human habitation, as well as several varieties of whales and seals.The Monument is managed from nearby Kotzebue.
Misty Fjords- Established in 1978, covers 2,294,343 acres.
located on the southernmost land border with Canada, Misty Fjords resides within Tongass national Forest. all but 152000 acres are wilderness. contains large numbers of black and grizzly bears.very remote, can only be reached by cruise ship or plane.
Valor in the Pacific - Established in 2008, covers 6310 acres(in AK, CA and HI)
Alaska's 13th and newest national park or monument, Valor is also by far the smallest. Valor commemorates the invasion of the Aleutians by Japan during World War 2. the portions of the Alaska Unit are the battlefield on Attu Island, crash site of a B-24D Liberator bomber plane on Atka Island, and the Japanese occupation site on Kiska. the monument is managed by both the Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service.
National Forests -2
Chugach- Established in 1907 covers 6,908,540 acres.
The second biggest national forest in the US, Chugach was originally intended to be much bigger when created in 1907 by Theodore Roosevelt- it was intended to cover 23 million acres, or nearly 4 times its current size and almost a third bigger than Tongass. Chugach lies on Prince William Sound, takes up a big chunk of the Kenai Peninsula, and borders both Wrangell St Elias and Kenai Fjords national parks. Despite its size, currently none of the forest is classed as wilderness.
Tongass- Established 1907, covers 16 566 827 acres
the largest national forest in the US, Tongass occupies most of the Alaska Panhandle. Tongass is home to 19 wilderness areas totaling 5,750,000 acres or nearly a third of the forest, as well as Admiralty Island and Misty Fjords national monuments.
National Preserves, Military Parks and Historic places-12
Aniakchak- Established 1978, covers 464, 118 acres in the preserve.
the preserve surrounds the monument on the Alaska Peninsula, and is bordered by the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof wildlife refuges as it reaches to the Gulf of Alaska.
Bering Land Bridge- established 1978 covers 2,697, 391 acres
Located on the Seward Peninsula, the land bridge preserves the part of Alaska that was once connected to Russia by the Beringia land bridge. animals in the preserve include muskoxen, caribou, Sberian reindeer, red foxes, wolves and beavers.
Denali- Established 1917, covers 1,334,200 acres in the preserve.
the Denali preserve surrounds the park and wilderness and gives additional room for its resident animals to roam. hunting is permitted in the preserve, unlike in the park proper. the park and preserve total over 6 million acres.
Gates of the Arctic-Established 1980, covers 948 608 acres in the preserve
The Gates of the Arctic preserve is two separate, far flung pieces, the upper section, connects separated national park lands, while the southern part extends the park further south towards Kobuk.
Glacier Bay Established 1980
the preserve portion of Glacier bay is tiny, taking up a small corner of land along the shore of the Gulf of Alaska.
Katmai Established 1980 covers 423 720 acres on the preserve
hunting is allowed in the preserve which has the worlds largest protected population of brown and grizzly bears. Watching salmon climbing upstream is also a favorite activity of tourists.
Klondike Gold Rush Historic Park established 1976 covers 12,996 acres
this site commemorates the gold rush of the 1890s which brought thousands of prospectors up to Alaska and Yukon. the park includes portions of the city of Skagway, the White Pass and Chikloot Trails and the former town of Dyea, Alaska. Klondike is part of the Klondike International historical park, which includes sites in Canada, as well as in Seattle Washington.
Lake Clark- Established 1980 covers 1,400,000 acres in the preserve
Borders the park and preserves portions of the Bristol Bay watershed.
Noatak- Established 1978 covers 6.569,904 acres
One of three Alaskan preserves that is not part of a park of monument,Noatak protects the entire Noatak River basin. the Noatak river system is thought to be the last truly untouched river system in the country, as most other rivers have either been affected by damming or development. Noatak is above the Arctic Circle and borders Kobuk Valley to the south,Gates of the Arctic to the East, and the Petroleum reserve to the North. There are no roads in the preserve, access is by foot, planes or boats. hunting is allowed in the preserve, which contains more than 500000 caribou, Dalls sheep, golden eagles, grizzly and black bears, foxes, wolves and many varieties of fish.
Sitka National Historic Park Established in 1972 covers 112 acres
The park was first set aside by Benjamin Harrison in 1890, then declared a national monument in 1910 to protect the Tlingit fort know as Shis'ki Noow or "Fort of Young Saplings" as well as a wide collection of carved totem poles from the various Indian tribes in the area. the National monument was later abolished due to the poor condition of the poles and the park was reclassified as an historic park. the Site also includes the Russian Bishops house, which was home to Bishop Innocent of the Russian Orthodox Church until 1859, and is one of only four surviving building in the US built in the Russian Colonial style. The House was restored by the Park service over a 16 year period from 1973-89, and the second floor looks much like it did in 1853, with artifacts and relics from the buildings history as a chapel. Most of the totem poles ain the park today are replicas of the originals which are housed in protective storage due to their poor condition.
Wrangell- St Elias- Established 1980 covers 4,852,652 acres in the preserve
Surrounds the national park and borders Tetlin wildlife refuge to the North,and Chugach Forest to the west. Hunting is allowed the preserve, but not the park itself.
Yukon-Charley Rivers- Established 1980 covers 2,525,512 acres
The preserve protects 115 miles of the Yukon river, as well as the entire Charley River and basin. The preserve borders Canada to the East and the Steese National Conservation area to the West. The Yukon is home to several species of salmon, including chinook, chum, and coho, as well as Dall's Sheep , caribou, moose and black bear. No roads enter the preserve, access is by air or boat. Hunting is allowed in the preserve, as well as camping and fishing.
Wildlife Refuges-16
Alaska Maritime- Established 1980 covers 4,900,000 acres
this refuge protects more the 2,400 islands, outcrops, reefs, rocks, spires and islets in Alaska. portions of the refuge include the Aleutian islands, the Pribilof islands and St Matthew Island, as well as islands in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering and Chuluki Seas. 2.64 millions acres in the refuge is wilderness, and the refuge is home to 75 percent of native birds in Alaska (between 15-30 million), as well as a nesting habitat for 40 million birds, or 80 percent of seabirds in north America.
Alaska Peninsula- Established 1980 covers 3,563.490 acres
The refuge covers most of the Alaska peninsula, and is broken into sections by Aniakchak NM and Izembek NWR. the refuge protects a wide variety
of land and sea animals, including brown bear, caribou, moose, ducks geese and swans. the refuge contains a number of active volcanoes including Veniaminof, which last erupted in 1995, as well as fjords on the Pacific side.
Arctic- established 1960, covers 19,286, 722 acres
The largest Wildlife refuge in the US, the Arctic borders the Beaufort Sea to the north and Canada to the East. the refuge supports the largest concentration of animal life north of the arctic circle. 8 million acres of the reserve are wilderness, 10 million are basically wilderness. the debate on drilling in ANWR makes it one of the best-known wildlife refuges, currently no drilling has taken place, and even if the most optimistic amounts of 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil are correct, at current consumption rates, that oil would only provide around 26 months supply of oil or slightly over 2 years. not worth despoiling a pristine refuge, which i will discuss more later in my proposed monuments.
Becharof - established 1980 coves 1,200,000 acres
Contains Becharof Lake, Alaska's second largest lake, and is a vital part of the Bristol Bay fishery system. Becharof Lake produces 6 million adult salmon every year, and has the world's largest supply of sockeye salmon as well as the largest concentration of brown bears in Alaska. The refuge is managed at King Salmon, by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Innoko Established 1980 covers 3, 850, 481 acres
Broken into two parts, Innoko borders the Yukon River in the northern section, and protected the Innoko river in the southern section.Over 1 million acres in the refuge is wilderness, and is home to black bear, moose and wolves.
Izembek Established 1980 covers 315,000 acres
The smallest refuge in Alaska, Izembek lies on the Alaska Peninsula, between the Bering SEa and the Pacific ocean. The refuge, most of which is wilderness, protects one of the world's largest eelgrass beds in the Izembek Laggoon.and provides a home for millions of migratory birds. Izembek was declared a Ramsar wetland in 1986, a designation which recognizes it as an Internationally Important Wetland.
Kanuti- Established 1980 covers 1,640,000 acres
Located on the arctic Circle, Kanuti protects a wide swath of boreal forest, as well as habitat from migratory birds. The migratory fish in the reserve travel extremely long distances, with the salmon traveling over 1000 miles to spawn in the Koyokuk river. There are no public facilities within the refuge, and permafrost makes passing through certain areas extremely difficult.
Kenai- Established 1980 covers 1,920,000 acres
The refuge occupies the central part of the Kenai peninsula and borders the Chugach forest on the east and Kenai Fjords national park on the South. The refuge ws originally set aside in 1941 as the Kenai Moose Range, nbut was renamed and expanded with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980. The refuge is a popular stop for salmon ad trout fishing, as well as viewing the local wildlife, which include black and brownm bears, caribou, moose and Dall's sheep.
Kodiak- Established 1941 covers 1, 990,418 acres
Protests most of Kodiak island, as well as other islands in the Kodiak archipelago. the refuge contains 7 major rivers, numerous streams and lakes and covers a wide variety of terrain, from grasslands to forest. the refuge contains six native species, the Kodiak brown bear, which is the largest of the species, red fox, river otter,tundra vole, ermine and little brown bat. its is estimated that 2300 brown bears and 1200 bald eagles life in the refuge, which is managed from Kodiak on the north side of the island. There are no roads in the refuge.
Koyukuk Established 1980 covers 3, 500,000 acres
lying just south of the Arctic circle, Koyukuk is bordered by Selawik NWR to the northwest, and comes close to the northern section of Innoko NWR in the south. Wilderness part of the refuge which is the 400000 acre Three Day Slough , has some of the best moose habitat in the state, with estimates of 5 moose per square mile in areas. this is down from 10 per mile in the past, but the number of moose is still very high. the refuge is also home to large numbers of Caribou from the large Western Arctic herd, as well as many as 100000 ducks per year.
Nowitna Established 1980 covers 2, 100,000 acres
This refuge protects most of the Nowitna River-223 miles out of 283, and provides a home for large numbers of water fowl such as trumpeter swans,as well as land animals like black and brown bears, wolves and lynx.
Selawik Established 1980 Covers 2, 150, 162 acres
This refuge is bordered by Kotzubue Sound to the west borders Kobuk Valley NP to the north and Koyukuk NWR to the southeast. the refuge contains 21000 lakes as well as sand dunes which once were part of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. the refuges contains the selawik river and is bordered by the Selawik Hills and Purcell mountains to the South and the Waring mountains to the north. The refuge is run from Kotzebue.
Tetlin Established 1980 covers 700, 058 acres
he second smallest wildlife refuge in the state. Tetlin border Wrangell St Elias NP to the South. The refuge as a major passage for migratory birds, and is home to two of the six known humpback whitefish spawning areas in the Yukon River. Tetin is home to 116 known species of birds, as well as Dall Sheep, moose, wolves caribou and black and brown bears.
Togiak Established 1980 Covers 4,102,537 acres
bordered on the north by the Yukon Delta and the south by Bristol Bay, Togiak has 600 miles of coastline, which is frequented by whales and walrus as well as 46 other species, both land and water. Togiak is home to 200 different species of birds from peregrine falcon to Lapland longspur. Togiak is the 4th largest refuge in Alaska, and in the US as well.
Yukon Delta Established 1980 Covers 19, 160,000 acres
The second largest wildlife refuge in the country. Yukon Flats is only slightly smaller than ANWR. Originally meant to cover 23 million acres, Yukon Delta covers the deltas of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers and stretches to the Bering Sea. The refuge is home to some of the largest concentrations of birds in the world with 1 million ducks and 500000 geese using the area as breeding grounds every year. The refuge includes the islands of Nelson and Nunivak and is home to 35 villages and 25000 residents. the refuge is managed from Bethel Alaska.
Yukon Flats Established 1980 Covers 8,634,512 acres
The Third largest refuge in the system, Yukon Flats contains large wetlands coming the confluence of the Chandalar, Porcupine, and Yukon rivers. this provides a great breeding ground for waterfowl. the refuge almost didn't come to be however. Before the refuge was created , there was a proposal to dam the Yukon River, which would have inundated the Flats. after public opposition killed the proposal, efforts wee made to preserve the area, which culminate in the creation of the Refuge in 1980 as part of ANILCA. Yukon Flats is managed from Fairbanks.
Proposed monuments-20
Alaska Coastal
Would protect the entire coastline of Alaska, filling in the gaps in protection in the Southeast and extending around the entire state, from the Alaska Panhandle to ANWR. the monument will extend protection to waters up to 20 miles offshore and protect lands up to 10 miles inland, excepting areas already protected by national parks or monuments, as well as lands within towns and cities. estimated area, 120000 sq miles or 72.5 million acres. this would be the second largest monument in the park systems, only the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands national monument established by President Bush which covers 140000 sq miles, is bigger. Greenland National Park, which protects much of the ice cap, covers 375000 miles and is the largest preserve in the world.
Alaska Maritime
Upgrades the existing refuge and expands it to 4.95 million acres
Alaska Peninsula
Would expand the existing refuge to 3.6 million acres.
Ancient Alaska
Would preserve 18 million acres in the Petroleum Reserve as a national monument, leaving 5 million acres in the reserve, as well on neighboring state lands, for oil and gas exploration.
Arctic Waters
Would preserve the Arctic waters within the US Exclusive Economic Zone which extends to 200 miles offshore, it would protect the waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, to within 20 miles of the shore, starting at the arctic circle. Estimated area 40 million acres
Arctic Wildlife
Would expand the existing refuge to 20 million acres, and preserve the coastal plain from oil and gas exploration.
Becharof
would expand the current refuge to 1.25 million acres
Bristol Bay
Would protect the entirety of Bristol Bay, as well as the watershed for the bay, offshore the boundary would be a line running from Port Moller to the Togiak WR. Onshore, the monument would be split into four districts. First The Iliamna district, which would run from the northern end of the Yukon Delta near Aniak, over to Lake Clark, then south to Lake Iliamna, moving around its shoreline and stopping short of the road between Naknek and King Salmon before heading west to the sea.this section will include the watershed for Bristol Bay. Small land "bubbles' will be given to cities in the monument, where that land is reserved for the towns and cities. Next is the Pilot Point District which will include all lands in that section of peninsula not already protected by parks or monuments. again land exceptions will be made for the cities in this area. After that is the Port Heiden District, which will include any areas not protected by existing preserves and the final district will be the Port Moller District which will include all lands in that section not already protected or reserved for the towns. Estimated area is 26 million acres
Innoko
expands the existing refuge to 4 million acres and connects the two parts of the refuge.
Izembek
increases the current refuge to 350,000 acres by extending it to land around False Pass.
Kanuti
Expands existing Refuge to 1.65 million acres
Kenai
Expands existing refuge to 1.95 million acres
Kodiak
expands existing refuge to 2 million acres
Koyukuk
Expands existing refuge to 3.55 million acres
Nowitna
expands the existing refuge to cover the entirety of the Nowitna River, estimated area 2.5 million acres
Selawik
expands existing refuge to 2.2 million acres
Tetlin
Expands existing refuge to 750000 acres, moves the boundary closer to the city of Tetlin.
Togiak
Expands existing refuge to 4,125000 acres by incorporating Hagemeister Island and moving slightly to the east.
Yukon Delta
Expands the current refuge to 19.5 million acres by absorbing the land in the nearby bend in the Yukon river and extending out towards Anvik and Holy Cross.
Yukon Flats
Expands the existing refuge to 8.7 million acres be enclosing the gap betwen it and the Yukon-Charley Rivers Preserve.
And there you have it folks. my very lengthy rundown of Alaska. as always, comments and insight are appreciated, and help me improve on things for the next diary.