Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges

A Groundbreaking Partnership for People and Wildlife: Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and Koniag, A Native Corporation, 9/16

Presented by Amy Peterson, Community Affairs Liaison for Koniag and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.

This event was held on Tuesday, September 16, 5 – 6 pm Alaska Daylight Time

Kodiak – Amy Peterson in person at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 402 Center Ave. Reception follows.
Homer – Watch Party at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Hwy.
Soldotna – Watch Party at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Ski Hill Rd
- 3 pm Walk for the Wild on Centennial Trail. Meet at trailhead at Visitor Center
- 6 pm After talk; Wild Foods Potluck
Anchorage – Watch party at BP Energy Center, Fir Room, 1014 Energy Ct.
Via Zoom

Home of the great Kodiak bear, Kodiak Refuge is one of the nation’s most significant national wildlife refuges, yet people have lived there and depended on refuge resources for thousands of years. Searching for a creative way to increase cooperation among all partners on Kodiak Island, then Refuge Manager Mike Brady and Koniag Regional & Legislative Affairs Executive Tom Panamaroff came up with the idea of a Community Affairs Liaison position. It was to be the first in the nation and would be jointly funded by the refuge and the corporation and supervised by the corporation.

Join Amy Peterson as she describes her invaluable role as Community Affairs Liaison. Amy’s job is facilitating communication and education between the Refuge and Kodiak Island tribes, corporations, and stakeholders, with emphasis on stewardship, tribal consultation, community collaboration, and cultural and educational outreach. This collaboration is not just limited to the Refuge but occurs throughout the Kodiak Archipelago region to improve the cooperative management of resources within the Refuge, which has specific geographic, cultural, and historical significance.

Shelby Carlson said about being a Koniag Ranger, ” I’m passionate about sharing our cultural heritage, connecting with visitors, and helping others experience the beauty and history of our land.” Shelby was born in Larsen Bay.

The nearly two million acre Kodiak Refuge makes up almost two-thirds of Kodiak Island. Six villages are on or adjacent to the refuge and the refuge borders lands owned by Alaska Native village and regional corporations. In addition, lodges, commercial fishing sites, visitors, Kodiak City and Kodiak Coast Guard Base create a diverse human environment. The refuge needed someone who could navigate those worlds and bring people and organizations together and that is Amy. Come hear from upbeat Amy all about this hopeful project that is improving things for people and wildlife and creatively helping the refuge in a time of staff and budget crunch. And there will be a quiz! With prizes! And you can play online.

This program which started in 2021 has since been copied by Yukon Delta Refuge with a Community Affairs Liaison in Mountain Village. Other refuges across the country have made inquiries to Kodiak about how to do something similar.

Koniag Refuge Ranger, Veronica Johnson has worked two summers in the refuge visitor center. This is one of the youth programs we will hear about. The photo was taken in front of a mural in the Alutiiq Museum, which is a refuge partner.

Background

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is famous for its brown bears — largest of the brown (grizzly) bears — salmon, rugged coastline and emerald green scenery. The refuge was created in 1941 to protect Kodiak bears and their habitat. Today, the refuge has a broader purpose striving to protect interdependent species of fish, wildlife and plants within the largest intact, pristine island ecosystem in North America; and to ensure compatible management of wildlife, subsistence, recreation, and economic uses of refuge resources.

Koniag is an Alaska Native regional corporation formed pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Headquartered in Kodiak, Alaska, Koniag is owned by nearly 4,600 Alaska Native Shareholders of Sugpiaq and Alutiiq ancestry who have called the Kodiak Archipelago region — including the lands within the Refuge — their traditional homeland for more than 7,500 years. Koniag Shareholders and their Descendants continue to live on or near Refuge lands and rely on the harvest of wild foods and natural resources from within the Refuge for cultural, economic, nutritional, and spiritual sustenance.

We at Friends have contributed in a small way to the partnership by securing a grant from the Sam and Mary Lawrence Foundation which was matched five times over by Koniag to fund a student program, YETI, in the summer of 2024. These are the 2025 YETI (Youth Environmental Education Internship) students.

Biography

Amy Peterson’s background prepared her well for this unique role as the Community Affairs Liaison for Koniag and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Although raised outside the state, she is the daughter of two schoolteachers who taught in Old Harbor and Port Lions. When Amy came to Alaska, she settled in Old Harbor, working 17 years for the school district which gave her a solid background in youth programs. In addition, she worked for the Old Harbor Native Corporation and in the Village Clinic as her original training was as a certified medical assistant. She has five children and nine grandchildren and divides her time between Old Harbor and Kodiak City. Amy cherishes family life and engaging in traditional activities such as berry picking, fishing, and preparing comfort foods.

Franklin D. Rooseveldt created the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge in 1941 “for the purpose of protecting the natural feeding and breeding range of the brown bears and other wildlife on Uganik and Kodiak Islands.”

Arctic Refuge: Art and Advocacy, Sept. 6 in Homer

Join us, Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges for a lovely evening of Arctic Refuge art, adventure tales, and ideas for advocacy on Saturday, September 6 from 5 to 7 pm at Bunnell Street Art Center. Fairbanks artist Lynn Larsen’s Arctic Refuge landscape paintings will be on display at the gallery. Lynn and her partner, Arctic Refuge guide Ron Yarnell, will share their experiences from more than 35 years exploring the Arctic Refuge and their thoughts about its future. Friends Advocacy Chair, Nancy Lord, will update us on the status of threats to the refuge, what Friends, working with partners, is doing to counter the threat of drilling and how you can help. Light refreshments will be served.

In 1988 Lynn made her first trip to the Brooks Range, a journey that changed the direction of her life and her art work. After that trip on the Wind River, she started drawing and painting landscapes. Flying over the Brooks for the first time, she felt she had found what she had been seeking and returned to the Brooks Range every summer to raft, backpack, and hike.

Lynn’s art will be on display at Bunnell for the entire month of September. The show entitled Time – Arctic Refuge will open with a First Friday event on September 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. which will include an artist’s talk. Many of Lynn’s recent works can be seen at https://arcticrefuge.art/lynn-larsen/

August Advocacy Report 2025

By Nancy Lord, Advocacy Committee Chair

Here are updates on issues with which we’re engaged.

FY26 Refuge System Budget: The House and Senate Appropriation Committees marked up the budget bills to provide $505 and $525 million respectively to the Refuge System, compared to $550 in FYs 24 and 25. Senator Murkowski played a key role in the Senate committee. After the August Congressional recess, both bodies will resume budget work, but it’s unclear whether a budget will be agreed upon or whether we may expect a continuing resolution or a government shutdown.

Izembek Refuge Road: This is an on-going issue with a coalition of partners. Survey work for the proposed road is underway. Hearings on a land trade will be held Aug. 18-21.

Arctic Refuge (with Arctic Defense Coalition):
Friends is involved in the Trustees of Alaska’s appeal to the Dept. of Interior’s decision to reinstate the oil leases that were previously cancelled. Seismic work is underway. The reconciliation bill passed by Congress requires four new lease sales in the refuge within the next seven years.

Staff reductions – 37 Alaska Refuge system employees are gone; 220 are left. The staff reduction along with the ongoing hiring freeze have left refuges woefully understaffed.

Other issues receiving our attention and involvement include the proposed Johnson Tract Mine (potential impact on the Alaska Maritime Refuge’s Chisik Island), Selawik Refuge Broadband Project (80 miles of overland cable), oil and gas exploration drilling on state land adjacent to Yukon Flats Refuge, predator control on state lands adjacent to refuges, and several administrative actions including one designed to control refuge visitor center exhibits and signage.