Author: Editor Friends of AK NRWs

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Canoeing Yaghanen; Canoe Trails of the Kenai Refuge, 3/21, 5 – 6 p.m. (AKDT)

Presented by Dave Atcheson author, fly fisherman, canoeist


Dave will be in person at the Kenai Refuge with a book signing at 4:30 pm, talk at 5 and reception at 6.  A watch party will be at the Alaska Maritime Refuge in Homer with Dave’s books available for purchase.

Come learn about the vast canoe country of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge with Dave Atcheson, author of the newly released book, Canoeing Yaghanen.   Swan Lake and Swanson River canoe trails, just north of Sterling, Alaska, cover over 100 miles with more than 70 lakes, two river systems and portage trails.  These routes are a national treasure having been recognized as Water Trails within the National Recreation Trail System.  The Swan Lake trails and most of the Swanson River trails are within designated Wilderness, closed to motorized equipment and boats.  All you will hear will be loon calls, beaver tail slaps, swans honking and wind in the spruce.  Dave will share his images and thoughts on what makes this place so special, its wildlife and waterbirds, incredible trout fishing and of course, how you can plan your own adventure into this wonderful network of wilderness trails and waterways. From easy family weekend trips to weeklong adventures, paddlers of all abilities and ages will enjoy this unique wilderness experience.

‘    Portages varying in length from a hundred yards to nearly a mile connect the lakes of the canoe system.  Dave Atcheson portaging. pc Cindy Atcheson

Dave Atcheson is an avid canoeist, sports fisher and hunter and has spent much of the last 30 years exploring the Swan Lake and Swanson River canoe systems.  Dave writes that the canoe trails are one of his favorite places, not only in Alaska, but anywhere.  He also writes that “this still-water wonderland contains some of the finest lake fishing Alaska has to offer.” (from Canoeing Yaghanen) Dave has written for a variety of periodicals from Outdoor Life to Boy’s Life to Alaska Magazine and is a past contributing editor to Fish Alaska.  He is the author of the memoir of his commercial fishing days,  Dead Reckoning, Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier, Courting Tragedy on its High Seas.  He also wrote National Geographic’s Hidden Alaska, Bristol Bay and Beyond and the guidebook Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Dave teaches fly fishing and has run the Kenai Fishing Academy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula College.  Originally from upstate New York, Atcheson has traveled all over Alaska and lives in Sterling close to the canoe country. 


Dave Atcheson with Kenai River rainbow.  pc: Lee Keuper

Canoeing Yaghanen (the Good Land): A Guide to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s Swan Lake and Swanson River Canoe Systems was published by Alaska Geographic and is available from their online store here or at the Alaska Geographic bookstores at the Kenai Refuge and Alaska Maritime Refuge Visitor Centers.  



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    February Advocacy Report: Our work continues

    by David Raskin, Friends Board President

    Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

    The Department Of Justice (DOJ) filed its opposition to the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment in the federal lawsuit by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and the State that challenged the moratorium on oil and gas development in the Coastal Plain. Friends had intervened along with many conservation organizations and Tribal governments on behalf of the Biden administration. Trustees for Alaska will be filing our reply brief this month in support of the DOJ.

    On February 8, 2023, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) filed notice in the Federal Register regarding the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the December 2021 SF 299 application by Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation (KIC) for a winter Right- of-Way (ROW) across the tundra in a wilderness study area (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic). The draft EA is scheduled for September 2023 followed by a public comment period.  We expect this to be a lengthy process that will require compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act regarding potential impacts on polar bears and a full EIS process. This may result in a requirement for an incidental take permit, which could become a major problem for the ROW application. It should be noted that the request for a winter Right- of-Way across the Refuge may have implications for the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the Izembek road controversy. 

    A draft report on the Kaktovik claim of historical vehicle use for subsistence activities in the Arctic Refuge tundra, including wilderness study areas, is still under review. Under the solicitor’s opinion in the previous administration, the Refuge is open to motorized vehicles, but there has been little activity to date

    Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
    On December 13, 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in its en banc review of the appeal by the DOJ and the State of our second successful lawsuit that had stopped the illegal land transfer for the proposed Izembek road. Their decision to rehear the case en banc nullified the disastrous panel decision and began the road proponents appeal anew. We were extremely fortunate to obtain the pro bono services of San Diego expert appellate attorney Jennifer Bennett, who brilliantly argued our case before the 11-judge panel that unfortunately included a majority of six recent appointees by former President Trump. Assuming the panel decision could come as early as late March, the Izembek coalition is working diligently to convince Secretary Haaland to withdraw the illegal land exchange before the Ninth Circuit issues a decision. That is the only way to immediately put an end to potential threats to Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and more than 100 million acres of federal conservation lands currently protected by ANILCA

    Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
    We have heard nothing concerning the October 27, 2022, State of Alaska writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the Ninth Circuit’s decision that supported our win in the District Court.  The State claims that the case raises questions of “exceptional importance” to states and the Ninth Circuit decision is “unsustainable on the merits.” It is noteworthy that Safari Clubs International did not join the State in this latest appeal. The Supreme Court rejects most petitions for review, and we expect the same in this case.

    Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
    We have heard nothing further on the results of Hilcorp’s shallow exploration on Doyon Corporation inholdings in the Yukon Flats Refuge.  There is great concern that this may lead to oil and gas development that could negatively impact the world-class wildlife and fisheries and subsistence resources in the refuge



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    From Aahaaliq to Ulu: Culturally relevant environmental education. 2/21, 5 – 6 p.m. (AKT)

    Presented by Brittany Sweeney, Outreach Specialist, Selawik Refuge

    Tuesday,  February 21, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. AKDT


    What should environmental education be like on Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuges that are simultaneously public lands and homelands for Indigenous peoples? Iñupiaq residents in northwest Alaska have deep knowledge and longstanding connections to these lands that are now part of Selawik Refuge. In their environmental education program, Selawik Refuge centers cultural relevance, uplifting traditional stewardship, and building community partnerships. The annual Selawik Science-Culture Camp is a key example of this approach, but you can also see it in all of the refuge’s outreach and management approaches.


    ‘

    Brittany Sweeney has lived in Kotzebue, in the homeland of the Iñupiat, since 2010, with her husband and two kids. Brittany grew up in Yupi’k communities around Alaska refuges, first in Stebbins on the Yukon Delta Refuge, then in Dillingham where she started working for Togiak Refuge as a college student in 1998.


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      Few Moose, Few Wolves: What is the Story on the Yukon Flats Refuge? 1/17, 5pm-6pm (AKT)

      Presented by Bryce Lake, Wildlife Biologist, Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

      Speaker Reception with Bryce and light refreshments: Morris Thompson Cultural Center, 101 Dunkel Street, Fairbanks, or join others at Alaska Maritime Refuge Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Hwy or Kenai Refuge Visitor Center, 33398 Ski Hill Road or Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center, 402 Center St.

      Doors open at with light refreshment at 4:30pm, presentation begins at 5pm at all 4 locations!


         

      Bryce Lake with sedated wolf after the radio collar was attached. His red coat was a deliberate choice so the helicopter capture crew could  easily find Bryce in the expansive landscape to deliver a wolf to him for collaring.

      Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is unique because wolves and moose occur there at some of the lowest densities in North America. With moose the only large prey available to wolves on the Yukon Flats, how does the low prey density change the wolves behavior?  Do wolves eat fewer moose when moose are scarce (wolf kill rate)?  How do wolves adapt to few prey (search behavior)?  Join Yukon Flats Wildlife Biologist Bryce Lake to hear his stories about his four years of field work trying to answer these questions.   He will share moose numbers, wolf numbers, and what he has learned about this unusual predator/prey situation.


      Yukon Flats Refuge, a vast complex of wetlands, is the third largest refuge in the country.. pc: USFWS

      Bryce Lake says the most rewarding aspect of his job is the inspiration he draws from interacting with and learning about the hidden ways of nature, some of which he will share in this talk. Bryce has been a wildlife biologist for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge since 2008.  He has broad experience in Alaska having spent 13 summers from 1998 to 2008 living in a tent and working as a field technician on the Copper River Delta, North Slope, Yukon Delta, and the Interior. He has had prior experience on other Alaska National Wildlife Refuges including Yukon Delta Refuge and as an intern at Kanuti Refuge. Bryce’s job as a wildlife biologist is to conduct biology to inform management decisions. This usually means aerial surveys to count wildlife, capture and radio collar birds and mammals, and band ducks. His latest experiment is using trail cameras to monitor furbearers, particularly lynx. You can read about surprising things that Bryce has discovered with his trail cameras in the Science Corner of our February 2021 issue of our newsletter. 

      Bryce holds a master’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His thesis focused on how early environment shapes the growth of goslings. In his spare time, he enjoys all things outdoors, usually fishing, camping, hunting, and hiking with his two dogs. He also enjoys watching a close hockey or football game. Bryce lives in Fairbanks.

       

      Moose and wolf research takes place during the lovely but often brutally cold winter with temperatures frequently below zero. pc: USFWS


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        January Advocacy Report: The current state of Refuge System funding.

        by Caroline Brouwer, Friends Board Member

        We are dedicating this advocacy report to the current state of Refuge System funding.  Refuges across the nation are underfunded to the point of neglect and closure. Here in Alaska, Friends support 16 refuges that make up over 80% of the land acres in the Refuge System. Alaska refuges’ funding needs include climate science research and additional biologists and visitor services staff across all refuges, and additional dollars for maintenance of not just habitat, but infrastructure and roads. But perhaps most importantly, we need staff who can work with our local communities to ensure refuges meet the needs not only of our incredible wildlife, but the people who live near them. 

        First, a few numbers: there are 95 million land acres in the Refuge System, 80 million of which are in Alaska (84% of the land mass of the Refuge System is in Alaska). There are an additional 750 million acres of vast stretches of ocean – both Pacific and Atlantic – in the refuge system, Alaska is the nursery for songbirds and waterfowl which migrate through or winter in the lower 48 and Hawai’i. Refuges provide a network of wildlife habitat that stretches for thousands of miles; these lands and waters are interconnected, and deserve protection and robust funding.

        But there is not enough funding to take care of these lands and waters. Congress just passed a spending bill that increased the refuge system budget from $519 million to $542 million. Although it looks like a decent increase, it will be erased due to inflation and 1-2% staff pay increases. For the last dozen years, refuges have lost hundreds of millions of dollars in capacity, and we can see those losses on the ground. 

        In the Lower 48, these funding decreases have meant closing whole programs like environmental education and visitor services. Most refuge units have no federal wildlife officers to stop poaching. A significant majority of refuges have no staff dedicated solely to that refuge, and are minimally managed. This all results in an erosion of habitat quality due to lack of biological data to inform management decisions, invasive species, wildlife harassment and poaching, the closure of school environmental programs, and on and on. 

        Refuges in all 50 states are threatened by the effects of climate change, from saltwater inundation to melting permafrost to fires and floods, the impacts of invasive species that crowd out native species, and the increased use we have seen in recent years – over 65 million people visit refuges each year.

        In Alaska, these funding decreases right now mean that the regional office is being forced to complex refuges, which means a refuge that formerly had dedicated staff now shares its staff with at least one other refuge. Alaskan refuges are massive – in many cases the size of entire states in the Lower 48. They are complicated to manage, and each one needs its own dedicated staff to manage that complexity. Innoko, Koyukuk, and Nowitna National Wildlife Refuges are already complexed. And now, funding levels are so low that Kanuti and Yukon Flats Refuges are in discussion to be complexed. Kanuti, for example, is the size of the largest of the Lower 48 refuges (Desert National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada at 1.6 million acres). Complexing is only the right answer if we accept that refuges should be underfunded in perpetuity. Instead, we need to focus on addressing the overall funding issue and bring Refuge System funding up to a sustainable level.

        So how much money does the Refuge System really need? Well, the Fish and Wildlife Service has been examining these numbers for the last year, talking to each of the eight regional offices around the country to figure out the true need of the System. The answer? $1.5 billion dollars. That need is nearly three times the current funding levels. 

        Full funding of the Refuge System would mean that not only are wildlife protected, but there is enough funding available for infrastructure repairs, construction, road maintenance, community engagement, environmental education, and support for volunteers. Anyone who has visited a national park has seen educational signage, welcoming staff, well maintained infrastructure, and auto tour routes. The Park Service also has a budget 6 times larger than the Refuge System, and the vast majority of refuges do not receive anywhere near the level of funding as parks do.

        The Refuge System is an American treasure. – the largest system of public lands set aside for wildlife in the world. We owe it to ourselves to maintain it. We all know that Congress is not going to suddenly fund the System at $1.5 billion, but our goal is to increase current funding by $200 million each year until that goal is met. The 118th Congress was just sworn in a few days ago.  We will be in touch with next steps for increasing funding for the Refuge System later in the spring when Congress begins their appropriations process. 



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        December Advocacy Report: the year will end soon but our efforts will continue. Join in!

        by David Raskin, Friends Board President

        Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

        There are no recent developments on the existing leases, but a second lease sale in 2024 is required by the existing legislation. We expect that a second lease sale will be another bust like the first sale. In the meantime, US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)  and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continue the lengthy and expensive process of developing the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) required by order of the Secretary. The public release of the SEIS has now been postponed until the second quarter of 2023. Many conservation organizations, including Friends have intervened on behalf of the government in the federal lawsuit by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and the State.

        The FWS is beginning the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the SF 299 application by Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation (KIC) for a winter right-of-way across the tundra in a wilderness study area. It should be noted that the request for a winter right-of-way across the Refuge may have implications for the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the Izembek road controversy. A draft report on the Kaktovik claim of historical vehicle use for subsistence activities in the Arctic Refuge tundra, including wilderness study areas, is currently under review. Under the solicitor’s opinion in the previous administration, the Refuge is open to motorized vehicles, but there has been little activity to date.

        Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

        On November 10, 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted our petition for en banc review of their March 16, 2022, panel decision that overturned our second successful lawsuit that had stopped the illegal land transfer for the proposed Izembek road. That disastrous panel of two Trump appointees rewrote ANILCA to allow land transfers for economic and social purposes as a basis for reinstating the land exchange for the road. The decision to rehear the case en banc nullified the disastrous panel decision, canceled the land exchange, and began the road proponents’ appeal anew.

        Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska manager of Defenders of Wildlife and Deborah Williams, former Special Assistant to the Secretary of Interior, spearheaded the successful efforts to obtain amicus briefs from President Carter, former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, former Interior Solicitor John Leshy, and the Native Village of Hooper Bay and the Sea Lion Corporation in the Yukon Delta. The latter brief was shepherded by the tireless work of Myron Naneng of Hooper Bay. We are also extremely fortunate to have obtained the services of expert appellate attorney Jennifer Bennett who will argue our case before the en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit on December 13. Unfortunately, Interior Secretary Haaland has so far failed to withdraw the blatantly illegal land exchange that would end the legal case and protect Izembek and 104 million acres of federal conservation lands from commercial and industrial exploitation. We continue working with our conservation partners to develop other approaches to permanently preserve the Izembek Refuge and all Alaska federal conservation lands.
         
        Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
        On October 27, 2022, the State of Alaska filed a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court seeking review of the Ninth Circuit’s decision that supported our win in the District Court.  The State claims that the case raises questions of “exceptional importance” to states and the Ninth Circuit decision is “unsustainable on the merits.” It is noteworthy that Safari Clubs International did not join the State in this latest appeal. The Supreme Court rejects most petitions for review.

        Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
        We have heard nothing further on the results of Hilcorp’s shallow exploration on Doyon Corporation inholdings in the Yukon Flats Refuge.  There is great concern that this may lead to oil and gas development that could negatively impact the world-class wildlife and fisheries and subsistence resources in the Refuge.



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        Kodiak Report: What a great trip!!

        By: Leslie Slater, Friends Kodiak Refuge Liaison

        Let me back up and tell you all about the trip that Friends’ Vice President Poppy Benson and I as Kodiak Refuge Liaison had the pleasure of taking in October around National Wildlife Refuge Week.

        The Refuge had asked us to come help with events, but we also had things we wanted to accomplish with several local groups. The Friends group has a small footprint in Kodiak and we wanted to increase that by telling folks what our mission is, how we can help them, and encourage them to join Friends.First up was a volunteer appreciation event cohosted with the Kodiak Refuge that acknowledged the efforts of people who contributed their time to Kodiak Refuge projects. The refuge normally held these events annually, but had been unable to do so over the past two years due to the pandemic. More than 30 people attended on a blustery, rainy evening, and we helped lure them in by providing locally catered finger foods. Most of the refuge’s volunteers have been assisting with projects for several years, and one began his association with refuge projects in the 1970s!

        The following day, with only an occasional bit of precip falling and the tiniest bit of blue sky taunting us, we set up a Friends table under a tent shared with the refuge at the “Walk for the Wild” event. The refuge visitors services staff set up a walking route that had trivia questions posted throughout and a photo scavenger hunt. Walkers set off with their clip boards and answer sheets to win rewards based on the number of correct answers. With 103 participants, this was the largest Walk for the Wild in Alaska. Many, many families with small children participated and all seemed to have a very good time. And personally, there was a bonus…. I even ticked a bucket-list item off: donning (and dancing in!) the brown bear costume that the refuge keeps on hand for such events.


        Kodiak Refuge Manager Michael Brady; bear; Kodiak Volunteer Coordinator Erin Strand, with the photo stop at the Walk for the Wild banner.  pc. Poppy Benson

        The next day we were part of a small group who conducted a beach clean-up at White Sands Beach.  It’s a few miles out of town and gets a lot of use… many firepits contained a lot of nails leftover from burning pallets.  It felt good to leave the site much cleaner than it had been.


        The “loot” from beach cleaning efforts with Ranger Gretchen Mominee. pc Erin Strand

        Our last big public event was hosting the October Friends meeting, Tracking Puffins Across the Kodiak Archipelago.  It was an electronic challenge in linking three remote locations (Portland, Homer, Soldotna) and a zoom audience to the live meeting occurring in the Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center, but it seemed to have gone off without a hitch.  Twenty-six attended in Kodiak with a total audience from all locations and zoom land of 115.   


         Kodiak Refuge Avian Biologist Robin Corcoran presenting to the Friends monthly meeting live to the Kodiak audience as well as the zoom and watch party audiences.  Pc Poppy Benson

        Poppy and I also met with the Kodiak Audubon Chapter’s board of directors, the refuge’s new Community Affairs Liaison, Amy Peterson, at her office at Koniag and the president of the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust to encourage further communications, and hopefully, partner with them on future conservation projects.

        Lastly, we had a sit-down meeting with refuge staff, to outline what Friends could do for them and discuss what they most need from us.  We gained five new members on this trip but planted lots of seeds for future partnerships.  And, did I mention, the party at the Refuge Manager’s house?



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        Tim Shipman, event leader and Outreach Committee member, always makes sure his crew gets fed. Building the fire for the hot dog roast. pc: Wally Hufford

        Always a Good Day to Help a Refuge

        By: Poppy Benson, Friends VP, Homer

        Under the able leadership of Soldotna Friend Tim Shipman, seven Friends plus friends of Friends did their part in the Kenai Refuge’s Green-up, Clean-up on May 13 and 14.  We spruced up two campgrounds and the multi purpose trail and Ski Hill road.  A hot dog roast under sunny skies rewarded the trash pickers.

        Nikiski Friends members Elizabeth and Wally Hufford tackling campground trash. pc Tim Shipman



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        Telling the Refuges’ Story; Telling the Friends’ Story

        By: Poppy Benson, Friends VP, Homer

        Friends came from all over to run the Friends Outreach Booth at the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. Seventeen Friends from San Francisco, Colorado, Washington, Soldotna, Homer, Anchor Point, and Anchorage, got the word out on who we are, that we cosponsor the Shorebird Festival, and how we help refuges.  We must have been convincing because we signed up 37 new or renewing members while having fun and meeting great people.  

        Board Member Mike Schantz in a rare quiet moment while working the Friends table at the 2022 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. pc: Becky Hutchinson



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        Climate Scenarios for Alaska’s Refuges: Projections, potential impacts, and science for adaptation. 11/15, 5pm-6pm (AKT)

        With Dr. Jeremy Littell of the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center

        This presentation was recorded.  View below:
        How might climate change affect Alaska’s national wildlife refuges?  Climate change is already affecting the high latitudes, including Alaska, in profound ways – warming in the Arctic is now three to four times faster than the average for Earth as a whole. How and how fast the climate will change in the future varies considerably across Alaska, and how those changes will affect the ecosystems, habitats, and species are a critical science need for refuges attempting to adapt to and plan for these futures. Littell will discuss what we know about likely future changes, the impacts that are likely to occur, and how those vary among Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuges. Along the way, he’ll describe how we develop climate projections for the future and where the uncertainties about those futures come from.

        Jeremy Littell is a climate impacts ecologist at the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center (USGS). He conducts research at the intersection of climate change, ecological responses, and science needs of resource managers and decision makers and works to provide climate information that is relevant to decision makers’ adaptation to climate change. He has 20 years’ experience in climate impacts research. Jeremy grew up in southcentral Alaska, studied and worked outside, and returned in 2012. His doctoral work at the University of Washington focused on ecological and climatic controls on wildfire in the western U.S. and the role of climate in Douglas-fir tree growth across its climatic range. He also worked as a research scientist at the UW Climate Impacts Group, collaborating with resource managers in Federal and state agencies to better understand and use climate information in planning and adaptation.   When he’s not working (and sometimes while working), he can be found trying to find out how much of Alaska can be crossed via human powered locomotion in a day or spending time with his family.


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