by the “Dolly Varden Cabin Gang,” Poppy, Sandy, Ellen, Rose and Tim
Snow fell soft and deep as we snowshoed back across Dolly Varden Lake after an awesome Friends’ Discovery Trip to the Kenai Refuge’s Dolly Varden public use cabin. The February 1 – 3, weekend didn’t turn out quite as planned because the community ice fishing event we were there to help with was canceled because of the shutdown. However, the cozy cabin was already reserved for Friends, so we weren’t going to waste that opportunity. Five Friends from Anchorage, Soldotna, Homer and Indiana including intrepid leader Tim Shipman made the trek in. What did we discover?
Sandy Kerns from Soldotna, said “A hidden lake, snowshoeing abilities, how much weight can we pull in a sled across a frozen lake, babbling water in an open creek, how good food tastes prepared camp style, new friends, and that planning service projects for Alaska Wildlife Refuges makes one feel connected to the land and community.”
Yes, we talked into the night about future fun and good work we can do on the Kenai and other refuges. Kenai is the drive to refuge for Kenai/Soldotna, Homer, Anchorage and the Valley. Stay tuned for more Discovery Trips and Volunteer Projects on the Kenai. The Kenai Refuge cabins have opened up the refuge to use in winter. Many are easily accessible. All are cute and cozy and make winter activities fun.
And we had fun! Rose Lahti of Anchorage on her very first Friends event said “The best outdoor experiences are with like-minded souls and there are no strangers when it comes to sharing what we enjoy doing, just “friends”. I look forward to another “friends” activity and the memories I made at Dolly Varden cabin are precious.”
The Department of Interior continues its race permit oil and gas leasing on the 1.6 million acre coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While 800,000 “nonessential” Federal employees were idled by the recent government shutdown, the Bureau of Land Management continued work to complete the Draft Environmental Statement (DEIS). However the news isn’t all bad as public comment deadline on the DEIS has been extended from February 11th to March 13th.
As part of the public comment period, BLM has launched a rushed round of public meetings. The format of these “open house” meetings (as reported by Alaska Public Media here) includes a slide presentation from the agency and opportunities for the attendees to provide testimony via computers and court reporters, DOES NOT include opportunities a forum for the public to speak out. Meetings have already occurred in Fairbanks, Kaktovik, Utqiagvik, and Fort Yukon. Meetings are scheduled at Arctic Village (Saturday, Feb. 9), Venetie (Sunday, Feb 10), Anchorage (Monday, February 11), and in Washington DC (Wednesday, Feb 23). Your attendance and participation in these meetings is important and valuable – in spite of the shortcomings of the meetings’ format and opportunities for public engagement. More information about these meetings is available here.
If you are unable to attend, you can submit comments on proposed Arctic Refuge leasing alternatives presented by the BLM before March 13th at blm.gov/alaska, or by mail to Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program EIS, 222 W. Seventh Ave., Stop #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513.
This comment period is the last opportunity for the public to wade in on the BLM’s rushed and highly flawed process. Your comments might include:
Your assessment of the value of the Refuge, including its importance as one of America’s last wild places.
Your concerns regarding the leasing process. You might include:
The Administration’s failed promise to Americans that the permitting would include a robust, scientifically sound review process with public comment and full tribal consultation.
The BLM’s disregard for the serious biological, cultural, and climate impacts fossil fuel extraction will have in the rapidly-warming Arctic.
The DEIS’s unacceptable deficiencies in current information about the impacts of oil and gas on the Refuge’s irreplaceable ecosystem, wildlife, and the people who depend on those resources
Your specific concerns regarding species, ecosystem functions, the potential contributions of greenhouse gases to global climate change, etc.
The Bureau of Land Management’s website includes additional information on the leasing program, including the EIS.
Thank you and the Friends group for the contribution to the Togiak NWR Bird Feeder Building project this year. We had great fun with the kids and the adults too. Through these community events, we hope to educate people about our hardy winter birds and inspire interest in citizen science projects like Feeder Watch and the Christmas Bird Count. We held the event on the weekend before Thanksgiving and it was well attended.
In the first photo, you can see a handout we made picturing the most common feeder birds in Dillingham and a baggie of birdseed with the Friends and the Fish and Wildlife logos. These were included with each feeder kit. For the littlest kids, we provided a pinecone finger painting project with some creamy peanut butter as the artistic media. Most of the peanut butter ended up on the pinecones as planned to stick the seeds in place.
A creative outlet with some brightly colored paint and tablecloths always help brighten spirits on winter days, as does watching feeder birds from a cozy spot inside a warm house.
Thank you again for your contribution to this event. It was enjoyed by all!
Warm Regards, Kara Hilwig, Pilot/Biologist Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
A federal agency criticized forworking on the Trump administration’s pro-drilling agendaduring the partial government shutdown announced on Wednesday that it would give the public an extra month to comment on a report addressing oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The 700-page draft environmental report is part of the federal government’s effort to hold a lease sale to oil companies in the refuge’s coastal plain, as early as this year, setting the stage for eventual drilling.
Congress ordered lease sales in late 2017.
The Bureau of Land Management madethe reportavailable for public review shortly before the five-week shutdown began Dec. 22. The funding lapse forced most people in the agency to stop working, though some agency efforts tied to oil activity continued. Conservation groups and others, unable to reach officials to answer questions,demanded additional opportunities to weigh inon the effort to drill in ANWR.
“We received requests from Alaska communities and tribes as well as non-profit organizations from across the nation asking for additional time and meeting locations,” Joe Balash, assistant secretary of Interior for land and minerals management, said in a prepared statement. “After considering these requests, we have decided to extend the comment period to March 13.”
The original comment period was set to expire Feb. 11.
The report provides different development scenarios in the refuge’s 1.6-million-acre coastal plain. It proposes making at least 1 million acres available for leasing, offering protections for the environment and prized animals such as caribou.
The meetings are planned for Feb. 4 in Fairbanks at the Carlson Center; Feb. 5 in Kaktovik; Feb. 6 in Utqiagvik at the Iñupiat Heritage Center; Feb. 7 in Fort Yukon; Feb. 9 in Arctic Village; Feb. 10 in Venetie; Feb. 11 in Anchorage at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center; and Feb. 13 in Washington, D.C., at the National Housing Center.
Additional details about the meetings, and updates if necessary, are available at theBLM’s ePlanning webpagefor the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
On December 20th the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program. The document can be found here in its entirety.
Initial analysis of the DEIS reveals a remarkably deficient document and a flawed administrative process that (among many failings) underestimates the impacts to the Arctic Refuge’s iconic wildlife – including polar bears, caribou, and birds, minimizes the adverse impacts to the freshwater resources on which the region’s ecological systems depend, and fails to accurately assess the potential impacts of Arctic oil and gas development on climate change. While the agency is accepting public comments on the DEIS until February 11, 2019, its commitment to public participation and open process is under scrutiny.
Media outlets – including Alaska Public Media – reported this week that the Trump Administration is moving ahead to authorized oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Refuge in spite of a partial government shutdown that has idled 800,000 Federal employees. The continued activity by BLM staff has attracted the attention of Congress. According to AK Public Media, Congressman Raul Grijaiva of Arizona has written to acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt questioning the continuation of work on the Arctic Refuge and the National Petroleum reserve during the shutdown. “Asking people to comment on two major development processes in the Arctic with huge potential environmental and human consequences without anyone in the agency able to answer questions defeats the purpose of the public participation process,” Grijalva wrote.
The Department of Interior’s juggernaut to permit leasing and stymie public participation is unacceptable. Watch for an action alert that will provide more information on how to develop and submit your input on the Draft EIS to the BLM.
Thumper Trucks Stymied by Government Shutdown
At least for now
A phalanx of rubber-tracked “thumper trunks” is poised to roll across the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A recent article in the Alaska Daily News reports that heavy-duty trucks operated by SAExploration are awaiting a green light from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management to unleash ground-vibrating seismic testing gear across the Refuge’s frozen coastal plain in search of oil-rich geologic formations. The data acquired would be used by oil companies interested in acquiring drilling leases in a sale anticipated as soon as this year.
The partial Government shutdown has stalled the ambitious plan. Federal regulations require opportunities for public input on the project’s Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Incidental Take Permit for Polar Bears before the thumper trucks can roll. To minimize disturbance, the work can only be accomplished while the land is frozen. But seismic testing, even on frozen tundra, brings significant risks to wildlife. Conservation groups and polar bear experts have raise concerns over the potential disturbance to snoozing mothers bears with cubs without complete knowledge of den locations and adequate protocols for avoiding disruption.
It is anticipated that the process will be aggressively pushed forward when (and if) the Government shutdown is resolved. Watch for additional updates, including information on how you can provide your input on the EA and Incidental Take Permit.
(Illustration by World Wildlife Fund, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYpG0m51F8)
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under heavy attack by the Trump Administration!
The BLM released a Draft Environmental Statement (DEIS) for Oil Leasing in the Coastal Plain. Comments are due by February 11, 2019. (Click here)
This DEIS addresses only the leasing portion of this horrible plan. BLM plans to prepare an additional DEIS for on-the-ground activities and drilling that may occur following projected lease sales. Also, preparation of a separate BLM environmental assessment of potential impacts of seismic exploration on the Coastal Plain and wildlife is underway. We expect to see that soon and will keep people informed when that is released for what is expected to be a 30-day public comment period.
We are working with many organizations to prepare comments on the Oil Leasing DEIS, which should be in the preliminary draft later this month. In the meantime, organizations are preparing information and talking points that we will make available for individuals to prepare and submit their comments. It is crucial that large numbers of concerned citizens let the BLM know that desecrating the Arctic Refuge would be a major environmental and social disaster. Please check our website and your emails for notices and information that will be provided as they become available.
This is the most important battle ever waged to save the Arctic Refuge, its wildlife, and the Gwich’in way of life. We need your involvement and commitment. We need your help.
What on earth does “the wall” have to do with Tetlin’s lynx research project, a school children’s Discovery Lab in Homer or a snowshoe walk in Kenai? Well these programs and so much more are being held hostage to the budget fight in Washington. The federal government shutdown, now in its third week, has shuttered all Alaska Refuge visitor centers and offices, canceled environmental education and public programs, postponed meetings and agreements, delayed hiring even of volunteers, postponed commenting on the Arctic Refuge oil leasing EIS, and postponed the start of winter biology projects such as the lynx project and moose counts.
Only 21 employees in Alaska were deemed “essential” and they are working without pay mainly to protect facilities and carry out the shutdown. All others have been sent home as the Fish & Wildlife Service, without a budget, has no authority to pay employees. Two Friends events have already been cancelled due to the shutdown and several others are at risk. We can’t meet with Refuge staff if they aren’t on the job. Below is a list of some closures, cancellations and postponements that we know about. It is hard to get information on the scope of the cancellations when there are no refuge staff available to talk to. We also do not know if refuge wildlife and lands are suffering damage such as is reported for the Lower 48 National Parks and Refuges. All lands remain open to public use but the public is warned they are on their own. CLOSED:
Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, Homer (Alaska Maritime Refuge)
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Soldotna
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Kodiak
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Bethel
All Alaska Public Information Centers
CANCELED:
Friends Strategic Planning Workshop & “Meet the Managers” events
Environmental education programs – all Refuges
NOT MAINTAINED:
All Refuge Facebook pages, web pages and other social media communicating with the public.
Refuge trails, roads and cabins
AT RISK:
Friends Membership meeting on January 15. Won’t have a speaker if shut down in effect.
Friends Discovery Trip to the Dolly Varden Cabin on the Kenai Refuge, February 1 – 3
Friends opening of the Coldfoot Visitor Center for aurora watchers, February 15 to April 15. The issue here is whether or not the extensive background checks can be completed in time.
Yukon River Fishery Decisions – State Board of Fish Meeting son the Yukon & Kuskokwim finfish – January 15 – will be no Yukon Delta Refuge staff or FWS fisheries participation
Arctic Refuge comments on oil and gas leasing of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – February 11
Alaska Marine Science Symposium January 28 – no FWS or NOAA participation if the shutdown continues.
The hiring of refuge summer seasonal staff and volunteers.
Winter biology projects.
Rural children’s Migratory Bird Calendar Contest
UAF Oral History Project planned for several Native communities
TAKE ACTION:
Contact our Congressional Delegation and the President and tell them to quit holding Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuges hostage over a budget fight. Tell them: this shut down is costing all of us taxpayers money and opportunities to enjoy our public lands, programs, and facilities; the impact of this shut down will extend well beyond a return to work as our hardworking refuge staffs will be hard put to make up for this time lost from the job; and it is a breach of faith to not pay employees especially those who are still required to work.
It doesn’t take but a minute to fill in the email forms on our delegations’ web pages:
Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, this meeting has been canceled. We hope to have Bill Carter present at a future membership meeting.
Please join us on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, 5-6pm, for the Friends membership meeting. In person: Homer (Alaska Maritime) or Soldotna (Kenai NWR) Call in a few minutes before 5pm: (866) 556-2149, code :8169747#
Guest Speaker Presentation: Bill Carter – “A Permafrost Thaw Slump and Its Effect on Selawik River Inconnu (Sheefish) Spawning Recruitment”
In the summer of 2004, a retrogressive permafrost thaw slump (slump, mudslide) began dumping sediment into the Selawik River in northwest Alaska. It’s location above the spawning area of one of two Inconnu populations (Stenodus leucichthys) that share rearing and overwintering habitat in Selawik Lake, Hotham Inlet and Kotzebue Sound was cause for concern for local subsistence users and fisheries managers. The subsequent erosion of material from the slump has deposited more than 365,000 m3 (477,402 yd3) of sediment into the river, and the silt plume could be seen over 145 km (90 mi) downstream. The spawning area, only 40 km (25 mi) downstream, was threatened by heavy sedimentation. A population age structure study to explore the effects of the slump using otolith (ear bone) aging began in 2011, giving us pre-slump age data as the first recruits from the 2004 spawning event wouldn’t return until the age-9 (2014). Age structure data has revealed an interesting population dynamic not only in the Selawik River population but also in its sister population of Inconnu in the Kobuk River that is being used as an experimental control.
Check here for presentation materials, closer to the meeting date.
*SIX meetings yearly: January, February, March, April, September, October
It was a great year for Outreach with membership skyrocketing and new folks stepping up to help out at events. From Fairbanks to Homer and Anchorage to Soldotna we staffed outreach tables at 9 events spreading the word about Refuges and Friends and always gaining at least a couple of new members. Sportsman Show, River Festival, and even the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Attu – we were there talking up Friends. The Shorebird Festival which is co-sponsored by Friends brought in nearly 70 new members. It is always fun to talk to the public about the work Refuges and Friends do, and we had new tools to do that with this year. With the help of a grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, we were able to buy identifying vests, a new pop-up display, a tablecloth, and a screen to show images all of which gave us a much more professional look. We put an outreach emphasis on the Kenai-Soldotna area this year to build support for the Kenai Refuge. We started off in April with the Kenai Peninsula Sportsman Show and went right through Wildlife Refuge week in October. We now have 25 current members in that area and many willing volunteers. A good start for sure.
(Becky Hutchingson, Soldotna, and George Hedrick, Sterling, work the table at the Kenai River Festival in June)
(Tara Schmidt, Homer, working the Kenai Peninsula Sportsmans Show)
Taking it Up a Notch & Creating Direct Engagement, with Refuge Discovery Trips
We know our members want to get out on the refuges so in the fall of 2017 we hatched the idea of Refuge Discovery Trips with a Kenai Refuge canoe trip. This year we took that up a notch with 12 Friends journeying to the Tetlin Refuge on the Canadian border for 4 days of learning about the refuge, volunteering and best of all a 2-night canoe trip. Participants came from the Kenai Peninsula, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Copper Center to experience the Tetlin and see how we can do more for them. With good weather (no bugs), lots of waterfowl, and great company it was a very fun time on a beautiful refuge that none of us had experienced before. We quickly left all signs of civilization behind and saw no other people after launching the refuge canoes on Desper Creek at the Alaska Highway boat launch. Tetlin is very accessible and virtually unused wilderness. We also camped a night in their lovely campground at Deadman Lake and spent time at the refuge’s border visitor center, the first place highway travelers stop when entering Alaska. Meeting with the refuge staff was a key part of the experience because out of that has come so many more ideas for trips, volunteer projects and supporting the refuge with a grant application. We were all shocked that a refuge the size of Rhode Island has only 6 permanent staff. They need help. Stay tuned for more trips to the Tetlin as the refuge staff would like our help with signing a canoe route, demolishing old buildings on newly acquired highway frontage and helping with their 4th of July. These would all be great opportunities for Fairbanks Friends as Tetlin is your drive-to refuge and one of only 2 in the state that is road accessible.
(Desper Creek on a two-night canoe trip)
Kenai is our other road accessible refuge, and we took advantage of that easy access with a September trip to help the Alaska Flyfishers clean up the Kenai River. We got to float the Kenai with refuge staff cleaning beaches and admiring bear tracks on a bright and sunny day. The next day, we hiked the Hidden Creek trail to lovely Skilak Lake. With the easy access, rich wildlife and varied experiences possible on the Kenai Refuge, we will always host at least one Discovery Trip there annually. Next up is a ski in cabin trip on the Kenai for the first weekend in February (see description above). For next summer, more Kenai and Tetlin trips will likely happen but we are mulling expanding to off-road refuges with perhaps a trip to Adak on the Alaska Maritime Refuge or possibly Yukon Delta. These trips will be announced in this newsletter and on our Refuge Discovery Trip webpage.
(All smiles after a great day on the Kenai River Clean-up)
(Soldotna, Homer and Indiana Friends floating down the river with Ranger Scott)
Contact Outreach Coordinator Poppy Benson at poppyb.ak@gmail.com with your ideas or questions about 2019 Discovery Trips.
Ever want to experience the Kenai Refuge in winter? Try out ice fishing with people who know what they are doing in a warm ice fishing tent? Then join our Discovery Trip to the Dolly Varden Lake cabin on the Kenai Refuge the weekend of February 1 – 3, 2019.
Enjoy a cozy, off-road, cabin, ice fishing and assisting the refuge! Ski, snowshoe or probably even walk into the cabin only a mile across the lake from the Dolly Varden campground. Since the cabin only sleeps 6, we will have a Friday night group and a Saturday night group. Both cabin groups will help the Refuge with their Saturday Family Ice Fishing event on Dolly Varden Lake.
Not up for an overnight? Then come out on Saturday just for the day to help with or participate in the Ice Fishing event which will be held right next to the Dolly Varden Campground, 14 miles up the Swanson River Road from Sterling, from 1 to 4 p.m. with set-up at noon.
Times: Friday group will meet at the Dolly Varden campground at 2 p.m. Friday to pack gear and ski, snowshoe, or walk in. We will haul our gear back to our cars by noon Saturday to be ready to help set up the ice fishing event which opens to the public at 1 p.m.
The Saturday cabin group will meet at the Dolly Varden campground about noon to help set up the event and have lunch with staff. Afterwards, we will ski into the cabin and spend the night coming out by noon Sunday.
The cabin overnights are limited to 6 per night with a minimum age of 16. You must be a current Friend to participate but you can join here.
Day trippers who want to help with the ice fishing event should show up at the Dolly Varden campground about noon to help set up. The event is open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. The ice fishing event on Saturday is open to all and free. Families are encouraged to attend, and you do not need to be a Friends member. Leaders:
Friday night: Poppy Benson, poppybenson@alaskarefugefriends.org; (907) 299-0092. Poppy has had 30 years of experience in Alaska and more than that on skis. Poppy is Wilderness First Aid certified and a Friends Board Member.
Saturday night: Tim Shipman, tim.shipman@gmail.com; (907) 252-8450. Tim lives in Soldotna and has been hiking and snowshoeing on the Kenai Refuge for 30 years.
Cost: $20 for dinner and breakfast at the cabin plus a hot dog lunch over the fire on Saturday. Bring your own snacks and beverages other than coffee and tea. Contact the trip leaders if you have dietary restrictions.
Equipment needed: Your own personal gear for traveling to and overnighting in a cabin and being out on the ice. The refuge will have ice fishing gear but you might want to bring your own chair or bucket. Contact the trip leaders if you don’t have a way to bring your gear in. A pulk (shown in photo) is the very best for hauling gear but a backpack works too. Bring skis or snowshoes for the mile trip across the lake as snow may be deep. A full equipment list will be supplied to participants.
Weather: The trip will happen unless we have a major blizzard or record low temperatures. The refuge is bringing portable ice fishing tents. The cabin has a stove and will be warm but a winter weight sleeping bag is a good idea.
How to sign up: The overnights will be limited to the first 6 people per night to register and pay but any number can join in on the Saturday ice fishing. Please fill out the registration form below even if you only plan to go for the day. You must be a current Friends member to participate in the cabin overnight but you can join here. All participants who are not yet signed up as Fish and Wildlife volunteers will be required to fill out a Volunteer Agreement. Prior to the trip, all participants will be required to sign a liability waiver which will be sent to you.
Please leave your furry friends at home.
Questions about this awesome opportunity to experience the wilds of this refuge in the company of Friends and refuge staff? Please contact Poppy Benson, Outreach Coordinator: poppybenson@alaskarefugefriends.org
Register for the Kenai Refuge Discovery Trip – Feb 1-3, 2018
