U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

 Revised Comprehensive 

 Conservation Plan 

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof 

National Wildlife Refuges
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mission Statement 

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working 

with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, 

plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the 

American people. 

Refuge Mission Statement 

The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to 

administer a national network of lands and waters for the 

conservation, management, and, where appropriate, 

restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their 

habitats within the United States for the benefit of present 

and future generations of Americans. 

—National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 

The comprehensive conservation plan details program planning levels 

that are substantially greater than current budget allocations and, as 

such, is for strategic planning and program prioritization purposes only. 

This plan does not constitute a commitment for staffing increases or 

funding for future refuge-specific land acquisitions, construction 

projects, or operational and maintenance increases. 
Revised Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan 

Alaska Peninsula 

And 

Becharof 

National Wildlife Refuges

May 2006

Prepared by: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Region 7 

Anchorage, Alaska 

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof 

National Wildlife Refuges 

P.O. Box 277 

King Salmon, AK 99613 

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Region 7 

1011 East Tudor Rd. 

Anchorage, AK 99503 
Dear Reader,

This Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Conservation Plan) presents 

management direction for the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges. 

It represents the preferred alternative, 3a, in the “Revised Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan and Environmental Impact Statement: Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National 

Wildlife Refuges” of October 2005. That Plan combined and updated the 1985 and 1987 

Plans and incorporated a revision of the 1994 Public Use Management Plan. 

This Conservation Plan covers the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge, the Ugashik and 

Chignik units of the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, and the Seal Cape area 

of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. These units, all managed by the U.S. Fish 

& Wildlife Service office in King Salmon, will be referred to as the Alaska Peninsula and 

Becharof Refuges or simply as “the Refuges.” 

The “Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement: 

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges” of October 2005 contains 

background information, alternatives, and the environmental effects of implementing the 

plan. That information is not included in this document. 

Comments or requests for further information may be addressed to: 

Refuge Manager or Chief 

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof 

National Wildlife Refuges 

P.O. Box 277 

King Salmon, AK 99613 

 Division of Conservation 

Planning and Policy 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

1011 East Tudor Rd. 

Anchorage, AK 99503 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

1 

Table of Contents 

Acronyms 4

1. Introduction 5

1.1 Refuge Establishment..........................................................................................................6

1.2 Refuge Purposes..................................................................................................................6

2. Refuge Management 7

2.1 Vision Statement .................................................................................................................7

2.2 Refuge Goals and Objectives ..............................................................................................8

2.3 Management Policies and Guidelines ...............................................................................16

2.3.1 General .................................................................................................................16

2.3.2 Management Emergencies ...................................................................................17

2.3.3 Land Exchanges and Acquisitions .......................................................................17

2.3.4 Land Protection Planning .....................................................................................17

2.3.5 Compatibility Determinations ..............................................................................18

2.3.6 Mitigation.............................................................................................................19

2.3.7 Coastal Zone Consistency ....................................................................................20

2.3.8 Cooperation and Coordination with Others..........................................................20

2.3.9 Ecosystem and Landscape Management..............................................................23

2.3.10 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management ...............................................................26

2.3.11 Fish and Wildlife Population Management..........................................................28

2.3.12 Subsistence Use Management ..............................................................................33

2.3.13 Public Access and Transportation Management ..................................................34

2.3.14 Recreation and Other Public Use .........................................................................38

2.3.15 Outreach ...............................................................................................................39

2.3.16 Recreation Facilities.............................................................................................39

2.3.17 Commercial-Use Management.............................................................................41

2.3.18 Environmental Contaminants Identification and Cleanup....................................44

2.3.19 Management of Areas with Special Designations................................................45

2.3.20 Refuge Administration .........................................................................................47

2.3.21 Management Categories.......................................................................................48

2.4 Implementation and Monitoring........................................................................................67

2.5 Step-Down Plans ...............................................................................................................67

2.5.1 Cultural Resource Guide ......................................................................................67

2.5.2 Environmental Education Plan.............................................................................67

2.5.3 Facilities Management Plan .................................................................................68

2.5.4 Fire Management Plan..........................................................................................68

2.5.5 Fisheries Management Plan..................................................................................69

2.5.6 Habitat Inventory Plan..........................................................................................69

2.5.7 Land-Protection Plan............................................................................................69

2.5.8 Public-Use Management Plan or Visitor Services Plan .......................................69

2.5.9 Safety Plan............................................................................................................69

2.5.10 Water Resources Plan...........................................................................................70

2.5.11 Wildlife Inventory Plan........................................................................................70

2.5.12 Wilderness Stewardship Plan ...............................................................................70

2.6 Public Use Management Plan............................................................................................71

2.6.1 Wildlife.................................................................................................................71

2.6.2 Access...................................................................................................................72

2.6.3 Guided and Unguided Public Use ........................................................................73

2.6.4 Big-Game Guiding/Outfitting ..............................................................................74
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

2 

2.6.5 Hunting.................................................................................................................74

2.6.6 Recreational Fishing and Guided Recreational Fishing .......................................75

2.6.7 Facility Development and Use .............................................................................75

2.6.8 Information and Education...................................................................................76

2.6.9 Commercial Services............................................................................................77

2.7 Partnership Opportunities..................................................................................................77

2.7.1 Desired Partnerships.............................................................................................78

2.7.2 Existing, past, and potential partnerships.............................................................78

2.8 Monitoring and Evaluation................................................................................................79

2.9 Plan Amendment and Revision .........................................................................................86

3. References 87

4. Appendix A: Special Values 89

4.1.1 Refuge Characteristics Valued by the Public .......................................................89

4.1.2 Becharof Refuge...................................................................................................89

4.1.3 Alaska Peninsula Refuge......................................................................................91

4.1.4 Alaska Maritime Refuge ......................................................................................93

5. Appendix B: Easements, Withdrawals, and Asserted Rights of Way 94

5.1 Easements reserved by the Service over private lands under Sec. 17(b) of ANCSA........94

5.1.1 Ugashik Unit ........................................................................................................94

5.1.2 Chignik Unit.........................................................................................................94

5.2 Asserted RS-2477 Rights-of-Way.....................................................................................95

6. Appendix C: Species Lists 97

7. Appendix D: Maps 117

Figure 1: Refuge Locations ..............................................................................................................5

Figure 2: Becharof National Wildlife Refuge .............................................................................119

Figure 3: Ugashik Unit, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge.........................................121

Figure 4: Chignik Unit, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge and 

Seal Cape Unit, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge ........................................123

Figure 5: Yantarni Bay Moderate Management Area .................................................................125

Figure 6: Current Management Categories .................................................................................127

Figure 7: Generalized Land Status ..............................................................................................129

Figure 8: Native Corporation Lands............................................................................................131

Figure 9: ANCSA Section 17(b) Easements ...............................................................................133

Figure 10: Asserted RS-2477 Routes ..........................................................................................135

Table 1: Acreages...........................................................................................................................49

Table 2: Activities, Uses, and Facilities by Management Category...............................................54

Table 3: Inventory and Monitoring Projects Associated with the Management Direction ............80

Table 4: Monitoring Indicators for Public Use, Standards, and Possible Actions .........................81

Table 5: Mileage of proposed RS 2477 routes within the Refuges. ...............................................96
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

3 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

4 

Acronyms 

ADF&G Alaska Department of Fish & Game 

ANCSA Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 

ANHA Alaska Natural History Association 

ANILCA Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 

DLP defense of life or property 

DNR Alaska Department of Natural Resources 

EIS environmental impact statement 

GIS geographic information systems 

GMU game management unit 

I&M inventory and monitoring 

IACUC Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee 

KSVC King Salmon Visitor Center 

LPP land protection plan 

MAPS Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship 

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act 

ORV off-road vehicle 

PUMP public-use management plan 

RAWS Remote Area Weather Stations 

RONS Refuge Operational Needs System 

Service U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

System National Wildlife Refuge System 

USGS U.S. Geological Survey 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

5 

1. Introduction 

The Refuges comprise approximately 4.2 million acres on the Alaska 

Peninsula (Figure 1). The northern boundary of the Becharof Refuge lies 

approximately 10 miles south of King Salmon. The refuge extends south 

past Becharof Lake, where it meets the northern boundary of the Ugashik 

Unit of the Alaska Peninsula Refuge. The Alaska Peninsula Refuge 

stretches for nearly 340 miles along the peninsula and is divided into four 

management units. The Ugashik and Chignik units are separated by the 

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve. The Seal Cape area is part 

of the Alaska Maritime Refuge. The most southern portions of the 

Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge—the Pavlof and North Creek 

units—are managed by the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge; and they 

are not covered by this plan. 

Figure 1: Refuge Locations 

This Comprehensive Conservation Plan contains management direction 

from the 2005 “Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement: Alaska Peninsula and Becharof 

National Wildlife Refuges”. It replaces the previous management 

direction for these refuges which was described in the Comprehensive 

Conservation Plans adopted in 1985 for the Becharof Refuge (USFWS 

1985) and in 1987 for the Alaska Peninsula Refuge (USFWS 1987). This 

plan also replaces the 1994 Public Use Management Plan for the 

Refuges. 

The “Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental 

Impact Statement: Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife 

Refuges” (October 2005) contains background information and the full 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

6 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis which was 

conducted during its development. 

1.1 Refuge Establishment 

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter established the 1,157,000-acre Becharof 

National Wildlife Monument with Presidential Proclamation 4613. The 

monument was established to protect the area, notably the unique brown 

bear denning islands in the Island Arm of Becharof Lake. (Figure 2: 

Becharof National Wildlife Refuge 

In 1980, Section 302 of ANILCA established the Alaska Peninsula 

National Wildlife Refuge and changed the Becharof National Wildlife 

Monument into a national wildlife refuge. Section 303(1) of ANILCA

created the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge by redesignating 

11 pre-existing refuges as units of the new refuge and adding other 

public lands on island, islets, rocks, reefs, spires, and designated capes 

and headlands in the coastal areas and adjacent seas of Alaska. 

In 1983, the Service decided to manage the Ugashik and Chignik units 

(figures 3 pg 125 and 4 pg 127) of the Alaska Peninsula Refuge, the 

9,900-acre Seal Cape area of the Alaska Maritime Refuge, and the 

Becharof Refuge as a “complex” because they shared resources and 

resource issues. Distance and weather create barriers to managing the 

Pavlof and North Creek units of the Alaska Peninsula Refuge from the 

King Salmon office; so management of these units was shifted to the 

Izembek Refuge headquartered in Cold Bay. 

1.2 Refuge Purposes 

The primary purposes of the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof Refuges are 

described in Section 302(1)B) and Section 302(2)(B) of ANILCA. 

Purposes for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge are 

described in Section 303(1)(B). 

These purposes include the following (unless otherwise noted, the 

purposes apply to all units of the Refuges): 

• [Alaska Maritime] to conserve fish and wildlife 

populations and habitats in their natural diversity, 

including marine mammals, marine birds, and other 

migratory birds, the marine resources upon which they 

rely, bears, caribou, and other mammals 

• [Alaska Peninsula] to conserve fish and wildlife 

populations and habitats in their natural diversity, 

including brown bears, the Alaska Peninsula caribou 

herd, moose, sea otters and other marine mammals, 

shorebirds and other migratory birds, raptors including 

bald eagles and peregrine falcons, and salmonids and 

other fish 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

7 

• [Becharof] to conserve fish and wildlife populations and 

habitats in their natural diversity, including brown bears, 

salmon, migratory birds, the Alaska Peninsula caribou 

herd, and marine mammals and birds 

• to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United 

States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats 

• to provide, in a manner consistent with the purposes set 

forth in preceding paragraphs, the opportunity for 

continued subsistence uses by local residents 

• [Alaska Maritime] to provide, in a manner consistent with 

preceding paragraphs, a program of national and 

international scientific research on marine resources 

• to ensure to the maximum extent practicable and in a 

manner consistent with the purposes set forth in 

preceding text, water quality and necessary water quantity 

within the refuge 

• [Becharof Wilderness Area] to secure an enduring 

resource of wilderness, to protect and preserve the 

wilderness character of areas within the National 

Wilderness Resource Preservation System, and to 

administer this wilderness for the use and enjoyment of 

the American people in a way that will leave it 

unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness. 

2. Refuge Management 

Goals and objectives focus management of the Refuges. These, when 

combined with refuge management direction, provide management 

direction for the Refuges. The primary sources of this management 

direction are the various laws governing the National Wildlife Refuge 

System and the regulations, policies, and other guidance—both national 

and regional—developed to implement these laws. 

2.1 Vision Statement 

The Alaska Peninsula and Becharof Refuges will remain as they are 

today with healthy, natural populations of fish and wildlife living in 

primarily unaltered habitats. The Refuges will continue to provide local 

residents opportunities for subsistence use. The Refuges will be open to 

all people to engage in a variety of wildlife-dependent activities and to 

enjoy the spectacular setting and resources. Refuge management and 

outreach will be a model of effective collaboration among diverse public 

interests and public and private landowners and managers. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

8 

2.2 Refuge Goals and 

Objectives 

The refuge vision statement and purposes provide the framework for 

developing goals and objectives for managing the Refuges. 

The objectives listed beneath each goal are often applicable to more than 

one goal. In order to avoid unnecessary duplication, we have listed each 

objective only once, under the goal that represents the clearest 

connection. The ordering of the objectives is not intended to imply 

prioritization; in fact, the many objectives listed beneath Goal 2 have 

been clustered into rough categories of wildlife, habitat, and fish. 

Following each objective, we list those other goals the objectives are also 

designed to address. 

Many of the objectives that are important for managing subsistence 

activities and public use of the Refuges require monitoring or improving 

our knowledge of the natural resources linked to the subsistence or 

public-use activities. For this reason, most of the objectives for 

subsistence or public use are listed beneath Goal 1 or Goal 2, the two of 

which are focused on improving our knowledge of the Refuges’ 

biological resources and on conserving habitat for those resources. 

Goal 1: Ensure quantity and optimal quality of naturally functioning 

habitats available on the Refuges for fish and wildlife 

populations in perpetuity, especially for salmonids, migratory 

birds, the Northern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd, moose, and 

brown bear

The Refuge vision statement and purposes emphasize conserving 

populations and habitats in their natural diversity. Although fish and 

wildlife populations may fluctuate for a variety of reasons, if the habitats 

on which they depend are functioning naturally and available in their 

natural abundance and diversity, the opportunity exists for populations to 

thrive. As with many of the other refuges in Alaska, the size, remoteness, 

weather, and complexity of the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof Refuges 

make it challenging to collect data on species and habitats. Fulfilling this 

goal requires information about fish, wildlife, and plant populations and 

their relationship to the habitat. Almost all of the objectives stated under 

Goal 2 and Goal 4 are objectives that would also provide necessary 

information for achieving Goal 1. 

1. Delineate marbled godwit nesting habitat and range in the 

Ugashik and Cinder drainages and vicinity by 2008 (also 

Goal 2). 

2. Cooperate with the State of Alaska in developing an interagency 

study of traditional subsistence access prior to the Alaska 

National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and 

develop and implement methodology to formally monitor 

existing off-road vehicle impacts on refuge lands by 2010. 

Monitoring off-road impacts would be conducted to document 

damage to vegetative cover and soils in areas of significant use, 

including Big Creek, King Salmon River (near Egegik), 

Becharof Lake outlet, Yantarni Bay airstrip, and Port Heiden 

(also Goals 2, 3, and 7). 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

9 

3. Monitor development of inholdings and uses of adjacent parcels 

to identify activities that could adversely affect refuge users and 

resources. Work with Service’s Regional Office realty specialists 

to identify opportunities to acquire lands or interests in lands 

from willing sellers to further the goals of the refuge and the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Additional 

assistance may be provided by working with other federal 

agencies, the state, Native corporations, and nongovernmental 

organizations. 

Goal 2:Improve knowledge of fish and wildlife populations and their 

habitats in order to conserve species in their natural diversity, 

especially those that are identified in the refuge purposes, that 

have restricted populations, or that have been identified as 

species or populations of ecological interest 

The Refuges’ objectives for wildlife under Goal 2 are directed toward 

monitoring a diverse group of species, including moose, caribou, wolves, 

bears, waterfowl, bald eagles, seabirds, shorebirds, and songbirds. This 

monitoring will provide valuable information for the ongoing 

management of wildlife populations on the Refuges as well as for 

responding to catastrophic events. These inventory and monitoring 

objectives will be incorporated in the wildlife inventory plan and may be 

revised when the Refuges staff completes a formal review of the 

biological program. Successful completion of many objectives will 

require close cooperation or consultation with the Alaska Department of 

Fish & Game (ADF&G), other agencies, the academic community, 

residents with local knowledge, and/or others. 

4. Complete the Refuges’ wildlife inventory plan—which includes 

goals and objectives, priorities, and methods for wildlife 

monitoring and inventory—by October 2007 (also Goal 1). 

5. Estimate moose density in the Refuges and vicinity, using 

professionally accepted methods, by 2008 (also Goals 1 and 3). 

6. Contribute to international efforts to establish trends in migratory 

bird populations by inventorying and monitoring landbird 

populations (as scheduled in the wildlife inventory plan) for 

measures of abundance, reproduction, and habitat using methods 

such as Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship 

(MAPS) program, point counts, Christmas bird counts, and fall 

migration monitoring (also Goal 1). 

7. Evaluate the Mother Goose Lake MAPS sites, in coordination 

with Boreal Partners in Flight and the Institute for Bird 

Populations, to determine if MAPS monitoring should be 

continued periodically, reinitiated in the future, or initiated at a 

new location. Implement schedule as recommended (also Goal 

1). 

8. Cooperate with other land managers to inventory and monitor 

shorebirds in the Bristol Bay lowlands. 

9. Cooperate with other land managers to monitor population trends 

of productivity of swans in the Bristol Bay lowlands. 

10. Continue monitoring (as scheduled in the wildlife inventory 

plan) waterfowl staging in upper Bristol Bay drainages during 

spring to document the range and annual variation of species 

composition, abundance, and phenology (timing) for use as a 

baseline for long-term impacts from local development and for 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

10 

the transition into spring waterfowl hunting (also Goal 3). 

11. Conduct year-round monitoring of waterfowl harvested by local 

villagers (also Goal 3). 

12. Continue cooperation with ADF&G on inventory, monitoring, 

and research studies to maximize information available for the 

management of species such as moose, caribou, brown bear, and 

others (also Goals 1 and 3). 

13. In cooperation with ADF&G, by 2010, develop methodology 

and begin gathering information on trapping effort, harvest, and 

areas within the Refuges (also Goals 3 and 6). 

14. Survey caribou (as scheduled in the wildlife inventory plan) in 

Pacific drainages of the Chignik Unit to determine post-calving 

count and calf composition (also Goal 3). 

15. Monitor Pacific coast murre colonies of Becharof Refuge for 

peak colony count and productivity in three of every 10 years in 

order to document recovery from the Exxon Valdez oil spill (also 

Goal 1). 

16. Monitor bald eagle populations and productivity along the 

Pacific coast of the Refuges every five years and initiate 

inventory of eagles in Bristol Bay drainages and of other raptors 

throughout the Refuges by 2008. 

17. Develop methodology and monitor wolf numbers and predation 

on caribou and moose in the Refuges and vicinity by 2008 (also 

Goal 3). 

18. Monitor seabird colony numbers along the Pacific coast of the 

Refuges, in cooperation with the Alaska Maritime Refuge, every 

10 years (also Goal 1). 

19. Continue inventory and monitoring of rodent and insectivore 

distributions and trends on the Refuges. 

Knowledge of wildlife habitat characteristics such as distribution, 

quality, function, and availability is an important first step in 

understanding changes in wildlife populations. The following objectives 

were established to develop the necessary information and tools for a 

basic understanding of wildlife habitat on the Refuges. 

20. Complete development, by 2008, of a refuge-based geographic 

information system (GIS); hardware, software, and data layers) 

that provides managers and biologists with a basic capability for 

mapping available data (also Goal 1). 

21. Assist the Service’s Alaska regional botanist in completing the 

vegetation community classification for the Refuges (also Goal 

1). 

22. Determine range condition for the Northern Alaska Peninsula 

caribou herd by 2010 (also Goal 1). 

23. Complete a habitat inventory plan that includes goals, objectives, 

priorities, and methods for habitat inventory and monitoring by 

December 2007 (also Goal 1). 

24. Develop a map of major vegetation types and mosaics—

incorporating soils, surficial geology, and water—for the 

Refuges and vicinity by 2010 (also Goal 1) 

25. Develop habitat models and maps for caribou and moose on the 

Refuges and vicinity by 2012 (also Goal 1). 

26. Develop habitat models and maps for additional species 

(following the completion of habitat maps for caribou and 

moose) using priorities established in the wildlife and habitat 

inventory plans at a rate of one habitat map per year (also Goals 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

11 

1 and 3). 

27. Complete reconnaissance of invasive plant and animal species 

near communities, ports, and other access points by 2010 (also 

Goal 1). 

28. Determine, by 2006, whether caribou summering in Pacific 

drainages of the Ugashik Unit constitute a distinct subpopulation 

of the Northern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd (also Goals 1 and 

3). 

29. In cooperation with ADF&G and the National Park Service, 

conduct wildlife inventories, monitoring, and research on 

species—including caribou, moose, and brown bear—to increase 

information available for management (also Goal 3). 

30. Continue working cooperatively with partners to complete 

ongoing studies and projects and initiate other high-priority 

projects identified during the Becharof Ecosystem Partnership 

Workshop (March 1997). Some of the highest-priority projects 

concern learning more about the population dynamics of the 

Northern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd; expanding resident and 

anadromous fisheries baseline data; completing vegetative cover 

and habitat mapping; monitoring water quality; and quantifying 

public uses (also Goals 1, 3, 6, and 7). 

31. Work with partners to contribute to understanding of climatic 

changes and their effects on refuge resources. 

32. Continue to operate Remote Area Weather Stations (RAWS) at 

Mother Goose Lake and Yantarni for collection of weather 

information. 

The following objectives are designed to increase understanding of, and 

the ability to manage, important fish populations on the Refuges. The 

objectives address species and drainages that are important not only for 

subsistence, commercial, and recreation uses, but also for their 

contribution to the ecological integrity of the Refuges. 

33. Evaluate Arctic grayling, lake trout, and Dolly Varden 

population structure and abundance in the Ugashik and Egegik 

drainages by 2006. 

34. Evaluate coho salmon population structure and abundance in the 

Pacific coast and Bering Sea drainages by 2010 (also Goal 3). 

35. Evaluate Chinook salmon population structure and abundance in 

the Bering Sea drainages by 2010 (also Goal 3). 

36. Reevaluate rainbow trout population structure and abundance in 

the King Salmon River by 2008 (also Goal 3). 

37. Conduct creel surveys of the winter fishery in the lower King 

Salmon River, Egegik drainage, by 2015 (also Goal 3). 

38. Conduct creel surveys of the summer open-water fishery at the 

Ugashik Lakes by 2006 (also Goals 6 and 7). 

39. Continue implementation of the Fisheries Management Plan of 

1994 and update the plan by 2008 (also Goals 1 and 3). 

Goal 3: Provide opportunities for local residents to continue their 

subsistence use of the Refuges, consistent with the subsistence 

priority and other refuge purposes 

The opportunity for continued subsistence use by local residents is one of 

the purposes for which the Refuges were established by ANILCA. 

Objectives for this goal are directed at working with local residents and 

others to understand subsistence uses and potential conflicts and to 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

12 

monitor subsistence resources for better management. Most of the 

objectives related to subsistence resources are listed under Goal 2. 

40. Continue the Refuge Information Technician program to 

enhance information exchange with local communities on 

subsistence issues (also Goal 8). 

41. Continue monitoring hunter activity in areas of potential conflict 

between local and outside hunters and investigate allegations of 

interference (also Goal 7). 

42. Continue to participate in the fish and game regulation process 

through local fish and game advisory committees, the Alaska 

Boards of Fisheries and Game, the Subsistence Regional 

Advisory Council, the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management 

Council, and the Federal Subsistence Board to facilitate 

information exchange and rule-making (also Goal 6). 

43. Cooperate with the Federal Subsistence Board in making 

customary and traditional use determinations for refuge-area 

communities, including for finfish and beaver. 

44. Expand law-enforcement activities to increase education and 

outreach, field patrols, and investigation of cases associated with 

the implementation of spring waterfowl hunting regulations (also 

Goal 8). 

Goal 4: Improve baseline understanding of water resources on the 

Refuges to acquire and maintain the water quality and quantity 

necessary to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats 

in their natural diversity. 

Objectives for water quality and quantity are directed at supporting Goals 

1 and 4 and completing baseline studies and acquiring the necessary 

rights to protect water quality and quantity, as directed by the purposes 

of the Refuges, as established in ANILCA. 

45. Complete or update an inventory and assessment of refuge water 

resources—including quantity, quality, use, and protection 

status—by 2008. (also Goal 1). 

46. Based on the inventory and assessment (objective 45), complete, 

by 2010, a study plan to investigate the water resources of the 

Refuges to maintain the quality and quantity to protect the fish, 

wildlife, and habitats of the refuges in their natural diversity. 

47. Analyze and determine water-rights needs on the Egegik 

drainage by 2007 and formally apply for them by 2009 (also 

Goal 1). 

48. Complete water resource investigations and acquire water rights 

for waters identified in the water resource investigation plan 

(also Goal 1). 

49. Continue limnological studies of Becharof and Ugashik lakes in 

cooperation with King Salmon Fisheries Research Office (also 

Goal 1). 

50. Complete baseline water-quality studies of Refuges lakes and 

streams following the schedule identified in the water resources 

investigation plan (also Goal 1). 

Goal 5:Preserve and enhance, in perpetuity, wilderness values of 

designated Wilderness, consistent with the establishing purposes 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

13 

Objectives directed at the Becharof Wilderness Area are designed to 

manage and understand the wilderness values. 

51. Distribute information about Leave-No-Trace principles 

whenever information is requested about the Becharof 

Wilderness Area, and work with commercial guides to apply 

these principles when operating within designated Wilderness. 

52. By applying the Leave-No-Trace principles, manage recreation 

settings within designated Wilderness to provide opportunities 

for solitude, self-reliance, and other characteristics that depend 

on a wilderness environment while not impairing other uses and 

values associated with wilderness. 

53. Promote consistency, through interagency coordination, in 

wilderness management of the Becharof Wilderness and the 

adjacent designated Wilderness of Katmai National Park and 

Preserve. 

54. Ensure appropriate uses (including administrative uses) of the 

Becharof Wilderness on an ongoing basis by expanding law 

enforcement within designated Wilderness and conducting the 

minimum-requirement analysis to all management activities. 

55. Prepare a wilderness stewardship step-down plan within one year 

of release of national wilderness guidelines. 

Goal 6:Provide opportunities for quality1

 wildlife-dependent 

recreation, emphasizing short-term, low-density uses that 

require minimal facility development or habitat alteration 

The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as 

amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, 

states that compatible wildlife-dependent recreation is a legitimate and 

appropriate general public use of the System and directs the Service to 

facilitate hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and photography, and 

environmental education and interpretation on refuges, subject to 

restrictions or regulations as needed. Objectives that are designed to 

address the resources necessary to support wildlife-dependent recreation 

are listed under Goal 2. Other objectives that help to provide high-quality 

experiences are described along with Goals 7 and 8. General 

management direction of public use on the Refuges, including 

commercial uses, is described in Section 4. 

56. By continuing to implement and strengthen the Refuges specialuse permit program—including improvement of permittee 

recording requirements—and increasing enforcement of and 

compliance with permit stipulations through increased field 

inspections, provide commercial visitor service opportunities for 

the public who would not or could not experience a safe, quality 

visit to the Refuges on their own (also Goal 8). 

 

1

 Quality is defined as the degree to which recreation opportunities and related experiences meet the objectives for 

which they are planned and managed. For further definition of “quality” in relation to recreation, see the glossary in 

the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (October 2005). 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

14 

Goal 7: Provide opportunities for subsistence, recreational, and 

commercial users to enjoy and benefit from compatible activities 

on the Refuges in ways that minimize conflicts among user 

groups 

Section 804 of ANILCA states that subsistence will be the priority 

consumptive use of public lands in Alaska, consistent with the purposes 

for each unit. Fish and Wildlife Service policy describes quality 

recreation opportunities, in part, as creating minimal conflict with other 

wildlife-dependent recreation uses or refuge operations. The Refuges 

need to be aware of and address conflicts among refuge users. Many of 

the objectives in Goal 2 that consider harvest levels or monitor 

populations of fish and wildlife also provide important information for 

accomplishing this goal. 

57. Expand the public-use monitoring program for all users of the 

Refuges. A special emphasis will be placed on annually 

monitoring all commercial-use activities and on establishing 

and/or expanding public-use monitoring camps on a scheduled 

basis at locations where potential exists for user conflicts, 

impacts, or declines in quality. A full-time, permanent pilot–

resource manager position with collateral law enforcement 

duties, along with one or more seasonal positions, would be 

required to implement this objective (also Goals 6 and 8). 

58. Field-check and update database of Alaska Native Claims 

Settlement Act (ANCSA) 17(b) easements, develop GIS maps of 

easements, establish signs onsite, and publish easement 

information as appropriate in coordination with realty specialists 

and local Native corporations (also Goal 6). 

59. Expand profile of refuge law-enforcement activities. Law 

enforcement activities concerning protection of fish and wildlife 

resources will shift from patrols being conducted seasonally by 

collateral-duty refuge officers (typically incidental to other 

missions) to dedicated law-enforcement patrols being conducted 

year-round by a full-time refuge law-enforcement officer (also 

Goals 3 and 6). 

Goal 8:Conduct interpretive and environmental education programs 

that increase understanding and support for the System; 

development of a sense of stewardship for wildlife, cultural 

resources, and the environment; and enhanced visitor 

experiences 

60. Use the Refuge Information Technician program to conduct 

educational programs for local rural residents on resource 

conservation and protection, subsistence harvest developments, 

and recreational harvest management. Conduct at least one 

program per year in each of the 13 communities associated with 

the Refuges (also Goal 3). 

61. Interpret Refuges resources and programs, provide educational 

material, and increase the quality of recreation experiences by 

fully implementing the interagency cooperative agreement to 

operate the King Salmon Visitor Center (KSVC), including 

maintaining responsibility for personnel and developing, 

upgrading, and maintaining permanent exhibits annually (also 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

15 

Goal 6). 

62. Increase local children’s awareness of the Refuges, wildlife, and 

conservation by utilizing the Refuge Information Technician 

program to visit, at least once a semester during the school year, 

the 10 village schools in the Bristol Bay and Lake and the 

Peninsula boroughs that are within or near the Refuges’ 

boundaries; provide the other seven schools in the Lake and 

Peninsula Borough with educational materials and programs at 

least three times a year (during National Wildlife Refuge Week 

and for the Goose Calendar contest). Continue to develop 

programs for National Fishing Week celebration, International 

Migratory Bird Day, and other special events. 

63. Conduct the cooperatively sponsored Spirit of Becharof Lake 

Ecosystem Science Camp for 10–15 refuge-area high school 

students annually, with assistance from Refuge Information 

Technician program personnel. 

64. Inform people about natural, cultural, and recreational resources 

and opportunities on the Refuges and their responsible use by 

developing and publishing at least one new or revised refugespecific brochure annually and by maintaining a refuge Web site 

within one year of Plan approval (also Goals 6 and 7). 

Goal 9:Conserve the special geological and cultural values of the 

Refuges 

65. Conduct a paleontological inventory with emphasis on Jurassic 

sediments within Becharof Lake drainage, Ugashik Lakes 

drainage, and Black Lake drainage by 2010. 

66. Continue cultural resources management in partnership with 

Native corporations, universities, museums, and others in 

accordance with the Cultural Resource Guide. 

67. Continue to work with the Alaska Volcano Observatory to 

further our knowledge of the volcanic resources of the Refuges. 

68. Administer and protect cultural resources so that the sites, 

buildings, structures, and objects of aesthetic and cultural value 

are preserved and maintained for scientific study and/or public 

appreciation (also Goal 8). 

Goal 10:Provide and maintain the facilities and equipment necessary to 

ensure a safe and secure environment for the visiting public and 

Service personnel 

Objectives for facilities management are directed at providing necessary 

buildings and other structures for administration of the Refuges in a safe 

manner. 

69. Continue implementation of the administrative facility plan. 

70. Continue an aggressive safety program. 

71. Meet legal requirements for the administrative facilities of the 

Refuges (e.g., hazardous materials handling). 

72. Establish a subheadquarters for the Chignik Unit by 2020. 

73. Construct an administrative facility at the Yantarni Bay airstrip. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

16 

2.3 Management Policies 

and Guidelines 

Some activities discussed here are not currently being conducted on the 

Refuges. For example, the discussion on threatened and endangered 

species would apply only if and when a listed species is known or 

thought to occur in the Refuges. 

Although five management categories, ranging from Intensive 

Management to designated Wilderness, are used to describe management 

levels on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska, only three management 

categories; Moderate Management, Minimal Management, and 

Wilderness are used to describe management levels on the Alaska 

Peninsula and Becharof Refuges. A management category is used to 

define the level of human activity appropriate to a specific area on a 

refuge. It is a set of refuge management directions applied to an area, in 

light of its resources and existing and potential uses, to facilitate 

management and the accomplishment of refuge purposes and goals. The 

Service could, in the future, designate refuge lands as Intensive 

Management through a plan amendment or revision. The Wilderness and 

Wild (and Scenic) River management categories are reserved for 

congressionally designated lands. The management activities table 

(Table 2) shows management activities for the three categories on these 

refuges. 

Not all of the practices described in the following sections will apply to 

these refuges. See Table 2 for clarification; those activities that have gray 

backgrounds are not anticipated to apply to these refuges during the life 

of this Plan. Text pertaining to those activities is included for reference. 

2.3.1 General 

Management of the Refuges is governed by federal laws such as the 

National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (Refuge 

Administration Act; 16 U.S.C. 668dd), as amended by the National

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Refuge Improvement 

Act; P.L. 105-57), and ANILCA; by regulations implementing these 

laws; by treaties; by Service policy; and by principles of sound resource 

management—which establish standards for resource management or 

limit the range of potential activities that may be allowed on the Refuges. 

ANILCA authorizes traditional activities such as subsistence, the 

exercise of valid commercial fishing rights, hunting, fishing, and 

trapping in accordance with state and federal laws. Under Service 

regulations implementing this direction, all refuge lands in Alaska are 

open to public recreation activities “as long as such activities are 

conducted in a manner compatible with the purposes for which the 

refuge was established. Such recreation activities include sightseeing, 

nature observations and photography, sport hunting, sport fishing, 

boating, camping, hiking, picnicking and other related activities” (50 

CFR 36.31[a]). The Refuge Administration Act, as amended by the 

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, defines 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

17 

“wildlife-dependent recreation” and “wildlife-dependent recreational 

use” as “hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or 

environmental education and interpretation” (16 U.S.C. § 668ee[2]). 

These uses are encouraged and will receive emphasis in management of 

the public’s use of the Refuges. 

2.3.2 Management Emergencies 

It may be necessary, when emergencies occur on the refuge, to deviate 

from policies and guidelines discussed herein. Activities not allowed on 

the Refuges or under a specific management category, (as shown in 

Table 2), may occur during or as a result of emergencies. For example, if 

naturally occurring or human-caused actions (e.g., landslides, floods, 

fires, droughts) adversely affect refuge resources, it may be necessary to 

undertake rehabilitation, restoration, habitat improvement, water 

management, fisheries enhancement, or other actions that would not 

otherwise be allowed to the same extent on the refuge. Threats to human 

health and safety may also result during emergencies. In emergencies, 

the refuge manager is authorized to take prudent and reasonable actions 

to protect human life and to address immediate health, safety, or critical 

resource-protection needs. 

2.3.3 Land Exchanges and Acquisitions 

Under Section 1302 of ANILCA, and subject to certain restrictions, the 

Service may acquire by purchase, donation, or exchange any lands within 

the boundaries of Alaska refuges. Proposed land exchanges or 

acquisitions must benefit fish and wildlife resources, satisfy other 

purposes for which the refuge was established, or be necessary to satisfy 

other national interests. The Service can also purchase conservation 

easements or enter into cooperative management agreements to meet 

these objectives. 

2.3.4 Land Protection Planning 

Department of the Interior and Service policies require development of a 

step-down plan, a land protection plan, addressing priorities for habitat 

conservation within refuge boundaries. Land protection plans inform 

private landowners what land within refuge boundaries the Service 

would like to see conserved for fish and wildlife habitat. The plans do the 

following: 

Identify the private lands within the refuge boundary that the 

Service believes should be conserved 

Display the relative protection priority for each parcel 

Discuss alternative means of land and resource conservation 

Analyze the impacts, on local residents, of acquisition 

In Alaska, the Service only acquires land from willing landowners. It is 

Service policy to acquire land only when other methods of achieving 

goals are not appropriate, available, or effective. Sometimes resource 

conservation goals can be met through cooperative management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

18 

agreements with landowners or by similar means. The Refuges would 

work with all landowners to ensure that overall fish and wildlife and 

habitat values within the refuge are conserved. 

A pre-acquisition environmental site assessment is required for all real 

property proposed for acquisition by the Service or for public domain 

lands returning to Service jurisdiction (USFWS, Part 341 FW 3).

The land protection plan for the Refuges was completed in 2002. 

See also section 2.4 for discussion of stepdown plans. 

2.3.5 Compatibility Determinations 

The Refuge Administration Act states that “the Secretary is authorized, 

under such regulations as he [or she] may prescribe, to . . . permit the use 

of any area within the System for any purpose, including but not limited 

to hunting, fishing, public recreation and accommodations, and access 

whenever he [or she] determines that such uses are compatible . . . .” 

A compatible use is a proposed or existing wildlife-dependent recreation 

use or any other use of a national wildlife refuge that, based on sound 

professional judgment, will not materially interfere with nor detract from 

the fulfillment of the National Wildlife Refuge System mission or the 

purposes for which the refuge was established. Economic uses must 

contribute to achieving refuge purposes and the System mission. 

Compatibility determinations are not required for refuge management 

activities, except economic activities. 

If a use is found to be incompatible, the refuge would follow normal 

administrative procedures for stopping the action. If the use in question is 

a new use requiring a special use permit, the refuge manager would not 

issue a permit. If the use is an existing use already under permit, the 

refuge manager will work with the permittee to modify the use to make it 

compatible or would terminate the permit. 

Ending incompatible uses that do not require special use permits or other 

formal authorizations, or that cannot be addressed by other federal or 

state agencies, would require that the refuge go through the normal rulemaking process. This would include publishing in the Federal Register 

the proposed regulations and providing opportunity for public comment. 

Compatibility determinations for uses on these Refuges are found in 

Appendix H of the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Compatibility determinations for existing hunting, fishing, wildlife 

observation and photography, and environmental education and 

interpretation must be re-evaluated with the preparation or revision of a 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan or at least every 15 years, whichever 

is earlier. Compatibility determinations for all other uses must be reevaluated every 10 years or earlier if conditions change or significant 

new information relative to the use and its effects becomes available. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

19 

Additional details on applying compatibility standards and completing 

compatibility determinations are found in the compatibility regulations at 

50 CFR Parts 25, 26, and 29 and Part 603 FW 2 of the Service Manual 

(USFWS). 

2.3.6 Mitigation 

In the interest of serving the public, it is the policy of the Service, 

throughout the nation, to seek to prevent, reduce, or compensate for 

losses of fish, wildlife, and their habitats, and uses thereof, from land and 

water development. To that end, the Service developed a “Mitigation 

Policy” in 1981 that includes measures ranging from avoiding an activity 

that results in loss of such resources to seeking compensation by 

replacement of or substitution for resource loss. 

The Service will promulgate regulations, develop stipulations, and issue 

permits to reduce or eliminate potential adverse impacts resulting from 

compatible activities that may be authorized under this plan. These 

regulations, stipulations, and permits would mitigate impacts in a variety 

of means, as stipulated in the Mitigation Policy guidelines (USFWS, Part

501 FW 2.1). The means, in order of application, are as follows: 

Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or 

parts of an action 

Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the 

action and its implementation 

Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating, or restoring 

the affected environment 

Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation 

and maintenance operations during the life of the action 

Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute 

resources or environments 

When determining the compatibility of activities or uses, consideration 

should be given to ways which the projects/activities/uses could be 

designed to avoid adverse impacts. The Service generally would not 

allow compensatory mitigation on System lands, and only in limited and 

exceptional circumstances could compensatory mitigation be used to find 

an activity compatible. (Service Manual, Part 501 FW 2 and 603 FW 2). 

Mitigation may consist of standard stipulations such as those attached to 

right-of-way permits; special stipulations that may be attached to leases 

or permits on a site-specific basis; and site-specific, project-specific 

mitigation identified through detailed step-down management plans or 

the environmental assessment process. In all instances, mitigation must 

support the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and must be 

compatible with the purposes of the refuge. The degree, type, and extent 

of mitigation undertaken would depend on the site-specific conditions 

present and the management goals and objectives of the action being 

implemented. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

20 

2.3.7 Coastal Zone Consistency 

Although federal lands, including lands in the National Wildlife Refuge 

System, are excluded from the coastal zone (16 U.S.C., Section 1453[1]), 

the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended (PL 92-583), 

directs federal agencies conducting activities within the coastal zone or 

that may affect any land or water use or natural resources of the coastal 

zone to conduct these activities in a manner that is consistent “to the 

maximum extent practicable” 2 with approved state management 

programs. 

The Alaska Coastal Zone Management Act of 1977, as amended, and the 

subsequent Alaska Coastal Management Program, as amended, and Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (1979) establish policy guidance and 

standards for the review of projects within or potentially affecting 

Alaska’s coastal zone. In addition, specific policies have been developed 

for activities and uses of coastal lands and water resources within 

regional coastal resource districts. Most incorporated cities, 

municipalities, and boroughs as well as unincorporated areas (coastal 

resource service areas) within the coastal zone now have state-approved 

coastal management programs. 

Although state and coastal district program policies are to guide 

consistency determinations, more restrictive federal agency standards 

may be applied. Federal regulations state that “(w)hen Federal agency 

standards are more restrictive than standards or requirements contained 

in the State’s management program, the Federal agency may continue to 

apply its stricter standards . . .” (15 CFR, Section 930.39[d]). 

Certain federal actions may require a Federal Coastal Consistency 

Determination. The Refuges will contact the Department of Natural 

Resources’ Alaska Coastal Management Program with the Service’s 

determination of consistency before beginning a project that may affect 

the coastal zone. 

Section 7-1 of the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement contains a consistency determination 

covering management of the Refuges. 

2.3.8 Cooperation and Coordination with Others 

2.3.8.1 Federal, State and Local Governments 

The Refuges will continue to work closely with those federal, state, 

Native and local governments and agencies whose programs affect, or 

are affected by, the Refuges. State, local, and Native government inputs 

will be sought during development of regulatory policies addressing 

management of the Refuge System (Executive Order 13083—

Federalism). When possible, the Service will participate in interagency 

activities (such as joint fish and wildlife surveys and co-funded 

 

2

 “To the maximum extent practicable” means, “to the fullest degree permitted by existing law (15 CFR, Section 

930.32).” 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

21 

research), cooperative agreements, sharing data, and sharing equipment 

and/or aircraft costs to meet mutual management goals and objectives. 

When the Refuges are aware of issues involving management 

jurisdiction or authority over submerged lands or other areas, they will, 

under appropriate situations, coordinate with the State of Alaska. 

Coordination may involve formal and informal management agreements 

between the Service and the state, but the assertion of management 

authority will not be contingent on completing any agreements or any 

other action not required by federal law. Questions regarding the 

ownership of specific submerged lands may be addressed to the Refuges 

headquarters. 

The Refuges and the State of Alaska will cooperatively manage the fish 

and wildlife resources of the Refuges. The Master Memorandum of 

Understanding between the Service and the Alaska Department of Fish & 

Game (dated March 13, 1982) defines the cooperative management roles 

of each agency (Appendix B of the Revised Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement). In this 

agreement, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game agreed to 

“recognize the Service as the agency with the responsibility to manage 

migratory birds, endangered species, and other species mandated by 

Federal law, and on Service lands in Alaska to conserve fish and wildlife 

and their habitats and regulate human use.” Correspondingly, the Service 

agreed to “recognize the right of the Alaska Department of Fish and 

Game as the agency with the primary responsibility to manage fish and 

resident wildlife within the State of Alaska.” Further discussion of 

intergovernmental cooperation regarding the preservation, use, and 

management of fish and wildlife resources is found in Title 43 CFR, Part

24 (Department of the Interior Fish & Wildlife Policy: State and Federal 

Relationships). 

We do not require compatibility determinations for state wildlife 

management activities on a national wildlife refuge pursuant to a 

cooperative agreement between the state and the Fish & Wildlife Service 

where the refuge manager has made a written determination that such 

activities support fulfilling the refuge purposes or the System mission. 

When the activity proposed by the state is not part of a cooperative 

agreement or it is not acting as the Service’s agent, a special use permit 

may be required, and a compatibility determination will need to be 

completed before the activity may be allowed. Separate compatibility 

determinations addressing specific proposals will be required for state 

management activities that propose predator management, fish and 

wildlife control (with the exception of emergency removal of individual 

rogue animals), reintroduction of species, nonnative species 

management, pest management, disease prevention and control, fishery 

restoration, fishery enhancement, native fish introductions, nonnative 

species introductions, construction of facilities, helicopter access, or any 

other unpermitted activity that could alter refuge ecosystems. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

22 

2.3.8.2 Tribes and Native American 

Organizations 

The Service’s Native American Policy (USFWS 1994b) identifies 

general principles that guide the Service’s government-to-government 

relationships with tribal governments in the conservation of fish and 

wildlife resources. Additional guidance has been provided by Executive 

Order 13084, “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments,” issued May 14, 1998, and the Department of the Interior–

Alaska Policy on Government-to-Government Relations with Alaska 

Native Tribes issued January 18, 2001 (USDI 2001). The Refuges will 

maintain government-to-government relationships with tribal 

governments. The Refuges will also work directly with regional and 

village corporations and respect Native American cultural values when 

planning and implementing programs on the refuges. 

2.3.8.3 Owners of Refuge Inholdings and 

Adjacent Lands 

The Refuges will work cooperatively with inholders and adjacent 

landowners, providing information on refuge management activities and 

policies. The Refuges will consult periodically with them regarding 

topics of mutual interest; will respond promptly to concerns over refuge 

programs; and will participate in cooperative projects (e.g., water-quality 

monitoring and fish and wildlife management). 

2.3.8.4 Service Jurisdiction Over Waters 

Within the Refuges 

Where the United States holds title to submerged lands beneath waters 

within the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge and the Becharof 

National Wildlife Refuge, the Service has jurisdiction over activities on 

the water. The Service’s statutory authority to manage these lands and 

waters comes from the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 

Act of 1966, as amended, and the Alaska National Interest Conservation 

Act (ANILCA). Under provisions of ANILCA, the Service manages the 

federal subsistence program on all waters within and adjacent to the 

external boundaries of the Refuges. 

In 1980, under ANILCA, the U.S. Congress established the Alaska 

Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges. These areas of land 

and water may contain both navigable and nonnavigable waters. Where 

waterbodies are nonnavigable within the Refuges, the Service has 

management authority over activities on water where adjacent uplands 

are federally owned. Where State of Alaska lands exist beneath 

navigable waterbodies or where the state, a Native corporation, or a 

Native allotee owns the adjacent uplands within areas of the ANILCAestablished Refuges, the Service’s management authority is limited. 

2.3.8.5 Other Constituencies 

The Refuges will inform local communities, special interest groups, and 

others who have expressed an interest in or are affected by refuge 

programs about refuge management policies and activities. The Refuges 

will seek input from these constituents when issues arise that may affect 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

23 

how the refuge is managed. Whenever possible, local residents and 

special interest groups will be asked to participate in refuge activities so 

their expertise and local knowledge can be incorporated into refuge 

management. 

2.3.9 Ecosystem and Landscape Management 

Species do not function alone; they function together in the environment 

as part of an ecosystem. The Refuges will employ ecosystemmanagement techniques in resource management of the Refuges. 

Individual species are viewed as integral to the diversity of those 

ecosystems and as such are indicators of the healthy functioning of the 

entire ecosystem. When the Service identifies species to use as indicators 

of the health of the ecosystem, it will do so through a rigorous peerreviewed scientific process involving experts from other federal agencies 

and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. 

Inventorying, monitoring, and maintaining a comprehensive database of 

selected ecosystem components is critical for making refuge 

management decisions and for ensuring the proper long-term stewardship 

of refuge ecosystems. This includes regular and recurring monitoring of 

status and trends for ecosystem components such as fish, wildlife, plants, 

climatic conditions, soils, and waterbodies. All monitoring will employ 

appropriate disciplines, new technologies, and scientific capabilities 

whenever practical. 

2.3.9.1 Air Quality 

The Service’s authorities for air-quality management are included in 

several laws. The most direct mandates to manage air resources are 

found in the Wilderness Act and the Clean Air Act. 

The Service is required by the Clean Air Act to preserve, protect, and 

enhance air quality and air quality–related values on Service lands. Air 

quality–related values include visibility, plants, animals, soil, water 

quality, cultural and historical resources, and virtually all resources that 

are dependent upon and affected by air quality. In addition, the 

Wilderness Act requires the Service to protect and preserve the 

Wilderness character, including the pristine air quality, of designated 

areas. 

Class I air-quality sites receive the highest level of protection. Very little 

deterioration is allowed in these areas, and the federal land manager has 

an “affirmative responsibility” to protect air quality–related values on 

those lands. With the exception of three Class I air-quality sites in 

designated Wilderness on the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 

all other lands managed by the Service in Alaska are classified as Class 

II and receive protection through the Clean Air Act. Moderate 

deterioration, associated with well-managed growth, is allowed in Class 

II areas. 

If air quality or related resources are at risk, the refuge manager will 

work with the Service’s Air Quality Branch; the Regional air quality 

coordinator; the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

24 

other state, local, and federal agencies and the public, as appropriate, in 

developing an air-quality management plan as outlined in the Service 

Manual, Part 563, FW 2.8 (USFWS). 

2.3.9.2 Water Resources Management 

Every national wildlife refuge in Alaska shares the common purpose of 

ensuring that water resources are maintained and protected. ANILCA

mandates that the Service safeguard water quality and necessary water 

quantity within the Refuges. 

Although the Service has reserved water rights sufficient to accomplish 

the purposes of the Refuges, the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act (16 USC 660dd) and the Service Manual (403 FW 1-

3) direct the Service to obtain, to the extent practicable, water supplies of 

adequate quantity and quality for Service facilities, for refuge purposes 

and as trust resources, and to obtain the legal right to use that water 

through state laws, regulations, and procedures. 

The Alaska Region conducted a water-resources threats analysis (Harle 

1994) for the purpose of guiding water resource investigations and 

protecting water resources by acquiring instream-water-rights protection. 

Based on the results of the threats analysis, the Service’s Regional Office 

developed a strategic plan for systematically quantifying the surface 

water on refuges within Alaska (Bayha et al. 1997). 

Using existing data, or through the collection of hydrologic and biologic 

data, the Service applies to the State of Alaska for appropriative water 

rights, for instream water reservations, and for water withdrawals to meet 

the purposes identified in ANILCA and the Refuge System Improvement 

Act. 

Establishing state water rights is only a part of a management strategy to 

protect refuge resources and to understand ecosystem processes. 

Collection of hydrologic data allows the Service to accomplish the 

following: 

Plan flood-plain and riparian zone management 

Estimate flow for ungauged refuge streams 

Supplement historical or current fisheries and wildlife studies 

Detect and evaluate future natural or human-induced changes in 

the hydrologic system 

Provide stream profile and velocity data for the design of fish 

weirs or other structures 

Estimate the potential for future flooding and erosion 

Analyze the impacts of proposed projects on stream flow and 

water supply 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

25 

Provide a basis for decision-making about commercial 

operations on some important streams 

All facilities and activities on refuges must comply with pollutioncontrol standards set by Federal laws (e.g., the Clean Water Act [33 

U.S.C. 1251] and the Safe Drinking Water Act [42 U.S.C. 300]), state 

laws where federal law so provides, and the regulations, policies, and 

standards implementing these laws. 

2.3.9.3 Visual Resource Management 

Visual resource management has two primary purposes: (1) to manage 

the quality of the visual environment and (2) to reduce the visual impact 

of development activities. To accomplish these purposes, the Refuges 

will identify and maintain the scenic values of the refuge and will, within 

the constraints imposed by the conservation plan, minimize the visual 

impacts of development and use of the refuge. All activities and facilities 

on the Refuges will be designed to blend into the landscape to the extent 

practical. The Service will cooperate with other federal, state, local, 

tribal, and private agencies and organizations to prevent significant 

deterioration of visual resources. 

2.3.9.4 Cultural, Historical, and 

Paleontological Resources 

The Service has long-term responsibilities for cultural resources on 

refuge lands. Cultural resources on refuge lands are managed under a 

number of laws, executive orders, and regulations, including the 

Antiquities Act; the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended; the 

Archaeological Resources Protection Act; the American Indian Religious 

Freedom Act; the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation 

Act; Executive Order 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural 

Environment; Executive Order 13007, Indian Sacred Sites; and Section 

36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. 

The 1980 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act direct 

the Service to inventory and evaluate cultural resources for their 

eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. All 

significant historic, archaeological, cultural, and paleontological 

resources on the refuge will be protected and managed in accordance 

with federal and state law. Because of limits of time, funding, and 

staffing, the Service must designate priorities in evaluating cultural 

resources on refuge lands. Pending a complete evaluation, all cultural 

resources will be considered potentially eligible for the National 

Register. Sites determined to be eligible for the National Register will be 

protected with a cultural resources management plan. 

The cultural resource guide for the Refuges was completed in 1996 and 

is scheduled to be updated in 2008. It provides guidance for cultural 

resource management on the Refuges by outlining legal mandates and 

considerations, reviewing current information about the resources, and 

establishing goals and objectives for the program. (Also see cultural 

resource guides in the step-down plans section.) 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

26 

It is illegal to collect archaeological materials and/or vertebrate 

paleontological remains on the Refuges without a permit issued under the 

provisions of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (for 

archaeological materials) or of the Antiquities Act of 1906 (vertebrate 

paleontological remains). Historic aircraft and other World War II 

material will be managed in accordance with a policy published 

December 20, 1985, in the Federal Register (FR 50:51952-51953). These 

materials may be collected on refuge lands only as authorized by a 

permit issued to a qualified organization or individual. Cultural resource 

research permits will only be issued to qualified individuals operating 

under appropriate research designs. The Refuges will encourage 

archaeologists, historians, ethnologists, and paleontologists from 

educational institutions and other government agencies to pursue their 

research interests on refuge lands so long as these research interests are 

compatible with refuge purposes. Research that collects data from 

threatened sites and minimizes disturbance to intact sites will be 

encouraged. 

When any federal undertaking—including any action funded or 

authorized by the federal government and having the potential to directly 

or indirectly affect any archaeological or historic site—is planned, a 

consultation must be initiated with the State Historic Preservation 

Officer, under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. If 

sites that may be affected are found in the project area, their significance 

will be evaluated to determine their eligibility for inclusion in the 

National Register. For eligible sites, consultation will result in a course 

of action causing the least possible impact. Impacts may be minimized in 

a variety of ways, including relocation or redesign of a project, site 

hardening, mitigation through information collection, or cancellation of 

the project if no alternatives are feasible. To protect archaeological and 

historic sites, other uses may be precluded. Private interests proposing to 

conduct commercial uses on the refuge will normally be required to fund 

studies necessary for consultation and for mitigation of impacts. 

The Refuges will implement Executive Order 13007, Indian Sacred 

Sites, allowing access to identified sacred sites and avoiding adversely 

affecting the physical integrity of these sites. Where appropriate, the 

Service will maintain the confidentiality of sacred sites. 

Further information on cultural resources management can be found in 

Part 614 FW 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Service Manual and the Service’s 

Cultural Resources Management Handbook (USFWS 1992). 

2.3.10 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management 

2.3.10.1 Habitat Management 

Habitats are managed in keeping with the purposes, goals, and objectives 

of a refuge. In most cases, this means habitats are managed to maintain a 

natural state with little or no human intervention. In some cases, habitats 

are manipulated to maintain or improve conditions for selected fish and 

wildlife populations, to control plant species, or to manage fire fuels on 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

27 

refuge lands. Any habitat management and manipulation activities will 

be carried out in support of the purposes, goals, and objectives of the 

Refuges. The Refuges will use the least-intrusive management measures 

needed. Where practical and economically feasible, habitat management 

practices will maintain a natural appearance on the landscape. Habitatmanagement practices, even those carried out for the benefit of a single 

species or small group of species, will, to the extent possible, contribute 

to the widest diversity of native (indigenous) wildlife species and habitat 

types. 

Habitat management and manipulation may be achieved by mechanical 

or manual methods, or by a combination of methods. Mechanical 

treatment could include mechanical removal, crushing, cutting, or 

mowing. Mechanical treatment could also include the construction of 

fish passages, fish ladders, fish barriers, water impoundments and 

structures such as fences or artificial nests, and raising or lowering of 

water levels to manage wildlife or waterfowl habitat. Riparian or aquatic 

habitat management and manipulation may be achieved by acquiring 

instream-flow reservations or making beneficial water diversions. 

Chemical treatment would involve the use of chemicals to restore 

nutrient levels in a lake system (fertilization) for fisheries restoration, to 

reduce hazardous fuels, or to eliminate nonnative plant and animal 

species, normally by killing them or destroying their ability to spread or 

prosper. Before chemical treatment is used, the Refuges will analyze the 

need for action, the options for treatment, and the potential impacts of 

those options. A pesticide-use proposal must be approved by the 

Service’s Regional Office before chemical controls are used on refuge 

lands (30 AM 12 and 7 RM 14). 

Manual treatment could include the use of hand tools to remove, reduce, 

or modify hazardous fuels or nonnative plant or animal species or to 

modify habitats (e.g., removal of beaver dams). 

Aquatic habitat modification may include activities and structures such 

as streambank restoration, passage structures, and removal of fish 

barriers or obstacles that results in physical modification of aquatic or 

riparian habitats to benefit fish species. These activities would be 

undertaken to maintain or restore native fish populations and may require 

appropriate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and 

compatibility determinations. 

2.3.10.2 Fire Management 

The Refuges are exempt from developing a fire management plan 

because of the low incidence of wildland fires. 

Wildland Fire Suppression

Fire suppression activity is the work of confining, constraining, 

controlling, or monitoring a fire or portion of a fire to protect, prevent, or 

reduce the loss of identified values. Suppression takes place, with the 

highest priority being the safety of firefighters and the public, using the 

appropriate management response based on values to be protected. The 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

28 

Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan, amended in 

October 1998, is the guiding document for suppression actions. The plan 

establishes four management options—critical, full, modified, and 

limited—that direct a range of wildlife fire management responses. 

The Bureau of Land Management—Alaska Fire Service (BLM/AFS) 

provides emergency suppression services on refuge lands in Alaska (DOI 

2001, DM 2), as directed by the refuge manager. Through a cooperative 

agreement with BLM/AFS, the State of Alaska Division of Forestry 

provides emergency suppression services on refuge lands in state 

protection zones, as directed by the refuge manager. 

Wildland Fire Use

Wildland fire use is the application of the appropriate management 

response to naturally ignited wildland fires to accomplish resource 

management objectives outlined in fire management plans. Wildland 

fires may be used to protect, maintain, and enhance natural and cultural 

resources and, as nearly as possible, wildland fires will be allowed to 

function in their natural ecological role 

Prescribed Fire

Prescribed fires are ignited by management action to meet specific 

wildland fuel, vegetation, and habitat management objectives. Prior to 

each ignition, a written, approved plan outlining prescription conditions 

is required. Use of prescribed fires must comply with the Alaska 

Enhanced Smoke Management Plan for Prescribed Fire. This plan 

provides guidance and direction concerning smoke issues related to 

prescribed fire. 

2.3.10.3 Weed Control (Pest and Nonnative 

Plant Management) 

Weeds can cause significant impacts to the land and water resources and 

to the species of plants and animals that use these habitats. To manage 

weeds, the Refuges will include weed inventories as part of all habitat 

inventories. The Refuges will review a proposed action’s potential to 

introduce or spread weeds and will take measures to reduce the hazards 

(e.g., require weed-free feed for pack animals). The Refuges will 

coordinate with other landowners and agencies and use integrated pestmanagement practices to enhance the detection, prevention, and 

management of weed problems. Use of chemical control measures on 

refuge lands requires Regional Office approval of a pesticide-use 

proposal (30 AM 12 and 7 RM 14). 

2.3.11 Fish and Wildlife Population 

Management 

Conservation of habitat is a key element in maintaining the natural 

diversity of populations on the Refuges, and management of native fish 

and wildlife populations is an important component of maintaining a 

healthy ecosystem. The Refuges will be managed consistent with the 

Policy on Maintaining Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental 

Health of the National Wildlife Refuge System (USFWS, 601 FW 3) to 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

29 

ensure native species are managed in their natural diversity and 

abundance. 

The Refuges will work with the State of Alaska to conserve fish and 

wildlife populations, recognizing that populations may experience 

fluctuations in abundance because of environmental factors and may 

require management actions for conservation purposes. The Refuges will 

be managed to maintain the genetic variability of wild, native fish stocks. 

2.3.11.1 Wildlife Inventory and Monitoring 

Plan 

To assess presence, relative abundance, distribution, and trends in 

populations of fish, wildlife, and plants, the Refuges will draft a wildlife 

inventory and monitoring (I&M) plan. This is a step down plan which 

describes objectives, justification, methods, management implications, 

geographic scale, report schedules, and database management for studies 

on species targeted for inventory and monitoring. The I&M plan will 

include studies that address environmental parameters (e.g., weather) and 

hydrology, soils, and fire history to explain potential changes in the 

distribution, relative abundance, and populations of fish, wildlife, and 

plants. The I&M plan will be forwarded to the Service’s Regional Office 

for review by the regional refuge biologist and other professional staff 

prior to final approval by the regional refuge chief. The Refuges will 

update their I&M plan on an annual basis but will only need regional 

review and approval every five years. 

2.3.11.2 Scientific Peer Review 

Biologists, ecologists, botanists, and other refuge personnel conducting 

scientific investigations will adhere to refuge, regional, Service, and 

Department of Interior policies on scientific conduct, including scientific 

peer review. The overall goal of scientific peer review is to ensure that 

information collected, analyzed, interpreted, and reported to the public 

and upon which policy and management decisions are based, meets 

established standards of the scientific community. To achieve this goal, 

refuge biologists, ecologists, botanists, and others serving as principal 

investigators will write a study plan that will undergo peer review. In 

addition, study plans, reports, and manuscripts that summarize the results 

of scientific studies, analyses, assessments, or syntheses developed by, or 

supported by, the Service will undergo scientific review prior to 

publication. The type and level of review shall be commensurate with the 

potential significance of the scientific information and its likely influence 

on policy and management actions. 

2.3.11.3 Compliance with the Animal Welfare 

Act 

The Animal Welfare Act of 1996 established legal standards for animal 

care and use. To prescribe methods and set standards for the design, 

performance, and conduct of animal care and use, research facilities and 

federal agencies must establish an Institutional Animal Care and Use 

Committee (IACUC). Field studies conducted or authorized by refuge 

employees within the purview of the Animal Welfare Act will require 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

30 

review and approval of an IACUC. Any refuge study that involves an 

invasive procedure or that harms or materially alters the behavior of an 

animal under study should be reviewed and approved by the Fish & 

Wildlife Service’s (Region 7) IACUC prior to implementing fieldwork. 

2.3.11.4 Marking and Banding 

These activities include fish and wildlife capture, marking, banding, 

radio-collaring, release, tracking, and other information-gathering 

techniques. Cooperation with appropriate partners, including the Alaska 

Department of Fish & Game, will be stressed, and specific protocols will 

be followed, taking advantage of all appropriate disciplines and new 

technologies wherever possible. 

2.3.11.5 Threatened or Endangered Species 

The Refuges will consult with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

Ecological Services field office on actions that may affect listed, 

proposed, or candidate species or designated or proposed critical habitat. 

These actions include refuge operations, public-use programs, private 

lands and Federal Aid activities, promulgating regulations, and issuing 

permits (USFWS 1973, Section 7, Consultation Handbook 1998). 

2.3.11.6 Introductions and Reintroductions 

A species may be introduced on a refuge only if that species is native to 

the refuge (i.e., a reintroduction). Nonnative species may not be 

introduced. Definitions of native and nonnative species are found in the 

glossary of the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Reintroductions can be useful tools for restoring species to natural ranges 

and reestablishing a refuge’s natural fish, wildlife, and habitat diversity. 

Reintroductions would require appropriate NEPA compliance, a review 

to ensure consistency with the biological integrity policy, an ANILCA 

Section 810 subsistence determination, and a refuge compatibility 

determination. Reintroductions also require extensive coordination with 

adjacent landowners and with the State of Alaska. In evaluating the 

project, the cause(s) of the extirpation3

 should be evaluated and 

management actions taken to alleviate the cause(s) prior to 

reintroduction. 

The environmental requirements of the species and the ecological 

dynamics of the area proposed for the reintroduction need to be 

thoroughly reviewed prior to a reintroduction. Some factors to consider 

include behavior, diseases, general ecology of the species, habitat 

requirements, inter- and intra-species competition, life history, genetics, 

management practices, population dynamics, and predators. 

Consideration should be given to whether there have been significant 

habitat changes since extirpation of the species (e.g., is the area still 

within the species’ natural range?). 

 

3

 localized extinction of a species 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

31 

2.3.11.7 Fish and Wildlife Control 

These activities involve the control, relocation, and/or removal of native 

species, including predators, to maintain natural diversity of fish, 

wildlife, and habitats. These management actions may be employed with 

species of fish and wildlife within their original range to restore other 

depleted native populations. These activities are subject to appropriate 

NEPA compliance, an ANILCA Section 810 subsistence determination, 

and a refuge compatibility determination. 

Predator management includes the relocation, removal, sterilization, and 

other management of native predators to accomplish management 

objectives. The Service considers predator management to be a 

legitimate conservation tool when applied in a prudent and ecologically 

sound manner and when other alternatives are not practical. The key 

requirements are that a predator-management program be ecologically 

sound and biologically justified. In keeping with the Service’s mandate 

to first and foremost maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and 

environmental health of fish and wildlife populations at the refuge scale, 

a predator population will not intentionally be reduced below a level 

consistent with the low-end of natural population cycles (see 601 FW 3). 

A predator-management program requires appropriate NEPA 

compliance, an ANILCA Section 810 subsistence evaluation, and, if 

conducted by other than the Service, a refuge compatibility 

determination. Alternative management actions must be evaluated prior 

to pursuing direct predator-control activities. Any proposal to allow or 

implement a predator-management program on national wildlife refuges 

in Alaska will be subjected to public review and closely coordinated with 

the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, local communities, tribal 

governments, and adjacent landowners and/or managers. Predatormanagement activities must be monitored and evaluated for effectiveness 

and resource impacts. 

Normal environmental education and population-management 

activities—such as trapper education programs and regulation changes 

that allow for increased harvests of predatory animals by licensed 

trappers and hunters—are not considered to be “predator management.” 

The control or extirpation of nonnative predators is not considered to be 

“predator management” (see Section 2.3.11.8). 

2.3.11.8 Nonnative Species Management 

In general, nonnative species (including feral domestic animals) are not 

compatible with refuge purposes or with National Wildlife Refuge 

System policies. When nonnative species (fish, wildlife, or plants) occur 

on a refuge, the Service may control or eliminate that species. Where a 

population of a nonnative species has already been established on a 

refuge and this population does not materially interfere with or detract 

from the fulfillment of the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System or the purposes of the refuge, the species may be managed as part 

of the refuge’s diverse ecosystem. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

32 

2.3.11.9 Fish and Wildlife Pest Management 

and Disease Prevention and Control 

Organisms (e.g., rabies or parasites) that threaten human health and 

property or survival of native wildlife or plant species may be managed 

or removed after consideration of all reasonable options and consultation 

with the State of Alaska and other concerned parties. This will normally 

only occur when severe resource damage is likely or when public health 

or safety is jeopardized. Wherever possible, an integrated approach to 

pest management will be used in accordance with the U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service Administrative Manual, 30 AM 12 and 7 RM 14. If 

chemical controls are used, a pesticide-use proposal must be submitted to 

the Service’s Regional Office for approval. 

2.3.11.10 Fishery Restoration 

Fishery restoration is any management action that increases fishery 

resources to allow full use of available habitat or to reach a population 

level based on historical biologic data. Although the goal of restoration is 

self-sustaining populations, situations may exist in which some form of 

fishery management or facilities could continue indefinitely. 

Where fishery resources have been severely adversely affected, the 

Refuge will work with the State of Alaska, local tribes, and other 

partners to restore habitats and populations to appropriate, sustainable 

conditions. Restoration emphasis will focus on strategies that are the 

least intrusive to the ecosystem and that do not compromise the viability 

or genetic characteristics of the depleted population. This may include 

regulatory adjustments and/or evaluations of escapement goals. If the 

stocks have been reduced or are threatened, temporary restoration 

facilities may be allowed in designated Wilderness, as long as the 

facilities will not significantly detract from the values for which those 

areas were established. 

2.3.11.11 Fishery Enhancement 

Fishery enhancement is any management action or set of actions that is 

applied to a fishery stock to supplement numbers of harvestable fish to a 

level beyond that which could be naturally produced based on a 

determination or reasonable estimate of historic levels. This could be 

accomplished by stocking barren lakes, providing access to barren 

spawning areas (fish passages), constructing hatcheries, outstocking in 

productive systems, or fertilizing rearing habitat. 

Refuge management priorities will focus on conserving naturally diverse 

ecosystems. Fishery-enhancement facilities for the purposes of 

artificially increasing fish populations normally will not occur within any 

management category unless stocks have been reduced or are threatened. 

Proposals for fishery-enhancement projects will be subject to the 

provisions of NEPA, an ANILCA Section 810 subsistence determination, 

and a compatibility determination. Only temporary fisheriesenhancement facilities may be authorized in Minimal and Wilderness 

management areas. Proposals for facilities within designated Wilderness 

require a minimum-requirements analysis to determine if the facilities 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

33 

are necessary within the Wilderness area and would not significantly 

detract from the values for which those areas were established. 

2.3.11.12 Fish Management Planning 

The Refuges Fishery Management Plan is scheduled for revision in 2008. 

This plan provides additional guidance on information needs and on 

management actions needed on the Refuges. The Service would involve 

partners (e.g., State of Alaska and local tribes) in the revision process. 

2.3.12 Subsistence Use Management 

Providing the opportunity for continued subsistence use by local 

residents is one of the purposes of these refuges, as stated in Title III 

Sections 302 (1)(B) and (2)(B) and Section 303 (1)(B) of ANILCA. Title 

VIII of ANILCA further provides that rural Alaska residents engaged in 

subsistence use of resources be allowed to continue using refuge 

resources for traditional purposes. These resources include fish and 

wildlife, house logs and firewood, and other plant materials (berries, 

bark, etc.). 

Many aspects of subsistence management are addressed outside of this 

plan. The Federal Subsistence Board, through its rule-making process, 

addresses seasons, harvest limits, and customary and traditional use 

determinations. This board has established regional advisory councils to 

provide for meaningful public input to the rule-making process. 

The Refuges will work with others to monitor subsistence harvest, 

including monitoring conducted by other federal land management 

agencies, the State of Alaska, tribal governments, Native organizations, 

or any other party. The Refuges will supplement the state’s ongoing 

harvest and resource monitoring programs to provide additional 

information on the status of fish and wildlife populations harvested for 

subsistence uses. This monitoring is intended to identify potential 

problems before populations of fish and wildlife become depleted and to 

ensure preference is given to subsistence users as required by law. All 

information the refuge gathers through subsistence monitoring will be 

shared with local state fish and game advisory committees, tribes, and 

other entities. Refuge staff members attend various subsistence-related 

meetings, including those of local fish and game advisory committees 

and Regional Subsistence Advisory Councils and provides information 

on the status of subsistence resources and management as they relate to 

the Refuges. 

The noncommercial gathering by local rural residents of fruits, berries, 

mushrooms, and other plant materials for subsistence uses and of dead 

standing or down timber for firewood is allowed without a special use 

permit. Harvest of live standing timber for house logs, firewood, or other 

uses is allowed, although specific requirements vary by size and location. 

See 50 CFR 36.15 (U.S. Government 1996-2003) for specific details. 

Timber stocks subject to subsistence use will also be monitored to ensure 

they remain available over the long term. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

34 

Under Section 816 of ANILCA, refuge lands may be closed to the taking 

of fish and wildlife if closure is deemed necessary for reasons of public 

safety, administration, or to ensure the continued viability of particular 

populations of fish or wildlife. Emergency closure to subsistence taking 

generally would occur only after other consumptive uses competing for 

the resources were restricted or eliminated. 

2.3.12.1 Access for Subsistence Purposes 

Access to refuge lands by traditional means will be allowed for 

subsistence purposes in accordance with Section 811 of ANILCA, 

subject to reasonable regulation (see 50 CFR 36.12). Traditional means 

include snowmachines, motorboats, dog teams, and other means of 

surface transportation traditionally used by local rural residents engaged 

in subsistence activities. Use of these traditional means of travel will be 

in compliance with state and federal law in such a manner to prevent 

waste of harvested resources or damage to the refuge and to prevent 

herding, harassment, hazing, or driving of wildlife. 

As specified in 50 CFR 36.39(c), three- and four-wheeled vehicles with a 

maximum gross vehicle weight of 650 pounds are allowed on the 

Refuges for subsistence purposes. 

2.3.12.2 Section 810 Evaluations 

The Refuges will evaluate the effects of proposed activities on 

subsistence use to ensure compliance with Section 810 of ANILCA. The 

Refuges will work with the Federal Subsistence Board, regional 

subsistence advisory councils, local fish and game advisory committees, 

tribes, Native corporations, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and 

other appropriate local sources to determine whether a proposed activity 

would “significantly restrict” subsistence uses. If the Refuges determine 

that a proposal would probably result in adverse effects to subsistence 

use, the Refuges would follow the requirements identified in Section 810

before making a final decision on the proposal. 

2.3.13 Public Access and Transportation 

Management 

2.3.13.1 Snowmachines, Motorboats, Airplanes, 

and Nonmotorized Surface 

Transportation 

Section 1110(a) of ANILCA allows the use of snowmachines (during 

periods of adequate snow cover and frozen river conditions), motorboats, 

airplanes, and nonmotorized surface transportation methods for 

traditional activities and for travel to and from villages and homesites. 

Such access shall be subject to reasonable regulations to protect natural 

and other values of the refuge (43 CFR 36.11). Specific areas may be 

closed, in accordance with these regulations, to such uses. The refuge 

manager is responsible for determining when snow cover is adequate to 

protect the underlying vegetation and soil from damage by snowmachine 

use. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

35 

2.3.13.2 Helicopters and Off-Road Vehicles 

The regulations in 43 CFR 36.11 restrict use of helicopters and off-road 

vehicles. 

Off-Road Vehicles

The regulations in 43 CRF 36.11(g) restrict the use of off-road vehicles 

within refuges. The definition of off-road vehicles in 50 CFR 36.2

excludes snowmachines but includes air boats and air-cushion vehicles 

along with motorized wheeled vehicles. Under 50 CFR 36.39 (c), offroad vehicles are allowed only on designated routes or areas within the 

Yantarni Bay Moderate Management area or by special use permit. 

(Provisions have been made for the use of off-road vehicles for 

subsistence purposes, see section 2.3.12.1.) 

Helicopters

Special use permits or other authorizations are required for all helicopter 

landings in any place other than at designated landing areas. Exceptions 

include emergencies, search and rescue operations, or operations 

conducted by the Service (43 CFR 36.11(f)(4). 

Helicopter landings for volcano monitoring, geologic hazards 

evaluations, and fisheries and wildlife management activities may be 

authorized under special use permit or other authorization, subject to 

site-specific stipulations. Helicopter landings for initial-attack fire 

suppression must comply with operational guidance in the Alaska

Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan. Helicopter landings by 

commercial operators and for general public access are not allowed in 

designated Wilderness unless the use was established prior to 

designation. 

2.3.13.3 Access to Inholdings 

Section 1110(b) of ANILCA ensures adequate and feasible access, for 

economic or other purposes, across a refuge for any person or entity who 

has a valid inholding. An inholding is defined as state-owned or privately 

owned land, including subsurface rights underlying public lands, valid 

mining claims, or other valid occupancy that is within or effectively 

surrounded by one or more conservation system units. When a right-ofway permit is necessary under this provision (e.g., construction of 

permanent or long-term facilities), the Service will review and process 

the application in accordance with regulations in 43 CFR 36.5, 36.6 and 

50 CFR 29.21. Such permits are subject to terms and conditions as 

specified in the regulations at 43 CFR 36.9 and 50 CFR 29.21-4. 

2.3.13.4 Temporary Access 

43 CFR 36.12(a)(2) defines temporary access as limited, short-term (i.e., 

up to one year from issuance of the permit) access that does not require 

permanent facilities and for access to state or private lands. Temporary 

access is limited to survey, geophysical, exploratory, or similar 

temporary uses of nonfederal lands. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

36 

The Refuges will evaluate applications for temporary access across the 

Refuges and shall issue a permit with the necessary stipulations and 

conditions to ensure that the access granted is compatible with the 

purposes for which the refuges were established, that it complies with the 

provisions of Section 810 of ANILCA, and that it ensures that no 

permanent harm will result to the resources of the Refuges. 

2.3.13.5 Subsistence Access 

See Access for Subsistence Purposes under Subsistence Use 

Management (section 2.3.12.1). 

2.3.13.6 Transportation and Utility Systems 

Transportation and utility systems include roads, highways, railroads, 

airports, pipelines, electrical transmission lines, communication systems, 

and related structures and facilities reasonably and minimally necessary 

for the construction, operation, and maintenance of such systems 

(Section 1102 of ANILCA). Anyone seeking to acquire a right-of-way 

across refuge lands for a transportation or utility system must, consistent 

with 43 CFR Part 36, file an application with the Service’s Regional 

Office. Regulations in 43 CFR Part 36 and 50 CFR Part 29 establish 

specific procedures and time constraints for application review, 

compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, decisionmaking, and appeals. 

The Service will decide whether to approve or disapprove that portion of 

a transportation or utility system that would cross refuge lands, except 

for those on designated Wilderness. When the proposed transportation or 

utility system would cross a designated Wilderness area, the Service 

tentatively approves or disapproves the application subject to the 

President’s subsequent decision. If the President approves, a 

recommendation is submitted to Congress for final approval. 

A right-of-way for a transportation or utility system across refuge lands 

can be granted only if the system meets the compatibility standard, the 

criteria outlined in Section 1104(g)(2) of ANILCA, and the regulations at 

43 CFR 36.7(a)(2) and if there is no economically feasible and prudent 

alternative route for the system. If approved, permits issued for a 

transportation or utility system will contain terms and conditions as 

required under regulations in 43 CFR 36.9(b) and 50 CFR 29.21-4. 

Additional special requirements apply to rights-of-way for pipelines 

issued under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, 30 U.S.C. 185 (Section 

1107[c] of ANILCA and the regulations at 43 CFR 36.9[d]). 

For cases in which a transportation or utility system is proposed to cross 

areas in management categories that do not allow those systems, the 

authorization process would include consideration of a corresponding 

plan amendment. 

2.3.13.7 State Transportation Planning 

Federal transportation planning regulations require each state to develop 

a long-range statewide transportation plan in consultation and 

coordination with other government agencies and the public. In Alaska, 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

37 

transportation projects nominated for funding are evaluated and ranked 

by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. When 

appropriate, the refuge will participate in the state transportationplanning process and provide input regarding environmental 

considerations of proposed projects affecting refuge lands and resources. 

See Appendix G of the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement for a discussion of state-identified 

potential transportation and utility systems that cross Refuge lands. 

2.3.13.8 RS 2477 Rights-of-Way 

The State of Alaska asserts numerous claims to roads, trails, and paths 

across federal lands under Revised Statute 2477 (RS 2477), a section in 

the Mining Act of 1866 that states, “The right-of-way for the 

construction of highways over public lands, not reserved for public uses, 

is hereby granted.” RS 2477 was repealed by the Federal Land Policy 

and Management Act of 1976, subject to valid existing claims. 

Assertion and identification of potential rights-of-way does not establish 

the existence of these claims nor the public’s right to use them. The 

existence of all RS 2477 rights-of-way will be determined on a case-bycase basis, either through the courts or by other legally binding 

document. 

Appendix B: Easements, Withdrawals, and Asserted Rights of Way and 

Figure 10: Asserted RS-2477 Routes present these asserted rights-ofway. 

2.3.13.9 Section 17(b) Easements 

Section 17(b) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of December 

18, 1971, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to reserve easements on 

lands conveyed to Native corporations to guarantee access to public 

lands and waters. Easements across Native lands include linear 

easements (e.g., roads and trails) and site easements. Site easements are 

reserved for use as temporary campsites and to change modes of 

transportation. 

The Service is responsible for administering those public easements, 

inside and outside of refuge boundaries, which provide access to refuge 

lands. Service authority for administering 17(b) easements is restricted to 

the lands within the easement. The size, route, and general location of 

17(b) easements are identified on maps filed with conveyance 

documents. Conveyance documents also specify the terms and conditions 

of use, including the acceptable periods and methods of public access. 

2.3.13.10 Navigation Aids and Other 

Facilities 

Section 1310 of ANILCA authorizes reasonable access to and operation 

and maintenance of existing air and water navigation aids, 

communications sites, and related facilities. It authorizes existing 

facilities for weather, climate, and fisheries research and monitoring 

subject to applicable laws and regulations. Reasonable access to and 

operation and maintenance of facilities for national defense and related 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

38 

air and water navigation are also provided for, including within 

designated Wilderness Areas. 

New facilities may be authorized after consultation with the head of the 

federal department or agency undertaking the establishment, operation, 

or maintenance and in accordance with mutually agreed to terms and 

conditions. 

2.3.14 Recreation and Other Public Use 

Public recreation activities compatible with refuge purposes are 

authorized unless specifically prohibited (50 CFR 36.31). Compatible 

recreation uses of the refuge will continue. The Refuge Administration 

Act priority public uses are hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, 

photography, and environmental education and interpretation. These uses 

are encouraged and will receive emphasis in management of public use 

of the Refuges. 

Both consumptive (e.g., hunting, fishing, and trapping) and 

nonconsumptive (e.g., photography and wildlife viewing,) recreation 

uses are appropriate. Some recreation uses are incidental to others. 

Camping and hiking may be related to hunting, fishing, wildlife 

photography, or other recreation uses. 

There is often a fine line between subsistence and recreation use (e.g., 

berry picking). Subsistence uses are addressed under Subsistence Use 

Management (section 2.3.12). When it is necessary to restrict the taking 

of fish and wildlife on a refuge in order to protect the continued viability 

of such populations, the taking of fish and wildlife for nonwasteful 

subsistence uses on refuges shall be accorded priority over the taking of 

fish and wildlife for other purposes, in accordance with Title VIII of 

ANILCA. 

The Refuges will be managed to provide recreation experiences in 

generally natural wildland settings. Recreation use would be managed 

consistent with the designated management area category. Moderate 

Management areas will be managed for greater concentrations of visitors 

than will be Minimal Management and Wilderness areas. The Refuges 

will manage all recreation use to avoid crowded conditions and to 

minimize adverse effects to cultural resources, fish and wildlife, 

wilderness, and other special values of the refuge. Leave No Trace 

techniques will be the standard. 

The least intrusive means of managing use will be employed. Education 

will be the primary management tool for recreation management, using 

brochures, maps, signs, and personal contacts. However, if voluntary 

methods fail, other actions may be taken. Actions that may be taken to 

manage recreation include limiting commercial guiding and outfitting; 

regulating use and access subject to the provisions of Section 1110(a) of 

ANILCA; and recommending changes in state and/or federal fishing, 

hunting, and/or trapping regulations. When necessary, recreation 

opportunities may be seasonally or otherwise restricted to minimize user 

conflicts and to protect the natural or other values of the refuge. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

39 

Any restrictions on public use will follow the public participation and 

closure procedures at 50 CFR Part 36, 43 CFR Part 36, or other 

applicable regulations. State management actions available through the 

Master Memorandum of Understanding (see Appendix B of the Revised 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement) 

and other state management tools will also be utilized where mutually 

desirable. 

Management plans may be prepared for areas of relatively concentrated 

use. 

2.3.15 Outreach 

Outreach is two-way communication between the Refuges and the public 

to establish mutual understanding, promote public involvement, and 

influence public attitudes and actions. The Refuges will continue to take 

advantage of partnership opportunities in providing these services, 

including working with the Alaska Natural History Association; Alaska 

Public Lands Information Centers; local, state, and other federal 

agencies; local schools; tribal governments; Alaska Native organizations; 

and individuals. 

Use of outreach as a management tool is key to the success of many of 

the management activities outlined in this plan. Two outreach 

activities—environmental education and interpretation—are included in 

the six priority public uses identified in the Refuge System Improvement

Act. Other activities may be developed for use by the refuge staff in the 

environmental education step down plan. All outreach activities must be 

continually evaluated to determine whether they fulfill refuge 

management goals and objectives. The Refuges will ensure that these 

services are available to all segments of the public, including those with 

disabilities and those who speak languages other than English. The 

Environmental Education Plan was developed in 1991 and is updated 

annually (see step-down plans). 

The Refuges will work with the news media, attend public meetings and 

workshops, develop Internet home pages, invite the public to the Refuges 

(open houses), and foster one-on-one communication. 

2.3.16 Recreation Facilities 

Facilities may be provided to support certain recreation uses. Recreation 

facilities may be located on refuge lands and at administrative sites. 

Visitor centers and highly developed environmental education and 

interpretive sites may be located off refuge lands at administrative sites 

or other appropriate locations. Recreation facilities may include trails, 

airstrips, environmental education sites, and signs. 

All new buildings (e.g., visitor centers, restrooms, public-use cabins, and 

visitor-contact buildings) and additions and alterations to existing 

buildings will comply with current accessibility standards. Other 

recreation facilities are not currently covered under these standards, 

although access for the disabled will be considered in the design of new 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

40 

or upgraded facilities. As funds are available, existing buildings will be 

updated to meet these standards. 

The level of development and appearance of facilities will be appropriate 

for the management category of the area in which they are located. More 

intensive and sophisticated facilities will be constructed in the Moderate 

Management category; more rustic and rudimentary facilities will occur 

in the other management categories. 

2.3.16.1 Cabins 

Special use permits are required for subsistence and commercial cabins. 

Management of existing cabins and review of proposals for construction 

of new cabins for traditional uses will be in accordance with the 

Service’s cabin regulations (50 CFR 36.33). Private recreation use cabins 

will not be authorized. 

Public-use cabins are intended to provide the public with unique 

opportunities to enjoy and use the Refuges. They also help ensure public 

health and safety in bad weather and emergencies. 

2.3.16.2 Temporary Facilities 

Per Section 1316 of ANILCA, the Refuges will allow the use of 

temporary campsites, tent platforms, shelters, and other temporary 

facilities and equipment directly and necessarily related to the taking of 

fish and wildlife, provided these facilities are not detrimental to the 

purposes of the refuge. Special-use permits may be issued for tent 

frames, caches, smokehouses, and other facilities. Appropriate 

stipulations will be included in the special use permits to ensure 

protection of refuge resources. 

The following criteria will be considered in evaluating applications for 

temporary facilities: 

Where feasible, they will be located in a manner to not displace 

or compete with existing public uses. 

They will be located away from the vicinity of existing cabins. 

They will be located on sites that are not currently popular 

campsites. 

They will be located to minimize displacement of wildlife. 

The following conditions may be imposed on temporary-facility 

special use permits: 

The time of occupancy will coincide with the state and/or federal 

hunting, fishing, and/or trapping season for the species for which 

the temporary facility is being used. 

At the end of the specified occupancy, tents and other readily 

portable materials will be removed. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

41 

To the extent feasible, temporary structures will be built with 

materials that blend into and are compatible with the surrounding 

landscape. 

To the extent feasible, temporary facilities will be screened from 

water and located so that they are as unobtrusive as possible 

when viewed from trails and areas of significant public use. 

2.3.17 Commercial-Use Management 

Commercial uses are activities involving use of a refuge or its resources 

for a profit. Subsistence uses are not included in commercial uses. Refer 

to section 2.3.12 for policies related to subsistence. 

Except for activities where specific property rights are held by entities 

other than the federal government (e.g., mining on valid claims under the 

1872 Mining Law), or where specifically exempted by law, all 

commercial uses must comply with both the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) and the compatibility requirements of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act. A written authorization 

(such as a special use permit) is required to conduct commercial 

activities on a refuge. Compliance with NEPA and a compatibility 

determination will be required prior to deciding whether to authorize a 

commercial use. Prior to authorizing any economic use of a natural 

resource, the refuge manager must determine that each economic use, 

except for proposed activities authorized by ANILCA, contributes to the 

achievement of refuge purposes or the National Wildlife Refuge System 

mission (50 CFR 29.1). See section 2.3.19 for restrictions on commercial 

activities within designated Wilderness Areas. 

2.3.17.1 Mineral Exploration and Development 

 Oil and Gas Assessment

Geological and geophysical studies, including subsurface core sampling 

and seismic activities, require special use permits with site-specific 

stipulations that ensure compatibility with refuge purposes and 

consistency with the management objectives of this Plan. Other than the 

rights reserved to the United States under Section 1010(a) of ANILCA, 

these activities will not be allowed in designated Wilderness. 

Oil and Gas Leasing

Oil and gas leasing may be allowed only in Intensive Management areas. 

These Refuges have no Intensive Management areas; a Plan revision 

would be necessary to reclassify lands into this category before leasing 

could occur. 

Oil and gas leasing will not be authorized until completion of the 

following: 

An assessment of potential 

A national interest determination 

A compatibility determination, where applicable 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

42 

A Comprehensive Conservation Plan amendment 

During this process, the Service will seek the views of state and local 

governments and other interested parties, in accordance with Section 

1008(b)(2) of ANILCA. 

If leasing is authorized, lease holders will be subject to federal leasing 

regulations (43 CFR 3100) and appropriate state regulations. Leases will 

be subject to stipulations on access, seasonal use, and site revegetation; 

operators would be required to use technology that minimizes impacts on 

fish, wildlife, and habitat. The Refuge will work closely with 

leaseholders to minimize adverse effects of mineral exploration and 

extraction on Refuges resources and recreation opportunities. 

Sand, Gravel, and Other Common Variety (Saleable) Minerals

Common variety minerals—such as sand, gravel, stone, limestone, 

pumice, pumicite, cinders, and clay—may be sold pursuant to the 

Materials Act of July 31, 1947 (30 U.S.C. 601, 602), as amended. 

Regulations are found at 43 CFR 3600. Disposal is also authorized under 

the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act (16 U.S.C. 715s). See Part 612 FW 1 of 

the Service Manual (USFWS). Extraction may be authorized, where 

compatible, in Moderate Management areas to support construction and 

maintenance projects on or near refuge lands if no reasonable material 

sites exist off refuge lands. 

Other Mineral Leasing

In general, mineral leasing is not allowed on refuge land. Geothermal 

leasing is not allowed on the Refuges under Section 1014(c) of the 

Geothermal Steam Act (30 U.S.C. 1014). Coal mining is also prohibited, 

subject to valid existing rights, under Section 16 of the Federal Coal 

Leasing Amendment Act of 1975 (30 U.S.C. 201 Notes) and the Surface 

Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1272; 43 CFR

3400.2). In specific cases of national need, however, mineral exploration, 

development, or extraction may be permitted under Section 1502 of 

ANILCA. The President must determine that the national need for the 

mineral activity outweighs the other public values of the land. Any 

recommendation by the President would take effect only after enactment 

of a joint resolution by Congress. 

Alaska Mineral Resource Assessment Program

Section 1010 of ANILCA requires that all federal lands be assessed for 

their oil, gas, and other mineral potential, although Section 304(c)

prohibits new hardrock mining on refuges. Mineral assessment 

techniques that do not have lasting impacts—such as side-scanning radar, 

trenching, and core drilling—may be allowed throughout the refuge. 

Special use permits issued to other government agencies or their 

contractors for assessment work would include stipulations to ensure that 

the assessment program is compatible with refuge purposes. For 

example, stipulations may limit access during nesting, calving, spawning, 

or other times when fish and wildlife may be especially vulnerable to 

disturbance. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

43 

2.3.17.2 Commercial Recreation Services 

Air-taxi and water-taxi operators, wildlife-viewing guides, tour 

operators, wilderness guides, recreational fishing guides, big-game 

hunting guides, and others providing recreation services are required, 

under 50 CFR 27.97, to obtain special use permits to operate on refuge 

lands. Where the number of special use permits is limited, refuge 

managers will award permits competitively (see 50 CFR 36.41). Special 

use permits require compliance with all applicable laws and regulations 

(e.g., Coast Guard licensing regulations). Permit stipulations ensure that 

camps; travel methods; storage of food, fish, and game meat; and 

activities are compatible with refuge purposes and reduce the potential 

for impacts to resources and to other refuge users. If problems arise 

relating to commercial recreation activities—such as disturbance of 

active nests, conflicts with subsistence use, chronic incidence of bears 

getting into food, or violations of state or federal regulations—the 

refuges may modify or terminate use under the special use permit 

stipulations. The Refuges will monitor the number and type of guides 

and outfitters operating in the refuge and the number of their clients and 

will, if necessary, further regulate use. 

Under Section 1307 of ANILCA, local preference is provided for all new 

commercial visitor services except guiding for recreational hunting and 

fishing. Regulations defining local preference are in 50 CFR 36.37. 

2.3.17.3 Commercial Fishing and Related 

Facilities 

Under Section 304(d) of ANILCA, the Service will continue to allow 

individuals with valid commercial fishing rights or privileges to operate 

on the Refuges. The use of campsites, cabins, motor vehicles, and 

aircraft on the Refuges in support of commercial fishing is subject to 

reasonable regulation. Section 304(d) provides for restricting commercial 

fishing rights if the use is determined to be inconsistent with refuge 

purposes and to be a “significant expansion of commercial fishing 

activities . . . beyond the level of such activities during 1979.” The 

Service recognizes that fishery levels are cyclic and will take that into 

consideration when applying the 1979-level criteria. Any new fishery 

and related facilities and equipment will have to meet the compatibility 

standard. 

Aquaculture, mariculture support facilities, and seafood processing 

plants will not be allowed. 

2.3.17.4 Commercial Harvest of Timber and 

Firewood 

Commercial harvest of timber and firewood will only be authorized 

under a special use permit and when necessary to fulfill overall refuge 

management objectives. Within Moderate and Minimal Management 

categories, commercial harvest of timber and firewood to accomplish 

management objectives will only occur when an approved refuge fire 

management plan identifies the need to reduce fuel loads in an area. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

44 

Applicable federal and State of Alaska guidelines for timber 

management will be followed. 

2.3.17.5 Commercial Gathering of Other 

Resources 

Gathering of other resources (e.g., antlers and mushrooms) requires a 

special use permit under 50 CFR 27.51. 

2.3.17.6 Commercial Filming and Recording 

Activities 

It is Service policy to provide refuge access and/or assistance to firms 

and individuals in the pursuit of commercial visual and audio recordings. 

Such access or assistance will not be provided if visual and audio 

recordings are incompatible with refuge purposes or the mission of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System. Commercial films, television 

production, or sound tracks made within refuges for other than news 

purposes require a special use permit or authorization (see 43 CFR 5.1). 

Commercial filming or recording activities such as videotaping, audio 

taping, and photography for the purpose of advertising products and 

services are subject to an A/V Production Permit (see USFWS Refuge 

Manual 8 RM Section 16). 

Permits are not required for still photography on refuge lands open to the 

general public (P.L. 106-206). 

2.3.17.7 Other Commercial Uses 

Generally, other commercial uses such as grazing, agriculture, and 

hydroelectric power development will not be allowed. An exception may 

be made for low-head or small run-of-the-river hydropower facilities. 

These may be authorized on a case-by-case basis. See section 2.3.13.6

for transmission lines, pipelines, and other rights-of-way addressed in 

Title XI of ANILCA. 

2.3.18 Environmental Contaminants 

Identification and Cleanup 

One goal of the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act is 

to maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health 

of the system. In support of this goal, the Service has studied 

environmental contaminants that may threaten trust species (i.e., those 

species for which the Service has primary jurisdiction) and other refuge 

resources. This work will continue as new concerns are identified and as 

funding allows. 

An assessment of known or suspected contaminants threats within the 

Refuges was completed in 2004 as part of the national Contaminants 

Assessment Process. A contaminant assessment report was prepared for 

the Refuges. 

When contaminants are identified on refuge lands, the Service will 

initiate discussions with the responsible party or parties to remedy the 

situation. If the Service caused the contamination, funds will be sought to 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

45 

define the extent and type of the contamination and to remedy it. 

Appropriate environmental regulations—including the Resource 

Conservation Recovery Act, Comprehensive Environmental Response 

and Compensation Liability Act, Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and State of 

Alaska regulations (e.g., 18 AAC 75)—would be followed during 

remediation work. 

All spills of petroleum products and hazardous materials must be 

reported to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and to 

the National Response Center. Incidents also need to be reported to the 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service regional spill response coordinator. The 

Refuges will refer to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Region 7 Spill 

Response Contingency Plan when responding to spills. 

2.3.19 Management of Areas with Special 

Designations 

2.3.19.1 Management of Designated Wilderness 

The Becharof Wilderness Area will be managed in accordance with the 

Wilderness Act of 1964, as modified by provisions of ANILCA; Service 

guidelines as found in 6 RM 8 of the Refuge System Manual (Part 610 of 

the Service Manual, when approved); and regional policy. Maintaining 

wilderness values and resources, preserving the wilderness character of 

the biological and physical resources, and providing opportunities for 

research and recreation are the management focuses for designated 

Wilderness. 

A minimum-requirements analysis will be conducted for management 

activities proposed within the Wilderness Area. This two-step process 

involves determining if an essential task should be conducted in the 

Wilderness Area and then determining the combination of methods, 

equipment, or administrative practices necessary to successfully and 

safely administer the refuge and accomplish Wilderness management 

objectives. 

Certain activities are legislatively prohibited in designated Wilderness, 

including oil, gas, and other mineral leasing and most surface-disturbing 

activities. Other activities—including subsistence use, access for 

traditional activities, and traditional commercial recreation activities 

(e.g., guiding and outfitting)—will continue to be allowed where 

compatible with Wilderness management and refuge and system 

purposes. Other commercial enterprises—such as fishery-enhancement 

activities with a primary purpose of enhancing commercial fishing 

operations—are not allowed. 

Generally, motorized and mechanized equipment and transport are 

prohibited by the Wilderness Act. Several exceptions, however, were 

identified in ANILCA: 

For access for subsistence purposes (Section 811)

For access for traditional activities and to and from villages and 

homesites (Section 1110[a])
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

46 

For access to state- or privately owned lands (including 

subsurface rights), valid mining claims, or other valid occupancy 

(Section 1110 [b])

For mineral assessment purposes, as part of the Alaska Mineral 

Resource Assessment Program (Section 1010)

Details of these provisions can be found under the appropriate headings 

in section 2 of the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Under 50 CFR 35.5(b), regional policy (RW-16) allows local residents 

engaged in subsistence activities to use chainsaws. 50 CFR 36.39(c)

specifies that off-road vehicles (ORVs) with a maximum weight of 650 

pounds may be used for subsistence purposes. Other motorized and 

mechanized equipment not related to transportation (such as generators 

and water pumps) are not allowed. 

Granting rights-of-way for transportation or utility systems through 

designated Wilderness requires a Presidential recommendation for 

Congressional approval (Section 1106[b] of ANILCA) (see section 

2.3.13.6). 

A step-down Wilderness Stewardship plan will be prepared for the 

Becharof Wilderness to address in greater detail the resources, uses, and 

management of the Wilderness Area. Specific details will be included on 

how the broad management directions provided in the Conservation Plan 

will be applied to protect the specific wilderness characteristics identified 

in the Plan. The step-down plan would be prepared in cooperation with 

the State of Alaska and would include appropriate public involvement. 

2.3.19.2 Mount Veniaminof National Natural 

Landmark 

Mount Veniaminof was determined to be eligible for Natural Landmark 

status in 1967. It was so designated by the Secretary of the Interior in 

August 1970. This unique active volcano is located in the Chignik Unit 

of the Alaska Peninsula Refuge. Its peak lies about 50 miles eastnortheast of Port Moller on Bristol Bay and 40 miles west-southwest of 

Chignik Bay on the Pacific. It is approximately 450 miles southwest of 

Anchorage. 

Although the National Natural Landmarks Program is administered by 

the National Park Service, the Mount Veniaminof National Natural 

Landmark is administered by the Fish & Wildlife Service. Designation 

recognizes the national significance of the property and encourages its 

preservation without requiring acquisition. Designation does not dictate 

use of the property. The Minimal Management category currently 

applied to the landmark preserves its values. The objective of the 

program is long-term preservation through voluntary commitment of 

public and private owners to protect the outstanding values of the area. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

47 

2.3.20 Refuge Administration 

2.3.20.1 Administrative Sites and Visitor 

Facilities 

Administrative sites include temporary and permanent field camps, 

residences, offices, and associated storage, communication, and 

transportation facilities. The type of administrative site and level of 

development will be consistent with the management intent of the 

management category in which they are constructed. Administrative field 

camps or other administrative facilities within Minimal and Wilderness 

management categories will only be allowed when required to meet 

management objectives, when no reasonable alternative sites exist and 

when the facilities are essential to protect the health and safety of 

employees. New facilities would only be the minimum required to meet 

long-term needs. 

Fuel storage or other hazardous material storage in conjunction with 

administrative sites will meet all federal and state requirements for spill 

containment and storage. Hazardous materials stored within the 

Wilderness Management category lands will be in small (55-gallon or 

less) containers. 

Under Section 1306 of ANILCA, the Secretary of the Interior may 

establish administrative sites and visitor facilities, either within or 

outside the boundaries of a conservation system unit, in accordance with 

the unit’s management plan and for the purposes of ensuring the 

preservation, protection, and proper management of said unit. This 

section further states that to the “extent practicable and desirable, the 

Secretary shall attempt to locate such sites and facilities on Native lands 

in the vicinity of the unit.” 

Department of Interior guidelines, developed in 1995, implementing 

Section 1306 of ANILCA require that prior to initiating a search for an 

administrative site or visitor facility, site-selection criteria be developed, 

with public input, and all proposals be evaluated according to the siteselection criteria. If it is determined that Native lands satisfy the siteselection criteria and are desirable and practicable for the intended use, 

the highest-ranking Native lands shall be selected as the preferred site, 

subject to a specific site evaluation. If no Native lands satisfy the siteselection criteria, the highest-ranking parcel will become the preferred 

site. Public comments will be considered prior to making a final 

decision. 

Applicability of Refuge Regulations to Off-Refuge Administrative and 

Visitor Facility Sites 

Part 50 of CFR 36.1(c) authorizes the Service to enforce regulations 

concerning public safety and protection of government property, as well 

as State of Alaska fish and wildlife regulations, on administrative and 

visitor facility sites that may be held in fee or less-than-fee title and are 

either inside or outside the approved boundaries of any Alaska national 

wildlife refuge. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

48 

2.3.20.2 Step Down Plans 

Some management programs are addressed in sufficient detail in the 

Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact 

Statement to be integrated directly into the budgetary process. For other 

programs, it may be necessary to prepare step-down management plans 

to implement general strategies identified in the conservation plan. 

Additional information on the step-down planning process can be found 

in Part 602, FW 3, of the Service Manual (USFWS) and section 5.1 of 

this plan. 

The following step-down management plans are required for these 

Refuges: 

Cultural Resources Guide - Completed in 1996, to be 

revised in 2008 

Environmental Education Plan - Completed in 1991, 

reviewed annually 

Facilities Management - Completed in 1997, to be 

revised in 2007 

Fisheries Management - Updated in 1994, to be revised 

in 2008 

Habitat Inventory - To be completed by 2007 

Land Protection - Completed in 2002 

Public Use Management - Completed in 1994, revised in 

this Conservation Plan 

Station Safety Plan - Reviewed annually 

Water Resources - To be completed by 2010 

Wildlife Inventory - To be completed by 2007 

Wilderness Stewardship - To be completed by 2010 

2.3.21 Management Categories 

Three management categories—Moderate Management, Minimal 

Management, and Wilderness—are used to describe management levels 

on these refuges. A management category is used to define the level of 

human activity appropriate to a specific area of the refuge. It is a set of 

refuge management directions applied to an area, in light of its resources 

and existing and potential uses, to facilitate management and the 

accomplishment of refuge purposes and goals. Figure 6: Current 

Management Categories depicts the management categories as they 

apply to the Refuges. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

49 

Table 2: Activities, Uses, and Facilities by Management Category shows 

those management activities, public uses, commercial uses, and facilities 

that may be allowed in each management category and under what 

conditions. 

Activities or uses not generally allowed within a management category 

would require consideration of a plan amendment to change the 

management category to one which would allow the use prior to 

approval. 

Table 1: Acreages 

 

2.3.21.1 Moderate Management 

Moderate Management is meant to allow compatible management 

actions, public uses, commercial uses, and facilities that may result in 

changes to the natural environment that are temporary, or permanent, but 

small in scale and that do not disrupt natural processes. The natural 

landscape is the dominant feature of Moderate Management areas, 

although signs of human actions may be visible. 

Management actions in the category of Moderate Management will focus 

on maintaining, restoring, or enhancing habitats to maintain healthy 

populations of plants and animals where natural processes take over. In 

general, management facilities, both temporary and permanent, will be 

allowed for the purposes of gathering data needed to understand and 

manage resources and natural systems of the Refuges. Structures will be 

designed to minimize overall visual impact. 

Public facilities provided in Moderate Management will, while 

protecting habitats and resources, allow the public to enjoy and use 

refuge resources in low numbers over a large area or they will encourage 

the short-term enjoyment of the Refuges in focused areas. The emphasis 

is on small facilities that encourage outdoor experiences. Facilities such 

as public use cabins, rustic campgrounds, kiosks, viewing platforms, 

trails, and toilets may be provided. Facilities will be designed to blend 

with the surrounding environment. The Refuges have one Moderate 

Management area in which ORV use is allowed for recreation purposes 

(i.e., Yantarni Bay). 

Compatible economic activities may be allowed where impacts to natural 

processes and habitats are temporary (e.g., facilities in support of guiding 

and outfitting services such as tent platforms or cabins that encourage 

Management Category Acreage Percentage of 

Refuges 

Moderate Management 4,000 0.1 

Minimal Management 3,733,400 88.1 

Wilderness Management 502,900 11.9 

Total Service 

Administered 

4,240,300 100 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

50 

enhanced public use). All economic activities and facilities require 

authorizations such as special use permits. 

2.3.21.2 Minimal Management 

Minimal Management is designed to maintain the natural environment 

with very little evidence of human-caused change. Habitats should be 

allowed to change and function through natural processes. 

Administration will ensure that the resource values and environmental 

characteristics identified in the conservation plan are conserved. 

Management actions that change existing habitats should be designed 

and implemented so that a natural appearance is maintained. Public uses, 

economic activities, and facilities should minimize disturbance to 

habitats and resources. Ground-disturbing activities are to be avoided 

whenever possible. 

Management actions in this category focus on understanding natural 

systems and monitoring the health of refuge resources. Generally, no 

permanent structures are allowed (except cabins). Temporary structures 

may be allowed in situations in which removal is planned after the period 

of authorized use and the site can be rehabilitated using plants native to 

the immediate area. Existing cabins may be allowed for administrative, 

public-use, subsistence, or commercial or economic (e.g., guiding) 

purposes. New subsistence or commercial cabins may be authorized if no 

reasonable alternative sites exist. Public-use or administrative cabins 

may be constructed if necessary for health and safety. 

Public use of the Refuges for wildlife-dependent recreation and 

subsistence activities is encouraged. Public-use facilities are not 

generally provided. Mechanized and motorized equipment may be 

allowed when the overall impacts are temporary or where its use furthers 

management goals. 

Compatible economic activities may be allowed where the evidence of 

those activities does not last past the season of use, except as noted in the 

preceding discussion of cabins. The primary economic activities are 

likely to be guiding and outfitting of recreation activities such as hunting, 

fishing, hiking, river floating, and sightseeing. All economic activities 

and facilities require authorizations such as special use permits. 

2.3.21.3 Wilderness 

This management category applies only to the Becharof Wilderness 

Area, designated by Congress as a unit of the National Wilderness 

Preservation System. Areas proposed for Wilderness designation will be 

managed under minimal management, consistent with ANILCA Section 

1317(c) and with Service policy. Designated Wilderness will be managed 

under the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the exceptions provided by 

ANILCA. Because Wilderness units are part of a nationwide, multiagency system, the Service recognizes that responsibilities for managing 

refuge Wilderness go beyond the mission of the Service and that the 

purposes of the Wilderness Act are within and supplemental to the other 

purposes for which individual refuges were established. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

51 

The history and intent behind the Wilderness Act make Wilderness more 

than just another category of land management. Wilderness encourages 

having a broadened perspective of the refuge landscape, one that extends 

beyond managing it solely as wildlife habitat. Wilderness is managed as 

an area “retaining its primeval character and influence.” In addition, 

Wilderness provides human visitors with opportunities for solitude and 

primitive recreation, which may be characterized in terms of experiential 

dimensions such as discovery, self-reliance, and challenge. 

Wilderness Areas are managed to preserve their experiential values as 

well as aesthetic, scientific, and other related values. Research has shown 

that some values of Wilderness extend beyond their boundaries to people 

who may never visit but who benefit from the protection of natural 

ecological processes—benefits such as clean air and water and the simple 

knowledge that such places exist. In managing Wilderness, managers are 

encouraged to consider in decision-making these off-site and symbolic 

values as well as tangible resource values. 

Permanent structures are generally prohibited; excepted are historic and 

cultural resources and, in certain circumstances, administrative structures 

or cabins that predate ANILCA, cabins that are necessary for trapping, 

and public-use cabins necessary for the protection of human health and 

safety. Facilities and structures are rustic and unobtrusive in appearance. 

Compatible commercial uses of Wilderness Areas are generally limited 

to those activities that facilitate enjoyment of the areas (e.g., guided 

fishing, hunting, and wilderness trips). All commercial activities and 

facilities require authorizations (e.g., special use permits). 

A variety of management actions may be taken to maintain the 

wilderness values of the area. Actions such as prescribed fires or 

invasive-species control may be conducted when it is necessary to 

protect life or property or when it is necessary to restore, maintain, or 

protect wilderness values. 

2.3.21.4 Special Management 

Although there are none on these Refuges, Special Management lands 

are managed within one of the categories described previously but have 

additional requirements because of their status. An example of Special 

Management areas would be Research Natural Areas. 

Management of Selected Lands

The Service retains management responsibility for lands selected but not 

yet conveyed to Native village and regional corporations or to the State 

of Alaska. The appropriate Native corporation or agency of the State of 

Alaska will be contacted and its views considered prior to implementing 

a management program or issuing a permit involving these lands. Fees 

collected for special use or right-of-way permits will be held in escrow 

until the selected lands are conveyed or relinquished. Management 

directions for these lands will be the same as for adjacent refuge lands. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

52 

2.3.21.5 Management Categories Table 

Explanatory Notes 

The descriptions of the management categories reflect a clear distinction 

in the level of action, type of action, and constraints that may be placed 

on activities or development within the management categories. They 

should be used to reflect the desired future condition of the area when 

site-specific proposals are being evaluated. Activities allowed or 

authorized will be managed differently depending on the management 

category in which they occur. 

Key for Management Categories Table 

The following terms are used: 

NEPA analysis—All activities, uses, and facilities proposed for a refuge 

that have the potential to result in significant effects on the environment 

require an analysis of potential environmental impacts under the National 

Environmental Policy Act. This analysis may be documented as a 

categorical exclusion (CE), an environmental assessment (EA), or an 

environmental impact statement (EIS), depending on the nature of the 

proposed project. 

Compatibility—All activities, uses, and facilities allowed on a refuge, 

except management actions undertaken by or for the Service, must be 

compatible with the purposes of the refuge and the mission of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System. The analysis that occurs results in a 

compatibility determination. Management activities undertaken by the 

Service or by volunteers, cooperators, or contractors working for the 

Service, with limited exception, are exempt from compatibility review 

(Part 603, Compatibility, of the Service Manual). 

Regulations—All activities, uses, and facilities allowed on a refuge must 

comply with any applicable regulations, as published in the Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR). Regulations are developed by the Service 

through a public process to implement the legal authorities under which 

the Service manages the National Wildlife Refuge System. For more 

information on these regulations, see the appropriate topic in 

Management Directions, section 2.3 of this chapter. For some activities, 

other federal agency and/or state regulations may also apply. 

Temporary—A continuous period of time not to exceed 12 months, 

except as specifically provided otherwise. Special use permits or other 

authorizations may prescribe a longer period of time, but the structures or 

other human-made improvements need to be readily and completely 

dismantled and removed from the site when the period of authorized use 

terminates. 

The following are definitions for terms used in the table. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

53 

Allowed—Activity, use, or facility is allowed under existing NEPA 

analysis, compatibility determinations, and applicable laws and 

regulations of the Service, other federal agencies and the State of Alaska. 

May be allowed—Activity, use or facility may be allowed subject to 

site-specific NEPA analysis (including CEs, EAs, and EISs), a specific 

compatibility determination, and compliance with all applicable laws and 

regulations of the Service, other federal agencies, and the State of 

Alaska. 

May be authorized—Activity, use, or facility may be allowed; a special 

use permit or other authorization is required. 

Not allowed—Activity, use, or facility is not allowed. 

The following guidelines apply to all activities, uses, and facilities 

allowed on a refuge: 

Area or time restrictions—All activities and uses allowed on a refuge 

may be restricted in certain areas or at certain times, at the discretion of 

the refuge manager and with the appropriate level of public involvement, 

by emergency (short-term) or permanent regulation, if necessary to 

protect refuge resources or human health and safety. 

Management emergencies—Activities, uses, and facilities not allowed 

on a refuge or in specific management categories may be allowed if 

naturally occurring or human-caused actions adversely affect refuge 

resources or threaten human health and safety. 

 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

54 

Table 2: Activities, Uses, and Facilities by Management Category 

(Shaded rows describe activities that currently do not occur on the refuges 

covered by this plan.) 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

 

ECOSYSTEM, HABITAT, AND FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 

 

 

Ecosystem and Landscape Management 

 

Collecting Information on and Monitoring 

Ecosystem Components 

Data gathering, monitoring, and 

maintaining a comprehensive database of 

selected ecosystem components (plants, 

animals, fish, water, air). 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.11.1

and 2.3.11.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

 Service—Allowed 

Research and Management 

Access and collection of data necessary for 

management decisions or to further 

science. 

ADF&G—

Coordinate with 

refuge manager; 

see sections 

2.3.8.1 and 2.3.11

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

 Other 

researchers—May 

be allowed 

Research and Management Facilities 

May be permanent or temporary 

structures or camps, including weirs, 

counting towers, and sonar counters. 

May be allowed; 

see sections 

2.3.10.1 and 

2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

must be 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

 

Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management 

 

Describing, Locating, and Mapping 

Habitats 

Development of quantitative, written, and 

graphic descriptions of fish and wildlife 

habitat, including water, food, and shelter 

components. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.11.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Habitat Management 

Mechanical Treatment Activities such as 

cutting, crushing, or mowing of 

vegetation; water control structures; 

fencing; artificial nest structures. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.10.1

Not allowed; with 

exceptions 

consistent with 

section 2.3.21.2

Same as Minimal 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

55 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Chemical Treatment 

Use of chemicals to remove or control 

nonnative species. 

May be allowed; 

see sections 

2.3.10.1 and 

2.3.10.3

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Manual Treatment 

Use of hand tools to remove, reduce, or 

modify hazardous plant fuels, or exotic 

plant species or to modify habitats (e.g., 

remove beaver dams). 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.10.1 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Aquatic Habitat Modifications 

Activities such as streambank restoration, 

passage structures, fish barriers, or 

removal of obstacles that result in 

physical modification of aquatic habitats 

to maintain or restore native fish species. 

May be allowed; 

see sections 

2.3.10.1 and 

2.3.11.10

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

must be 

consistent with 

constraints in 

section 2.3.21.3; 

see also section 

2.3.19.1

Fire Management—Prescribed Fires 

Fire ignited by management actions to 

meet specific management objectives. 

May be allowed; 

subject to section 

2.3.10.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

consistent with 

constraints in 

section 2.3.21.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

consistent with 

constraints in 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1 

Fire Management—Wildland Fire Use 

The planned use of naturally occurring 

fires to meet management objectives. 

May be allowed; 

subject to section 

2.3.10.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

limited to 

constraints in 

section 2.3.21.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

limited to 

constraints in 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

Fire Management—Fire Suppression 

Management actions intended to protect 

identified resources from a fire, extinguish 

a fire, or alter a fire’s direction of spread 

Allowed; subject 

to section 2.3.10.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.21.2 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also sections 

2.3.21.3 and 

2.3.19.1

Weed Control 

Monitoring, extirpation, control, removal 

and/or relocation and other management 

practices for pest and nonnative plant 

species. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.10.3 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

56 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Water Quality and Quantity Management 

Monitoring of water quality and quantity 

to identify baseline data and for 

management purposes; includes 

installation of gauging stations. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.9.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

 

Fish and Wildlife Population Management 

 

Reintroduction of Species 

The reintroduction of native species to 

restore natural diversity of fish, wildlife, 

and habitats. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.6 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Fish and Wildlife Control 

The control, relocation, sterilization, 

removal, or other management of native 

species, including predators, to maintain 

natural diversity of fish, wildlife, and 

habitats; favor other fish or wildlife 

populations; protect reintroduced, 

threatened, or endangered species; or to 

restore depleted native populations. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.6

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Nonnative Species Management 

The removal or control of nonnative 

species (including predators). 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.8

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; use 

least-intrusive 

methods 

Same as Minimal 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Pest Management and Disease Prevention 

and Control 

Relocation or removal of organisms that 

threaten human health or survival of 

native fish, wildlife, or plant species. 

Management practices directed at 

controlling pathogens that threaten fish, 

wildlife, and people such as rabies and 

parasite control. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.9 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Fishery Restoration 

Actions taken to restore fish access to 

spawning and rearing habitat or actions 

taken to restore populations to historic 

levels. Includes harvest management, 

escapement goals, habitat restoration, 

stocking, egg incubation boxes, and lake 

fertilization. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.10 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

57 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Fishery Restoration Facilities 

Fisheries facilities may be permanent or 

temporary and may include hatcheries, 

fish ladders, fish passages, fish barriers, 

and associated structures. 

May be 

authorized; see 

sections 2.3.11.10

and 2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.21.2 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also sections 

2.3.21.3 and 

2.3.19.1

Fishery Enhancement 

Activities applied to a fish stock to 

supplement numbers of harvestable fish to 

a level beyond what could be naturally 

produced based upon a determination or 

reasonable estimate of historic levels. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.11

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Fishery Enhancement Facilities 

May be permanent or temporary and may 

include hatcheries, egg incubation boxes, 

fish ladders, fish passages, fish barriers, 

and associated structures. 

May be 

authorized, see 

sections 2.3.11.11

and 2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.21.2 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also sections 

2.3.21.3 and 

2.3.19.1

Native Fish Introductions 

Movement of native fish species within a 

drainage on the refuge to areas where 

they have not historically existed. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.11.6

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Nonnative Species Introductions 

Introduction of species not naturally 

occurring within a watershed. 

Not allowed; see 

section 2.3.11.6

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

 

SUBSISTENCE 

 

Fishing, Hunting, Trapping, and Berry 

Picking 

The taking of fish and wildlife and other 

natural resources for personal 

consumption, as provided by law. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.12

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Collection of House Logs and Firewood 

Harvesting live standing timber greater 

than 6 inches diameter at breast height 

for personal or extended family use. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.12

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Collection of House Logs and Firewood 

Live trees less than 3 inched diameter at 

breast height and dead standing or down 

timber for personal or extended family 

use. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.12

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Collection of House Logs and Firewood 

Live trees between 3 and 6 inches 

diameter at breast height for personal or 

extended family use. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.12

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

58 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Collection of Other Plant Materials 

Harvesting trees less than 6 inches 

diameter at breast height for trapping and 

other purposes; harvesting grass, bark, 

other plant materials used as food, in 

making handicrafts, or for other 

subsistence purposes. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.12

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Access 

Use of snowmachines, motorboats, and 

other means of surface transportation 

traditionally employed for subsistence 

purposes. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.12.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Temporary Facilities 

Establishment and use of tent platforms, 

shelters, and other temporary facilities 

and equipment directly related to the 

taking of fish and wildlife. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.16.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Subsistence Cabins See CABINS and section 2.3.16.1

 

ACCESS

(restrictions subject to provisions of Section 1110 of ANILCA; access for subsistence purposes 

discussed in SUBSISTENCE section) 

 

Nonmotorized 

 

Foot 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Dogs and Dog Teams 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Other Domestic Animals 

Includes horses, mules, llamas, and other 

domestic animals. 

Allowed, see 

sections 2.3.13.1 

and 2.3.14 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Bicycles 

Includes all types of bicycles (e.g., road, 

BMX, mountain) 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Nonmotorized Boats 

Includes canoes, kayaks, rafts, etc. Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1 

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

 

Motorized 

 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

59 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Motorboats 

Includes inboard and outboard motor 

power boats, including jet boats; does not 

include jet-driven personal watercraft, air 

boats, and air-cushion vehicles. 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1 

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Highway Vehicles 

May be allowed on 

designated roads. 

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Off-Road Vehicles (All-Terrain Vehicles) 

Excludes air boats and air-cushion 

vehicles 

Allowed see 

section 2.3.13.2 

Not allowed; see 

also section 

2.3.12.1 

Same as Minimal 

Management 

Airplanes 

Fixed-wing aircraft such as float planes 

and wheeled planes 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1 

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Helicopters 

Includes all rotary-wing aircraft May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.13.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

must be 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

Snowmachines (Snowmobiles) 

A self-propelled vehicle intended for offroad travel primarily on snow having a 

curb weight of not more than 1,000 

pounds (450 kg), driven by track or tracks 

in contact with the snow. 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.13.1 

and 2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

 

PUBLIC USE, RECREATION, and OUTREACH ACTIVITIES 

(Also see ACCESS section) 

Hunting*, Fishing*, Trapping, Walking, 

Hiking, Camping at Undeveloped Sites, 

Wildlife Observation*, and Dog Sledding 

Note: * = priority public use 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.1 and 

2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Wildlife Photography* and General 

Photography—Also see COMMERCIAL 

USES 

Note: * = priority public use 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.1 and 

2.3.14

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Boating and Snowmachining 

Motorized and nonmotorized boating 

(excluding air boats and air-cushion 

vehicles) and snowmachining. Also see 

ACCESS. 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.1, 

2.3.14, and 

2.3.13.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

60 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Interpretation*, Environmental 

Education*, and other Outreach Activities 

Note: * = priority public use 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.21.1

and 2.3.15

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

sections 2.3.21.2

and 2.3.15

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

sections 2.3.21.3 

and 2.3.15

 

PUBLIC USE and RECREATION FACILITIES 

 

Recreation Facilities 

Facilities provided by the Service May be allowed; 

see sections 

2.3.21.1 and 2.3.16 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management see 

sections 2.3.21.2

and 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

sections 2.3.21.3, 

2.3.16, and 2.3.19

All-Weather Roads 

and associated developments, including 

bridges. 

May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.21.1

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Unimproved Roads 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.16

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Off-Road Vehicle (All-Terrain Vehicle) 

Trails and Routes May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.16

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Roadside Exhibits and Waysides 

May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.16

Not applicable Not applicable 

Constructed and Maintained Airstrips 

May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.16

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Cleared Landing Strips and Areas 

May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1 

Constructed Hiking Trails 

Includes bridges, boardwalks, trailheads, 

and related facilities 

May be allowed; 

see sections 

2.3.21.1 and 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

sections 2.3.21.2

and 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

sections 2.3.21.3, 

2.3.16, and 2.3.19

Designated Hiking Routes 

Unimproved and unmaintained trails; 

may be designated by signs, cairns, and/or 

on maps. 

Allowed; see 

sections 2.3.21.1

and 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.2

and 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3, 

2.3.16, and 2.3.19 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

61 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Boat Launches and Docks 

Designated sites for launching and storing 

watercraft. 

May be allowed; 

see sections 

2.3.21.1 and 2.3.16

Same as 

Moderate 

Management see 

section 2.3.21.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

Visitor Contact Facilities 

A variety of staffed and unstaffed facilities 

providing information on the refuge and 

its resources to the public; facilities range 

from visitor centers to kiosks and signs. 

May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.16

consistent with 

direction in 

section 2.3.21.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

consistent with 

direction in 

section 2.3.21.2

Generally not 

allowed except as 

provided in 

section 2.3.19.1;

see also section 

2.3.21.3

Hardened Campsites 

Areas where people can camp that are 

accessible by vehicle or on foot but where 

the only facilities provided are for public 

health and safety and/or resource 

protection; may include gravel pads for 

tents, hardened trails, and/or primitive 

toilets. 

Allowed; see also 

section 2.3.21.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.21.2 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

when consistent 

with sections 

2.3.21.3 and 

2.3.19.1 

Temporary Facilities 

Includes tent frames, caches, and other 

similar or related facilities; does not 

include cabins. See also SUBSISTENCE, 

ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES, and 

COMMERCIAL USES. 

Allowed; see 

section 2.3.16.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

 

CABINS 

(and other related structures such as outdoor toilets, and fish-drying racks) 

Public Use Cabin 

A cabin administered by the Service and 

available for use by the public; intended 

only for short-term public recreation use 

and occupancy. 

Existing cabins 

allowed to remain; 

new cabins may 

be allowed; see 

section 2.3.16.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

consistent with 

section 2.3.21.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management, 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

Administrative Cabin 

Any cabin primarily used by refuge staff 

or other authorized personnel for the 

administration of the refuge. 

May be allowed; 

see section 2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management, 

consistent with 

section 2.3.21.2 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management, 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

Subsistence Cabin 

Any cabin necessary for health and safety 

and to provide for the continuation of 

ongoing subsistence activities; not for 

recreation use. 

Existing cabins 

allowed; new 

cabins may be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.16.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

62 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Commercial Cabin 

Any cabin that is used in association with 

a commercial operation, including 

commercial fishing activities and 

recreational guiding services. 

Existing cabins 

allowed to remain, 

new cabins may 

be authorized; see 

section 2.3.16.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Existing cabins 

(predesignation)—

same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

new cabins not 

allowed. 

Other Cabins 

Cabins associated with authorized uses by 

other government agencies. 

May be allowed May be allowed, 

consistent with 

section 2.3.21.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management, 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

 

ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES 

 

Administrative Field Camps 

Temporary facilities used by refuge staff 

and other authorized personnel to support 

individual (generally) field projects; may 

include tent frames and 

temporary/portable outhouses, shower 

facilities, storage/maintenance facilities, 

and caches. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

Administrative Field Sites 

Permanent facilities used by refuge staff 

or other authorized personnel for the 

administration of the refuge. Includes 

administrative cabins and related 

structures (see CABINS above) and larger 

multi-facility administrative sites 

necessary to support ongoing field 

projects, research, and other management 

activities. Temporary facilities, to meet 

short-term needs, may supplement the 

permanent facilities at these sites. 

Use of existing 

sites allowed, 

including 

replacement of 

existing facilities 

as necessary; new 

sites may be 

allowed; see 

section 2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.19.1

Refuge Administrative Office Complex 

Facilities necessary to house refuge 

operations, outreach, and maintenance 

activities and associated infrastructure; 

includes staff offices, storage, 

maintenance, and other facilities, parking 

lots, and so forth. 

Not allowed Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

63 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Hazardous Materials Storage 

Sites including appropriate structures and 

equipment necessary for the storage and 

transfer of fuels and other hazardous 

materials used for administrative 

purposes; must be in compliance with all 

federal and state requirements. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.20.1 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also sections 

2.3.21.3 and 

2.3.19.1

Residences 

Residential housing for refuge staff and 

their families; includes single- and multifamily dwellings. 

Not allowed Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Bunkhouses 

Quarters to house temporary and similar 

employees, volunteers, visitors, and other 

agency personnel. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.20.1

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Boat Launching Sites and Docks See PUBLIC-USE FACILITIES 

Float-Plane Bases 

Improved sites for docking and storage of 

float-equipped aircraft 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.20.1

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Aircraft Hangars 

Facilities for storage of aircraft Not allowed Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Radio Repeater Sites 

Sites used to maintain radio 

communications equipment; may include 

helispots for access. 

May be allowed; 

see section 

2.3.20.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; 

consistent with 

sections 2.3.21.3

and 2.3.19.1

 

COMMERCIAL USES 

(Does not include subsistence use; see SUBSISTENCE section of this table. Except as specifically 

noted, a written authorization in the form of a special use permit or other document is required for 

economic use of a refuge.) 

 

MINERAL EXPLORATION 

 

Surface Geological Studies 

Includes surface rock collecting and 

geological mapping activities (includes 

helicopter or fixed-wing access). 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

64 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Geophysical Exploration and Seismic 

Studies 

Examination of subsurface rock 

formations through devices that set off 

and record vibrations in the earth. 

Usually involves mechanized surface 

transportation, but may be helicopter 

supported; includes studies conducted for 

the Department of the Interior. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.1 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed 

except as 

discussed in 

section 2.3.17.1

Core Sampling 

Using helicopter-transported motorized 

drill rig to extract subsurface rock 

samples; does not include exploratory 

wells; includes sampling conducted for 

Department of the Interior. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed 

except as 

discussed in 

section 2.3.17.1

Other Geophysical Studies 

Helicopter-supported gravity and 

magnetic surveys and other minimalimpact activities that do not require 

mechanized surface transportation. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed 

except as 

discussed in 

section 2.3.17.1

Oil and Gas Leasing 

Leasing, drilling, and extraction of oil and 

gas for commercial purposes. Includes all 

associated above- and below-ground 

facilities. 

Not allowed; see 

section 2.3.17.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Sale of Sand, Gravel, and Other Common 

Variety Minerals 

Extraction of sand, gravel, and other 

saleable minerals for commercial 

purposes; includes noncommercial use by 

federal, state, and local agencies. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.1

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Other Mineral Leasing 

Includes the extraction of coal, geothermal 

resources, potassium, sodium, phosphate, 

sulfur, or other leaseable minerals for 

commercial purposes. 

Not allowed; see 

section 2.3.17.1

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Mining of Hardrock Minerals 

Development of valid (pre-ANILCA) 

mining claims (lode, placer, and mill sites) 

on refuge lands for the purpose of 

extracting hardrock minerals. 

Not allowed Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

 

COMMERCIAL RECREATION 

(Includes all forms of guiding, including those operated by nonprofit, educational, and other 

noncommercial groups) 

Guiding and Outfitting 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

65 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Transporting 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Fixed-Wing Air Taxis 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Helicopter Air Taxis 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.2

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed 

except as 

discussed in 

section 2.3.13.2

Bus and Auto Tours 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.2

Not applicable Not applicable 

 

Other Commercial Activities 

 

Commercial Filming, Videotaping, and 

Audiotaping May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.6

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Grazing 

Not allowed; see 

sections 2.3.17

and 2.3.17.7 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Agriculture (Commercial) 

Not allowed; see 

sections 2.3.17

and 2.3.17.7

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Commercial Fishery Support Facilities 

At or below 1979 levels Allowed; see 

section 2.3.17.3

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Commercial Fishery Support Facilities 

Above 1979 levels May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.3

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed 

Seafood Processing 

Not allowed; see 

section 2.3.17.3

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Aquaculture and Mariculture Support 

Facilities Not allowed Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

66 

ACTIVITY MODERATE 

MANAGEMENT 

MINIMAL 

MANAGEMENT 

MANAGEMENT 

of WILDERNESS 

Commercial Timber and Firewood 

Harvest May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.4

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Not allowed 

Commercial Gathering of Other Refuge 

Resources May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.5

Not allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 

Transportation and Utility Systems 

Includes transmission lines, pipelines, 

telephone and electrical power lines, oil 

and gas pipelines, communication 

systems, roads, airstrips, and other 

necessary related facilities. Does not 

include facilities associated with on-refuge 

oil and gas development. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.13.6

Not allowed: See 

2.3.13.6

Same as Minimal 

Management 

Navigation Aids and Other Facilities 

Includes air and water navigation aids 

and related facilities, communication sites 

and related facilities, facilities for national 

defense purposes and related air/water 

navigation aids, and facilities for weather, 

climate, and fisheries research and 

monitoring; includes both private and 

government facilities. 

Existing and new 

facilities allowed; 

see section 

2.3.13.10

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management; see 

also section 

2.3.21.3

Major Hydroelectric Power Development 

Hydroelectric dams creating a change in 

streamflow with an elevation change and 

reservoir behind the dam. 

Not allowed; see 

section 2.3.17.7

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Same as 

Moderate 

Management 

Small Hydroelectric Power Development 

Hydroelectric generation by low-head or 

instream structures that do not change 

the flow of the river. 

May be 

authorized; see 

section 2.3.17.7

Not Allowed Same as Minimal 

Management 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

67 

2.4 Implementation and 

Monitoring 

Implementation of this Comprehensive Conservation Plan will be 

accomplished by means of various step-down plans described in section 

2.5. Each of these plans has its own focus and revision schedule. 

Part of the implementation process is the Refuges’ involvement with 

partnership opportunities, as discussed in section 2.7. 

Monitoring the outcome of implementation is effected by means of 

surveys, inventories, creel censuses, etc., (section 2.8) and may lead to 

amendment or revision of the Comprehensive Conservation Plan. 

2.5 Step-Down Plans 

Step-down management plans are plans that deal with specific 

management subjects. They describe management strategies and 

implementation schedules and provide details necessary to fulfill 

management goals and objectives identified in the Conservation Plan. 

(DSM 602 FW 1.5). 

Step-down plans for these Refuges include the following: 

2.5.1 Cultural Resource Guide 

This step-down plan provides guidance to refuge staff in meeting legal 

requirements to protect and manage the cultural resources of the 

Refuges. The Cultural Resources Guide provides a ready reference to the 

cultural resource guidance provided by law and regulation, by the 

Service Manual, and by the Cultural Resource Management Handbook. 

As a guide, it outlines roles and responsibilities, summarizes legislation 

governing management of cultural resources, and contains information of 

potential use to the refuge manager. It describes the current state of our 

knowledge of prehistory and history of the region. It includes a list of 

projects that will fill in gaps in knowledge or will complete existing 

work. The guide was completed in 1996, and the next review is in 2008. 

2.5.2 Environmental Education Plan 

An environmental education plan gives direction to the educational and 

outreach programs conducted by refuge staff. Programs are primarily 

directed at children but include all segments of the populations in the 

communities surrounding the Refuges. All refuge staff are involved with 

formal and informal programs that focus on teaching about fish and 

wildlife and the ecosystems around them. Emphasis is on national 

directives of the Service, refuge purposes, and special programs such as 

International Migratory Bird Day, National Wildlife Refuge Week, 

National Fishing Week, and the Alaska Goose Calendar Contest. 

Educational programs are promoted through contacts with school faculty, 

classroom visits, providing environmental education materials, and 

lending educational materials. The Refuges environmental education 

plan was initially developed in 1991 and is updated yearly. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

68 

2.5.3 Facilities Management Plan 

A facilities management plan describes the history and condition of all 

Service buildings associated with the Refuges. It includes an inventory 

describing the adequacy of each of the structures for its present use and 

provides a schedule for future repairs and construction to meet refuge 

needs. The current plan was approved in January 1997. 

2.5.3.1 Refuge Infrastructure 

Several of the buildings in use at the King Salmon office compound date 

to 1939, when the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries established the site. 

Although some newer buildings have been constructed and others have 

been updated throughout the years, the facility is dated and not adequate 

for today’s needs. Several buildings do not meet current state building 

codes. Facilities associated with the Refuges and plans for construction 

will not vary by alternative. An administrative building at the King 

Salmon office compound was constructed during 2002 to replace the 

existing space. 

Other off-refuge projects planned for, but not yet scheduled, include the 

following: 

Construction of new bunkhouse 

Construction of a duplex residence 

Construction of a maintenance shop at the office compound 

Construction or lease of administrative facilities and hangar 

space in the Chignik Unit 

Coordination with partners to ensure that a permanent visitor 

center facility is provided in King Salmon 

Projects planned on the Refuges, but not yet scheduled, include 

construction or replacement of administrative cabins at Ugashik Narrows 

or Island Arm and at the Yantarni Bay airstrip. A complete facility 

inventory and description of needed facilities is presented in the Revised 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement 

(section 3.6.1). 

In addition to refuge-owned administrative facilities, two permitted 

administrative cabins, owned by the State of Alaska (ADF&G) are 

within the Refuges: one at Orzinsky Bay and another on the Egegik 

River near the outlet of Becharof Lake. 

2.5.4 Fire Management Plan 

Fire management plans describe how a refuge will respond in a wildland 

fire situation and are normally required by the planning process. A fire 

management plan is not required for the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof 

Refuges. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

69 

2.5.5 Fisheries Management Plan 

The fisheries management plan describes the fishery resource, the ways 

in which humans have used the resource, the history of fisheries 

management on the Refuges, and major issues and concerns. The plan 

provides for continued use of fishery resources by subsistence, 

commercial, and recreational users. It provides direction to ensure the 

conservation of fishery resources and habitat. It describes objectives and 

tasks to address the issues and concerns and assigns priorities and costs 

for federal tasks. It was last updated in 1994 and is scheduled for review 

in 2008. 

2.5.6 Habitat Inventory Plan 

The habitat inventory plan will be developed to guide the Refuges in 

evaluating habitats by developing goals, objectives, priorities, and 

methods for conducting habitat inventories. The plan will guide 

development of maps of major vegetation types and maps and habitat 

models for caribou, moose, and additional species. It will incorporate a 

plan for a reconnaissance of invasive plant and animal species. It is 

expected to be completed by December 2007. 

2.5.7 Land-Protection Plan 

A land-protection plan (LPP) focuses on private lands within the refuge 

boundaries with the goal of identifying and conserving high-quality 

habitat on those lands. The plan will guide the Refuges’ land 

conservation activities and provide a framework for refuge and private 

landowner cooperation. Any course of action will require mutual 

consent. The plan does not obligate either the Refuges or the landowners 

to undertake any of the land-conservation measures identified. The 

Refuges must consider management goals, priorities, and the availability 

of funds when approached by private landowners with land-conservation 

proposals. The Refuges’ LPP was completed in 2002. 

2.5.8 Public-Use Management Plan or Visitor 

Services Plan 

A public-use management plan (PUMP) guides the management of 

recreational and subsistence uses, including hunting, trapping, fishing, 

guiding, camping, photography, sightseeing, hiking, and wildlife 

viewing. It summarizes how the public was involved in developing 

issues and alternatives and describes the alternatives that were developed 

to manage public use. First completed in 1994, the PUMP was updated 

by being incorporated into the Revised Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. The Public Use Management 

Plan presented in Section 2.5 is to be used in conjunction with the 

Management Policies and Guidelines (Section 2.3). 

2.5.9 Safety Plan 

A refuge safety plan focuses on the goal of providing a safe and healthful 

environment for employees and the visiting public. It aims to minimize 

accidents resulting in injury to employees and the visiting public and to 

prevent property damage. It describes programs needed to train personnel 

in how to deal with the environment, materials, and machines that may 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

70 

pose hazards, with the goal of making safety and environmental health an 

integral part of every task. The safety plan is revised annually. 

2.5.10 Water Resources Plan 

A water resources plan guides collection of hydrologic data on waters 

within and draining onto the Refuges. Objectives of this plan are to 

document the occurrence, quantity, distribution, and movement of 

surface waters and to quantify instream water rights needed to maintain 

and protect fish and wildlife habitats. The plan describes the waterbodies 

of interest and the goals, objectives, priorities, and methods of study 

needed. A water resources plan for the Refuges is scheduled to be 

developed by 2010. 

2.5.11 Wildlife Inventory Plan 

A wildlife inventory plan provides guidance in planning a program to 

inventory and monitor the animal populations of the Refuges. This plan 

supports Service policy to collect baseline information, monitor critical 

parameters and trends, and base management on biologically and 

statistically sound data. This plan will guide collection of data on species 

of management concern. It will describe the types of surveys that will be 

used, emphasis of the studies, sampling design and data standards, 

reporting requirements, how the data will be stored, and when data will 

be updated. A wildlife inventory plan for the Refuges expected to be 

completed by October 2007. 

2.5.12 Wilderness Stewardship Plan 

This plan is a step-down management plan that provides detailed 

strategies and implementation schedules for meeting the broader 

wilderness goals and objectives identified in the Conservation Plan. 

A Wilderness stewardship plan guides the preservation, stewardship, and 

use of a particular Wilderness area. In it are described the goals, 

objectives, and stewardship strategies for the Wilderness area, based on 

the refuge purpose(s) (including Wilderness Act purposes), System 

mission, and wilderness stewardship principles. It contains specific, 

measurable stewardship objectives that address the preservation of 

cultural and natural resource values and conditions. This plan must 

clearly show the strategies and actions to be used and implemented to 

preserve the wilderness resource and the linkage between those strategies 

and actions and the wilderness objectives. It also contains indicators, 

standards, conditions, or thresholds that define adverse impacts on 

wilderness character and values and that will trigger stewardship actions 

to reduce or prevent them. 

A Wilderness stewardship plan for the Refuges will be completed, in 

coordination with state wildlife agencies and with public involvement, by 

2010. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

71 

2.6 Public Use 

Management Plan 

The intent of this section is to clarify and where necessary provide detail 

to the management direction set forth previously in Section 2.3. 

Most visits to the Refuges are for subsistence uses or for hunting, fishing, 

or other wildlife-dependent recreation. Fixed-wing aircraft landings will 

not be limited. Airplanes will continue to be allowed to land on sand 

blows, gravel bars, waterbodies, and the few primitive airstrips that exist. 

All rivers and lakes will remain open to motorboats. Unless use of 

helicopters for recreation access within the Becharof Wilderness is 

determined to have been established prior to refuge establishment, 

landings for recreation access or use will be prohibited within the 

Becharof Wilderness and will be considered on a case-by-case basis 

elsewhere on the Refuges. 

Snowmachines and powerboats will be allowed throughout the Refuges. 

Off-road vehicles will be allowed throughout the Refuges, as provided 

for in established regulations, for subsistence purposes and could be 

limited only if necessary to protect resources. Off-road vehicles for 

recreation and commercial purposes will be limited to established trails 

in the Yantarni Bay Moderate Management area. No public use cabins or 

other facilities or hardened trails will be developed for recreation use. 

Public-use monitoring and management will continue to be mainly 

reactive, focused on investigating reports of conflicts and impacts. 

The opportunity for continued subsistence use is one of the Refuges’ 

purposes and will continue to be a management priority. As specified in 

the Refuge Improvement Act, wildlife-dependent recreation will be the 

priority general public use; these recreation activities are defined as 

hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. These uses will be allowed and facilitated 

as long as they remained compatible with refuge purposes and the 

Refuge System mission. Recreation will be managed to provide 

opportunities for quality experiences, as defined in this Plan and Service 

policy. State regulations for the harvest of fish and game will continue to 

take precedence unless the Refuges were closed to such uses by the 

Federal Subsistence Board. 

2.6.1 Wildlife 

Bears—All areas will remain open for people to view bears. Detailed 

public information, including recommendations and precautions for 

visitors (such as how to behave around bears), will continue to be 

provided. Areas providing opportunities for viewing bears and other 

wildlife will be identified. Impacts of use on sensitive bear areas will be 

monitored. 

Seabirds—Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Eskimos and Indians 

may take, at any season, auks, auklets, guillemots, scoters, murres, and 

puffins; their eggs for food; and their skins for clothing. The birds and 

eggs cannot be sold or offered for sale. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

72 

Other migratory birds—The 1916 Convention for the Protection of 

Migratory Birds in Canada and the United States, as implemented by the 

Migratory Bird Treaty Act, prohibited spring and summer hunting for 

migratory birds. The treaty called for a closed season in both countries 

between March 10 and September 1; hunting was allowed under federal 

and state regulations at other times of the year. In 1997, the treaty was 

amended to allow subsistence harvest of migratory birds for certain 

inhabitants of Alaska. In the Bristol Bay region, hunting is allowed for 

selected waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds, loons, and owls. 

Eagles—Eagles are managed under the Bald Eagle Protection Act and 

related regulations. 

Caribou—Hunting is allowed, subject to state and federal regulations. 

As of 2005, caribou in game management units 9C and 9E were under 

state Tier II hunting restrictions, reflecting the decline of the caribou 

herd. 

2.6.2 Access 

Pack Animals

The private use of pack animals—such as horses, llamas, or dogs—will 

be allowed by the general public. As of May 2005, only dogs (both pack 

dogs and dog teams) are used on the Refuges, although this use is 

minimal. Commercial use of pack animals on the Refuges will be 

evaluated on a case-by-case basis; if approved, measures to protect 

resources and avoid conflict with other users will be included in the 

special-use permit. 

Motorboats

Motorboat access (including jet boats) will be allowed in the Refuges, as 

specified by ANILCA. Use will be monitored to determine if additional 

management action is needed. 

Aircraft

Aeronautical charts recommend avoiding flight below 2,000 feet above 

ground level, except during take-off and landing approach. There will be 

no limits on fixed-wing aircraft landings within the Refuges. Helicopter 

access for recreation uses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

Off-Road Vehicles

A winter route over the frozen surface of Big Creek was approved in the 

Becharof Conservation Plan (but regulations were not developed). Under 

current state and federal hunting regulations, the Naknek River drainage 

upstream from and including the King Salmon Creek drainage is closed, 

from August 1 through November 30, to the use of any motorized 

vehicle except an aircraft, boat, or snowmachine for hunting; this closure 

includes transportation of hunters, their hunting gear, and/or parts of 

game. However, this does not apply to motorized vehicles on the 

Naknek, King Salmon, Lake Camp, and Rapids Camp roads; on the Pike 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

73 

Ridge and King Salmon Creek trails; and on the frozen surfaces of the 

Naknek River and Big Creek. 

Off-road vehicle (ORV) use for subsistence (by three- and four-wheeled 

vehicles with a vehicle weight of 650 pounds or less) will continue to be 

allowed as specified in 50CFR36.39(c)(2) and will be monitored to 

ensure there are no adverse effects on Refuges resources. Should adverse 

effects be detected or appear to be likely in the near future, procedures 

outlined in 50 CFR 36.12 (U.S. Government 1996-2003) will be 

followed to take appropriate action. 

In the Yantarni Bay Moderate Management area, the airstrip, a trail to 

the beach, and a trail to the oil well site are designated (on the old gravel 

roadbeds) for year-round ORV use (Figure 5: Yantarni Bay Moderate 

Management Area). 

Snowmachine access will be allowed when there is adequate snow cover. 

Airboats are included in the Service definition of off-road vehicles. They 

will not be allowed on Refuges lands and waters, but will be allowed on 

state waters within the boundaries of the Refuges. 

2.6.3 Guided and Unguided Public Use 

Special-use permits will be required for all commercial uses of the 1985 

Refuges, including all types of guiding and air-taxi services. Separate 

permits will be required for big-game guiding/outfitting and guiding for 

recreational angling. There will be no limits on the number of air-taxi 

permits or where air taxis may operate unless a need for such limits was 

documented through monitoring; additional public involvement will be 

conducted as part of that process. 

Recreation visitors will be encouraged to use areas of the Refuges where 

subsistence use does not regularly occur. Public use at Becharof Lake 

outlet, and other locations as appropriate, will be monitored seasonally. 

Practice of Leave-No-Trace outdoor ethics will be encouraged. Leave No 

Trace consists of seven key practices: plan ahead and prepare; travel and 

camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you 

find; minimize campfire impacts; respect wildlife; and be considerate of 

other visitors. 

Enforceable regulations that address littering, especially littering that 

attracts bears, will be prepared as needed with input from the state and 

others. Barrier-free access will be provided at facilities (for example, the 

visitor center). The Refuges will encourage the guiding industry to 

provide opportunities for physically challenged visitors. 

Other than reserved sites authorized by special-use permits during the 

fall hunting season (August 1 through November 15), camping will be 

limited to seven nights per site at the following locations, as specified in 

50 CFR Part 36.39(c) (U.S. Government 1996-2003): 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

74 

Within one-quarter mile of the shoreline of Becharof Lake in the 

Severson Peninsula area (Island Arm) 

Within one-quarter mile of the shoreline at Becharof Lake outlet 

Within one-quarter mile of the shoreline at Ugashik Narrows 

Within one-quarter mile of Big Creek 

Within one-quarter mile of the shoreline of Gertrude Lake 

Within one-quarter mile of Gertrude Creek between Gertrude 

Lake and the King Salmon River 

After seven nights, camps will be required to be moved a minimum of 

one mile. Impacts of camping elsewhere on the Refuges will be 

monitored to determine if additional management is necessary. 

Currently, there are no limits on party size. These camping limits will not 

apply to subsistence users except at one of the areas: Big Creek. These 

camping limits also will not apply to state-owned shorelands or 

tidelands. 

Voluntary registration or other special management will be considered 

for some areas of the Refuges, including the Ukinrek Maars area, 

archaeological sites, Gertrude Lake, Ruth Lake, old oil wells, and World 

War II aircraft crash sites. Additional sites could be identified in the 

future. The purpose of special management will be to ensure that, prior to 

visiting, people using these areas have appropriate information about the 

resources and safety precautions. 

2.6.4 Big-Game Guiding/Outfitting 

In 1992, the Service adopted an Alaska-wide policy for big-game 

guides/outfitters. The policy established new guide areas and a process 

for competitively selecting guides to operate within these areas. 

Implementation began with the 1993 guiding season. As of January 1, 

2005, there are 25 big-game guide permittees authorized to operate 

within the Refuges. The Refuges have the same permit requirements as 

other Alaska refuges (e.g., requiring guides to report the area and 

intensity of use). Permits are actively managed; the Refuges staff 

conducts compliance checks and other oversight actions. 

2.6.5 Hunting 

As expressed in the Master Memorandum of Understanding (Section 5 - 

Appendix B of the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement), the Service recognizes that the state 

has primary responsibility to manage resident wildlife within the State of 

Alaska, and the Service will use the state regulatory process to the 

maximum extent allowed by federal law. If Service restrictions on 

hunting are needed, they will be done through a rule-making, through 

closures, or through restrictions under 50CFR 36.41 (2003). 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

75 

2.6.6 Recreational Fishing and Guided 

Recreational Fishing 

Guided recreational fishing will be authorized within the Refuges. A 

five-year monitoring program will be developed as staffing and funding 

levels permit, and its findings will be used to determine any needed 

additional management actions. New recreational fishing base camps 

will not be authorized on Refuges lands until the monitoring program 

had been completed, which is scheduled for 2010. 

Limits on the amount of recreational fishing at critical areas (such as the 

Becharof Lake outlet) could be proposed on an interim basis during the 

monitoring program if serious problems were detected. Limits will be 

proposed through regulation of fishing by the Alaska Board of Fisheries. 

The Service recognizes that the state has primary responsibility to 

manage fish, and it will use the state regulatory process to the maximum 

extent allowed by federal law. If special refuge regulations are needed, 

the Service will implement them through a rule-making, through 

closures, or through restrictions under 50CFR 36.41 (2003). 

Currently, there are no limits on the number of recreational fishing 

guides authorized. A competitive process will be used to allocate permits 

in the future if there were a need to limit the number of guides and/or 

facilities within areas of the Refuges. Improved public information on 

appropriate fishing techniques—such as catch and release—will be 

provided. 

2.6.7 Facility Development and Use 

Trails and Campsites

Trails will not be constructed. Hikers will be encouraged to use certain 

designated routes with differing levels of challenge, as described in 

brochures. Hiking in areas where there are no conflicts with wildlife 

and/or subsistence use will be encouraged. No campsites will be 

developed within sensitive wildlife areas. Campsites could be hardened 

and designated if the need is demonstrated. 

Easements

The Refuges will work with Service’s Division of Realty personnel and 

local Native corporations to field-check and update the database of 

ANCSA 17(b) easements, develop GIS maps of easements, and establish 

signs onsite as needed. Additional direction for easements is described in 

Section 2.3.13. 

Cabins

There will be no public-use cabins. If private cabin permits terminate and 

if the federal government assumes ownership, cabins will be removed or 

converted to subsistence use, safety cabins, or administrative cabins. 

Permits for construction of new cabins will be considered only for 

subsistence use and will be subject to case-by-case compatibility 

determinations and environmental analysis. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

76 

An administrative cabin will be constructed at the Yantarni Bay airstrip 

as funding permits. The Refuge has obtained an annual cooperative 

agreement for administrative use of the Bible Camp facility to run the 

“Spirit of Becharof Lake” Ecosystem Science Camp. 

Temporary Facilities

Use of temporary facilities will be allowed only for the period of activity 

authorized. Permit holders will be required to report the beginning and 

end of seasonal occupancy and any period of non-use. Reclamation 

bonds will be required. Temporary facilities will be required to be 

screened, to the extent practicable, from general public view and access 

points. Facilities will be colored to blend into the surrounding landscape 

as much as possible, but white wall tents will be allowed. 

Appropriate food storage methods will be required when the facility is 

occupied; no food caches will be authorized while the facility is not 

occupied. Fuel caches could be allowed in compliance with Service 

policy and in compliance with stipulations in the compatibility 

determinations. New temporary facilities, other than for subsistence 

purposes, will be prohibited within one-quarter mile of the Becharof 

Lake shoreline. 

New temporary facilities will be prohibited in some areas because they 

will constitute a significant expansion of existing facilities, which will be 

detrimental to the purposes for which the Refuges were established, 

especially subsistence activities and hunting and fishing (50 CFR

36.39([c][4][ii]; U.S. Government 1996-2003). The following areas 

receive heavy public use and are located close to communities and/or 

contain a substantial number of existing facilities: 

Within one-quarter mile of the shoreline of Big Creek 

Within one-quarter mile of the shorelines of Gertrude Lake and 

Long Lake 

Within one-quarter mile of the airstrip at the confluence of 

Gertrude Creek and the King Salmon River 

Within one-quarter mile of the shorelines of Upper and Lower 

Ugashik lakes 

Within one-quarter mile of the shoreline of Becharof Lake outlet 

2.6.8 Information and Education 

Because of the lack of developed visitor facilities on the Refuges, 

interpretive and educational efforts will occur primarily in King Salmon 

or in surrounding villages. The Refuges’ public-use staff will manage 

and operate the King Salmon Visitor Center, located in a leased building 

at the airport in King Salmon, in cooperation with the National Park 

Service, Bristol Bay Borough, and Lake and Peninsula Borough. The 

visitor center will be expanded to provide outreach environmental 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

77 

education programs at non-refuge facilities. Land-status information will 

be available at the visitor center. 

The Refuges will have an active education and outreach program. The 

Refuges will provide a visiting interpreter program at off-refuge facilities 

such as lodges. Environmental education programs will focus on the 

National Refuge System, the purposes for which Refuges were 

established, and significant resource management issues. The Refuges 

will also promote conservation of geese and waterfowl through the 

Western Alaska Goose Calendar Contest and the Alaska Junior Federal 

Duck Stamp Contest. The Refuges will conduct additional programs and 

activities for special events and occasions such as National Wildlife 

Refuge week, National Wildlife Week, International Migratory Bird 

Day, and National Fishing Week. 

The environmental education plan is updated yearly. Implementation will 

be subject to availability of funds. The Refuge Information Technician 

program will continue. 

2.6.9 Commercial Services 

Commercial transporters and guides will continue to be administered 

through special use permits. Big-game hunting guides are limited in 

number. Twenty-five big-game guide permittees were authorized to 

operate within the Refuges as of January 1, 2005. There are 21 guide 

areas on the Refuges (six in Becharof Refuge, seven in Ugashik Unit, 

and eight in Chignik Unit). Guides may be permitted to hunt in more 

than one area. Several areas are “joint-use areas” and are used by more 

than one guide. Guides compete for permits through formal proposals 

that are evaluated by the Service. Permits for guiding recreational anglers 

and for commercial transporters are not limited. Proposals for helicopter 

operations have not been approved in the past, but will be considered on 

a case-by-case basis. 

2.7 Partnership 

Opportunities 

Partnerships with other organizations are among the ways in which the 

Service fulfills its mission: “Working with others to conserve, protect, 

and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the 

continuing benefit of the American people.” Partnership opportunities 

will be consistent throughout all alternatives. 

The Refuges exist within a dynamic ecosystem. Fish, wildlife, and other 

resources do not respect artificial boundaries, and many of the resources 

within the Refuges are of national and international importance. The 

Service recognizes that the public, organizations, and other government 

agencies have interests in the Refuges. Implementation of many refuge 

programs requires community involvement and assistance. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

78 

2.7.1 Desired Partnerships 

The Refuges look for opportunities to coordinate activities with the 

following, among others: 

Koniag, Inc., the Aleut Corporation, and the Bristol Bay Native 

Corporation 

Local village corporations 

Local village councils 

Local communities and boroughs 

State of Alaska 

National Park Service 

Universities 

Nongovernmental organizations 

Alaska Natural History Association (ANHA) 

2.7.2 Existing, past, and potential 

partnerships 

Existing, past, and potential partnerships include: 

King Salmon Visitor Center, providing information and educational 

services highlighting the natural and cultural resources and recreation 

opportunities on the Alaska Peninsula; operated in conjunction with the 

National Park Service, Bristol Bay Borough, Lake and Peninsula 

Borough, and the Alaska Natural History Association (ANHA) 

“Spirit of Becharof Lake” Ecosystem Science Camp, a week-long 

residential camp for rural high school students operated in partnership 

with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Alaska Science Center, Bristol Bay 

School District, Lake and Peninsula School District, Alaska Audubon 

Society, ANHA, and the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society 

Environmental education and outreach programs in coordination with 

Bristol Bay School District, Lake and Peninsula School District, scouting 

organizations, traditional village councils, village elders, Alaska 

Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, and Alaska Department of Fish & 

Game (ADF&G) 

Planning for management of fish and wildlife resources on Service lands 

conducted in cooperation with ADF&G, based on a formal memorandum 

of understanding 

Inventory, monitoring, and study of the Northern Alaska Peninsula 

caribou herd—including herd counts, composition counts, and calf 

mortality studies—conducted in formal cooperation with ADF&G 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

79 

Moose trend surveys to determine population trends and composition 

conducted in conjunction with ADF&G and the National Park Service 

Design, development, and production of refuge-related interpretive 

education materials in cooperation with ANHA 

A creel survey of the sport fishery conducted at the Ugashik Narrows in 

conjunction with ADF&G 

Annual spring breeding birds surveys conducted in conjunction with the 

National Park Service 

Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) continuing 

studies of bird populations conducted in conjunction with the Institute for 

Bird Populations 

Bird counts conducted several times per year with the cooperation of 

partners, including the National Audubon Society, Partners in Flight, and 

USGS’s Biological Resources Division 

Annual bird banding performed in conjunction with USGS’s Biological 

Resources Division 

Participation in planning efforts with gateway communities, including 

the Bristol Bay Borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough, and local 

villages (in recognition that the Refuges are important in the economic 

and social life of neighboring communities) 

Ecoregional plans to identify key habitats and vegetation communities 

developed for all lands on the Alaska Peninsula, in the cooperation with 

the Nature Conservancy 

Bristol Bay Native Corporation has suggested that the Ugashik Narrows 

is an area in which it could cooperate with the Service on studies and 

planning. The Service will be willing to participate in this. The State of 

Alaska will be included in any planning in this area because of the 

fishery resource and potential navigability issues. 

Studies of archaeological sites at Ugashik Narrows conducted by the 

University of Oregon 

2.8 Monitoring and 

Evaluation 

Monitoring helps refuge staff track the progress of plan implementation. 

Results of monitoring tell us how well objectives are being achieved and 

help staff measure progress towards accomplishing goals. Table 3 

displays inventory and monitoring projects that will concern fish, 

wildlife, and bird populations and their habitats. Table 4 displays 

monitoring indicators for public use. 

Monitoring will begin in the year this Plan is approved. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

80 

Table 3: Inventory and Monitoring Projects Associated with the Management Direction 

Mandates Resources Monitor Potential M

Ecosystem Integrity 

Water Soils Birds (including neotropical migrants, shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors) Mammals (game and nongame, furbearers) Reptiles Fish (anadromous and resident) Invertebrates Habitat 

Subsistence Uses 

Game mammals Anadromous fish Resident fish Waterfowl Furbearers Seabirds Habitat 

Other Public Uses 

Game mammals Anadromous fish Resident fish Waterfowl Habitat 

Water quality and quantity Erosion Vegetation Species abundance Population dynamics Habitat requirements Habitat quality and quantity Distribution and movements Invasive species User impacts 

Water quality (includioxygen, suspended sedpH) Gulley formation Flow rate Presence/absence of mPopulation range Population trends Population compositioPopulation estimates Population productivitTraditional ecological Harvest trends Migration patterns Range condition Plant species compositHabitat condition (speHabitat degradation (s
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

81 

Table 4: Monitoring Indicators for Public Use, Standards, and Possible Actions 

Monitoring Question Measured Action and 

Effect Key 

Indicator(s) 

Management 

Standard(s) to Be Used 

Possible Management 

Actions Triggered if 

Standard(s) Not Met 

What is the nature and extent of conflicts between recreational and subsistence uses at the Becharof Outlet? 

Observations of behavior of subsistence and recreational users at the outlet; interviews with a randomly selected subsample of site users. Indicators: reported levels of displacement, competition, crowding, and other sources of conflict. Compare new information with that obtained in 1999 and 2000. 

Likelihood of significant impact, if actions not taken, to subsistence users because of displacement, depletion of resources, or other effects of recreational use 

To be determined, based on nature of findings. Visitor education; if not successful, possible zoning of recreational use by location or timing. Work cooperatively with State of Alaska. 

T1bOdinrasi
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

82 

Monitoring Question Measured Action and 

Effect Key 

Indicator(s) 

Management 

Standard(s) to Be Used 

Possible Management 

Actions Triggered if 

Standard(s) Not Met 

Is off-road vehicle (ORV) use causing adverse effects on refuge resources? 

Vegetation and soil 

damage

 Designating areas or trails 

for use and limiting use in undesignated areas Designating times of year or seasons that travel will be permitted in areas open to ORV use Closing certain areas of impact for parts of seasons or whole years until recovery can produce desired results Developing cooperative management and enforcement strategies with other state, private, and federal entities that are operating in the area(s) of concern 

UanlochbiSanoninco

 Visible wear to trails Visible increase for 

more than one season 

 Surface rutting Visible increase  Laying over or 

breaking of vegetation 

Visible or documented point-source erosion from ORV use 

 Point erosion to 

water bodies 

Documented increase (amount to be determined) in conflicts between ORV users and other users for more than one season 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

83 

Monitoring Question Measured Action and 

Effect Key 

Indicator(s) 

Management 

Standard(s) to Be Used 

Possible Management 

Actions Triggered if 

Standard(s) Not Met 

Is recreational use of sensitive wildlife areas affecting brown bears? 

Bear incidents Increased visitor education 

efforts; close specific areas to camping and/or visitation during critical bear-use periods; additional regulation of visitors viewing bears; work cooperatively with ADF&G 

Rinan

 Defense of life or 

property (DLP) kills 

Increase in number of incidents at specific locations Increase in one season or over several seasons. 

 R

kan

 Change in 

distribution or numbers in specific stream reaches, sedge meadows, etc. 

Decrease in local distribution or numbers of bears correlated to increase in public use 

 D

nmin

Is recreational use of the Becharof Lake area displacing subsistence users? 

Reported displacement 

Upward trends in reports of displacement 

Increase visitor education; work with guides, transporters, and subsistence users to resolve; recommend changes to state and federal hunting regulations 

Ninanco

Is recreational use of the Refuges displacing subsistence users? 

Reported displacement 

Upward trends in reports of displacement 

Increase visitor education; work with guides, transporters, and subsistence users to resolve; recommend changes to state and federal hunting regulations 

Ninanco
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

84 

Monitoring Question Measured Action and 

Effect Key 

Indicator(s) 

Management 

Standard(s) to Be Used 

Possible Management 

Actions Triggered if 

Standard(s) Not Met 

Are dispersed campsites affecting soils and vegetation? 

Soil and vegetation condition 

Visible or measurable damage to tundra over more than 10% of site: >1 square meter of bare ground or compacted (puddled) soils; other(s) to be developed 

Increased user education efforts; revegetate site; designate or harden campsite; close site to camping 

Cangrdifrd

What is the current level of visitor use in key areas of the Refuges, and what are the trends? 

Number of visitors, number of parties, length of stay, sites visited, activities occurring on the Refuges 

Not applicable; baseline data 

Monitoring to collect baseline information; will trigger visitor-use studies at specific sites as needed 

Gtareobco

What are the current amounts and distributions of recreational fishing activities on the Refuges, and what are the effects of this use? 

Recreational fishing locations, fishing pressure, fish population conditions and trends, and conflicts 

To be developed (see below for one component) 

Recommend changes in fishing regulations to Alaska Board of Fisheries; limit recreational fishing access to key sites where there are problems; allocate recreational fishing access between guided and nonguided visitors; develop plan for management of recreational fishing, as necessary 

Gtarecosustyeco
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

85 

Monitoring Question Measured Action and 

Effect Key 

Indicator(s) 

Management 

Standard(s) to Be Used 

Possible Management 

Actions Triggered if 

Standard(s) Not Met 

Is quality of recreation being maintained at key recreational fishing sites? 

Visitor perceptions of quality and resource and social conditions, with pilot survey beginning at the Ugashik Narrows and other sites as needed (determined from baseline data collection above) 

Statistically determined, based on survey results 

Develop site objectives; work with air taxis and recreational fishing guides to voluntarily meet objectives; work with State of Alaska to regulate activity levels (only if objectives cannot be met through other methods) 

Rsuapgunanye

Are opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation still present in the Becharof Wilderness and other areas recommended for Wilderness designation? 

Visitor perceptions of opportunities for solitude and other characteristics of primitive recreation 

95% or more of recreation visitors have what they define as a primitive experience 

Visitor education and voluntary redistribution of trips; regulation of use levels a possibility over the long term but only if use and/or its social impacts increase substantially over present levels 

RmviWarfodev

Are guides following procedures outlined in special-use permits? 

Compliance with permit stipulations 

100% compliance Modifications to 

procedures; standard disciplinary actions that can be taken under existing regulations 

Fpor th
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

86 

2.9 Plan Amendment and 

Revision 

Periodic review and revision of the Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

will be necessary. As knowledge of the Refuges resources and users 

improves, changes in management directions may be identified. Fish and 

wildlife populations, user groups, adjacent land users, and other 

management considerations change with time, often in unforeseen ways. 

Problems also may be encountered in implementing that Plan. 

Revisions are a necessary part of the adaptive management approach 

used by the Refuges. This means that objectives and strategies to reach 

goals can be adjusted. Most of the resulting changes will fine-tune the 

management direction. Minor changes will not require modification of 

the Comprehensive Conservation Plan as they will be addressed in the 

step-down plans and annual work plans. If a significant change is 

required in the management of the Refuges it would become necessary to 

revise the Comprehensive Conservation Plan. 

To enable refuge users; adjacent landowners; local, state and federal 

agencies, and other interested parties to express their views on how the 

Refuges are being managed, the Refuges will periodically hold 

meetings—or use other techniques such as comment cards and surveys—

to solicit comments for evaluation purposes. By encouraging continuing 

public input, the Refuges will be better able to serve the public, to 

determine potential problems before they occur, and to take immediate 

action to resolve existing problems. 

Every three to five years, Refuges staff will review public comments, 

local and state government recommendations, staff recommendations, 

research studies, and other sources to determine if revisions to the 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan are necessary. If major changes are 

proposed, public meetings may be held or new environmental assessment 

and environmental impact statements may be necessary. Full review and 

updating of the Comprehensive Conservation Plan will occur every 15 

years. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

87 

3. References 

Bayha, K., S. Lyons, and M.L. Harle. 1997. “Strategic Plan for Water 

Resources Branch.” WRB-97-1. Anchorage, Alaska: 

U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, 

Division of Realty. 25 pp. 

DOI. 2001. “Departmental Manual.” Accessed November 13, 2003. At 

http://elips.doi.gov/app_dm/index.cfm?fus

eaction=home on the World Wide Web, produced by 

U.S. Department of the Interior. Source last updated 

December 1, 2001. 

USDI. 2001. “Department of the Interior--Alaska Policy on Governmentto-Government Relations with Alaska Native Tribes.” 

Washington, D.C: U.S. Department of the Interior. 3 pp. 

( Policy signed on January 18, 2001.) 

USFWS. 1973. “The Endangered Species Act of 1973.” Accessed 

October 4, 2004. At 

http://endangered.fws.gov/esa.html on the 

World Wide Web, produced by U.S. Fish & Wildlife 

Service. Source last updated March 20, 2001. 

USFWS. 1985. “Becharof National Wildlife Refuge.” Final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan, wilderness review, 

and environmental impact statement. Anchorage, 

Alaska: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife 

Service. 

USFWS. 1985a. Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge Final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Environmental 

Impact Statement, and Wilderness Review. Anchorage, 

Alaska: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 426 pp. 

USFWS. 1985b. Becharof National Wildlife Refuge Final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Environmental 

Impact Statement, and Wilderness Review. Anchorage, 

Alaska: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

USFWS. 1987. “Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge Draft 

Wilderness Amendment and Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement.” Anchorage, Alaska: 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 171 pages. 

USFWS. 1988. Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Wilderness Review, 

and Environmental Impact Statement. Anchorage, 

Alaska: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

USFWS. 1992. “Cultural Resources Handbook.” Accessed June 4, 2003, 

2003. At http://www.policy.fws.gov/614fw1.html on the 

USFWS. 1992. “Cultural Resources Handbook.” Accessed October 4, 

2004. At http://policy.fws.gov/614fw1.html 

on the World Wide Web, produced by U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service. Source last updated November 1992. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

88 

USFWS. 1994a. “Alaska Peninsula/Becharof National Wildlife Refuge 

Complex Final Public Use Management Plan.” 

Anchorage, Alaska: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

USFWS. 1994b. “Native American Policy.” National Policy Issuance 

#94-10. Washington, D.C: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 

11 pp. (Policy signed on June 28, 1994; issued as 

national policy on August 24, 1994.) 

USFWS. “Service Manual.” Accessed June 4, 2003. At 

http://policy.fws.gov/manual.html on the 

World Wide Web, produced by U.S. Fish & Wildlife 

Service. 

USFWS. “Service Manual.” Accessed October 4, 2004. At 

http://policy.fws.gov/manual.html on the 

World Wide Web, produced by U.S. Fish & Wildlife 

Service. 

U.S. Government. 1996-2003. “Code of Federal Regulations.” Accessed 

October 4, 2004. At 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html on 

the World Wide Web, produced by Office of the Federal 

Register, National Archives and Records 

Administration. Source last updated April 14, 2003. 

U.S. Government. 1996-2003. “Code of Federal Regulations.” Accessed 

August 30, 2005. At 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html on 

the World Wide Web, produced by Office of the Federal 

Register, National Archives and Records 

Administration. Source last updated March 10, 2005. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

89 

4. Appendix A: 

Special Values 

ANILCA Section 304(g) states that, before developing or revising a 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan, “the special values of the refuge, 

as well as any other archaeological, cultural, ecological, geological, 

historical, paleontological, scenic, or wilderness value of the refuge” 

should be identified. The following discussion describes the special 

values that have been identified for the Alaska Peninsula and 

Becharof Refuges. (Refer to Figure 2: Becharof National Wildlife 

Refuge, 3, and 4) 

4.1.1 Refuge Characteristics Valued by the 

Public 

Public comment indicated that people valued the naturalness of the 

Refuges, their wildness and wilderness qualities, wildlife in its 

natural diversity, the naturally functioning ecosystems, and the 

associated wildlife-related recreation opportunities. 

4.1.2 Becharof Refuge 

4.1.2.1 Becharof Wilderness Area 

The Becharof Wilderness Area was established in 1980 by ANILCA. 

It is bounded on the north by the designated Wilderness of the 

Katmai National Park and Preserve and by the Kejulik Pinnacles, on 

the west by Becharof Lake, and on the east and south by the Pacific 

Ocean. 

The rugged Kejulik Pinnacles and Aleutian Mountains, separated by 

the broad Kejulik River valley provide spectacular scenery. The 

Pacific coast has towering cliffs where the mountains meet the sea. 

The area supports a variety of intact and functioning plant and 

animal communities. Some of the world’s largest salmon runs spawn 

in the Becharof Lake watershed, which includes much of this 

Wilderness Area. The area supports populations of brown bear, 

wolves, moose, caribou, and numerous other species. Cliffs on the 

Pacific coast support large seabird colonies. 

The Becharof Wilderness Area includes portions of areas described 

subsequently as the Becharof Ecosystem, Becharof and Katmai 

Uplands, and Seabird Colonies. 

4.1.2.2 Becharof Ecosystem 

Becharof Lake is the second-largest lake in Alaska. The lake and its 

drainage support one of the largest sockeye salmon runs in Bristol 

Bay as well as a large suite of sockeye predators, including char, 

Arctic grayling, brown bears, cormorants, terns, and bald eagles. The 

uplands within this ecosystem provide habitat for moose, caribou, 

nesting waterfowl and songbirds, small mammals, and other species 

within a rich matrix of vegetation types. The outlet of Becharof Lake 

is popular with subsistence fishermen and recreation anglers. 

Significant paleontological resources have been located in the fossil-
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

90 

rich uplands, including fossils of a pliosaur (a giant marine reptile 

from the late Jurassic period) found in the Kejulik drainage. The area 

has special scenic and public-use values. 

4.1.2.3 Island Arm and Ruth Lake 

The Island Arm of Becharof Lake provides most of the spawning and 

rearing habitat for sockeye salmon within the Becharof drainage. 

Consequently, it hosts one of the highest densities of brown bear 

feeding on spawning salmon that occurs in Becharof Refuge and in 

the Ugashik Unit. Island Arm is also especially scenic, with its many 

small islands and surrounding mountains. Among them, Ruth Lake 

and River provide outstanding examples, even by Alaska Peninsula 

standards, of beautiful glaciated mountain drainages. 

4.1.2.4 Becharof and Katmai Uplands 

These uplands on the eastern boundary of the refuge support 

important brown bear denning and moose winter range. The area is 

one of the most scenic parts of the refuge. 

4.1.2.5 Mt. Peulik and Gas Rocks Area 

This area is geologically significant, being one of Alaska’s most 

recent volcanically active sites. The 1977 eruption which created the 

Ukinrek Maars received international attention. In addition to its 

scientific and educational values, the area has special scenic values. 

At 4,835 feet the classic volcanic cone of Mt. Peulik, which last 

erupted in 1852, dominates the area. The cinder cones of the Ugashik 

Caldera complete this unique volcanic landscape. 

4.1.2.6 King Salmon River Drainage 

(Becharof) 

This drainage provides important spawning and rearing habitat for 

Chinook, coho, chum, and pink salmon. It contains significant Dolly 

Varden char and Arctic grayling populations and the farthest-south 

resident population of rainbow trout on the Alaska Peninsula. The 

area provides brown bear, moose, and caribou habitat as well as 

nesting habitat for tundra swans, sandhill cranes, ptarmigan, and 

other birds. It is important for local subsistence and for recreational 

angling and hunting. 

4.1.2.7 Big Creek Drainage 

This area is important for salmon spawning and rearing and includes 

key moose, caribou, and brown bear habitats. It is one of the most 

heavily visited parts of the Refuges for subsistence purposes and is a 

favorite trapping area for local residents. Recreational hunting for 

moose and caribou is popular. 

4.1.2.8 Kanatak Village 

Two sites on the Refuges are listed in the Alaska Heritage Resource 

Survey: the village of Kanatak on Portage Bay and a Russian 

Orthodox church at the same location. In 1890, Kanatak had 23 

residents. In the 1930s, the population expanded to 134 because of 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

91 

oil exploration. This activity ceased in the 1950s and the village was 

abandoned. In 1981, the church and much of the village were 

destroyed by fire. These sites are being studied for inclusion in the 

National Register of Historic Places. 

4.1.2.9 Seabird Colonies 

Three large colonies of cliff-nesting seabirds in Puale and Dry bays 

host tens of thousands of murres and thousands of kittiwakes, as well 

as scores of cormorants and puffins. These are the only murre 

colonies between the Barren and Semidi islands, a distance of 250 

miles. The cliffs provide habitat from which seabirds can use forage 

resources of the southwestern end of the Shelikof Strait. These 

colonies and the marine resources were impacted by the 1989 Exxon 

Valdez oil spill. 

4.1.3 Alaska Peninsula Refuge 

The Alaska Peninsula Refuge (Figure 3: Ugashik Unit, Alaska 

Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge) contains many unique geologic 

and scenic features. Indeed, the Alaska Peninsula Refuge is the most 

scenically diverse of the Bristol Bay refuges: the interplay of 

volcanic activity with shoreline erosion and glacial scour has created 

outstanding scenery. The Joint Federal–State Land Use Planning 

Commission listed Chiginagak and Veniaminof volcanoes, Castle 

Cape, and the Pacific Coast as making up one of the outstanding 

scenic complexes of Alaska (Gordon and Shaine 1978). The Ugashik 

and Chignik units of the Alaska Peninsula Refuge also provide 

pristine habitat to significant fish and wildlife resources and offer 

many subsistence and recreation opportunities. 

4.1.3.1 Pacific Coast 

In addition to its scenic value, the spectacularly rugged Pacific 

coast—with its cliffs, bays, fjords, and streams—supports a diversity 

of fish and wildlife resources. These include nesting bald eagles; at 

least eight nesting species of seabirds, including puffins, cormorants, 

kittiwakes, and guillemots; and wintering waterfowl such as emperor 

geese, harlequin ducks, and the threatened Steller’s eider. 

Five species of Pacific salmon spawn in the coastal drainages, 

including the commercially significant sockeye run in the Chignik 

system. Harbor seals, sea otters, and Steller sea lions of the 

threatened western population haul out along the coast. Local 

residents report that gray whales enter the refuge boundary in spring 

to feed in Chignik Lagoon. 

Brown bears forage in coastal sedge meadows in spring and in 

coastal drainages for spawning salmon in summer and fall. More 

than a thousand caribou summer in coastal drainages and mountains 

of the Pacific coast of the Ugashik Unit. Moose are common. 

Frequent fog, rain, and wind contribute to the beauty of the coast that 

becomes spectacular on clear days when glacier-covered volcanoes 

can be seen rising above the steep walls of coastal drainages that 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

92 

meet the sea on rocky coasts. Exemplary streams are the short 

drainages of Agripina and Port Wrangell Rivers, which flow from 

glaciers to valley floors, decorated with small lakes and rock 

outcrops, before draining into rocky bays. 

4.1.3.2 Ugashik Lakes 

The Ugashik Lakes are world-renowned for trophy Arctic grayling 

fishing (the Alaska record was set here); the lakes also support large 

concentrations of lake trout, provide key feeding habitat for brown 

bears, and provide spawning and rearing habitat for large numbers of 

sockeye and coho salmon. The Ugashik Narrows has outstanding 

recreation opportunities for angling for trophy Arctic grayling and 

other popular sport fish. The Narrows is a unique geologic feature on 

the Alaska Peninsula, where two of the largest lakes in the area are 

joined by a shallow, flowing narrows. The Narrows was also 

important to pre-contact Native communities. 

4.1.3.3 Dog Salmon River, Mother Goose 

Lake, and King Salmon River 

(Ugashik) 

These drainages constitute a major portion of the high-quality winter 

moose habitat on the central Alaska Peninsula. Stands of poplar are 

scattered throughout this area, culminating in the only forest (located 

at Mother Goose Lake and along King Salmon River) southwest of 

Katmai National Park and Preserve. This forest provides locally 

unique habitat to many species of breeding songbirds and to hares 

and lynx. These drainages include a substantial portion of the limited 

nesting range of the Alaska subspecies of the marbled godwit 

(Gibson and Kessel 1989; North et al. 1996; North and Tucker 

1992). The drainages also support runs of five species of Pacific 

salmon as well as resident populations of Arctic char, Dolly Varden, 

and other species. Both drainages originate in the glaciers and 

snowfields of Mt. Kialagvik, Mt. Chiginagak, and surrounding 

mountains, which provide spectacular scenic backgrounds to the Dog 

Salmon River meandering through the marshes and to beautiful 

Mother Goose Lake. 

4.1.3.4 Black Lake–Chignik Lake Area 

The Black Lake–Chignik Lake area hosts one of the densest seasonal 

concentrations of brown bears in North America. The tributaries of 

the Chignik and Alex rivers provide the best examples on the 

Refuges of high concentrations of spawning sockeye salmon and the 

large numbers of brown bears they attract. As many as 500 bears 

congregate on these streams during August (Hicks 1996). Although 

examples of these interactions are found on other rivers on the 

Alaska Peninsula, the size of these salmon runs and the number of 

bears that depend on them are truly exemplary. 

4.1.3.5 Castle Cape 

Castle Cape consists of extremely rugged mountains deeply indented 

by the sea; the rocks exhibit a pattern of contrasting dark and light 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

93 

layers that is so pronounced that the cape serves as a famous 

landmark to ships. 

4.1.3.6 Mount Veniaminof 

Mount Veniaminof, one of Alaska’s active volcanoes, last erupted in 

2005. The volcano is massive, with a base diameter of about 30 

miles and a summit crater circumference of about 20 miles. In 1967, 

Mount Veniaminof was designated as a national natural landmark. 

The spectacular Upper Sandy River originates in the glaciers of 

Veniaminof and flows through a still-raw volcanic landscape before 

forming a delta at Sandy Lake. 

4.1.4 Alaska Maritime Refuge 

4.1.4.1 Seal Cape 

Seal Cape is a headland extending from the Alaska Peninsula. The 

cape provides nesting areas for numerous bird species including; 

cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, glaucous-winged gulls, and 

murrelets. Its extremely rugged coastline is deeply indented by fjord 

like bays. Cliffs, reaching heights of more than 2,000 feet, line much 

of the coastline. The scenery is spectacular, with fjords and deeply 

cut bays set against a backdrop of jagged peaks and pinnacles. This 

area is very rugged and remote; it provides outstanding opportunities 

for solitude and primitive recreation. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

94 

5. Appendix B: 

Easements, 

Withdrawals, and 

Asserted Rights 

of Way 

5.1 Easements reserved 

by the Service 

over private lands 

under Sec. 17(b) 

of ANCSA 

Section 17(b) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) 

authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to reserve public easements 

on lands conveyed to Native corporations to guarantee access to 

public lands. These easements include linear easements across 

Native lands and waters and site easements. These easements are 

depicted on Figure 9. The following are listed by easement 

identification number (EIN). 

5.1.1 Ugashik Unit 

SITES (one acre) 

 

EIN 1a C4 Dog Salmon River at north [right] bank in T32S R50W, Sec. 3 

5.1.2 Chignik Unit 

SITES (one acre) 

 

EIN 2 D9 Ivanof Bay at north [left] bank of unnamed slough in T50S R66W, Sec. 18

EIN 2b D9 Chignik River at east [left] bank in T43S R61W, Sec. 32

EIN 2d D9 Portage Bay in T46S R60W, Sec. 15

EIN 2e D9 Chignik River at south [right] bank in T45S R60W, Sec. 30

EIN 5a C5 Anchor Bay at east [left] bank of Red Bluff Creek in T49S R63W, Sec. 22

EIN 9a C5 Bay east of Perryville in T49S R64W, Sec. 26

EIN 20a C4 Black Lake in T43S R61W, Sec. 5

EIN 25a One-acre site on right bank of Chignik River south of Bearskin Creek with a 

25-foot-wide easement on the bed of the Chignik River in T44S R61W, 

Sec. 32
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

95 

TRAILS 

 

EIN 1 D9 50 feet wide: Black Lake southerly to Chignik Lake along east [left] bank of 

Chignik River

EIN 7 C5 25 feet wide: village of Chignik Lake southwesterly to southern arm of 

Chignik Lake in T46S R61W, Sec. 4

EIN 23 50 feet wide: From EIN 20b to Cathedral Creek floodplain and public land 

in T44S R61W, Sec. 9

PROPOSED TRAILS (25 feet wide) 

 

EIN 3 D9 Site EIN 2 D9 at Ivanof Bay, westerly along north [left] bank of unnamed 

slough to T50S R67W, Sec. 23—“Granville Portage”

EIN 5 C5 Site EIN 5a C5 at Anchor Bay, northwesterly parallel to east [left] bank of 

Red Bluff Creek to T48S R63W, Sec. 9

EIN 7 C4 T50S R67W, Sec. 21, northerly along east [left] bank of unnamed stream to 

T49S R67W, Sec. 10

EIN 9 C5 Site EIN 9a C5 at bay east of Perryville, northwesterly parallel to south 

[right] bank of Kametolook River to T48S R64W, Sec. 21

EIN 13 E Port Heiden, southerly parallel to coastline to north bank of Meshik River, 

southeasterly to T40S R58W, Sec. 6

EIN 17 C5 Site EIN 2e D9 at Chignik River, southerly to T46S R60W, Sec. 6

EIN 18 C4 Site EIN 2d D9 at Chignik River, northwesterly to T46S R60W, Sec. 9

EIN 20b C4 Site EIN 20a C4 at Black Lake, northeasterly to T42S R61W, Sec. 33

EIN 22 C4 Chignik River in T44S R61W, Sec. 8, southeasterly along Chiaktuck Creek 

to T44S R61W, Sec. 15

EIN 25 Proposed trail from the right bank of the Chignik River, east to public lands 

in T44S R62W, Sec. 36

 

AIRSTRIPS (250’ x 3,000’) 

EIN 5b D9 Chignik River at Black Lake in T43S R61W, Sec. 32 

 

WITHDRAWALS

 

There are no federal withdrawals within the Refuges. 

5.2 Asserted RS-2477 

Rights-of-Way 

The State of Alaska has identified the following routes that it 

believes qualify as highways under Revised Statute (RS) 2477, a 

section of the Mining Act of 1866, which states, “The right-of-way 

for the construction of highways over public lands, not reserved for 

public uses, is hereby granted.” In addition to specific routes, the 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

96 

State of Alaska also claims that the section-line easements are RS2477 rights-of-way. RS-2477 was repealed by the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976, subject to valid existing 

claims. 

Table 5 displays the mileage of asserted RS-2477 routes within the 

Refuges. Figure 10 displays the locations of asserted RS-2477 routes 

within and near the Refuges. 

Table 5: Mileage of proposed RS 2477 routes within the Refuges. 

State 

Number 

Name FWS Native 

Conveyed 

Native 

Selected 

Conflict Private 

Patent 

Total 

68 Egegik–Kanatak Trail 47.25 0.00 2.37 0.00 0.00 49.62

221 Egegik–Cold (Puale) Bay 

Trail 

82.82 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 82.82

282 Island Bay–Salmon Creek 

Trail 

4.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.11

367 Portage Bay–Mt. Demian 

Oil Camp Trail 

19.16 0.00 5.41 0.00 0.00 24.57

394 Chignik Lagoon–

Aniakchak River Trail 

18.72 12.47 2.45 0.95 0.32 34.91

1176 Kanatak–Becharof Lake 

Trail 

8.48 0.00 0.31 0.00 0.00 8.79

1973 DNR Trail Inventory 

Map “highways” (3)

8.64 2.75 0.16 0.00 0.58 12.13

Total 189.18 15.22 10.70 0.95 0.90 216.95
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

97 

6. Appendix C: 

Species Lists 

This appendix includes a list of species for the Alaska Peninsula and 

Becharof National Wildlife Refuges. The table uses a number of 

abbreviations, defined as follows: 

? = possible/may be probable 

BB = Bristol Bay 

BRD = Breeder 

WTR = Winter resident 

MAR BRD = Marginal breeder; for example, found in the 

boreal in King Salmon and Katmai. Known boreal area is 

on edge of Becharof National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) (Big 

Creek drainage), so species probably found there, but on 

edge of range. 

RES = Resident (year-round) 

MIG = Migrant (a regular user during the spring or fall 

migration different from TRAN or INC) 

NSHR = Nearshore; i.e., found on offshore islands (for 

example, belonging to the Alaska Maritime National 

Wildlife Refuge) or in ocean waters near shore, but not 

known to use “above mean high tide” on the Refuges 

TRAN = Transient: A species where the majority of the 

population does not regularly breed or migrate through an 

area, but individuals of the species occasionally pass 

through the area. The species’ winter and/or summer range 

may lie near the Refuges, which accounts for these 

occasional strays. Transients are found more often than are 

accidentals. 

ACC = Accidental: A species where the breeding and 

wintering ranges are distant from the Refuges, but where 

individuals of the species have been documented on the 

Refuges. Note that many of the ACC are Asiatic species. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

98 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family FISHES—RESIDENT Arctic lamprey Lampetra japonica Cephalaspidomorphi/Petromyzontiformes/ 

Petromyzontidae

Longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus Actinopterygii/Cypriniformes/Castomidae 

Least Cisco Coregonus sardinella Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Pygmy Whitefish Prosopium coulteri Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Round Whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Arctic Char Salvelinus alpinus Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Dolly Varden Salvelinus malma Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Rainbow Trout/Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Arctic Grayling Thymallus arcticus Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae 

Pond Smelt Hypomesus olidus Actinopterygii/Osmeriformes/Osmeridae 

Slimy Sculpin Cottus cognatus Actinopterygii/Scorpaeniformes/Cottidae 

Coastrange Sculpin Cottus aleuticus Actinopterygii/Scorpaeniformes/Cottidae 

Alaska Blackfish Dallia pectoralis Actinopterygii/Esociformes/Umbridae 

Northern Pike Esox lucius Actinopterygii/Esociformes/Esocidae 

Burbot Lota lota Actinopterygii/Gadiformes/Lotidae 

Three-spined Stickleback 

Gasterosteus aculeatus Actinopterygii/Gasterosteiformes/ 

Gasterosteidae 

Nine-spined Stickleback Pungitius pungitius Actinopterygii/Gasterosteiformes/ 

Gasterosteidae 

FISHES—ANADROMOUS 

Pink Salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae A

Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae A

Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus 

tschawytscha 

Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae A

Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae A

Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta Actinopterygii/Salmoniformes/Salmonidae A

Eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus Actinopterygii/Osmeriformes/Osmeridae A
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

99 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax Actinopterygii/Osmeriformes/Osmeridae A

Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus 

tridentatus 

Cephalaspidomorphi/Petromyzontiformes/ Petromyzontidae 

FISHES—MARINE 

Pacific Herring Clupea harengus 

pallasii 

Actinopterygii/Cluperiformes/Cluperidae 

Surf Smelt Hypomesus pretiosus Actinopterygii/Osmeriformes/Osmeridae 

Saffron Cod Eleginu gracilis Actinopterygii/Gadiformes/Gadidae 

Pacific Staghorn Sculpin 

Leptocottus armatus Actinopterygii/Scorpaeniformes/Cottidae 

Sharpnose Sculpin Clinocotus acuticeps Actinopterygii/Scorpaeniformes/Cottidae 

Starry Flounder Platichthys stellatus Actinopterygii/Pleuronectiformes/ 

Pleuronectidae 

Fourhorn Sculpin Myoxocephalus 

quadricornis 

Actinopterygii/Scorpaeniformes/Cottidae 

AMPHIBIAN 

Wood Frog Rana sylvatica Amphibia/Anura/Ranidae 

BIRDS—BREEDING 123 TOTAL (includes marginals) 

Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata Aves/Gaviiformes/Gaviidae 

Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica Aves/Gaviiformes/Gaviidae 

Common Loon Gavia immer Aves/Gaviiformes/Gaviidae 

Double-crested Cormorant 

Phalacrocorax auritus Aves/Pelecaniformes/Phalacrocoracidae 

Red-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax urile Aves/Pelecaniformes/Phalacrocoracidae 

Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax 

pelagicus 

Aves/Pelecaniformes/Phalacrocoracidae 

Greater White-fronted Goose 

Anser albifrons Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Canada Goose Branta canadensis 

occidentalis 

Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

100 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Gadwall Anas strepera Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

American Wigeon Anas americana Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Northern Pintail Anas acuta Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Greater Scaup Aythya marila Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Common Eider Somateria mollissima Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Harlequin Duck Histrionicus 

histrionicus 

Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Black Scoter Melanitta nigra Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Common Merganser Mergus merganser Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Osprey Pandion haliaetus Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus 

leucocephalus 

Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Merlin Falco columbarius Aves/Falconiformes/Falconidae 

Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus Aves/Falconiformes/Falconidae 

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Aves/Falconiformes/Falconidae 

Spruce Grouse Falcipennis canadensis Aves/Galliformes/Phasianidae 

Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus Aves/Galliformes/Phasianidae 

Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus Aves/Galliformes/Phasianidae 

White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucurus Aves/Galliformes/Phasianidae 

Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Aves/Gruiiformes/Gruidae 

American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica Aves/Charadriiformes/Charadriidae 

Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva Aves/Charadriiformes/Charadriidae 

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius 

semipalmatus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Charadriidae 

Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani Aves/Charadriiformes/Haematopodidae 

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

101 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Surfbird Aphriza virgata Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Rock Sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Dunlin Calidris alpina Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius 

parasiticus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius 

longicaudus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Bonaparte’s Gull Larus philadelphia Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Mew Gull Larus canus Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Aleutian Tern Sterna aleutica Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Common Murre Uria aalge Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Thick-billed Murre Uria lomvia Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus 

marmoratus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Kittlitz’s Murrelet Brachyramphus 

brevirostris 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Horned Puffin Fratercula corniculata Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus Aves/Strigiformes/Strigidae 

Northern Hawk Owl Surnia ulula Aves/Strigiformes/Strigidae 

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Aves/Strigiformes/Strigidae 

Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus Aves/Strigiformes/Strigidae 

Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus Aves/Strigiformes/Strigidae 

Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon Aves/Coraciiformes/Alcedinidae 

Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens Aves/Piciformes/Picidae 

Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus Aves/Piciformes/Picidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

102 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Black-backed Woodpecker Picoides arcticus Aves/Piciformes/Picidae 

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus Aves/Piciformes/Picidae 

Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi Aves/Passeriformes/Tyrannidae 

Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Aves/Passeriformes/Tyrannidae 

Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor Aves/Passeriformes/Laniidae 

Gray Jay Perisoreus canadensis Aves/Passeriformes/Corvidae 

Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia Aves/Passeriformes/Corvidae 

Common Raven Corvus corax Aves/Passeriformes/Corvidae 

Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris Aves/Passeriformes/Alaudidae 

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Aves/Passeriformes/Hirundinidae 

Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina Aves/Passeriformes/Hirundinidae 

Bank Swallow Riparia riparia Aves/Passeriformes/Hirundinidae 

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapilla Aves/Passeriformes/Paridae 

Boreal Chickadee Poecile hudsonica Aves/Passeriformes/Paridae 

Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis Aves/Passeriformes/Sittidae 

Brown Creeper Certhia americana Aves/Passeriformes/Certhiidae 

Winter Wren Troglodytes 

troglodytes 

Aves/Passeriformes/Troglodytidae 

American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus Aves/Passeriformes/Cinclidae 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula Aves/Passeriformes/Regulidae 

Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus Aves/Passeriformes/Turdidae 

Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus Aves/Passeriformes/Turdidae 

American Robin Turdus migratorius Aves/Passeriformes/Turdidae 

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius Aves/Passeriformes/Turdidae 

American Pipit Anthus rubescens Aves/Passeriformes/Motacillidae 

Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

Blackpoll Warbler Dendroica striata Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

Wilson’s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Savannah Sparrow Passerculus 

sandwichensis 

Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

103 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia 

atricapilla 

Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus Aves/Passeriformes/Icteridae 

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Leucosticte 

tephrocotis 

Aves/Passeriformes/Fringillidae 

Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator Aves/Passeriformes/Fringillidae 

White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera Aves/Passeriformes/Fringillidae 

Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea Aves/Passeriformes/Fringillidae 

Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus Aves/Passeriformes/Fringillidae 

BIRDS—MIGRANT/WINTER 49 TOTAL 

Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii Aves/Gaviiformes/Gaviidae 

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena Aves/Podicipediformes/Podicipedidae 

Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus Aves/Procellariformes/Procellariidae 

Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris Aves/Procellariformes/Procellariidae 

Fork-tailed StormPetrel Oceanodroma furcata Aves/Procellariformes/Hydrobatidae 

Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa Aves/Procellariformes/Hydrobatidae 

Emperor Goose Chen canagica Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Canada Goose Branta canadensis Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Brant Branta bernicla Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Canvasback Aythya valisineria Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Redhead Aythya americana Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

King Eider Somateria spectabilis Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Surf Scoter Melanitta 

perspicillata 

Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

104 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Aves/Charadriiformes/Charadriidae 

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Wandering Tattler Heteroscelus incanus Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Red Knot Calidris canutus Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Sanderling Calidris alba Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites 

subruficollis 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus 

scolopaceus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicaria Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Herring Gull Larus argentatus Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca Aves/Strigiformes/Strigidae 

Say’s Phoebe Sayornis saya Aves/Passeriformes/Tyrannidae 

Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa Aves/Passeriformes/Regulidae 

Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus Aves/Passeriformes/Turdidae 

Townsend’s Warbler Dendroica townsendi Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

McKay’s Bunting Plectrophenax 

hyperboreus 

Aves/Passeriformes/Emberizidae 

Hoary Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni Aves/Passeriformes/Fringillidae 

POSSIBLE BREEDERS 6 TOTAL 

Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae 

Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon 

pyrrhonota 

Aves/Passeriformes/Hirundinidae 

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Aves/Passeriformes/Hirundinidae 

Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Aves/Passeriformes/Motacillidae 

Northwestern Crow Corvus caurinus Aves/Passeriformes/Corvidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

105 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus Aves/Podicipediformes/Podicipedidae 

BIRDS—EXOTIC 2 TOTAL 

Rock Dove Columba livia Aves/Columbiiformes/Columbidae 

European Starling Sturnus vulgaris Aves/Passeriformes/Sturnidae 

BIRDS—TRANSIENT/CONFIRMED 

10 TOTAL 

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Aves/Falconiformes/Accipitridae 

American Kestrel Falco sparverius Aves/Falconiformes/Falconidae 

Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Sabine’s Gull Xema sabini Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus Aves/Apodiformes/Trochilidae 

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus Aves/Piciformes/Picidae 

Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus Aves/Passeriformes/Tyrannidae 

Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri Aves/Passeriformes/Corvidae 

Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendi Aves/Passeriformes/Turdidae 

Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina Aves/Passeriformes/Parulidae 

BIRDS—ACCIDENTAL/CONFIRMED 

12 TOTAL 

Great Egret Ardea alba Aves/Ciconiiformes/Ardeidae 

Bean Goose Anser fabalis Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Garganey Anas querquedula Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Baikal Teal Anas formosa Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Aves/Charadriiformes/Scolopacidae A

Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis Aves/Charadriiformes/Laridae 

Sky Lark Alauda arvensis Aves/Passeriformes/Alaudidae 

Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Aves/Passeriformes/Motacillidae A

Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus Aves/Passeriformes/Bombacillidae A

Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater Aves/Passeriformes/Icteridae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

106 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family 

BIRDS-NEARSHORE 9-TOTAL 

Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Aves/Procellariformes/Procellariidae 

Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri Aves/Anseriformes/Anatidae 

Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus 

antiquus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Cassin’s Auklet Ptychoramphus 

aleuticus 

Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Parakeet Auklet Aethia psittacula Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Least Auklet Aethia pusilla Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Whiskered Auklet Aethia pygmaea Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Crested Auklet Aethia cristatella Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata Aves/Charadriiformes/Alcidae 

MAMMALS—TERRESTRIAL 

Montane (Dusky) Shrew Sorex monticolus Mammalia/Insectivora/Scoricidae 

Cinereus (Masked) Shrew Sorex cinereus Mammalia/Insectivora/Scoricidae 

Tundra Shrew Sorex tundrensis Mammalia/Insectivora/Scoricidae 

Little Brown Bat Myotis lucifugas Mammalia/Chiroptera/Vespertilionidae 

Coyote Canis latrans Mammalia/Carnivora/Canidae 

Gray Wolf Canis lupus Mammalia/Carnivora/Canidae 

Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Mammalia/Carnivora/Canidae 

Brown Bear Ursus arctos Mammalia/Carnivora/Ursidae 

Short-tailed Weasel Mustela erminea Mammalia/Carnivora/Mustelidae 

Least Weasel Mustela nivalis Mammalia/Carnivora/Mustelidae 

Mink Mustela vison Mammalia/Carnivora/Mustelidae 

Wolverine Gulo gulo Mammalia/Carnivora/Mustelidae 

River Otter Lontra canadensis Mammalia/Carnivora/Mustelidae 

Lynx Lynx Canadensis Mammalia/Carnivora/Felidae 

Moose Alces alces Mammalia/Artiodactyla/Cervidae 

Caribou Rangifer tarandus Mammalia/Artiodactyla/Cervidae 

Hoary Marmot Marmota caligata Mammalia/Rodentia/Sciuridae 

Arctic Ground Squirrel Spermophilus parryii 

(undulatus) 

Mammalia/Rodentia/Sciuridae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

107 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family 

Red Squirrel Tamiasciurus 

Hudsonicus 

Mammalia/Rodentia/Sciuridae 

Beaver Castor canadesis Mammalia/Rodentia/Castoridae 

Red-backed Vole Cletherionomys rutilus Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Tundra Vole Microtus oeconomus Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Meadow Vole? Microtus 

pennsylvanicus 

Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Muskrat? Ondatra zibethicus Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Brown Lemming Lemmus sibiricus Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Northern Bog Lemming Synaptomys borealis Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Northern (Collared) Lemming 

Dicrostonyx groeniandicus 

Mammalia/Rodentia/Muridae 

Meadow Jumping Mouse Zapus hudsonius Mammalia/Rodentia/Dipodidae 

Porcupine Erethizon dorsatum Mammalia/Rodentia/Erethizontidae 

Snowshoe (Varying) Hare Lepus americanus Mammalia/Lagomorpha/Leporidae 

Alaskan (Tundra) Hare Lepus othus Mammalia/Lagomorpha/Leporidae 

MAMMALS—MARINE 

Sea Otter Enhydra lutris Mammalia/Carnivora/Mustelidae 

Steller Sea-lion Eumetopias jubatus Mammalia/Carnivora/Otariidae 

Harbor Seal Phoca vitulina Mammalia/Carnivora/Phocidae 

ACC or NEARSHORE MARINE MAMMALS4

Walrus Odobenus resmorus Mammalia/Carnivora/Odobenidae 

Northern Fur Seal Callorhinus ursinus Mammalia/Carnivora/Otariidae 

N. Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis Mammalia/Cetacea/Balaenidae 

Minke Whale Balaenoptera 

acutorostrata 

Mammalia/Cetacea/Balaenopteridae 

Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Mammalia/Cetacea/Balaenopteridae 

Gray Whale Eschrichtius robustus Mammalia/Cetacea/Eschrichtidae 

Pacific White-sided Dolphin 

Lagenorhynchus obliquidens 

Mammalia/Cetacea/Delphinidae 

4 Of the species listed in this section, only Gray Whales and Orcas have been documented within Refuge boundaries. While the other s

documented within Refuge boundaries, they are present in nearshore areas. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

108 

Common Name Scientific Name Class/Order/Family Pilot Whale Globicephala sp Mammalia/Cetacea/Delphinidae 

Killer Whale Orcinus Orca Mammalia/Cetacea/Delphinidae 

Beluga Delphinapterus leucas Mammalia/Cetacea/Monodentidae 

Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena Mammalia/Cetacea/Phocoenidae 

Dall Porpoise Phocoenoides dalli Mammalia/Cetacea/Phocoenidae 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

109 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Club Moss Family LYCOPODIACEAE 

Fir Club Moss Lycopodium selago

Stiff Club Moss Lycopodium annotinum 

Common Club Moss Lycopodium clavatum 

Alpine Club Moss Lycopodium alpinum 

 

Quiltwort Family ISOETACFAE

Isoetes muricata

 

Horsetail Family EQUISETACEAE

Equisetum fluviatile

Equisetum silvaticum 

Equisetum arvense 

 

Adder’s Tongue Family OPHIOGLOSSACEAE

Moonwort Botrychium lunaria

Botrychium lanceolatum 

 

Mountain Parsley Family CRYPTOGRAMMACEAE

Parsley Fern Cryptogramma crispa

 

Marsh Fern Family THEYPTERIDACEAE

Thelypteris phegopteris

 

Lady Fern Family ATHYRIACEAE

Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina

Fragile Fern Cystopteris fragilis 

 

Shield Fern Family ASPIDIACEAE

Dryopteris dilatata

Gymnocarpium dryopteris 

 

Licorice Fern Family POLYPODIACEAE

Polypodium vulgare

 

Bur Reed Family SPARGANIACEAE

Sparganium hyperboreum

 

Pondweed Family POTAMOGETONACEAE

Eelgrass Zostera marina

Potamogeton alpinus 

Potamogeton perfoliatus 

Potamogeton filiformis 

Ditch Grass Ruppia spiralis 

 

Arrow Grass Family JUNCAGINACEAE

Trigolochin maritimum

Trigolochin palustris 

Grass Family GRAMINEAE

Holy Grass Hierochloe alpina 

Vanilla grass Hierochloe odorata 

Mountain Timothy Phleum commutatum 

Timothy Phleum pratense 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

110 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Foxtail Alopecurus aequalis 

Polar Grass Arctagr stis latifolia 

Wood Reed Grass Cinna latifolia 

Bent Grass Agrostis alaskana 

Agrostis exarata 

Agrostis seabra 

Agrostis geminata 

Bluejoint Calamogrostis canadensis 

Deschampsia caespitosa 

Deschampsia beringensis 

Vahlodea atropurpurea 

Trisetum spicatum 

Poa arctica 

Poa eminens 

Poa palustris 

Poa nemoralis 

Poa hispidula 

Poa stenantha 

Poa annua 

Poa brachyanthera 

Alkali Grass Puccinellia nutkaensis 

Fuscue Grass Festuca altaica 

Festuca rubra 

Brome Grass Bromus ciliatus 

Hordeum brach 

Yantherum 

Lyme Grass Elymus arenarius 

 

Sedge Family CYPERACEAE

Cotton Grass Eriophorum angustifolium

Eriophorum russeolum 

Trichophorum caespitosum 

Sedge Carex anthoxanthea 

Carex circinnata 

Carex nigricans 

Carex macrocephala 

Carex macloviana 

Carex canescens 

Carex Kelloggii 

Carex aquatlilis 

Carex Lyngbyaei 

Carex stylosa 

Carex Gmelini 

Carex machrochaeta 

Carex spectabilis 

Carex nesophila 

Carex pluriflora 

Carex saxatilis 

 

Rush Family JUNCACEAE

Juncus arcticus

Juncus mertensianus 

Juncus castaneus 

Wood Rush Luzula wahlenbergii 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

111 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Luzula parviflora 

Luzula arcuata 

Luzula tundricola 

Luzula multiflora 

Luzula spicata 

 

Lily Family LILIACEAE

False Asphodel Tofieldia coccinea

Kamchatka Fritillary, Sarana Fritillaria camschatcensis 

Alp Lily Lloydia serotina 

Twisted-stalk Streptopus amplexifolius 

 

Iris Family IRIDACEAE

Wild Flag Iris setosa

 

Orchid Family ORCHIDACEAE

Lady’s Slipper Cypripedium guttatum

Key Flower Dactylorhiza aristata 

Frog Orchid Coeloglossum viride 

Bog Orchid Platanthera convallariaefoia 

Ladies’ Tresses Platanthera dilatata 

Spiranthes romanzoffiana 

Listera cordata 

 

Willow Family SALICACEAE

Balsam Poplar, Cottonwood Populus balsamifera

Netted Willow Salix reticulata 

Salix routundifolia 

Salix arctica 

Salix fuscescens 

Salix cyclophylla 

Salix glauca 

Salix barclayi 

Salix commutata 

Alaska Willow Salix alaxensis 

Salix rulchra 

 

Birch Family BETULCEAE

Sitka Alder Alnus crispa

Alnus sinuata 

Betula kenaica 

Nettle Family URTICACEAE

Urtica gracilis 

Buckwheat Family POLYGONACEAE

Koenigia islandica 

Sheep Sorrel Rumex acetosella 

Rumex graminifolius 

Rumex fenestratus 

Mountain Sorrel Oxyria digyna 

Polygonum viviparum 

Mountain Sorrel Polygonum caurianum 

Goosefoot Family CHENOPODIACEAE
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

112 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Atiplex alaskensis

 

Pursalane Family PORTULACEAE

Spring Beauty Claytonia sibrica

Claytonia sarmentosa 

Claytonia chamissoi 

Water Blinks Montia fontana 

 

Pink Family CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Chickweed Stellaria media

Stellaria crispa 

Stellaria humifusa 

Stellaria calycantha 

Stellaria sitchana 

Stellaria monantha 

Mouse-ear Chickweed Cerastium berringianum 

Cerastium fischerianum 

Cerastium fontanum 

Pearlwort Sagina intermedia 

Sagina crassicaulis 

Minuartia macrocarpa 

Minuartia arctica 

Minuartia rubella 

Honckenya peploides 

Grove Sandwort Moehringia lateriflora 

Moss Campion Silene acaulis 

 

Water Lily Family NYMPHAEACEAE

Yellow pond Lily Nuphar polysepalum

 

Crowfoot Family RANUNCULACEAE

Caltha palustris

Actaea rubra 

Monkshood Aconitum delphinifolium 

Aconitum maximum 

Coptis trifolia 

Anemone richardsonii 

Anemone parviflors 

Anemone narcissiflora 

Buttercup, Crowfoot Ranunculus sp. 

White Water Crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus 

Creeping Spearwort Ranunculus reptans 

Ranunculus eschscholtzii 

Ranunculus Bongardi 

Meadow Rue Thalictrum sparsiflorum 

 

Poppy Family PAPAVERACEAE

Papaver alaskanum

 

Earth Smoke Family FUMARIACEA

Corydalis pauciflora

 

Mustard Family CRUCIFERAE

Winter Cress Barbarea orthoceras
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

113 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Yellow Cress Rorippa islandica 

Bitter Cress Cardamine bellidifolia 

Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis 

Capsella rubella 

Draba nivalis 

Draba borealis 

Rock Cress Arabis lyrata 

Arabis hirsuta 

 

Sundew Family DROSERACEA

Drosera rotundifolia

 

Stonecrop Family CRASSUIACEAE

Roseroot Sedum rosea

 

Saxifrage Family SAXIFRAGACEAE

Leatherleaved Saxifrage Leptarrhena pyrolifolia

Purple Mountain Saxifrage Saxifraga oppositifolia 

Saxifraga serpyllifolia 

Box Saxifrage Saxifraga hirculus 

Spotted Saxifrage Saxifraga bronchialis 

Saxifraga punctata 

Saxifraga bracteata 

Saxifraga rivularis 

Saxifraga unalaschcensis 

Snow Saxifrage Saxifraga nivalis 

Coast Saxifrage Saxifraga ferruginea 

Tufted Saxifrage Saxifraga caespitosa 

Alpine Heuchera Heuchera glabra 

Fringe Cups Tellima grandiflora 

Northern Water Carpet Chrysosplenium tetrandrum 

Chrysosplenium wrightii 

Parnassia kotzebuei 

Parnassia palustris 

Rose Family ROSACEAE

Alaskan Spiraea Spiraea beauverdiana 

Luetkea pectinata 

Goatsbeard Aruncus sylvester 

Rubus arcticus 

Cloudberry Rubus chamaemorus 

Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis 

Marsh Fivefinger Potentilla palustris 

Potentilla villosa 

Pacific Silverweed Potentilla Egedii 

Sibbaldia procumbens 

Avens Geum macrophyllum 

Geum Rossii 

Burnet Sanguisorba stipulata 

Fragaria chiloensis 

Dryas sp. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

114 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Pea Family LEGUMINOSAE

Lupine Lupinus nootkatensis

Milk Vetch Astragalus polaris 

Oxtropis Maydellians 

Oxtropis nigrescens 

Lathyrus maritimus 

Vetchling Lathyrus palustris 

 

Geranium Family GERANIACEAE

Geranium erianthum

 

Water Startwort Family CALLITRICHACEA

Callitriche verna

 

Violet Family VIOLACEAE

Viola biflora

Viola langsdorfii 

Viola epipsila 

 

Evening Primrose Family ONAGRACEAE

Willow Herb Epilobium angustifolium

River Beauty Epilobium latifolium 

Epilobium luteum 

Epilobium palustre 

Epilobium leptocarpum 

Epilobium glandulosum 

Epilobium sertulatum 

Epilobium anagallidifolium 

Epilobi Hornemannii 

Enchanter’s Nightshade Circaea alpina 

 

Water Milfoil Family HALORAGACEAE

Mare’s Tail Hippuris vulgaris

Hippuris tetraphylla 

Parsley Family UMBELLIFERAE

Water Hemlock Cicuta mackenzieana 

Beach Lovage Ligusticum scoticum 

Hemlock Parsley Conioselinum chinese 

Wild Celery Angelica lucida 

Cow parsnip Heracleum lanatum 

Bupleurum triradiatum 

Dogwood Family CORNACEAE

Swedish Dwarf Cornel Cornus suecica 

Bunchberry; Canadian DwarfCornel Cornus canadensis 

Wintergreen Family PYROLACEAE

Pyrola asarifolia 

Pyrola secunda 

Pyrola minor 

Crowberry Family EMPETRACEAE

Empetrum nigrum.
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

115 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Heath Family ERICACEAE

Labrador Tea Ledum palustre

Kamchatka Rhododendron Rhododendron camtschaticum 

Alpine Azalea Loiseleuria procumbens 

Mountain Heather Phyllodoce aleutica 

Alaska Moss Heath Cassiope stelleriana 

Cassiope lycopodioides 

Andromeda polifolia 

Arctostaphylos alpina 

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 

Lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea 

Alpine Blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum 

Vaccinium ovalifolium 

Cranberry Oxycoccus microcarpus 

Diapensia Family DIAPENSIACEAE

Diapensia lapponica

Primrose Family PRIMULACEAE

Primula cuneifolia

Greenland Primrose Primula egaliksensis 

Androsace chamaejasme 

Androsace alaskana 

Starflower Trientalis europaea 

Leadwort Family PLUMBAGINACEAE

Thrift Armeria maritima

Genetian Family GENTIANACEAE

Gentiana algida

Gentiana amarella 

Buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata 

Swertia perennis 

Polemoaium Family POLEMONIACEAE

Polenomium acutiflorum

Borage Family BORAGINACEAE

Myosotis alpestris

Mertensia maritima 

Figwort Family SCROPHULARIACEAE

Mimulus sp.

Veronica sp. 

Lagotis glauca 

Castilleja unalaschensis 

Rhinanthus minor 

Pedicularis kanei 

Pedicularis capitata 

Bladderwort Family LENTIBULARIACEAE

Pinguicula vulgaris

Madder Family RUBIACEAE

Galeum sp.
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

116 

Common Name Scientific Name (family, species) 

(DOI 1974)

Honeysuckle Family CAPRIFOLIACEAE

Sambucus racemosa

Viburnum edula 

Valerian Family VALERIANACEAE

Valeriana capitata

Bluebell Family CAMPANULACEAE

Campanula lasiocarpa

 

Composite Family COMPOSITAE 

Goldenrod Solidago multiradiata

Solidago lepida 

Aster sibiricus 

Coastal Fleabane Erigeron peregrinus 

Pussytoe Antennaria monocephala 

Pearly Everlasting Anaphalis argaritacea 

Yarrow Achillea borealis 

Pineapple Weed Matricaria matricatiodes 

Arctic Daisy Chrysanthemum arcticum 

Wormwood Artemisia globularia 

Artemisia tilesii 

Artemisia arctica 

Petasites frigidus 

Petasites hyperboreusS 

Arnica Lessingii 

Arnica Chamissonis 

Groundsel, Ragwort Senecio resedifolius 

Senecio pseudo-Arnica 

Dandelion Taraxacum trignolobum 

Rattlesnake Root Prenanthes alata 

DOI. 1974. “Proposed Katmai National Park, Alaska.” Final environmental impact statement. 

Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior. 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

117 

7. Appendix D: 

Maps 

Figure 2: Becharof National Wildlife Refuge

Figure 3: Ugashik Unit, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge

Figure 4: Chignik Unit, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge and 

Seal Cape Unit, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Figure 5: Yantarni Bay Moderate Management Area

Figure 6: Current Management Categories 

Figure 7: Generalized Land Status

Figure 8: Native Corporation Lands

Figure 9: ANCSA Section 17(b) Easements

Figure 10: Asserted RS-2477 Routes 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

118 
Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 2: Becharof National Wildlife Refuge

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

119

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 3: Ugashik Unit, Alaska Peninsula NWR

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

121

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 4: Chignik and Seal Cape Units

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

123

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 5: Yantarni Bay Moderate Management Area

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

125

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 6: Current Management Categories

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

127

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 7: Generalized Land Status

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

129

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 8: Native Corporation Lands

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

131

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 9: ANCSA Section 17(b) Easements

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

133

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

Figure 10: Asserted RS-2477 Routes

Comprehensive Conservation Plan

135


Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National 

Wildlife Refuges

P.O. Box 277

King Salmon, AK 99613

Telephone: 907/246 3339

Fax: 907/246 6696

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Region 7, Alaska

1011 East Tudor Rd. MS-221

Anchorage, AK 99503

Telephone: 907/786 3357

Fax: 907/786 3976

http://www.r7.fws.gov

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1 800/344 WILD

http://www.fws.gov

October 2005

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1011 East Tudor Road MS-231

Anchorage, Alaska 99503