Koyukuk/Northern Unit Innoko/Nowitna 

National Wildlife Refuges

Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan

DECISION SUMMARY

September 2009

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
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.

 National Wildlife Refuge System 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

Front and back cover photograph: M. Hans, USFWS. Moose cow and calf (Alces alces). 

Moose or “deneege” in Koyukon Athabascan are abundant on the refuge, particularly in 

the Koyukuk River floodplain. 
1

Introduction to the Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan

A revised and updated Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan for 

Koyukuk, Northern Unit Innoko, and Nowitna National Wildlife Refuges 

(Refuge) was completed in the summer of 2008. In March 2009 Regional 

Director Geoffrey L. Haskett signed the Finding of No Signifi cant Impact 

(FONSI) adopting the Service’s preferred alternative (Alternative B) 

as described in the Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the 

Koyukuk/ Northern Unit Innoko/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuges 

(Revised Conservation Plan). The adopted Conservation Plan refl ects the 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) intent to manage the Refuge to 

achieve the mission of the Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System 

(System) and meet the purposes for which the Refuge was established, in 

settings that emphasize natural, unaltered landscapes. Implementation of 

the Revised Conservation Plan began with signing of the FONSI. 

Refuge locations. The Northern Unit Innoko Refuge is locally known as Kaiyuh 

Flats. 

USFWS USFWS

The Kaiyuh Flats consist of a mosaic of wetlands, non-forested upland habitat 

with a mixture of low shrubs and grass, and conifer and deciduous forests. 

 

What are 

Conservation 

Plans? 

A Conservation Plan provides 

broad policy guidance and 

establishes overall refuge 

management direction. They 

ensure that management actions 

and refuge uses comply with the 

purposes for which a refuge was 

established and with other legal 

mandates. They defi ne long-term 

goals and objectives toward which 

refuge management activities will 

be directed for the next 15 years 

and provide opportunities for 

public involvement. 

Bethel

Alaska Maritime NWR Alaska Maritime NWR

Alaska Maritime NWR Alaska Maritime NWR

Alaska Maritime NWR Alaska Maritime NWR

Kodiak NWR Kodiak NWR

Tetlin NWR Tetlin NWR

Innoko NWR Innoko NWR Tok

Nome

Kodiak

Barrow

Juneau

McGrath

Cold Bay

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Dillingham

King Salmon

Arctic NWR

Yukon Delta

NWR

Yukon Delta

Yukon Flats NWR

Koyukuk

NWR

Koyukuk

Selawik NWR

Kenai NWR

Nowitna

NWR

Nowitna

Kanuti

NWR

Kanuti

Togiak NWR

Becharof NWR

Izembek NWR

Alaska Maritime NWR

Northern Unit

Innoko NWR

Northern Unit

Alaska Peninsula NWR

0 90 180 360 540 720

Miles

19-0001

Figure 1-1 Refuge location within Alaska

Melanie Hans/USFWS

The Koyukuk River meanders 

through its namesake Refuge before 

joining the Yukon River next to the 

community of Koyukuk.

Boney Creek dissects the Benchlands 

on the Nowitna Refuge.
Revising the 1987 Conservation 

Plans allowed us to:

•	 update management direction 

according to national and 

regional policies and guidelines 

implementing Federal laws 

governing refuge management;

•	 incorporate new scientific 

information on refuge resources;

•	 re-evaluate current refuge 

management direction based 

on changing public demands 

for use of the Refuges and 

their resources, and changing 

environmental conditions;

•	 ensure that the purposes of 

the Refuges and the mission of 

the Refuge System are being 

fulfilled;

•	 ensure that national policy 

is incorporated into the 

management of the Refuges;

•	 ensure that all interested 

parties have an opportunity to 

participate in the development of 

management direction;

•	 provide a systematic process 

for making and documenting 

decisions about refuge resources; 

•	 establish broad management 

direction for refuge programs 

and activities;

•	 provide continuity in refuge 

management;

•	 provide a basis for budget and 

personnel requests; and

•	 provide a basis for evaluating 

accomplishments. 

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980, 

as amended, directs the Service to “prepare and, from time to time, revise, 

a comprehensive conservation plan for each refuge” in Alaska. The Revised 

Conservation Plan updates and replaces the management direction from the 

1987 Conservation Plans for the Refuges.

The purpose of the Revised Conservation Plan is to ensure activities, actions, 

and management fulfill the purposes for which the Refuges were established 

and to provide clear direction to the public and refuge staff on how the 

Service intends to meet those purposes. While the 1987 Conservation Plans 

have provided good general direction, we needed to update and revise 

them to reflect changes in our understanding of the resources and uses 

on the Refuges, and changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting 

refuge management that have occurred since the 1987 Conservation Plans 

were developed. We also combined the original plans into a single plan 

which covers all three refuge units, and more accurately reflects refuge 

management.

Purpose and Need for Plan Revision

Gravel bar along the Nowitna River. 

The lower 223 miles of the Nowitna 

River is managed as a Wild River 

under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. 

The calm waters of Dulbi River with its reflections impart a sense of serenity. 

The wetlands of the Kaiyuh Flats provide excellent breeding habitat for thousands 

of waterfowl. 

USFWS

USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS

2
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National Interest 

Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA or Act) into law. The Act, among 

other things, established Koyukuk, Northern Unit Innoko, and Nowitna 

National Wildlife Refuges and identified their purposes. The Act states 

that the purposes of the Refuges include—

(i) (Koyukuk Refuge) to conserve the fish and wildlife populations and 

habitats in their natural diversity including, but not limited to, waterfowl 

and other migratory birds, moose, caribou (including participation in 

coordinated ecological studies and management of the Western Arctic 

caribou herd), furbearers, and salmon;

(i) (Innoko Refuge) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats 

in their natural diversity including, but not limited to, waterfowl, 

peregrine falcons, other migratory birds, black bear, moose, furbearers, 

and other mammals and salmon;

(i) (Nowitna Refuge) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and 

habitats in their natural diversity including, but not limited to, 

trumpeter swans, white-fronted geese, canvasbacks and other waterfowl 

and migratory birds, moose, caribou, martens, wolverines and other 

furbearers, salmon, sheefish, and northern pike;

(ii) to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with 

respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats;

(iii) to provide, in a manner consistent with the purposes set forth in 

subparagraphs (i) and (ii), the opportunity for continued subsistence uses 

by local residents;

(iv) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable and in a manner 

consistent with the purposes set forth in paragraph (i), water quality and 

necessary water quantity within the refuge.

The purpose of the 400,000-acre Koyukuk Wilderness is to secure an 

enduring resource of wilderness, to protect and preserve the wilderness 

character of the area as part of the National Wilderness Preservation 

System, and to administer the area for the use and enjoyment of the 

American people in a way that will leave it unimpaired for future use and 

enjoyment as wilderness. 

The lower 223 miles of the Nowitna River is managed as a Wild River

under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This segment of the river was 

recognized for its outstandingly remarkable scenic, geologic, wildlife, 

historic, and recreational values. There are 142,400 acres that fall under 

this management category. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Establishment of the Refuge

Steve Emmons/USFWS

Peregrine falcons usually nest on 

cliff edges. They belong to the fastest 

animals in the world, reaching up to 

200 mph in a dive for prey. 

A bull moose drops its antlers in the 

fall and regrows them in the spring. 

It takes three to five months for the 

antlers to comletely regrow. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Marten are curious critters and like to 

investigate. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Lesser Canada geese feeding on shore. 

3
USFWS

Fall colors along the Nowitna River. 

Rising mist on a cool autumn morning. Refl ections of the Dulbi River on 

Koyukuk Refuge. 

USFWS USFWS

Three-Day Slough on the Koyukuk Refuge. Winter in Interior Alaska lasts approximately eight months. During this time, the 

land is dominated by snow, ice, and often severe cold. 

4

Refuge Vision

The National Wildlife Refuges 

in the Koyukon region of Alaska 

encompass a vast area of boreal 

forest, wetlands, lakes, and rivers 

that is home to an abundance of 

waterfowl, songbirds, mammals, 

and fi sh. An experience of 

solitude in this intact ecosystem 

imparts the sense that this place 

is completely untouched by man. 

And yet, the land is thoroughly 

known and essential to people 

whose lives are intertwined 

with its bounty. We use our 

understanding of the respect, 

value and love of this place by the 

people who live in, use, or simply 

treasure this wild land and sound 

biological research and monitoring 

to ensure proper stewardship 

of the Koyukuk, Northern Unit 

Innoko, and Nowitna National 

Wildlife Refuges. 

USFWS
Goals and Objectives

The vision statement and refuge purposes provide the framework for developing management goals and 

objectives. Goals are broad statements of desired future conditions. Objectives are concise statements of what 

the Refuges want to accomplish. The planning team developed twelve management goals; several objectives were 

identifi ed for each goal. Some objectives, though identifi ed under a specifi c goal, may apply to more than one goal. 

When appropriate, objectives will be carried out in coordination with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 

other State and Federal agencies, and other cooperators.

Identifi ed as an important issue to be addressed in the plan, climate change is specifi cally and implicitly related 

to many of the refuge objectives. See Goal 1, Objectives 1 and 4 in particular (Section 2.1.1 of the Revised 

Conservation Plan). The updated Inventory and Monitoring Plan (I&MP) will incorporate new studies and 

projects focused on climate change, and will recommend continuing cooperation with educational institutions, 

federal and State agencies, tribal organizations, and others to develop and implement research on global climate 

change and incorporate new monitoring efforts into the I&MP. 

Objectives include:

•	 Continue to implement and update the current Inventory and 

Monitoring Plan—refl ecting changes in techniques; focus new projects 

on invasive species, climate change, water quality, and wetlands; and 

including new and ongoing cooperative efforts.

•	 Continue to work cooperatively with others to identify key fi sheries 

resources and to fi ll in gaps in the Refuges’ knowledge of fi sheries 

resources; develop and implement research on effects of climate 

change on refuge resources; and incorporate new monitoring efforts 

that focus on detecting long-term changes to refuge ecosystems.

•	 Upon funding, hire a fi sheries biologist/hydrologist and a wildlife 

biologist.

Goal 1: Fish and Wildlife. Conserve fi sh and wildlife populations and habitats 

in their natural diversity in a manner consistent with natural ecological 

processes.

Refuge biologist watching for birds 

during the annual breeding bird 

survey. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS USGS

Chinook (King) salmon run up rivers 

and creeks in all three refuges.

Refuge pilot installing high-visibility 

snow marker to measure snow depth 

through the winter months. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Refuge biologist catching tadpoles and 

frogs to check for deformities.

Refuge biologist banding a greater 

white-fronted goose.

 Nathan Schwalen/USFWS

 USFWS

5
USFWS

Forest fi res... 

...and fl ooding are the main ecological 

drivers of Interior Alaska Refuges.

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Forest fi re on the Kaiyuh Flats.

Jenny Bryant/USFWS

6

Goal 2: Ecosystem Health. Ensure the natural character, vigor, and species 

diversity of the boreal forest and tundra environments by perpetuating 

a fi re regime both natural and prescribed, which maintains a mosaic of 

habitats native to Interior Alaska.

Objectives include:

•	 Continue to implement the Refuges’ Fire Management and 

Communication plans

•	 Continue to refi ne our understanding of the refuge fi re history by 

maintaining and incorporating the most current information into the 

geographic information system data base.

Goal 3: Fire Management. Maintain a fi re management program that helps 

achieve Refuge goals and objectives while providing for the protection of 

human life, private property, and identifi ed cultural and natural resources.

Objectives include:

•	 Combine the Koyukuk, Nowitna, and Northern Unit Innoko fi re 

management plans into a single updated plan, incorporating changes 

resulting from the revised Conservation Plan along with current policy. 

•	 Continue to contact tribal and local governments in villages near 

the Refuges to assess hazardous fuel reduction needs and develop a 

mitigation and monitoring plan. 

•	 Update the Refuges’ geographic information system coverage of 

cultural resource values at risk and other fi re-related information. 

•	 Continue to develop partnerships with other federal and State agencies 

and local governments to further the understanding of fi re interactions 

in Interior Alaska.

•	 Upon funding, hire an assistant fi re management offi cer. 
Goal 4: Water Resources. Ensure the natural function and condition of water 

resources necessary to conserve fi sh and wildlife populations and habitats 

in their natural diversity. 

Objectives include:

•	 Develop, with assistance from the Service’s Water Resources Branch or 

other partners, inventory and monitoring programs for refuge wetland, 

river, and stream resources, focusing on aquatic plants, fi sh and 

wildlife, aquatic invertebrates, and physical and chemical properties of 

wetlands, lakes, rivers, and streams. 

•	 Review and evaluate the Refuges’ 1986-1988 baseline evaluation 

of placer mining sedimentation and occurrence of heavy metals on 

associated aquatic resources; develop and implement a repeat survey.

Goal 5: Communication. Provide information and maintain open 

communication for a greater understanding and appreciation of fi sh and 

wildlife ecology, habitat preservation, and refuge management that assists 

in addressing resource issues important to local residents, the Service, 

and others. 

Objectives include:

•	 Conduct school programs and community meetings on a regular basis; 

utilize other communication tools (informational kiosks, displays, radio 

programs, newsletters, brochures, and web sites) to provide timely 

and accurate information about refuge resources and programs to the 

public.

•	 Maintain the existing refuge resource library and continue working 

with local schools to develop resources for environmental education.

•	 Maintain partnerships with the Galena City Schools and the Louden 

Tribal Council to annually conduct the Galena Science Camp. 

•	 Increase cooperation with the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife 

Refuges, particularly with their local representatives, to develop new 

materials and outlets for interpretation and environmental education. 

Children discovering wetlands during the Galena Science Camp.

Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS

Damselfl y larvae live in the water and 

pray on mosquitoes and other small 

invertebrates.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Friends of Alaska National Wildlife 

Refuges is an independent, non-profi t 

501(c)(3) organization dedicated to 

promoting the conservation of the 

natural resources of all the Alaska 

National Wildlife Refuges. 

Water Lily. 

USFWS

7
Goal 6: Outdoor Recreation. Continue to provide opportunities for hunting, 

fi shing, wildlife observation and photography, and other outdoor 

recreation in a natural setting. 

Objectives include:

•	 Review current public use monitoring methods; implement new 

methodologies, if needed. Continue to assess levels of public use based 

on data from the Koyukuk River and Nowitna River hunter check 

stations and refuge guide and air taxi reports. 

•	 Continue to develop the refuge law enforcement program, in 

conjunction with local communities and State and federal authorities, 

through activities such as hunter education, village visits, aerial 

surveillance, and annual special use permit reviews.

USFWS

The rivers on the Refuges attract 

canoeists seeking solitude and 

adventure. 

Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS

Gravel bars along the rivers—here 

along the upper Nowitna—make for 

excellent camping spots. 

Deborah Webb/USFWS

The Refuges provide outstanding 

opportunities for wildlife observation. 

USFWS

Many areas on the Refuges are only accessible by air taxis equipped with fl oats. 

By annually maintaining a hunter check station at the mouth of the Nowitna 

River, refuge staff keep track of the number of moose harvested on the Refuge. 

USFWS

8
Goal 7: Subsistence. Provide and promote the opportunity for local 

residents to continue their subsistence activities on the Refuge, consistent 

with the subsistence priority and with other refuge purposes. 

Objectives include:

•	 Continue the Refuge Information Technician (RIT) program to enhance 

local information exchange; seek funding to restore the second RIT 

position. 

•	 Continue to conduct annual informational meetings on the refuge 

biological program in local villages; work closely with tribal councils and 

other local, regional, State, and Federal working groups, committees, 

and councils to address issues and concerns of local subsistence users.

•	 Continue coordination and assistance with Migratory Bird Harvest 

Surveys and In-Season Fish Harvest Surveys (Yukon River Drainage 

Fisheries Association).

•	 Cooperate with village organizations and other agencies to develop 

opportunities to educate local youth and adults in traditional 

subsistence ways; continue to develop outreach tools that make 

subsistence regulations understandable to the public.

•	 Monitor and assess the use of off-road vehicles on refuge lands by 

federally qualifi ed subsistence users and produce a report that 

determines if ORVs were traditionally used for subsistence access and 

examines the need for regulation of their use.

Three-Day Slough on the Koyukuk 

Refuge is one of the most productive 

areas for moose. Moose are an 

important subsistence resource for 

people living in local communities. 

Freshly caught Chinook (King) 

salmon. King salmon is one of the 

major food staples for people living on 

and near the Refuges. 

USFWS Phil Coleman/USFWS Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Chum (Dog) salmon is sometimes 

used to feed sled dogs. 

Chum salmon drying on racks.

Deborah Webb/USFWS

Salmon are often caught by using drift nets. . 

Refuge staff member measuring antlers of a harvested moose. 

Deborah Webb/USFWS USFWS

9
Goal 8: Wild Character. Maintain the special values of the Nowitna Wild 

River and Koyukuk Wilderness and the wild character of the Refuge. 

Objectives:

•	 Continue to monitor activities on the Nowitna Wild River and 

Koyukuk Wilderness for compliance with the Wild and Scenic Rivers 

and Wilderness acts and ANILCA; take appropriate action if noncompliance is identifi ed. 

Goal 9: Cultural Resources. Conserve, appreciate, and interpret the cultural, 

historic and prehistoric resources of the Refuge. 

Objectives include:

•	 Prepare a Cultural Resources Management Guide for the Refuges.

•	 Provide training on the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and 

the National Historic Preservation Act to refuge employees.

•	 Identify and monitor all cultural sites at risk from vandalism and 

erosion; identify priority areas to inventory.

•	 Work with local tribes, elders, universities, museums, other partners, 

and the regional archaeological staff to: compile a place names 

directory and atlas of cultural and historic sites; develop an active 

bibliography and library collection of published and unpublished 

materials related to cultural, paleontological, and natural history of the 

Refuges; investigate and evaluate known cultural sites and identify 

new sites in the Refuges; and explore the unique paleontological 

resources of the Nowitna Refuge.

•	 Cooperate with tribes, local residents, and others to develop and 

enhance programs that capture traditional knowledge about the 

cultural and natural history of the Refuges.

In 2001, Obsidian artifacts were found 

on the Koyukuk Refuge.

Aerial view of the Nogabahara Sand 

Dunes in the middle of the boreal forest. 

The Nogabahara Sand Dunes cover about 16,000 acres and are within the Koyukuk 

Wilderness. The individual dunes can be 50 to 200 feet high and up to 300 feet long. 

Galena City hall display of pleistocene 

bones found on the Refuges. 

The Nowitna River Canyon within 

the Wild River section is considered a 

particularly scenic stretch of the river. Nathan Schwalen/USFWS Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS USFWS

Karin Lehmkuhl BodonyUSFWS

10
Goal 10: Cooperation with partners. Promote close working relationships 

through effective coordination, interaction, and cooperation with other 

federal agencies, State agencies, local communities, tribes, organizations, 

industries, the general public, and the landowners within and adjacent to 

the Refuge whose programs relate to Refuge management activities.

Objective:

•	 Collaborate with other refuges, federal and State agencies, research 

institutions, schools, tribal and city councils, and others to facilitate 

resource management, inventory and monitoring, biological research, 

public outreach, and education at the Refuges and in the region. 

Goal 11: Facilities and Equipment. Provide and maintain adequate 

facilities and equipment in Galena to ensure a safe and secure working 

environment to accomplish Refuge purposes, goals, and mandates. 

Objectives:

•	 Fund construction or purchase of an administrative offi ce, shop, and 

warehouse in Galena.

•	 Maintain and upgrade the quarters, bunkhouse, and administrative 

cabins to accommodate employees in subarctic conditions; continue 

exploring alternative energy sources for refuge facilities.

•	 Explore options and funding to acquire an adequate fl oat plane facility 

and operations site on Alexander Lake in Galena. 

Goal 12: Staffing. Ensure the Refuge has adequate personnel to meet 

operational needs. 

Objectives:

•	 Restore funding for a wildlife biologist position and second RIT 

position; seek funding to hire an additional biological technician. Create 

and seek funding for a fi sheries biologist/hydrologist position and an 

assistant fi re management offi cer.

•	 Work with regional high schools and universities in recruiting and 

educating diverse candidates for refuge positions.

•	 Maintain a minimum of three pilots on staff; add staff with pilot 

credentials as biological, habitat, and fi sheries positions are funded. 

Refuge biologists fi t moose with radio collars to gain a better understanding of 

mortality and movement. 

A presentation about climate change by 

refuge staff in Huslia. 

A sled dog team passing through 

Galena on its way to Nome during the 

Iditarod. Refuge headquarters are in 

the background. 

The Hog River cabin, one of three 

administrative cabins owned by the 

Refuges. 

Much of the work requires access to 

remote areas by fl oat plane. 

USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS USFWS

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Melanie Hans/USFWS

11
The Revised Conservation Plan

Management direction under the Revised Conservation Plan will generally 

continue to follow the same course of action as under the 1987 conservation 

plan as modified in subsequent step-down management plans (e.g., fisheries 

and fire management plans, cultural resources management guide). The 

new vision statement and the goals and objectives developed by the refuge 

staff will be incorporated into the management direction for the Refuge. 

Regional management policies and guidelines, as modified for the Refuge, 

will be incorporated.

Regional Management Policies and Guidelines

Management of refuges in Alaska is governed by federal laws including 

the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act and ANILCA, 

regulations implementing these laws, treaties, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service policy, and principles of sound resource management. All of these 

establish standards for resource management, and may address the range of 

potential activities that may be allowed on refuges. Management policies and 

guidelines described in the plan were developed for national wildlife refuges 

in the Alaska Region. These policies and guidelines are essentially the same 

for all of the refuges in this region.

Land Management Categories

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) requires 

us to designate areas according to their resources and values and to specify 

programs and uses within those areas. To meet this requirement, Minimal, 

Moderate, and Intensive management categories were established as part 

of the Service’s Alaska-wide planning effort. Permissible uses of designated 

Wilderness areas and Wild and Scenic Rivers are subject to the Wilderness 

and Wild and Scenic Rivers acts and ANILCA.

Under the Revised Conservation Plan, refuge lands will continue to be 

managed in only three management categories as in the 1987 Conservation 

Plans. Of the 6,044,478 acres of federal land, about 5,502,078 acres are 

classified as Minimal Management, about 142,400 acres are classified as 

Wild River, and about 400,000 acres are classified as designated Wilderness. 

Selected lands (an additional 348,499 acres of land within the external 

boundaries of the Refuges) have yet to be conveyed and will be managed 

under the same management category as surrounding refuge lands until 

conveyed (or if the selection is denied). Appropriate activities, public 

uses, commercial uses, and facilities are identified in the plan for each 

management category. The table on the next two pages includes some of 

these uses. 

Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS

Fireweed gets its name from its 

brilliant color and from its ability 

to quickly recolonize areas burnt by 

forest fires. 

Frosted willow bush along the Yukon 

River.

Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS

Frosted leaves after a cold autumn 

night.

Black spruce in the boreal forest of the Koyukuk Refuge in mid-winter.

Melanie Hans/USFWS

12
MANAGEMENT CATEGORIES

Minimal Management 5,502,078 acres (91% of total)

Wild River 142,400 acres (2% of total)

Designated Wilderness 400,000 acres (7% of total)

SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT DIRECTION

Ecosystem, Habitat, and Fish and Wildlife Management

Ecosystem and Landscape Management

Habitat Management –

Prescribed Fire

May be allowed in Wilderness Management (will require a minimum 

requirements analysis). Allowed in Minimal and Wild River Management.

Fish and Wildlife Population Management

Fish and Wildlife Control –

Chemical Habitat Modifications.

May be allowed in all management categories. Wilderness Management 

will require a minimum requirements analysis.

Access

Snowmobiles

Permitted for traditional activities, on or off designated trails, in period 

of adequate snow cover and on ice-covered rivers, subject to reasonable 

regulation. 

Off-Road Vehicles (All-Terrain 

Vehicles) –

Includes air boats and air cushion 

vehicles.

Not allowed (with very few exceptions).

Public Use, Recreation, and Outreach Activities

Administrative Facilities

Administrative Field Sites – Permanent facilities.

Use of existing sites allowed including replacement of existing facilities 

as necessary; new sites may be allowed in Wild River and Minimal 

Management. Wilderness Management will require a minimum 

requirements analysis.

Public Use and Recreation Facilities

Boat Launches and Docks –

Designated sites for launching and 

storing watercraft or tying up a float 

plane.

May be allowed. Wilderness Management will require a minimum 

requirements analysis.

Visitor Contact Facilities –

A variety of staffed and unstaffed 

facilities providing information on 

the Refuges and their resources 

to the public; facilities range from 

visitor centers to kiosks and signs.

May be allowed under Minimal and Wild River Management categories; 

generally not allowed in Wilderness.

13
Temporary Facilities – Includes tent frames, caches, and 

other similar or related facilities;

does not include gravel pads for 

tents, hardened trails, and/or 

primitive toilets.

Tent platforms may be authorized by permit. All others may be allowed in 

Wilderness, Wild River, and Minimal Management categories. 

Commercial Uses

Other Commercial Activities

Transportation and Utility Systems –

Includes transmission lines, 

pipeline, telephone and electrical 

power lines, oil and gas pipelines, 

communications systems, roads, 

airstrips, and other necessary 

related facilities. Does not include 

facilities associated with on-refuge 

oil and gas development.

Must be authorized by Congress under Wilderness Management; may 

be authorized under Wild River Management and Minimal Management 

categories but will require a plan amendment. 

Staffing and Budget Needs

Short-Term Long-Term

Permanent Full-Time Employees 13 16

Permanent Seasonal Employees 1 3

Temporary Seasonal Employees 4 4

Volunteers 3-5 3-5

Total Annual Budget Needs $2-2.4 $2.4-2.8

Cow moose and calf resting along the Dulbi River on the Koyukuk Refuge. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

14
Ruby Nulato

Kaltag

Galena

Hughes

Huslia

Tanana

Koyukuk

Poorman

152°0'0"W

152°0'0"W

153°0'0"W

153°0'0"W

154°0'0"W

154°0'0"W

155°0'0"W

155°0'0"W

156°0'0"W

156°0'0"W

157°0'0"W

157°0'0"W

159°0'0"W

159°0'0"W

160°0'0"W

160°0'0"W 158°0'0"W

158°0'0"W

66°0'0"N

66°0'0"N

65°0'0"N

65°0'0"N

64°0'0"N

64°0'0"N

Refuge land status

Produced in the Division of Realty &

Natural Resources, Anchorage, AK

Current to: Sept. 19, 2008

NWR

Complex

Anchorage

Map

Extent

0 20 40 10

Miles

0 20 40 10

Kilometers

19-0029

Northern

Innoko NWR

(Kaiyuh)

Nowitna NWR

Koyukuk NWR

Dulbi

River

o N

i w nt a

R vi er

K oyuk

uk

River

Ka iyuh Slough uY k

no

River

Other Features

Refuge BoundaryDesignated Wilderness

Land Status Selected Conveyed

Other Private

Regional Native Corp.

Village Native Corp.

State of Alaska

Wild River Corridor

All federally owned land within the Refuges is in the Minimal Management category unless noted as Designated Wilderness or Wild River Corridor. 

15
Implementation

Implementation of the Koyukuk/Northern Unit Innoko/Nowitna Refuges 

Revised Conservation Plan will be accomplished, in part, through 

development and implementation of various step-down plans. Each stepdown plan has its own program focus (e.g., wildlife inventory and monitoring, 

fisheries management, fire management, visitor services), identifying and 

directing the implementation of strategies (actions, techniques, and tools) 

designed to achieve programmatic objectives outlined in the Conservation 

Plan (see Goals and Objectives previously in this document).

Another aspect of the implementation process includes identifying 

partnership opportunities (e.g., with Native organizations, the State of 

Alaska, local communities, other federal agencies, universities and museums, 

nongovernmental organizations, and other appropriate entities) that result in 

implementing strategies and accomplishing refuge objectives. 

Both trumpeter and tundra swans occur on the Koyukuk Refuge. They look alike, 

but the trumpeter swan is larger and its bill is uniformly black as can be seen here, 

while the tundra swan’s bill shows some yellow right underneath the eyes. 

Wing display of the common loon. 

Male pine grosbeak; the female’s 

plumage is gray with yellow-orange 

coloring on head, neck, and back.

Greater white-fronted geese, also 

called speckle bellies. 

Great-horned owl on the Kaiyuh 

Flats. 

Steve Emmons/USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS Karin Lehmkuhl Bodony/USFWS

Jenny Bryant/USFWS USFWS

16
Partnerships

Partnerships with other organizations are among the ways in which the 

Service fulfi lls its mission: “Working with others to conserve, protect and 

enhance fi sh, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefi t 

of the American people.”

The Refuges exist within a dynamic ecosystem. Many of the resources 

within the Refuges are of national and international importance. The 

Service recognizes that the public, various organizations, and other 

governmental agencies have interests in Refuges. Implementation of many 

refuge programs requires community involvement, support, and assistance.

The refuge staff looks for opportunities to coordinate activities with the 

following (among others):

•	 State of Alaska

•	 Other federal agencies

•	 Federal Subsistence Western Interior Regional Advisory Council

•	 Migratory Bird Co-management Council

•	 Tribal governments in Galena, Hughes, Huslia, Kaltag, Koyukuk, 

Nulato, Ruby, and Tanana

•	 Village corporations—Gana-A’Yoo (Galena, Koyukuk, Nulato, and 

Kaltag); K’oyitl’ots’ina, Limited (Hughes and Huslia); Dineega (Ruby); 

and Tozitna, Limited (Tanana)

•	 Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc. (regional Native non-profi t organization)

•	 Local governments in Galena, Hughes, Huslia, Kaltag, Koyukuk, Nulato, 

Ruby, and Tanana

•	 Yukon Koyukuk, City of Galena, and Tanana school districts

•	 Universities and museums

•	 Nongovernmental organizations (e.g., Friends of Alaska National 

Wildlife Refuges, Alaska Geographic, and Ducks Unlimited) 

The community of Huslia is situated along the Koyukuk River at the center of the 

Koyukuk Refuge. 

Approximately 78 citizens live in the 

community of Hughes northeast of the 

Koyukuk Refuge.

Robert Lambrecht/USFWS

USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS

Ruby, an old mining town, lies 

nestled between the hills bordering the 

Nowitna Refuge. 

Nulato—old town site. Several 

communities situated along rivers 

in Interior Alaska moved newer 

buildings onto higher ground to avoid 

the risk of fl ooding, resulting in an old 

town site and a new town site. 

The city of Galena—new site.

Melanie Hans/USFWS USFWS

17
Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring helps the refuge staff track 

the progress of plan implementation. It is accomplished by a variety of 

methods, including surveys, inventories, and censuses. Table 4-1 in the 

Revised Conservation Plan (USFWS 2009; posted on the FWS website at 

http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/planning/koynowpol.htm and on the web sites 

for Koyukuk and Nowitna refuges) includes more specific details on what 

monitoring questions the Refuge will ask and how they will evaluate their 

findings (key indicators, management standards, and possible management 

actions if standards are not being met). Proposed monitoring will be refined 

as wildlife and habitat inventory and monitoring, fisheries management, 

visitor services, and other step-down plans are prepared or revised. The 

results of monitoring show how refuge objectives are being achieved and 

help measure progress towards accomplishing refuge goals. Evaluation 

of these results may lead to amendment or revision of the Revised 

Conservation Plan. Such changes are a necessary part of the Service’s 

adaptive management approach. 

Monitoring and Evaluation

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Black bear along the Nowitna River. 

Bank swallows nest in colonies along 

the Dulbi River. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Mink (pictured) and otter look similar 

but the otter is much larger and has a 

flatter tail. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS

Caribou from the Galena Mountain herd. Porcupine on the Nowitna Refuge. 

Rare sighting of a wolverine. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS Melanie Hans/USFWS

18
Periodic review and change of this conservation plan will be necessary. 

As knowledge of refuge resources, users, and uses improves, changes in 

management may be identified. Fish and wildlife populations, user groups, 

adjacent land owners and users, and other management considerations 

change with time, often in unforeseen ways. Challenges also may be 

encountered in trying to implement the plan.

Revisions are a necessary part of the adaptive management approach 

used by the Service. This means that objectives and strategies to reach 

goals can be adjusted. Most of the resulting changes will fine-tune the 

plan. These changes will not require modification of this document because 

minor changes will be addressed in the more detailed refuge step-down and 

annual work plans. Only if a major change is required in management of the 

Refuges will it be necessary to revise this Conservation Plan with a new 

environmental document outside the regular review schedule.

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, refuge staff will review public comments, 

local and state government recommendations, staff recommendations, 

research studies, and other sources to determine if revisions to the plan are 

necessary. If major changes are proposed, public meetings may be held, and 

a new environmental assessment or environmental impact statement may 

be necessary. Full review and updating of the conservation plan will occur 

every 15 years. 

Plan Amendment and Revision

Reflections at the mouth of the Nowitna River. 

Melanie Hans/USFWS

Frozen Lake on the Nowitna Refuge. 

USFWS USFWS

Sunset above Nowitna Refuge. 

19
U. S. Department of the Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Region 7, Alaska 

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT 

Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

Koyukuk and Northern Unit Innoko/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has completed the Revised Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan (Plan) for the Koyukuk and Northern Unit Innoko/Nowitna National Wildlife 

Refuge (Refuge). The draft revised plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) (herein 

incorporated by reference) describe two alternatives for managing the Refuge and associated 

effects on the human environment. No substantive changes in Alternative B, the proposed 

action, were made in response to public comments. Technical corrections and edits were made 

in response to public comments. Alternative B is selected for implementation. 

Alternatives Considered 

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) requires the Service to 

designate areas according to their respective resources and values and to specify programs and 

uses. To meet this requirement, the Alaska Region established management categories for the 

refuges including Minimal, Moderate, Intensive, Wilderness, and Wild River Management. 

Appropriate activities, public uses, commercial uses, and facilities are identified for each 

management category. Minimal, Wilderness, and Wild River Management apply to the Refuge. 

Two alternatives were considered in the EA. Alternative A, the no-action alternative, would 

continue current management. Alternative B, the proposed action, would include management 

direction updated by changes and adjustments to policy since completion of the 1987 plan. 

Alternative B also includes a vision statement, goals, and objectives for management of the 

Refuge. Under both alternatives, management of the refuge would generally continue to follow 

the current course of action, but Alternative B provides additional details in the vision statement, 

goals, and objectives and incorporates new regional management policies and guidelines. The 

distribution and amount of land in the Minimal, Wilderness, and Wild River Management is the 

same under both alternatives. 

Public Review 

Public comments on the draft plan and EA were solicited from October 6, 2008 through 

December 15, 2008. Public meetings were held in Galena, Hughes, Huslia, Kaltag, Koyukuk, 

Nulato, Ruby, and Tanana. These villages are located near or within the Refuge. Comments 

were received from four individuals, the State of Alaska; The Wilderness Society, the Nulato 

Tribal Council, and Born Free USA. 

There were no comments specific to the draft plan received during the village meetings. The 

majority of comments made regarded the current population of moose, wolf, and salmon or 

wildlife observations made over the years. 

One individual commenter asked “how about making these refuges into a wilderness area?”

Another individual commented “that my priorities for our NWRs are making them places where 

20
animals and nature are prioritized, NOT humans and all their ‘recreational’ needs.” The third 

individual said that “global warming is a great concern.” A fourth individual, who commented 

via e-mail, felt we should use the word “protection” instead of “conservation”; hunting was not a 

compatible use; we are not meeting the needs of the public; there should be no prescribed fires; 

and old data was used for the analysis. 

The state of Alaska made several helpful suggestions that clarified various parts of the plan. The 

Wilderness Society was concerned about the wilderness review process, wilderness stewardship 

and management, motorized and mechanized activities in wilderness, the wild and scenic river 

review process, and climate change. The Nulato Tribal Council was concerned about 

maintaining subsistence activities, an expired Land Bank Agreement, and the regulation of 

commercial guides, ATVs, and commercial timber harvest. Born Free USA was concerned 

about a comprehensive, biological inventory, management of trapping, the impacts of trapping 

and hunting, the use of leg-hold traps, and alternative trapping methods. 

Revisions from Draft Plan 

No substantive revisions to Alternative B, the proposed action, were made as a result of the 

public comments on the Draft Revised Refuge Plan. A number of technical corrections were 

made in response to comments and many of the editorial suggestions provided by the state of 

Alaska were adopted. 

Alternative B, the preferred alternative, provides a realistic balance between public use of the 

Refuge and the conservation needs of the Refuge. Alternative B best accomplishes refuge 

purposes, best helps achieve the missions of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the 

Service, and best meets the vision and goals identified in the plan. It provides long-term 

protection of fish and wildlife populations and their habitats while allowing for appropriate 

levels of fish and wildlife-dependent recreation, interpretation and environmental education, 

subsistence, and other public uses. 

Analysis of Impacts 

The EA analyzed direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on the physical, biological and socioeconomic environment. It included an ANILCA Section 810 subsistence evaluation and finds 

the proposed action would not result in restrictions of subsistence use. No significant effects 

were identified in the analysis. 

Conclusions

Based on review and evaluation of the information contained in the EA and revised plan, I have 

determined that there will be no significant individual or cumulative impacts to the human 

environment, within the meaning of section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969, as amended. I have determined that the activities prescribed in this plan are not major 

Federal actions. Accordingly, the Service is not required to prepare an environmental impact 

statement. 

 /Signed by/ Geoffrey L. Haskett____ April 27, 2009____

 Geoffrey L. Haskett Date 

 Regional Director 

21
U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

September 2009

Requests for additional information about the Koyukuk/Nowitna 

Refuge and its Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan should be 

directed to:

Refuge Manager

Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 287

Galena, AK 99741

Headquarters Phone: 907-656-1231

Headquarters Fax: 907-656-1708

E-mail: r7kynwr@fws.gov

Internet: http://koyukuk.fws.gov

 http://nowitna.fws.gov

Requests for a CD-ROM or paper copy of the Revised 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Koyukuk/Nowitna Refuge 

Complex should be directed to the Refuge at the address above or to: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of Conservation Planning & Policy

1011 E. Tudor Road, MS-231

Anchorage, AK 99503

Division phone: 907-786-3357

Division Fax: 907-786-3965

E-mail: koyukuknowitna_planning@fws.gov

Internet: http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/planning/koynowpol.htm