Within this summary of the draft 

revised CCP you will find a brief 

overview of the: 

refuge vision statement;

issues addressed in the plan;

refuge goals and objectives; and

management alternatives 

developed through the planning 

process. 

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Fall colors along the Kanuti River, called “Kk’oonootne” in Koyukon Athabascan.

Bill Raften/USFWS

What will you find in this summary?

What is a 

Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan 

(CCP)?

A CCP guides overall refuge 

management. It ensures that 

management actions comply with 

the purposes for which the refuge 

was established and with other 

legal mandates. It serves as a “road 

map” for refuge staff and makes 

management actions more consistent. 

It also provides an opportunity for 

public involvement.

What are we 

doing?

Kanuti Refuge is revising its 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP). Since the first CCP for the 

refuge was completed in 1987, laws 

and policies have changed, and new 

scientific information has become 

available. This revised plan addresses 

these changes and will provide 

management guidelines for the next 

15 years. 

The short-tailed weasel, also called 

“koghozene,” is one of several furbearer 

species occurring on the refuge. 

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Northern Pintails, also called 

“k’edzonule,” breed on the refuge. 

USFWS

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

Summary of the Draft Revised 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Local residents are the primary users 

of Kanuti Refuge. Four communities 

along the Koyukuk River are close 

to the refuge: Allakaket, Alatna, 

Bettles, and Evansville. Access to 

these communities is mainly by 

airplane, boat and snowmachine. 

About 250 people, the majority of 

whom are Koyukon Athabascan 

and Kobuk Nunamuit, live in these 

communities. Local residents live a 

partial subsistence lifestyle, relying 

on natural resources like moose, 

caribou, salmon, whitefish, ducks, and 

geese.

2

Why was the refuge 

established?

Refuges exist to protect wildlife, 

fisheries, and their habitats, and to 

provide for wildlife-related public 

uses, such as hunting, fishing, 

observation, and education. Kanuti 

Refuge was established in 1980 by 

the Alaska National Interest Lands 

Conservation Act (ANILCA). Its 

purposes include:

to conserve fish and wildlife 

populations and their habitats;

to fulfill international treaty 

obligations (e.g., regarding 

migratory birds);

to provide the opportunity for 

continued subsistence by local 

residents; and 

to ensure water quality and 

quantity.

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There are no roads or permanent 

residences within the refuge. 

Pathless terrain and rivers that are 

challenging to travel limit access 

for visitors. We estimate that fewer 

than twenty non-local visitors use 

the refuge each year. They primarily 

access the refuge by airplanes on 

floats or skis.

The refuge is 

remote

Kanuti Refuge is part of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. 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.

Allakaket resident Steven Bergman 

harvesting chum salmon on the 

Koyukuk River.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Kanuti Refuge—wild and untamed

Kanuti Refuge covers 1.6 million 

acres and lies on the Arctic Circle 

nearly 150 miles northwest of 

Fairbanks. It is a prime example of 

Alaska’s boreal forest ecosystem, 

where black and white spruce, birch, 

and poplars are interspersed with 

lakes, wetlands, and open areas. 

The refuge is home to a variety of 

wildlife, fish, and plants that interact 

much as they did thousands of years 

ago. It provides natural lands and 

waters for breeding birds—including 

ducks, geese, swans, loons, and other 

migrants—and provides habitat for 

moose, caribou, wolves, and bears. 

Rivers and seasonally flooded streams 

are home to salmon, arctic grayling, 

and whitefish. 

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Refuge wetlands.

Living off the land
“Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge will be managed for its natural 

unaltered character, biological integrity, and scientific values, 

as driven by biological and physical processes throughout time. 

Stewardship of the Kanuti Refuge will strive to conserve fish 

and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity by 

maintaining ecosystem integrity, while providing for subsistence 

opportunities. Management will foster partnerships with government 

agencies, tribes, organizations, and the public, including local 

communities. The refuge will provide opportunities for compatible, 

wildlife-dependent recreation. Inventory and monitoring of wildlife 

populations and habitats important to Alaska, the United States, and 

the world will be the focal points of research and management efforts. 

Studies will focus on the physical and biological components of the 

boreal forest region, their ecological relationships, and their responses 

to human activity.”

Refuge Vision

Our vision describes how we believe Refuge purposes will best be fulfilled: 

3

The City of Allakaket is located along the Koyukuk River at its confluence with the 

Alatna River. The old part of Allakaket lies on the riverbank; the new part in the 

foreground lies on a hill.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Steps in CCP 

development

Site of a previous wildland fire. Fires and flooding are the two main forces shaping the refuge landscape.

Lisa Saperstein/USFWS

We are here

CCPs follow a process guided by 

the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service policies, and other legal 

direction. This process includes:. 

Publish draft plan.

Ask public to review 

and comment.

Ask public for their ideas.

Identify planning issues.

Develop goals, objectives, and 

alternatives to address the issues.

Analyze impacts of and compare 

alternatives.

Publish final plan.

Publish final decision.

Publish finding of no significant 

impact (FONSI).

We expect to publish the final plan 

in the fall of 2007. 
USFWS

Koyukuk River, “Kk’uyetl’ots’ene,” in 

winter.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

The refuge offers outstanding 

opportunities for visitors to experience 

solitude. It is a place where people 

can go to seek a wilderness experience 

with few, if any, visible signs of human 

presence.

Goals and Objectives

We developed six management goals and several objectives for each goal:

Issue 2: Adopt updated management policies and guidelines

This issue came from within the Fish and Wildlife Service and has not yet 

generated any public comment. The new management policies and guidelines 

were developed as part of the Alaska-wide refuge comprehensive planning 

effort. These policies and guidelines will ensure that refuge management 

actions are consistent throughout Alaska. 

Significant planning issues

The Kanuti CCP addresses two issues that were identified during public 

meetings and from within the Fish and Widlife Service.

Issue 1: Conservation of the natural, unaltered character of the refuge.

Many people said they want the refuge to remain in a natural, wild state with 

minimal intrusion. Here is what they said:

“We want the country to stay the same for the next generations.”

“Your 15 year focus should be on preservation and conservation in a balance 

that will keep this place remote and isolated for the years to come.”

“I value Kanuti’s wildness most, no roads, no facilities.”

Goal 1: Conserve the refuge’s diversity of wildlife, fish, and habitats, while 

allowing natural processes such as wildland fire and flooding to shape the 

environment.

Objectives include: working cooperatively to inventory and monitor plants, 

fish and wildlife; manage fire; monitor effects of fire; and monitor snow 

depth.

Goal 2: Ensure the water resources necessary to conserve fish and wildlife 

populations and habitats.

Objectives include: monitoring streamflow and/or water quality conditions; 

developing a strategy to inventory wetland and lake resources.

Goal 3: Provide opportunities for local residents to pursue their subsistence 

lifestyle.

Objectives include: working closely with all stakeholders to review and 

modify regulations; conducting informational meetings; monitoring 

subsistence harvest. 

Goal 4: Provide opportunities for wildlife dependent public use such as 

hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation and photography while minimizing 

conflict among user groups. 

Objectives include: Monitoring levels and types of public use; developing a 

law enforcement program; building an interpretative nature trail in Bettles.

4
What are 

Alternatives?

Alternatives represent different 

options for future actions. They 

are different ways to respond to 

issues, management concerns, and 

opportunities. Each alternative is 

developed with the Refuge System 

mission and the refuge’s purposes 

in mind. 

Calm water on the Kanuti River.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

5

How do we address the issues?

Federal law requires that we develop a range of reasonable alternatives. We 

considered three alternatives, all of which continue to protect the refuge 

and its resources. Traditional subsistence activities, recreational wildlifedependent activities, and current methods of access would continue to be 

allowed. 

Our alternatives have varying amounts of Minimal and Moderate 

Management. Minimal Management maintains the natural environment with 

very little evidence of human-caused change. Moderate Management allows 

actions and uses that may result in temporary or permanent changes to the 

natural environment. 

Alternative A: This is the “No-Action” alternative, as required by NEPA. 

It describes what would happen if current management activities were to 

continue. Though refuge lands have been classified in a mixture of Moderate 

and Minimal Management, the refuge has to date been managed as though it 

was entirely in Minimal Management. 

Alternative B: This alternative converts all refuge lands now in Moderate 

Management to Minimal Management and incorporates the new management 

policies and guidelines. 

Alternative C: This alternative is preferred by the Fish and Wildlife Service. 

It converts a portion of the refuge lands now in Moderate Management to 

Minimal Management and incorporates the new management policies and 

guidelines. This alternative would allow for more intensive human uses near 

the communities.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Blueberries are abundant on the refuge

Why do we 

have different 

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 Alaskawide planning effort. For each 

management category, appropriate 

activities, public uses, commercial 

uses, and facilities were identified. 

Only the Minimal and Moderate 

Management categories apply to 

Kanuti Refuge. 

Goals and Objectives, continued

Goal 5: Provide outreach and environmental education to increase a sense of 

stewardship for wildlife, cultural resources, and the environment. 

Objectives include: providing the public with information about the refuge; 

contributing to the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center in Coldfoot; outreach 

at community events; building an office/bunkhouse/visitor center in Bettles 

shared with the National Park Service.

Goal 6: Conserve, appreciate, and interpret the cultural and archaeological 

resources of the refuge.

Objectives include: inventorying archeological and other cultural sites; 

partnering with Native organizations to manage and protect cultural and 

historical resources; using traditional place names for the refuge.
Item Alternative A

“No Action”

Alternative B Alternative C

Preferred

Wild Character Management activities 

which cause minimal 

disturbances to wildlife, 

habitats, and the visiting 

public and which focus 

on natural processes are 

emphasized. 

Management activities which 

cause minimal disturbance 

to wildlife, habitats, and the 

visiting public and which focus 

on natural processes within 

entire refuge are emphasized.

Management activities which 

cause minimal disturbance 

to wildlife, habitats, and the 

visiting public and which 

focus on natural processes 

are emphasized.

Active 

management of 

habitat

Prescribed fire and wildland 

fire use may be allowed 

throughout the refuge. 

More manipulative habitat 

management techniques 

(mechanical means, water 

level manipulation) and 

hazard fuel reduction may 

be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas.

Prescribed fire, wildland 

fire use, chemical treatment 

of nonnative plants, and 

hand tools may be allowed 

throughout the refuge. No 

mechanized crushing or 

mowing of vegetation, no water 

control structures, fencing, or 

artificial nest structures are 

allowed. 

Prescribed fire, wildland 

fire use, chemical treatment 

of nonnative plants, and 

hand tools may be allowed 

throughout the refuge. 

Mechanized habitat 

manipulation, hazard fuel 

reduction, water control 

structures, fencing, and 

artificial nest structures 

allowed in Moderate 

Management areas.

Management 

Direction

Do not adopt the new 

management policies and 

guidelines, but assume 

supporting glossary and 

language and apply it to 

the current management 

direction.

Accept new management 

policies and guidelines and 

integrate them into refuge 

management.

Accept new management 

policies and guidelines and 

integrate them into refuge 

management.

Off-road vehicles 

(includes air boats 

and air cushion 

vehicles)

May be allowed on 

designated routes or 

through special use permit.

Not allowed. May be allowed on 

designated routes or 

through special use permit 

in Moderate Management 

areas. 

All-weather roads May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Constructed 

and maintained 

airstrips

Primitive airstrips may 

be designated; no new 

construction.

Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas.

* This table is a summary of potential uses. A complete table may be found in the full-length plan.

6

Comparison of Alternatives*
7

Item Alternative A

“No Action”

Alternative B Alternative C

Preferred

Campgrounds 

accessible to 

highway vehicles 

(not applicable 

unless allweather roads are 

constructed during 

life of plan)

May be provided only to 

confine resource damage.

Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Visitor contact 

facilities (staffed 

or unstaffed, 

including kiosks 

and signs)

Not allowed. May be allowed. May be allowed.

Administrative 

bunkhouses

Not Applicable1. Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas.

Improved sites 

for docking and 

storing floatequipped airplane

Not Applicable1. Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Sale of sand, 

gravel, and other 

common variety 

minerals

Not allowed. Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Commercial 

gathering of 

other resources 

(e.g., antlers and 

mushrooms)

Not Applicable1. Not allowed. May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Small hydroelectric 

power development 

that does not 

change river flow

Not allowed. Not allowed. May be authorized in 

Moderate Management 

areas. 

Oil and Gas 

Leasing

May be allowed in Moderate 

Management areas. 

Not allowed. Not allowed.

1

 Not applicable indicates that item was not included in management policies and guidelines section in the original Plan.

Comparison of Alternatives, continued
A

B

“no action”

Where would the different management categories be 

used?

Legend

Private Land

Moderate Management

Minimal Management

Alternative A “no action”

Alternative B

Alternative C preferred

Moderate Management: 33%

Minimal Management: 67%

No Moderate Management

Minimal Management: 100%

Moderate Management: 15%

Minimal Management: 85%

B

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C

preferred

9
Bill Raften/USFWS

Refuge Staff

Bettles

Maintenance Worker, Ranger 

or Biologist*

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Allakaket

Refuge Information 

Technician*

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Coldfoot - Arctic Interagency 

Visitor Center (AIVC) 

• Interpretive Park Ranger

Fairbanks - Kanuti staff

Refuge Manager

Deputy Refuge Manager

Lead Wildlife Biologist

Wildlife Biologist (Birds)

Airplane Pilot (presently 

combined with Manager)*

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Fairbanks - shared staff

Administrative/Computer 

Support Team

Fire Management Officer

Airplane Pilot/Law 

Enforcement Officer

Subsistence Coordinator

Wildland Urban Interface 

Coordinator (Fire)

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* planned in the future

Wennona Brown/USFWS

What else would change under the 

new management guidelines?

Less restrictive: 

Habitat management Other methods of habitat manipulation could now be 

allowed in Minimal Management areas besides prescribed burning, for 

example chemical treatment (for non-native plants) and manual treatment. 

Extraction of sand and gravel for commercial purposes: Could now be authorized 

in Moderate Management areas, was not permitted anywhere under old 

management guidelines.

Hydroelectric power development: Hydroelectric power development could 

now be considered. It would be separated into two categories; major or small. 

If it does not change the flow of the river, it would be referred to as small. If 

small, it could be authorized in Moderate Management. Previous guidelines 

only prohibited major hydroelectric power development and did not specify 

between categories.

More restrictive: 

Fish and wildlife species introductions: Reintroduction of native species could be 

allowed to restore natural diversity. The old management guidelines allowed 

the introduction of North American species not previously present.

Subsistence house log and firewood collection: Trees less than 3 inches diameter 

at breast height could be harvested for subsistence, also dead, standing or 

downed timber, grass, bark and other plant materials. Cutting of house logs 

could be allowed by permit. The new guidelines are more specific. 

Oil and gas leasing: Hydrocarbon potential on the refuge is very low. Leasing 

would now not be allowed anymore; it was potentially allowed under Moderate 

Management. 

Commercial timber and firewood harvest: Could be authorized only to accomplish 

management objectives for example to reduce fuel loads. Was potentially 

allowed in Moderate Management under previous guidelines.

10

Allakaket residents Kitty and David David on the South Fork Koyukuk River 

returning from fall moose hunt. 

Refuge wildlife biologist Chris Harwood 

measuring snow density on the refuge.
We would like to hear your comments! 

We would like to know what you think about our revised CCP. For example:

Do you agree with the amount of land in Minimal and Moderate categories?

What do you think about our proposed vision and objectives for the next 15 years?

How about our plans for proposed staffing?

The full plan gives details about permitted and authorized uses which have changed in some 

small ways since the 1987 plan. We would like to hear your comments about the new management 

guidelines.

The full-length Kanuti draft CCP is available online at <http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/planning/ccp.htm>. 

Please contact us if you would prefer a paper-copy or a compact disk. We will also host several public 

meetings (time and place will be announced). For more information about the refuge you may view 

<http://kanuti.fws.gov/> 

Please send us your questions and comments before July 15, 2007.

Comments and requests for compact disks 

or further information should be directed to:

Peter Wikoff, Planning Team Leader

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1011 East Tudor Road, MS 231

Anchorage, AK 99503

907/786-3837

fw7_Kanuti_planning@fws.gov

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Comments and requests for further information 

about the refuge should be directed to: 

Mike Spindler, Refuge Manager

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

101 12th Ave., Rm 262

Fairbanks, AK 99701-6237

877/220-1853 or 907/456-0329 

kanuti_refuge@fws.gov Wennona Brown/USFWS

“Kk’oonootne” is the Koyukon 

Athabascan name that led to 

an early mapmaker assigning 

“Kanuti” to the refuge’s namesake 

river. Kk’oonootne means ‘welltraveled river by both man 

and animals.’ Another possible 

meaning is “fish roe river.” The 

Kanuti River has also been called 

“Old Man River.” 

This information and more was 

gathered by Koyukuk resident and 

elder Eliza Jones who worked with 

Allakaket elder Johnson B. Moses 

in the late 1980s and early 1990s 

to record Native place names and 

their meaning in the area of the 

refuge around the communities 

of Allakaket and Alatna. Please 

contact the refuge for more 

information.

Traditional 

Place Names 

11

We held public meetings in Allakaket and in Alatna to review and discuss 

traditional place names. 
Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

101 12th Ave, Rm 262

Fairbanks, AK 99701-6237

Phone: 877/220-1853

Fax: 907/456-0329

Web: http://kanuti.fws.gov/

e-mail: kanuti_refuge@fws.gov

Beaver eat the inner bark, twigs, leaves, and roots of trees and shrubs.

Steve Hillebrand/USFWS

Beaver, or 

“noye’e” in 

Koyukon 

Athabascan, 

are abundant 

on Kanuti 

Refuge.

They play a 

large role in 

shaping the 

environment. 

Refuge staff 

count beaver 

caches to keep 

tabs on the 

number of 

beaver on the 

refuge.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service