For example, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is hosting an open house in Homer this weekend, and Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is hosting a week-long wildlife art show at its Visitors' Center. Governor Tony Knowles signed an Executive Proclamation designating this week as Wildlife Refuge Week in Alaska. In the Proclamation, he encourages all Alaskans to join the rest of the Nation in rediscovering and celebrating the magnificent public lands network of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Refuge System has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in recent years. There is strong support from the Administration, Congress, and conservation organizations.
Public visitation is at an all time high.
From the half acre Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota to the 20 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge here in Alaska, the National Wildlife Refuge System is the only network of federal lands dedicated to wildlife conservation. The special events make National Wildlife Refuge Week an especially good time to visit, and in some parts of the country, the fall migration will be getting underway for millions of birds. Although Alaska's 16 refuges represent only three percent of the total number of Refuges, they contain 85 percent of the system's acreage. We are honored and grateful to have these fine organizations and individuals contributing to the conservation mission of Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges. The Association of Village Council Presidents played an instrumental role in the development of the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Goose Management Plan, a landmark agreement for cooperative waterfowl management.