Bordered by the stormy Gulf of Alaska and the glacier-strewn shoreline of the Chugach National Forest, the protected waters of the Sound are home to sea lions, seals, harbor porpoises, otters, orcas and humpback whales, as well as halibut, herring, and all five species of Pacific salmon. Mountains cloaked in spruce and hemlock shelter bears, wolves, coyote, mountain goats, deer, and marmots, while estuaries and mudflats attract millions of birds and invertebrates. The Sound's 4,400 mile coastline has been accessible by one road, one train, and three ports that can only be reached by boat or plane. However, in June 2000, a road connecting the port of Whittier to the state highway system will open and, Prince William Sound will be within a two hour drive of over half the population of Alaska. Annual visitors to the Sound is expected to increase fifteen-fold, from 100,000 to as many as 1.5 million in just five years.
More visitors means more development.
The Chugach National Forest limits development of some land, but not on the water. Permit applications have already been submitted for a floating liquor store, floating lodges, stores, fuel stations and jet skis. Though the new road is slated to open in a matter of months, neither the state nor the federal government is prepared to safeguard wildlife and wilderness by managing the flood of visitors to the Sound. The National Wildlife Federation has spearheaded a grassroots and legal campaign to protect Prince William Sound from industrial tourism, unregulated growth, and ill-considered development. The end product will be a comprehensive conservation management strategy that ensures that the Sound's wildlife and wilderness values are not squandered for short-term economic gain.