The Porcupine Caribou Herd in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain. Photo Credit: USFWS
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Caribou Board Concludes International Meeting
May 15, 2012
The International Porcupine Caribou Board, including members from Canada and the U.S., met April 18-19 in Fairbanks. The event included an evening public meeting on April 18 at the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, where the Board presented its history and mission and engaged in a question-and-answer session. The board had been inactive for over a decade until meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada in September, 2011, where the Board reviewed its roles and responsibilities and the role of the Porcupine Caribou Technical Committee of biologists, who provide advice to the Board. Learn more
Photo of a bumblebee on fireweed. Photo Credit: USFWS/Deborah Rudis
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Pollinator Gardens in Alaska
May 11, 2012
Most flowering plants depend on bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other animals for pollination. Pollination is an essential part of plant reproduction, producing fertile seeds and, in some species, fruit.
In Alaska our pollinators include at least 95 bee species and 75 butterfly species!
What you can do to help pollinators?
Orange crowned warbler. Photo:Donna Dewhurst/USFWS
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Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at the Zoo on May 20th
May 11, 2012
The International Migratory Bird Day event at the Alaska Zoo on Sunday, May 20th will celebrate 20 years of spreading the word about the avian visitors that brighten out lives and enrich our natural world. In keeping with the 20th anniversary theme, visitors will be able to explore activity stations based on 20 ways to conserve birds!
Learn more
Wind turbine is put in place at Cold Bay, Alaska Credit: Marsh Creek LLC.
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Celebrating Earth Day with Bird-Friendly Wind Turbines
April 20, 2012
The Alaska Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in the process of installing and testing wind turbines on Izembek and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges. The $3.4 million project was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It was the largest Recovery Act investment in Alaska and has created several jobs.
Youth Invited to “Connect, Create and Celebrate”
April 19, 2012
This year the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is launching the “Get to Know Contest” for the first time across the United States. The goal of the contest is to engage the power of art to help youth feel more connected with nature. Youth, 19 and under, are eligible to enter the contest until July 16 by submitting original works of art, writing, photography, video, or music inspired by their natural world. We invite all youth to Connect…Create…and Celebrate with the Get to Know Contest.
A polar bear in snowy habitat.
Photo Credit: Steve Amstrup/USGS
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Draft Polar Bear Special Rule and Environmental Assessment
April 16, 2012
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose a special rule clarifying how the agency will manage the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in harmony with other federal laws that also protect polar bears.
Biologist tagging a bear.
Photo Credit: ADF&G
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Brown Bear Research in Alaska
By Amy Pinney
April 12, 2012
Alaska is home to about 32,000 brown bears, ranging from the Arctic to the Southeast rainforest. Whether these are the oft-photographed McNeil River bears, the famous trophy Kodiak Island bears, or secretive urban bears co-existing with Anchorage residents, state wildlife biologists are keenly interested in these magnificent animals. Brown bears tend to be called grizzly bears in Interior and northern Alaska, but they are all Ursus arctos. There is much to learn ...
Delta Wind Farm's dedication of their first tower near Delta Junction in 2008. Photo: Bob Henszey/USFWS
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Interior Announces Onshore Wind Energy Guidelines
March 23, 2012
The Department of the Interior today released guidelines designed to help wind energy project developers
avoid and minimize impacts of land-based wind projects on wildlife and their habitats.
The voluntary guidelines will help shape the smart siting, design and operation of the nation’s growing wind energy
economy. To download a copy of the final guidelines and for other background information on the Fish and Wildlife
Service’s role in wind energy development, please visit http://www.fws.gov/windenergy/
Learn more...
Most mountain goats move to relatively sheltered winter habitat in the fall and spend winters at lower elevations. Biologist Neil Barten photographed this goat in the timber on Mount Roberts near Juneau.
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Mountain Goats in Focus
Biologists Share Management and Research
75th Anniversary - Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program
By Riley Woodford, Alaska Department of Fish & Game
March 13, 2012
Mountain goats are one of the least studied big game animals in North America. But that’s changing.
Remarkable new tools and growing concerns for these agile, wooly beasts are providing unprecedented insights into their
biology, behavior, needs and vulnerabilities. Learn more
Photo Credit: USFWS
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International Polar Bear Day
February 27, 2012
February 27, 2012 is International Polar Bear Day. As the federal agency charged with the management of polar bears, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in particular its Alaska Region, is in the forefront of polar bear conservation and research. To learn more about these iconic marine mammals, and what the Service is doing to help make sure that they will continue to wander their arctic homes for generations to come, follow the link here.
Alaska's 2011 Grand Prize winning entry
by Michael Lorentzen, Anchorage
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Students Invited to Enter 2012 Jr. Duck Stamp Contest
February 24, 2012
March 15, 2012 is the deadline for submissions for the 2012 JUNIOR DUCK STAMP CONTEST for K-12 students. Participants select a species of North American waterfowl, do research on this species and its habitat, and then depict their findings through art and writing. Prizes, cash awards, and national recognition await the winners. Get to know North America’s waterfowl and enter the contest! Alaska's winning entry competes nationally; the national winner is featured on the stamp itself. Stamp proceeds go to support awards and environmental education for students. For more information visit http://alaska.fws.gov/jrduck
Meeks Trail pedestrian bridge before...
Photo Credit: Heather Fuller/USFWS
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Meeks Trail Bridge
February 13, 2012
The Kenai River is known for its great salmon fishing. When the sockeyes are running, massive crowds armed with dip nets flock to catch these fresh, silvery fish at the mouth, where the river meets Cook Inlet. The Meeks Trail pedestrian bridge provides access to the North Beach, and, in so doing, crosses a tributary to the Kenai that provides important habitat for salmon and other native fish. This past January, the City of Kenai started work on a restoration project at this site, funded by USFWS’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program via our Kenai Fish and Wildlife Office. Read more
After decades of low moose numbers in the area of the Lower Yukon River, collaborative management efforts have dramatically increased moose abundance. Photo Credit:Jim Dau
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Moose Management Success in the Lower Yukon
February 9, 2012
By Meghan Nedwick, Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Asking people to hunt more moose hardly seems like a problem. But after telling three generations of people not to harvest moose, specifically cows; it may be difficult to tell people to do otherwise.
Historically, up until the late 1980s, moose on the Lower Yukon existed at very low levels and most areas had few or no moose at all. Of the few moose that were present, people harvested a high percentage of both bulls and cows which prevented the population from growing in otherwise suitable habitat. Learn more
Photo Credit: Susan Georgette/USFWS |
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Many Iñupiaq Names for Snow
February 7, 2012
We're having a big snow year in many Alaska locations. Snow comes in many varieties, as anyone who lives in the north knows. Not surprisingly, the Iñupiaq language of Northwest Alaska has a much more descriptive vocabulary than English for types of snow. Among these are: pukak (granular or sugar snow), misruligruaq (falling snow mixed with rain), qiqsruqqaq (glazed snow), maquyak (soft spring snow, making traveling difficult), aniu (packed snow), and qayukłak (rough-surface snow from windstorms; pictured here).
Hunters such as this Southeast Alaskan stalking Sitka black-tailed deer contribute substantially to wildlife conservation through the Wildlife Restoration Fund. Since 1939 the Wildlife Restoration Fund has provided more than $12 billion in grants to state fish and wildlife agencies. Photo Credit: ADF&G |
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Hunters Supporting Conservation
Wildlife Restoration Celebrates 75th Anniversary
January 23, 2012
Americans enjoy unparalleled opportunities to hunt, fish and experience wildlife largely because of a far-sighted conservation effort launched 75 years ago. In many cases the very presence of animals on the landscape and fish in the water is tied directly to this effort, which has also helped instill a new appreciation for wildlife in generations of Americans.
Learn More
WSFR funds have been benefitting everyone who enjoys the Alaska outdoors for 75 years! Photo Credit: USFWS/Doug Alcorn
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Celebrating 75 Years of Cooperation for Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
January 18, 2012
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) join the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), and other partners at the 2012 Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (2012 SHOT show) to announce the start of a year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), one of the most significant and successful partnership approaches to fish and wildlife conservation in U.S. history.
Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director, Geoff Haskett (left) at the signing ceremony for the Knik Islands Conservation Project. Also present (from left to right): Anchorage Mayor, Dan Sullivan, Curtis McQueen, CEO of Eklutna, Inc; Phil Shephard, Director, Great Land Trust, and Lt Commander Stone, US Army Corps of Engineers. November 2011. Photo courtesy of Great Land Trust. |
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Alaska Reels in Funds for Two Habitat Protection Partnership Projects
January 10, 2012
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar recently announced $20.5 million in National Coastal Wetland grants to support 24 projects in 13 states to conserve and restore coastal wetlands and their fish and wildlife habitat.
Two State of Alaska projects, the Upper Knik Arm Coastal Wetlands Conservation Project and the Goose Bay Estuary Conservation Project, received funding under the Secretary’s 2012 grant award announcement.
Together, these projects will receive $1,060,000 in National Coastal Wetland Grant funding to help conserve approximately 3400 acres of privately-owned coastal habitat for the benefit of fish, wildlife and people. Once the land negotiations are completed, the conservation of these parcels will support the needs of the Goose Bay and Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuges by protecting important spawning and rearing habitat for Coho and King salmon; and conserving resting and foraging areas for many migratory bird species.
News Release
The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted unanimously to prohibit the use of felt soled wading boots in Alaska’s freshwater streams beginning January 1, 2012. Photo Credit:Cheryl Anderson/USFWS |
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Help make 2012 a great year for Alaska’s native aquatics by going felt-free!
January 5, 2012
Winter may stand between anglers and their favorite Alaskan streams and rivers, but it’s not too early to start thinking about getting a new pair of wading boots…without felt soles! Initially popular because they provide good traction on slippery streambeds, felt-soled wading boots are now known to have a major drawback: they provide an ideal vehicle for spreading tiny invasive species that can cause big problems. Read more...
Standing Aleutian Canada goose photo. Photo Credit R. Lowe |
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Happy Birthday Endangered Species Act!
December 28, 2011
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is celebrating the Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) 38th birthday. The ESA was enacted on December 28, 1973, to prevent the loss or harm of endangered and threatened species and to preserve the ecosystems upon which these species depend. All Alaskans can take pride in the fact that, under the ESA, the Aleutian Canada goose, American peregrine falcon, and Arctic peregrine falcon have been brought back from the brink of extinction. Happy birthday!
Working with Wildlife in Alaska, not your average nine to five job
December 23, 2011
Are you interested in wildlife conservation? Would you like to gain valuable job experience and see Alaska? The U.S. Fish& Wildlife Service in Alaska is currently recruiting for a wide range of seasonal jobs, internships and volunteer positions. Positions include assisting biologists conducting field work on birds, fish and wildlife; working with visitors at national wildlife refuges, building trails, or teaching children about nature. Check out our web page, http://alaska.fws.gov/working.htm for more information.
Scouts counting birds at the Alaska Zoo.
Photo Credit: Tamara Zeller/USFWS |
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Christmas Bird Counts Past and Future
December 14, 2011
Dozens of kids and adults took to the Alaska Zoo trails on December 3rd to participate in Anchorage’s second Christmas Bird Count for Kids – an event sponsored by the Alaska Zoo, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Audubon Alaska, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with Boy and Girl Scout troops from around the city. In the spirit of the traditional Christmas Bird Count started by National Audubon Society 112 years ago, kids and adults learned how to identify common birds, compile data, and become citizen scientists. A tally and awards ceremony followed where a representative of each team read the results. This year, teams spotted 13 species of wild birds at the zoo, including Common Raven, Bohemian Waxwing, Brown Creeper, and an American Three-toed Woodpecker!
In upcoming weeks many other Christmas Bird Counts will be occurring across Alaska. Your community may be hosting a count. Visit Alaska Audubon for community details.
Campbell Creek Dolly Varden. (2011 contest)
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Alaska Fish Photo Contest: 2011 Results and 2012 Details!
December 12, 2011
Fish can be very elusive. Likewise good photos of fish in their natural habitat can be hard to come by! This year, we asked Alaska residents and visitors to help us celebrate Alaska’s fish by sharing their best shots. We were particularly interested in photos that conveyed information about the natural seasonal behaviors and habitats of Alaska’s fish, or captured the unique nature of Alaska’s fisheries. We were absolutely blown away by the photos you took! In addition to our original four judges, we had over 20 Service employees (mostly fisheries biologists) rank the top five photos that best captured the above criteria. We hope these photos inspire others to get out and appreciate/photograph Alaska’s amazing fish! And the 2011 winner is…
Walrus tusks and other items confiscated. Photo Credit: USFWS
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Alaskan Trio Sentenced for Wildlife, Firearms Crimes
December 2, 2011
Between September 2010 and March 2011, three Alaskan residents illegally sold and transported to a non-Alaska-Native buyer approximately 230 pounds of walrus tusks valued at approximately $22,000 and two polar bear hides for $2,700. The three have been sentenced after pleading guilty to federal felony charges for conspiracy, illegal firearms possession, and Lacey Act violations. Penalties in this cooperative investigation, which was lead by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service special agents with assistance from special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Alaska State troopers, included prison terms for two of the defendants and probation for the third defendant.
Sixteen public use cabins are now available on the Kenai Refuge; the newest addition is the Big Bay Cabin on the south shore of Tustumena Lake. Photo Credit: USFWS
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Kenai Refuge Cabin Reservations Now Online
December 1, 2011
Kenai Refuge offers sixteen public use cabins located throughout the refuge. Beginning on December 1, 2011, cabin reservations can be made online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Learn more....
Illegal Stocking of Northern Pike - ADFG Photo Credit: ADFG
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Report Illegal Northern Pike
October 7, 2011
A killer is stalking the waters of Southcentral Alaska! It is lurking in the shadows, ambushing wild salmon and trout. Many Southcentral lakes
and streams are already empty of everything but the killer - northern pike. Soon many of our sportfishing opportunities may be gone. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is partnering with the
Alaska Department of Fish & Game to address this issue. You can help report illegal introductions of
invasive northern pike in
Southcentral Alaska by calling the Alaska Department of Fish & Game invsive species hotline at 877-468-2748.
The Kenai River Sportfishing Association and Kenai River Professional Guide Association have partnered to offer a $5,000 reward leading to the conviction of someone introducing northern pike
into Kenai Peninsula. Learn More...
See footage of these invaders in Southcentral Alaska, the damage they've caused, and how you can help by watching a short video on our youtube channel.
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