Refuge Purposes & Plans

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge covers more than 19 million acres in northeast Alaska, extending from the Arctic Coastal Plain along the Beaufort Sea south to the Brooks Range. The refuge headquarters is in Fairbanks, Alaska. The purposes of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as established by the Alaska National Interest land Act (ANILCA) are as follows:

(i) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity, including but not limited to the Porcupine caribou herd (including participation in coordinated ecological studies and management of this herd and the Western Arctic caribou herd); polar bears; grizzly bears; muskox; Dall sheer; wolves; wolverines; snow geese, peregrine falcons, and other migratory birds; and Arctic char and grayling;

(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.

To learn more about the Arctic Refuge please follow this link.

Comprehensive Conservation Plan
ANILCA requires a comprehensive conservation plan for all refuges in Alaska. The conservation plan for the Arctic Refuge was completed in 1988. This plan provides direction for managing the Refuge by identifying the types and level of activities that can occur on the Refuge. The refuge is divided into three management categories: 10,790,000 acres are in a Minimal Management land-use category, 8 million acres are in congressionally designated Wilderness, and 401,000 acres are in a Wild and Scenic River category. The Plan recommends an additional 5,200,000 acres be designated Wilderness.

We anticipate starting revision of the current Plan in 2010.

Land Conservation Plan
No land-conservation plan for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been developed.

Visitor Services Plan
No visitor services plan for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been developed.

Last updated: September 2, 2008

Conservation Planning & Policy
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