Kodiak Refuge encompasses about two-thirds of Kodiak Island. In addition,
the refuge includes a portion of Afognak Island (50,000 acres) to the
north of Kodiak Island. Kodiak Island has an irregular coastline of
bays, inlets, and rugged mountains covered with alpine vegetation.
Click here to visit the refuge's home page.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
In 1999, the Service began the process of revising the Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan. Scoping activities--with
the public, the State of Alaska, and within the Service--was undertaken
to identify the issues needing to be addressed in the revision. Preliminary
management alternatives were developed and revised based on public input.
At the same time, the State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game--with
the Service as a full partner--convened a committee of local residents
and other interested citizens to develop a plan for conservation and
management of the Kodiak
Archipelago brown bear population; this plan was completed in 2002.
The Service released the Draft Revised
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Kodiak Refuge in October 2004. Following a 90-day public review period, the Service reviewed the comments received and revised the Draft Plan as necessary to respond to these comments. The final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (pdf) was released to the public in late September 2006. An Executive Summary (pdf) of the plan is also available. The Regional Director signed the Record of Decision (pdf) implementing the plan on February 8, 2007. Implementation will begin immediately.
If you have comments or questions, you may e-mail us.
For a history of the planning process for the Kodiak NWR Comprehensive
Conservation Plan, you may view the Planning Updates:
January 2000 Planning Update (pdf)
September 2000 Update Letter (pdf)
Land Conservation Plan
When the Kodiak NWR land-conservation plan was developed, the document
was called a "land-protection plan." To download a small part of
the plan, click here. (pdf)
Visitor Services Plan
The Kodiak Refuge visitor services plan (called a public use management
plan when it was developed) was completed in 1993, and the decision
notice was signed in 1994. The plan is a step-down plan to the comprehensive
conservation plan and provides direction for implementing the conservation
plan.
The plan called for restricting snowmobile use in two bear-denning
areas, required a special-use permit for pack animals, and proposed
seasonal closures to four critical bear-concentration areas and overnight
camping restrictions to 10 other areas. The plan called for a seven-day
camping limit within one-quarter mile of the Ayakulik and Dog Salmon
rivers and the Karluk Lake shoreline and a 15-day camping limit on all
other refuge lands. The plan also provided direction for managing commercial
guiding, trail and campsite development, public-use cabins, information/education
programs, fixed-wing aircraft landings, jet boat use, tent platforms,
and a bear-viewing program at O'Malley River.
To date, only the seasonal closure at the O'Malley River has been
implemented through regulations. The revision of the comprehensive conservation
plan will update and amend the visitor services plan.
