Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge comprises approximately 8,480,000 acres and is located 150 miles north of its headquarters in Fairbanks, Alaska. The refuge is bisected by the Yukon River. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) established the Refuge for the following purposes:

(i) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity, including but not limited to canvasbacks and other migratory birds; Dall sheep; bears; moose; wolves, wolverines and other furbearers; caribou (including participation in coordinated ecological studies and management of the Porcupine and Fortymile caribou herds); and salmon;

(i) 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;

(ii) 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;

Comprehensive Conservation Plan
ANILCA requires a comprehensive conservation plan for all refuges in Alaska. The conservation plan for the Yukon Flats Refuge was completed in 1987. The Plan provides direction for managing the refuge by identifying the types and level of activities that can occur on the Yukon Flats Refuge. The entire refuge is covered by the Minimal Management land-use category; the plan recommends 650,000 acres be designated by Congress as Wilderness.

We plan to start revising the current Plan in 2008.

Land Conservation Plan
When the plan for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge was developed, these documents were referred to as “land-protection” plans. Click here to download a portion of the Yukon Flats Land Protection Plan. (pdf). The Table of Contents and Introduction may be viewed.  Contact us for a copy of the full document.

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