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Plans for Each Special Habitat Area
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Table of Land Ownership in Alaska
FEDERAL PUBLIC LAND PLANNING:
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS)
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STATE PUBLIC LAND PLANNING:
Alaska Dept. of
Natural Resources (DNR)
Division of
Forestry (DOF)
Division of
Mining, Land & Water (DMLW)
Division of
Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR)
Alaska Dept of Fish
and Game (ADFG)
Habitat
Division
Office of the
Governor
Coastal
Management Program (CMP)
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Alaska
Public Lands Information Center
Planning Alaska's
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ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME HABITAT AND RESTORATION DIVISION |
HISTORY
The Alaska State Legislature has classified certain areas as being essential to the protection of fish and wildlife habitat. These areas are designated as either a refuge, critical habitat area, or sanctuary. Management of these special areas is the responsibility of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). Legislation pertaining to these lands may be found in Alaska Statutes Title 16, Chapter 20.
A special area permit is required for any habitat altering work, including any construction activity in a designated state refuge, critical habitat area, or sanctuary. A special area permit application form can be obtained from any Department of Fish and Game office and should be submitted to the Division of Habitat and Restoration office representing the area in which the proposed activity will occur.
The state legislature established the Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) in 1959. In 1960 the legislature created the first state wildlife areas: the Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary, the Izembek Lagoon State Game Refuge, and the Cape Newenham State Game Refuge. Since then the legislature has set aside 28 additional areas of special value to wildlife. The special areas range in size from the 613 acre Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary on Admiralty Island to the nearly 600,000 acre Copper River Delta State Critical Habitat Area. The total system includes a little over three million acres. Much of this acreage, however, is tideland or submerged land and is not part of Alaska's 365 million upland acres.
The ADFG calls the 31 units special areas. They are classified as one of three types: refuge, sanctuary, or critical habitat area. A refuge typically involves a rich habitat that attracts a large number and wide variety of wildlife species. A sanctuary is more of an asylum for a particular species, such as during a critical phase of their life cycle. A critical habitat area may be a complete biotic system or well-defined area needed by wildlife for certain functions such as nesting or spawning. Each area is established for a specific purpose described in the founding legislation.
Statutory authority for the ADFG is found in Alaska Statutes, Title 16. The department prepares management plans under the authority of the commissioner.
The ADFG is undertaking a comprehensive special areas management planning process through its Habitat and Restoration Division. The first management plan for a special area was completed in 1986. The plans are intended to "describe management goals for the areas and their resources and (to) present policies to be used in deciding what types of activities are compatible with the protection of fish and wildlife, their habitats and public use of the special areas." The plans do not address harvest regulations or hunting and fishing activities. The plans are expected to be updated about every 10 years.
The plans, although coordinated by ADFG, are prepared by a planning team representing state, federal, and municipal agencies. Individuals, citizen groups, and private organizations are also encouraged to participate in the planning process.
Once the management plans are complete for a unit a more specific in-house operational plan is prepared. TOP
PROCESS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The process used by the ADFG for the management plans has six steps:
Step 2. Staff gather resource information
Step 3. Agency Planning Team prepares draft plan
Step 4. Public reviews draft plan
Step 5. Staff prepares final plan
Step 6. Adopt and implement the plan
Public participation occurs in step 1 when the agency holds public meetings to explain the planning process and to solicit citizens' issues, interests, and concerns. Public participation occurs again when the draft plan is circulated for public review and public hearings are held to obtain comments and recommendations.
The management plan contains four sections: introduction, goals, policies and implementation, as well as an appendix of resource information and comments from public hearings.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG)
ADFG Habitat and Restoration Division Home Page
State Wildlife Refuges
Habitat Division Contacts
For information about ADFG special area planning contact:
Planning Coordinator
Habitat and Restoration Division, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518-1599
(907) 344-0541
Listed in alphabetical order. Unless otherwise noted special areas do not have a management plan. Web sites are given where available.
Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (32,476 acres)—Plan completed in 1991. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/acwr.htm
Cape Newenham Game Refuge (13,952 acres)
Chilkat River (Bald Eagle) Critical Habitat Area (4,800 acres). http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region1/refuge1/chilkat.htm
Cinder River Critical Habitat Area (25,856 acres)
Clam Gulch Critical Habitat Area (2,560 acres)
Copper River Delta Critical Habitat Area (597,120 acres)
Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge (1,664 acres). Interim Management Plan completed in 1993. Interpretive Master Plan completed in 1992. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region3/refuge3/creamers.htm
Dude Creek Critical Habitat Area (4,083 acres). http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region1/refuge1/dude.htm
Egegik Critical Habitat Area (8,064 acres)
Fox River Flats Critical Habitat Area (7,104 acres) - Plan completed in 1993
Goose Bay Game Refuge (10,880 acres). Located in upper Cook Inlet. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/goosebay.htm
Izembek Game Refuge (181,440 acres)
Kachemak Bay Critical Habitat Area (222,080 acres) - Plan completed in 1993. Amended in 2000 to prohibit jet skis and clam farming.
Kalgin Island Critical Habitat Area (3,520 acres)
McNeil River Game Refuge (120,120 acres) and McNeil River Game Sanctuary (128,000 acres) - Plans completed in 1995. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/mr-home.htm
Mendenhall Wetlands Game Refuge (3,789 acres)—Plan completed in 1990. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region1/refuge1/mendenha.htm
Minto Flats State Game Refuge (500,000 acres)—Plan completed in 1992. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region3/refuge3/minto.htm
Palmer Hay Flats Game Refuge (26,048 acres)—Plan completed in 1986. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/hayflats.htm
Pilot Point Critical Habitat Area (46,016 acres)
Port Heiden Critical Habitat Area (72,128 acres)
Port Moller Critical Habitat Area (127,296 acres)
Redoubt Bay Critical Habitat Area (183,640 acres) - Plan completed in 1994. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/redoubt.htm
Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary (613 acres). http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region1/refuge1/pacreek.htm
Susitna Flats Game Refuge (300,800 acres)—Plan completed in 1988. http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/suflats.htm
Tugidak Island Critical Habitat Area (50,240 acres) - Plan completed in 1995
Trading Bay Game Refuge (160,960 acres) - Plan completed in 1994
Walrus Islands Game Sanctuary (9,728 acres). http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/wildlife/region2/refuge2/rnd-isl.htm
Willow Mountain Critical Habitat Area (22,270 acres)
Yakataga State Game Refuge (90,000 acres) - Plan completed in 2000
