U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Alaska Maritime National Wildlife L!3RARIES APR 24 2.4 ° 2003 CEPOSITED BY UNITED STATES of Aº Rica Amid the wild grandeur of lonely distant islands, soaring cliffs and windswept shores, more than A0 million marine birds and mammals find ideal harboſ. Welcome to the Alaska. Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Islands of Four Mountains, eastern Aleutians Ed Bailey / USFWS - ( º * This flying “Blue Goose” (a stylized Canada goose) was designed by renowned cartoonist and conservationist J.N. “Ding” Darling in 1935. It has become the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. More than two million seabirds nest on the cliffs of St. George in the Pribilof Islands. Chain of Life Stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the southeast panhandle, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge protects breeding habitat for seabirds, marine mammals and other wildlife on more than 2,500 islands, spires, rocks and coastal headlands. When overlaid on a map of the Lower 48 States, the Refuge extends from Georgia to California. More than half the land is National Wilderness Area. Some of these isolated islands host unique species not found elsewhere. This Refuge may be the frontier where the next new bird or plant will be discovered. In 1980 Congress safeguarded a majority of North America's finest Seabird habitat when it created the Alaska Maritime Refuge by combining and adding to 11 existing coastal refuges (some established as early as 1909 by Theodore Roosevelt). The Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a national network of lands and waters administered for the conservation, management and restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. | orthern fur seals breed on remote Bogoslof Island in the Aleutians and on the Pribilofs. Bird Watchers' Paradise About 40 million seabirds fly to Refuge lands each spring after a winter on the ocean. Their colonies may look chaotic, but each of the 30 species nests in a specialized habitat. Murres lay their single egg on bare rock ledges. Small parakeet auklets and larger horned puffins raise their chicks deep within rock crevices of different sizes. Storm-petrels dig long tunnels into grassy slopes. Thus they reduce competition for nest space and hide from predatory gulls and falcons. Parakeet auklets are one of sia: Because most seabirds evolved on auklet species on islands where their only predators the Refuge. were other birds, they are defenseless against introduced foxes and rats that can stalk them on ledges and enter their nest chambers. Murres nest in large colonies. Red-legged kittiwakes, nesting Only here and in nearby Siberia, are just One of the Refuge's unique species. f Steller sea lions have mysteriously declined for 30 Q/eQºS. Marine Mammals in Trouble Remote Refuge beaches and nearshore waters provide protected “nurseries” for endangered and declining marine mammals while biologists search the ocean environment for the cause of their dwindling populations. Sea otters are in trouble again after making a successful comeback last century from overhunting and near extinction. Steller sea lions are now endangered, quieting the cries of pups and the roars of bulls on their rookeries. Harbor and fur seal populations are slowly declining. Walrus and polar bears are holding steady. Few islands have native land mammals. Sea otters are found around Refuge islands in the Aleutians and the Gulf of Alaska. Protecting them was One of the reasons some islands were added to the Refuge. : World War II rolled across the Refuge, leaving its legacy. Human Drama More than 9,000 years ago, marine mammals and birds fed and clothed Alaska's earliest coastal peoples and gave rise to prosperous civilizations. Aleut/Unangan, Yup'ik, Inupiat, Dena'ina Athabascan, Alutiiq, Haida and Tlingit all have roots here. Russians arrived in the 1700s, seeking a wealth of furs. They subjugated Natives and slaughtered sea otters and fur seals. They upset the natural balance by introducing foxes and rats to islands where wildlife evolved without land predators. After purchase of Alaska in 1867, American trappers and traders intensified the outrages, prompting the setting aside of lands for this Refuge and an international treaty protecting sea otters and fur seals. During World War II, Japanese swept into the Aleutians, bombing Dutch Harbor and seizing Kiska and Attu. Allied forces fought the long and bloody Aleutian Campaign to recapture these Refuge islands. The military remained after the war, later testing three underground nuclear bombs on Amchitka Island. The Refuge's M/V Tiglax supplies remote camps and supports a program of international marine research. More than 30 years of work saved the Aleutian Canada goose from eactinction by introduced foaces. Restoration Challenge History left a dirty legacy. War, nuclear tests, marine pollutants and introduced predators ravaged native plants and animals on some islands. The challenge is to healthose wounds and prevent new ones. To restore natural biodiversity, the Refuge is removing introduced Species to make these islands safe for the original Wildlife. The results are already exciting. Vigilant to new threats, a “rat spill” team is ready to be deployed if a ship wrecks on the islands. Rats can pose a greater threat than oil spills to island ecosystems because rats multiply and cause havoc forever. Biologists return yearly to a set of seabird colonies from the Arctic to Southeast Alaska to learn more about these birds and to look for changes that could signal critical shifts in the ocean environment. f Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Land within the Refuge Boundary (includes some private land) /V’ Unit Boundary k Refuge Headquarters 0 80 160 240 320. mE-El Miles -T-I-I-I Kilometers 0 100 200 300 400 | | Bering Sea T-s Barrow Unit - C h u k C h is Se a Visiting the Refuge Ferries, tour boats, planes, and cruise The best time to visit is from June ships can transport you to parts of the through August when marine birds Refuge. Only Homer and Seward are and mammals come ashore to breed accessible by road, but all communities and raise young. Expect cold, wet, in and near the Refuge have scheduled windy weather and bring rain gear - air Service. and layers of warm clothing. There - are no campgrounds on the Refuge. Nome Refuge naturalists accompany the Nearby towns have lodging. state ferry from Homer to Kodiak and Unalaska during the summer. Unit *Bamen sands Gulf of Alaska Aft Unit Island sº Kodiak St. Paul º eSt. George N St. Matthew Island's &g Ø /* - / /7 9. S © Pribilof Islands *A* Island ºr " Kiska Island N - Amchitka • *_Adak . . º Island ... " *.*.*. ~º * ... • * *%utan Islands *Sa *. --- nd Point º, Alaska Peninsula º - A. Unit Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center The Refuge's visitor center in Homer brings the adventure and wildlife of this remote Refuge to you in exhibits, films and environmental education classrooms. Naturalists lead walks and programs in summer. Special experiences can be arranged for schools and other Organized groups. P a C i fj C O c e a n The Pribilof Islands offer the best marine bird and mammal viewing from land. More Information For details on topics in this brochure or for news of current wildlife studies, please contact the Refuge or visit its website (see back cover). Regularly scheduled boat tours to nearby Refuge islands leave from Home); Seward and Sitka. Charters are available in other Refuge communities. º E. Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge 95 Sterling Highway Homer, Alaska 99603 907/235 6546 907/235.7783 Fax alaskamaritimeGrws.gov http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov Federal Relay 1800/8778839 Voice and TTY ºëNT OF5. & I/2- º º -- sº º-sº tº, o -- - an - UNIVERSITY OF MICH, 3 9015 08543 4465 Horned Puffins Art Sowls / USFWS GAN 6