ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE HOMER, ALASKA ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT CALENDER YEAR 1989 u.s. Department of Fish and Wildlife NATIONAL WILDLIFE HOMER OFFICE ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Homer, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1989 u.s. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM REVIEW AND APPROVALS ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Homer, Alaska ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1989 · .. /6~?ta~r -~~ ~ A:'ocf~~Date-· C/ Refuges & Wildlife ~~___#_._ Regional Off1ce Approval Date INTRODUCTION Homer Headquarters Office Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge The 3,500,000 acre Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (Maritime Refuge} was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (Lands Act}. This act added 460,000 acres of additional lands to eleven existing refuges combining practically all coastal refuge areas under one office. There are about 3,000 headlands, islands, islets, and pinnacle rocks within the refuge. These areas are used annually by about 75 million nesting seabirds representing about 80 percent of Alaska's seabird population. Each of the eleven refuges included in the Maritime Refuge had their own establishing authority and purposes, but the Lands Act added to these stating management shall: 1} conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity; 2} fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats; 3} provide the opportunity for continued subsistence uses by local residents; 4} provide a program of national and international scientific research on marine resources; and 5} ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, water quality and necessary water quantity within the refuge. The Lands Act also established five distinct geographic refuge units: the Chukchi Sea Unit, the Bering Sea Unit, the Aleutian Islands Unit, the Alaska Peninsula Unit, and the Gulf of Alaska Unit (Figure 1}. The five units which comprise the Maritime Refuge have headquarters located in Homer, Alaska. Homer is situated on the south end of the Kenai Peninsula about 220 miles by road from Anchorage. There is a sub-headquarters at Adak which administers the Aleutian Islands Unit. The sea is common to all refuge areas, but each unit has its own unique features. Lush rain forests dominate much of the precipitous small islands in the Gulf of Alaska Unit; there are mountains rising directly from the sea to over 9,000 feet on the volcanic and treeless Aleutian Islands Unit; and areas of permafrost and high coastal escarpments are found in the Chukchi Sea Unit. Overall remoteness, bad weather and accompanying rough seas, swift currents, rocky shorelines, poor anchorages, and high cost of transportation make administration of the refuge difficult. Recent interests in the oil-rich areas off Alaska's coast, increased demand for fishery stocks, increased population, and increases in efficient and more comfortable tourist transportation to remote areas are adding to management responsibilities of the refuge. Units of the ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE - t""' .... ....... _ 0 (l til .r..t.. 0 ;:l 0 Hl rt ::r' rt> ---- c .;.:.l. . rt en 0 Hl rt ::r' rt> > ~ til en ;>;" til ::s:: til '..i... r...t.. El rt> z Ill .r..t.. 0 ""·. . ;:l til ~ .~.... ~ 0. .~.... Hl rt> :::0 rt> I-I ~..I.I.I. I.I. _ _._.l.O.. O Hc:: l (lQ rt> IN'1'T(OI'UCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS i A. HIGHLIGHTS 1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1. Fee Title. .• Nothing to report 2. Easements. •. Nothing to report 3. Other •••••• •• Nothing to report D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan ••••••••••• . .... . 1 2. Management Plan ••••••• . ..•..••• 2 3. Public Participation •• . • • • • • • . • • • . • • • 2 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates ••• • ••••••••• Nothing to report 5. Research and Investigations. • .Nothing to report 6 . Other . ...................... . •••••• Nothing to report E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel •••••• . • • • • • • . • • • • • . . • • 3 2. Youth Programs. • ••• Nothing to report 3. Other Manpower Programs •• • •• Nothing to report 4 . Volunteer Program ••••••• . . . . . . . . . • . . . 7 5. Funding . ............. . • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• 7 6. Safety .............. . . • • . • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . . • • 8 7. Technical Assistance. • ••••••• Nothing to report 8. Other • . . • • • • • • • . • . . . • • 9 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . 1. General ••• . . . . . . . . ....... •••• Nothing to report 2. v\fetlands. ..... . . . . . . . . . • .Nothing to report 3. Forests •••• . . . . . . . . . . . .•• • Nothing to report 4. Croplands. . ....... • .Nothing to report 5. Grasslands. ..... . . . . . •••••••• Nothing to report 6 • Other Habitats •• . . . . . . . .... .. .. ... .. .. .. . Nothing to report 7. Grazing •••••••.• •••• Nothing to report ii F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT (cont.) 8. Haying . ............ • •• Nothing to report 9 • Fire Management •••• . . . . . . . . . . • •• Nothing to report 10. Pest Control ••••••••••• • •• Nothing to report . . . . . . 11. Water Rights ••••••••••• • ••••• Nothing to report 12. Wilderness and Special Acres. • •••• Nothing to report 13. WPA Easement Monitoring •••••• • •••.• Nothing to report G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity ••••••••••••• .Nothing to report 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species •••••••••••••••••• • ••••• Nothing to report 3. Waterfowl ...................... . • .Nothing to report 4. Marsh and Water Birds ••••••••••• . .Nothing to report 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species............................. .Nothing to report 6. Raptors............... • •••••• Nothing to report 7. Other Migratory Birds.. • ••••••••• Nothing to report 8. Game Mammals...................... ..Nothing to report 9. Marine Mammals........ •••••• • ••• Nothing to report 10. Other Resident Wildlife •••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 11. Fisheries Resources ••••••••••.••••••••••• Nothing to report 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking •••••• Nothing to report 13. Surplus Animal Disposal........ ..Nothing to report 14. Scientific Collections......... ..Nothing to report 15. Animal Control ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 16. Marking and Banding............ • •••• Nothing to report 17. Disease Prevention and Control ••••••••••• Nothing to report H. PUBLIC USE 1. General ••••••••••••••• .17 2. Outdoor Classrooms-Students. .19 3. Outdoor Classrooms-Teachers •••• • 2 0 4. Interpretive Foot Trails ••••••••• • •• Nothing to report 5. Interpretive Tour Routes ••••••••• •••••••• Nothing to report 6. Interpretive Exhibits/ Demonstrations ••••••••••••••• • .••••••.•..•••• 2 0 7. Other Interpretive Programs •• . ...•.•....••.•... 23 8. Hunting. . . . . ............. . • ••• Nothing to report 9 • Fishing •••••••••••••• • ••• Nothing to report 10. Trapping ....... ............... . • ••• Nothing to report 11. Wildlife Observation... • • • • • • • • • •••••••••••••••••• 24 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation.. ..Nothing to report 13. Camping.............. • •••••••••••••••• Nothing to report 14. Picnicking ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Nothing to report iii H. PUBLIC USE (cont.) 15. Off-Road Vehicling •••••••••• .Nothing to report 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation ••••••••••••••• . ••• Nothing to report 17. Law Enforcement •••••••••• • •••••••••••••••••• 24 18. Cooperating Associations. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 5 19. Concessions ••••••••••••••• ..Nothing to report 1. New Construction •••• . . . . . .Nothing to report 2. Rehabilitation •••••••. . . . . ••••• Nothing to report 3. Major Maintenance ••• .Nothing to report 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 25 5. Communications Systems •• •••• Nothing to report 6. Computer Systems •••• .Nothing to report . . . . . . . . . . 7. Energy Conservation. • .Nothing to report 8. Other . .............. ••••••• Nothing to report J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs •• • ••••.•• Nothing to report 2. Other Economic Uses. • ••• Nothing to report 3. Items of Interest. • •••••• 3 2 4. Credits •••••••••••••• . ....•..•........... 32 K. FEEDBACK L. INFORMATION PACKET 1 A. HIGHLIGHTS Exxon Valdez oil spill wreaks environmental and administrative havoc. Michael Blenden fills Deputy Refuge Manager position vacated by Tom Early. Eric Nelson fills Marine Machinery Mechanic position aboard M/V ~lax. Susan Schulmeister and Don Dragoo fill newly established permanent intermittent Biological Technician positions. Public visitation to Homer Visitor Center soars. Refuge receives a Congressional appropriation to conduct a concept study for a visitor center and headquarters in Homer. Supervisory Wildlife Biologist Nysewander and Wildlife Biologists Nishimoto and Bailey detailed to Exxo~ Valdez Oil Spill Assessment Task Force. Regional Director Stieglitz and Assistant Regional Director Rogers conduct inspections of Aleutians, Pribilof Islands and St. Matthew Island. Refuge Manager Martin detailed to Anchorage Regional Office as Associate Manager from March 20 - May 1. Mike Hedrick, Deputy Refuge Manager from Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, detailed as Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge's Manager in Martin's absence. D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan The refuge's Comprehensive Conservation Plan which was signed off on in October of 1988 called for establishment of a permanent refuge headquarters and large visitor center in 2 Homer. In November of 1989, the refuge learned that Congress had appropriated $100,000 for development of a concept plan for the refuge headquarters and visitor center. Refuge Manager Martin and Outdoor Recreation Planner (ORP) Benson traveled to Anchorage to meet with the Regional Office (RO) engineering staff and create a planning team. The team will be represented by Refuge Manager Martin or Deputy Refuge Manager Blenden and ORP Benson. Since the plan is due in Congress May 1, there was little time to waste. The biological staff and administrative staff met separately to delineate expected program activities and resulting space needs for the year 2005. Other refuge ORPs and RO educational staff met with Benson to brainstorm visitor center ideas. Benson began public involvement activities (see below) • The American Society of Landscape Architects awarded one of nine honor awards out of 323 entries for the refuge's Comprehensive Conservation Plan. The plan had been submitted to the annual competition by RO Chief of Planning and Landscape Architect Leslie Kerr. A two page spread with photos in the November issue of "Landscape Architecture" described the refuge and the planning process. 2. Management Plan The Kenai Fisheries Assistance Office continued preparation of the Refuge Fisheries Management Plan, in cooperation with the refuge. The plan was near completion at year's end. ORP Benson created a working group to advise the refuge on development of a visitor center in Homer. The city council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, the Pratt Museum, the school district, and the tourist industry were represented in the working group which met once in December. Prior to this meeting, Benson had met with the boards of all the above organizations to explain the visitor center planning. In addition, she met with the tourism committee of the Kenai Economic Development Council.