Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
August 2010

Alaska’s Largest Caribou Herd Is Stable
Western Arctic Herd Numbers About 401,000

By Jim Dau

Alaska's largest caribou herd, the Western Arctic Herd, numbered about 401,000 animals as of July 2009 according to a census recently completed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Although this is a slight increase from 2007 when the herd was estimated to number 377,000 caribou, department biologists interpret the 2009 estimate as evidence that the herd has been stable during this time. The difference of 24,000 caribou between these censuses is probably within the department's ability to ...   400,000 Caribou ArticleContinued

Reservations of Water

By Joseph Klein

“What are reservations of water and why do we need them? There's plenty of water for fish – why do we need to worry about water uses and water rights? Doesn't Fish and Game already have other permits to protect fish and wildlife habitat?”

Questions like these come up frequently, most recently at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Haines. Haines, like so many other communities across Alaska, depends on the health and abundance of salmon and other fish for its livelihood. But it is also ...   Reservation of Water ArticleContinued

Protecting Alaska’s Special Places
50th Anniversary of State Refuge Program

By Riley Woodford

This year marks the golden anniversary of Alaska's state wildlife refuge program, which protects popular areas such as the McNeil River and Pack Creek sanctuaries, and the Mendenhall Wetlands and the Anchorage Coastal refuges. There are 32 State Refuges, Critical Habitat Areas and Sanctuaries across Alaska in the program, visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year.

“Potter Marsh alone saw 116,000 visitors last year,” said Joe Meehan, who serves as Lands and Refuges Program Coordinator ...   Protecting Alaska ArticleContinued