When beauty is portrayed in its most natural form, it’s usually an untouched destination. America is home to some of the most unbelievable places in the world that are almost too perfect to be real. For this feature, we have to shine the spotlight on the picturesque Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Located on the southwestern island of Kodiak, AK, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is known as the “Island of the Great Bear.” The Kodiak brown bear is genetically distinct and inhabits the Kodiak Archipelago. In fact, the refuge was created in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to protect Kodiak bears and their habitat.
You’l likely find the weather conditions within the refuge to be mild and rainy. It is quite dense, but also contains drier grasslands. There are a few glaciers located within the refuge as well. Also, there is no road access, except a private road, prohibited to public use, to the Terror Lake hydroelectric facility. Did you know there are over 1.9 million-acres of refuge within a large variety of habitats including; 117 salmon-bearing streams, alpine meadows,16 lakes, grasslands, spruce forest, tundra, riparian wetlands and shrub lands? As for the wildlife, there are about 3,000 bears, over 400 breeding pairs of bald eagles, 250 species of fish, birds and mammals, and many more.
Today, the refuge maintains a role in global conservation. Their role is for many different species of wildlife, fish and plants and to maintain wildlife, subsistence, recreation, and economic uses of the resources within the refuge.
Other purposes of the refuge, according to ANILCA, are to
- Conserve wildlife populations and habitats including; sea otters, Kodiak brown bears, salmonids, migratory birds, sea lions and other marine mammals.
- Fulfill international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife.
- Provide the opportunity for continued subsistence uses by locals consistent with the main purposes of the refuge.
- Maintain water quality and quantity within the refuge
Are you interested in visiting the refuge? Learn more information at the Visitor Center or give them a call at, 907-487-0282.
Summer Hours: 9 am-5 pm Daily
Shoulder Season (September): 10am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday
Winter Hours, beginning September 27, 2016: Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday, 12 pm-5 pm; Wednesday 10 am-5 pm
Have you heard of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge or taken a trip yourself? Do you have any information about it you’d like to share with us? Tell us about it in the comments below!
