Climate Change Hits Alaskan Wilderness

National Parks in Alaska, many of which include significant chunks of wilderness, are being reshaped by climate changes. In many ways, this could fundamentally change the way that parks, and the wilderness areas in those parks, are managed. A recent article in Reuters looks at how the National Park Service is monitoring climate change in Alaskan national parks.

From the article:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Thawing permafrost triggers mudslides on a road traveled by busloads of sightseers. Tall bushes on the tundra block panoramic views and the rapid melting of glaciers poses new flood risks.

These are just a few of the ways a rapidly warming climate is reshaping Denali, Kenai Fjords and other national parks -- the crown jewels of Alaska's heritage as America's last frontier.

These and some better-known impacts -- proliferation of invasive plants and fish, greater frequency and intensity of wildfires, and declines in wildlife populations that depend on sea ice and glaciers -- are outlined in a recent National Park Service report.
Since the mid-1970s, Alaska has warmed at three times the rate of the Lower 48 states, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And with nearly two-thirds of U.S. national parkland located in Alaska, the issue of climate change is especially pressing there, officials say.

In some far northern parks such as Gates of the Arctic, average temperatures are expected to shift in coming years from below freezing to above freezing, crossing a crucial threshold, said Bob Winfree, Alaska science adviser for the Park Service.

Read the full article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/us_alaska_climate

A voice against wilderness

Wilderness, and more precisely wilderness designation, is a touchy issue for many. While there are those who want more wilderness and those who can't stand the mere discussion of new wilderness designations, there are yet those who would simply like to see existing wilderness managed to the minimum standard.

A recent op/ed piece in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner gives an interesting perspective on new wilderness designations in Alaska. This viewpoint is from a person who is directly associated with the oil and gas industry, and the emotion surrounding the issue is palpable.

The article starts out: The 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge must continue to be excluded from wilderness designation. There is no need for additional wilderness designations in ANWR, given that 92 percent of the refuge is already closed to development.

Alaskans strongly oppose a wilderness designation on ANWR’s coastal plain. In fact, 78 percent of Alaskans support oil exploration in the 1002 area. Every Alaska governor and every legislature and elected congressional representative and senator from Alaska have supported responsible development.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Sustain Alaska’s economy

Glacier Bay National Park - A Wilderness Quandary

NPS File Photo

Managers in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska are trying to gather key information on salmon populations in one of the park's popular rivers, the Bartlett River. The river has seen a two-fold increase in fishing pressure in the past decade, and park managers are concerned about the potential impact on the fishery. The National Park Service has been studying fish populations in the river for many years but the traditional method of having a person stationed at a remote location and counting fish isn't a very efficient or in some cases, an effective, option. Therefore the NPS is considering the use of SONAR to get more accurate data, and to be more efficient with data collection in times of turbid water and low light conditions. Sounds like a great solution, right?

Not so fast. The location where the NPS would like to use SONAR is in federally designated wilderness, and it's possible that this kind of technology isn't compatible with the park's management plans.

From a recent article in National Parks Traveler Magazine:

The park is proposing a four year study (2011-2014); the equipment would be put in place from June through October and removed the rest of the year. The sonar device would be installed about two miles upstream from the locations where most angling activity occurs, so few visitors would be aware of the equipment's presence.

This seems to be a pretty straightforward idea, but the site for the proposed study is located in designated wilderness. As a result, the park will complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing potential effects of the installation, and the staff is currently inviting public comments.

A park spokesperson noted, "Potential issues to be discussed include wilderness quality and character, impacts to Coho and sockeye salmon, impacts to visitor use and quality of experience, concerns over equipment maintenance and operation, and protection from wildlife." The EA will also analyze other alternatives to use of the sonar equipment.

To read the full article, visit: http://tinyurl.com/3yrarnc

To read the NPS proposal, visit: http://www.nps.gov/glba/parknews/bartlett-river-sonar-proposal.htm

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary

30 years of Wilderness: Designation has helped define Kenai Peninsula

In an interesting retrospective article, managers from the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge – 1.35 million acres of which are federally designated wilderness – look at the history of the refuge, the significance of the wilderness designation and the future of the lands protected under the Wilderness Act that compromise the refuge. Specific management topics such as invasive species, fire and traditional use of wilderness are discussed.

From the Peninsula Clarion:

Rick Johnston spoke to a small audience inside a cabin on Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Images of moose, bears and past managers hiking through the forest were cast onto the back wall by a projector while the longtime Fish and Wildlife Service employee spoke about the genesis of the refuge. When Johnston first came to work there, it was called the Kenai Moose Range. The title changed 30 years ago when the Alaska National Interests Land Conservation Act turned the game sanctuary into federally designated Wilderness.

Wilderness comprises more than two-thirds of the 1.95 million-acre refuge. By the Wilderness Act's definition, the 1.35 million acres on the refuge are "untrammeled by man" and have no established signs of civilization. The Wilderness Act was passed in 1964, but the refuge didn't become the refuge until 1980 passage of ANILCA.

No permanent structures can exist in the Wilderness; historic cabins, however, and related structures can be protected under the National Register of Historic Places. The act allows hiking and camping, but bans generators, chainsaws and any kind of motor-powered or mechanical device. Anyone who stays within the lands is bound to practice "leave no trace" camping.
The spike in the Peninsula's population and changes in the planet's climate could drastically alter the refuge's untouched lands, but Supervisory Biologist John Morton said that they're still deliberating on solutions for the unmanaged expanses.

Read the full article here: http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/101110/new_718960679.shtml