Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
| Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge | |||
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| Location: | Alaska , United States | ||
| Next city: | Kodiak | ||
| Surface: | 8055 km² | ||
| Founding: | August 19, 1941 | ||
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The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is an 8055 km² large protected area of the National Wildlife Refuge System founded in 1941 on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska in the US state of Alaska . It is listed in Category IV ( Biotope and Species Protection Area ) by the World Conservation Union .
The hideaway extends over the southwestern part of Kodiak and includes the islands of Uganik , Ban and the Red Peak area of Afognak . It offers a wide variety of landscapes and habitats from coastal areas through fjord-like bays, lakes, swamps and moors to mountains that reach a height of 1200 m . Spruce forests cover the lowlands on the east coast, while tundra predominates in the west .
Wildlife
The sanctuary is the habitat for over 2000 brown bears and around 600 pairs of bald eagles . More than 250 bird species live in the area of the refuge or stay there temporarily during the bird migration . Over 1.5 million sea birds overwinter in the coastal waters.
All five North American salmon species are native to the rivers of the refuge . In the reserve there are 117 independent water systems with a size of two to 600 square kilometers, which offer diverse habitats for one of the greatest biodiversity in the Pacific Northwest .
160 of the 238 bird species found in the Kodiak Archipelago are found within the boundaries of the reserve, and 100 of them also nest there. Although Kodiak is not on a bird migration route, a wide variety of migratory bird species can be seen in the reserve, albeit in small numbers.
history
The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 19, 1941 with an area of just over 8,000 km². However, a narrow stretch of coast remained in public hands. This coastal strip fell to the area of the refuge in 1958, but at the same time two peninsulas in the north were removed from the protected area, which shrunk the total area to 7365 km².
In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act transferred 1,255 km² of the reserve into the possession of the indigenous people . In 1975 and 1980, areas on the offshore islands became part of the refuge. In the 1990s, the area increased through acquisitions and donations by a further 1110 km² to today's 8055 km².
Web links
- US Fish & Wildlife Service: Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge (official site; English)
- Kodiak Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (English)
Individual evidence
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