Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve...rivers and inhabited by far-ranging populations of...

Annual Report 2007

National Park ServiceDepartment of the Interior

Gates of the ArcticNational Park and Preserve

2 Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

It is a wholesome and necessary thingfor us to turn again to the earth

and in the contemplation of her beautiesto know of wonder and humility.

Rachel Carson

2007 Annual Report 3

Message from the Acting SuperintendentAs the final months of 2007 draw to a close, a number ofchanges are underway within the management of Gates ofthe Arctic and Yukon-Charley Rivers. In September, DaveMills, who had been Superintendent for 13 years, left theposition to head up the NPS Regional Subsistence Team inAnchorage. Dave was saddened to leave his post at the helmof Gates of the Arctic and Yukon-Charley Rivers, but waslooking forward to the challenges of his new role.

NPS Regional Director Marcia Blaszak and Deputy DirectorVic Knox undertook a search for a new superintendent forthese parks and in early October. They announced GregDudgeon, who is currently Superintendent at Sitka NationalHistoric Park, as their choice for the position. Greg has alsobeen Chief Ranger for Western Arctic parks in Kotzebue.Greg and his family are looking forward to their move toFairbanks in early December.

For the months of October and November, I have beenasked by the Regional Director to serve as the Parks’ ActingSuperintendent. I am pleased to fill that role and have beenenjoying getting to know and working with the staff here. Aspart of the transition between Superintendents, the parksare undergoing a management review. This review will provide Greg with recom-mendations for organizational structure, communication strategies and projectreview processes. It’s likely that these parks will be experiencing some significantchanges well into 2008.

The field season was highly productive with a variety of projects researchingwolves, Dall’s sheep, moose, neo-tropical birds, peregrines, melting ice patches,ethnographic assessments and aquatic habitats. Visitation to the parks continuesat steady pace and visitor experience and satisfaction ranks high. A new film isbeing completed for Gates of the Arctic and will be narrated by actress GlennClose. A number of new education programs have been instituted and theseprograms will continue to expand with opening in 2008 of the Morris ThompsonCultural Center. You’ll be reading more about these endeavors in the pages tofollow.

I thank all those who contributed to this report and special thanks to DonnaDiFolco for editing this publication and keeping the contributors on their toes. Ihope you find it an enjoyable read.

Vicki SnitzlerActing Superintendent

Dave Mills, after 13 yearsas Superintendent forGates of the Arctic NationalPark and Preserve andYukon-Charley RiversNational Preserve , badefarewell to Fairbanks at theend of September.Although sad to go, hewas looking forward to hisnew position as head ofthe National Park Service’sRegional Subsistence Teamin Anchorage. Above, heand his wife, Ann Wildman,share memories of theiryears at “YUGA” with staffand other well wishers at abarbecue in their honor.


Purpose and Significance

By establishing Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve in Alaska’s Brooks Range, Congress reserved avast and essentially untouched area of superlative natural beauty and exceptional scientific value – a mazeof glaciated valleys and gaunt, rugged mountains covered with boreal forest and arctic tundra, cut by wildrivers and inhabited by far-ranging populations of caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, grizzly and black bears.Congress recognized that a special value of Gates of the Arctic is its wild, undeveloped character and theopportunities it affords for solitude, wilderness travel, and adventure. Gates of the Arctic encompassesseveral congressionally recognized elements including the national park, national preserve, wilderness, sixwild rivers, and two national natural landmarks. The National Park Service is entrusted to manage this areato protect its physical resources and to maintain the intangible qualities of the wilderness and the opportu-nity it provides for people to learn and renew its values.

Purpose of Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreservePreserve the wild and undeveloped character and natural environmentalintegrity—including natural processes, habitat, and biodiversity—of the centralBrooks Range;Provide opportunities for appropriate wilderness recreational activities andsolitude; andAllow rural residents engaged in a subsistence way of life to continue to do so.

Significance of Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveGates of the Arctic is the central component of a 40-million-acre contiguous,undeveloped protected area, one of the largest protected areas in an increas-ingly developed world.Due to its vastness and undeveloped character, Gates of the Arctic providesoutstanding recreational wilderness opportunities.Gates of the Arctic protects the core of the traditional homelands of theNunamiut peoples.The area inspired Bob Marshall, who coined the term “Gates of the Arctic,”and was one of the earliest proponents of arctic preservation and one of thefounders of the American wilderness system.Gates of the Arctic exemplifies an intact, high latitude arctic ecosystem with itscorresponding natural processes, flora, and fauna.


Gates of the ArcticNational Park and Preserve

National Park ServiceDepartment of the Interior

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve liesnorth of the Arctic Circle in the central Brooks Rangeof Alaska. Visitors to the Park typically access thearea via the Dalton Highway and hike in, or by air.Commercial carriers serve Bettles and Anaktuvuk Pass,where the Park maintains field offices. Air charteroperators based in Bettles fly visitors into the Parkusing float planes that land on many of the largerlakes and rivers.

Visitors to Gates of the Arctic are encouraged tocheck in at one of the Park’s field offices in Bettles orAnaktuvuk Pass, or at the Visitors Center in Coldfootprior to their trip. Park Rangers and VIPs offerorientations which brief visitors in safety issues andLeave No Trace camping techniques.

Visitors are encouraged topractice “Leave No Trace”techniques while travellingin the Park so everyonemay enjoy the pleasures ofpristine wilderness andpersonal discovery.


Message from the Superintendent...................................................................................................................3

Purpose and Significance of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve................................................4

Map of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve..................................................................................5

Performance and Results Section...............................................................................................................7-20

Preserve Resources...........................................................................................................................7-16

Public Enjoyment and Visitor Experience......................................................................................17-19

Organizational Effectiveness.............................................................................................................20

FY 2007 Financial Summary...........................................................................................................................21

Park and Preserve Organization.....................................................................................................................22

Table of Contents

For moreinformation,contact us:

Gates of the ArcticNational Park & Pres.4175 Geist RoadFairbanks, Alaska99709

(907) 457-5752www.nps.gov/gaar Printed on

recycled paper.

Staff ContributorsVicki Snitzler, Acting SuperintendentRobyn Burch, Chief of AdministrationAndrew Tremayne, ArcheologistLance Twitchell, Museum Collecitons Tech.Jim Lawler, Arctic Network I&M CoordinatorKumi Rattenbury, Biological TechnicianGreta Burkart, Aquatic EcologistDonna DiFolco, Cartographic TechnicianPeter Christian, Law Enforcement RangerTracie Pendergrast, Interpretive RangerSeth McMillan, Law Enforcement RangerJulia Youngblood, Facilities Mgt. Specialist

Special ContributorsBill Brody contributed to the article onwilderness and ecosystem complexity onpage 14.

EditingDonna DiFolco, Cartographic TechnicianTom Liebscher, Chief of Resource Mgt.

Cover photo: Arainbow graces theridges of the ItkillikPreserve whilekinnikinnick (Arcto-staphylos uva-ursi)glows red under thelow autumn light.

Layout and DesignDonna DiFolco, Cartographic Technician

Photosby the National Park Service,unless noted otherwise


Preserve Resources

Natural and cultural resources and associated values at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Pre-serve are protected, restored and maintained in good condition and managed within their broaderecosystem and cultural context.

Editor’s Note: You may notice there are no Long-term goals this year. That is because FY2007 was a one-yearplanning period, effectively making the “long-term goals” the same as the annual goals. Long-term goals arecurrently being revised and the next planning period will begin this year for FY2008-FY2012.

Annual Goal: By September 30, 2007, 927 (71% of 1,303) of Gates of the Arctic National Park andPreserve’s archeological sites are in good condition.GOAL ACHIEVED

Assessing the Condition of Archeological SitesBy Andrew Tremayne

Archeological sites throughout theBrooks Range contain clues about thelong history of human activities in thisarea. In 2007, National Park Servicearcheologists, responsible for studyingand protecting these sites in Gates ofthe Arctic, visited 51 sites to evaluateimpacts and threats, and to documentcurrent site conditions in the John,Noatak, and Nigu river valleys. Mostof the sites are small scatters of stoneflakes that resulted from brief episodesof tool repair or manufacture. Othersites represent camps or settlements

with the remains of tent structures, sodhouses, and fire hearths. Anothercommon feature encountered in thePark is the inuksuk, or rock cairn, usedin lines to drive caribou, or singly aslocation or route markers.

Most sites were in stable condition, buta few evidenced human disturbance.Purposely toppled cairns and dispersedtent ring stones were noted at two sites.Survey results will be used to prioritizesites for future monitoring and to planeducational efforts to raise awarenessabout the vulnerability of these non-renewable archeological resources.

Below, NPS ArcheologistAndy Tremayne scours aknoll above the John Riverin a site overview. Closeinspections at sites like thisreveal artifacts from thepast, such as the chertbiface flake above, foundat another site along theJohn River.


Archeological Testing of a Fluted Point Site on the North ForkBy Andrew Tremayne

Fluted projectile points are a type ofartifact associated with the earliestwidespread inhabitants of the Americasthat include Clovis and Folsom culturesdated to some 13,000 years ago. Arche-ologists debate whether thePaleoamerican people who used thesetools passed through Alaska beforesettling mid-latitudes, or originated inthe south and later moved northwardfrom the Plains. These ideas have beenhard to test since no Alaskan flutedpoint sites have been reliably dated andwe do not know if they are older oryounger than fluted points in otherregions.

At least four of the 50 or so fluted pointsites in Alaska are in Gates of the Arctic.In 2007, Park archeologists conducted

work at one of these sites, the WIS-076 site on the North Fork of theKoyukuk River. The team conducteddetailed mapping and surface exami-nation of thesite, and small-scale test exca-vations torecover samplesfor radiocarbondating. Impor-tant findsincluded addi-tional artifactsconsistent witha Paleoamerican-age occupation,and a prehistoric fire hearth dated to2000 years ago. The age of flutedpoints in Alaska, however, remains amystery, and one unlikely to be solvedat this site with its complicated historyof use.

Above is an illustration ofthe fluted projectile pointfrom the WIS-076 site. Inphoto at right, archeolo-gist Andrew Tremaynemaps the WIS-076 siteusing an electronic totalstation. Below, the NorthFork valley near the WIS-076 site.


Museum CollectionsBy Lance Twitchell

Collections Management has focusedon organizing existing collectionsmanagement data and practices, andimplementing methods and resourcesto make the collections more visible,accessible, accurate, and efficient. AsGates of the Arctic shares its personnelresources with Yukon-Charley RiversNational Preserve, these efforts arecombined for both park units. High-lights of the year included: 1) managingone of the largest recorded years ofaccessioning items; 2) recording thelargest cataloging effort for Gates of the

Arctic and Yukon-Charley Rivers withover 30,000 items cataloged betweenthe two park units; and 3) hosting theDigital Imaging Project team fromHarpers Ferry Center who profession-ally photographed over 300 items fromGates of the Arctic and Yukon-CharleyRivers. The digital images will be addedto digital images of a rapidly growingbody of items in park collections. Theimages will be made available when theGates of the Arctic and Yukon-CharleyRivers collections are placed online inFY 2008.


The National Park Service contributes to knowledge about natural and cultural resources and associ-ated values; management decisions about resources and visitors are based on adequatescholarly and scientific information.

Annual Goal: By September 30, 2007, 1 population (of 9, or 11%) of Gates of the Arctic NationalPark and Preserve species of management concern are managed to desired condition or desiredcondition is under development with improved information.GOAL EXCEEDED


Aerial Population Assessment of Dall’s Sheep in Arctic ParksBy Kumi Rattenbury and Jim Lawler

probable Dall’s sheep habitat. Prelimi-nary findings include:

Sheep density for the surveyedunits was 0.25 sheep/km2 acrossGates and Noatak;There was higher sheep density inNoatak (0.28 sheep/km2) than inGates (0.23 sheep/km2), but higherratios of lambs and rams to ewe-likesheep (ewes and yearlings) in Gates(65 lambs: 100 ewes and 62 rams:100 ewes) than in Noatak (35 lambs:100 ewes and 23 rams: 100 ewes).

A final report will include the popula-tion estimate, an evaluation of changesto the sheep population between the1982-1984 study and the current study,as well as a GIS database for sheepdistribution in Gates of the Arctic andNoatak Preserve. These data willprovide important baseline informa-tion for the Arctic Network and willhelp direct long-term monitoring ofDall’s sheep populations as well asmanagement of sheep, sheep habitat,and harvest opportunities in the parks.

Fixed-wing surveys to assess distribu-tion and abundance of Dall’s sheep(Ovis dalli Nelson) in the central andwestern Brook’s Range including Gatesof the Arctic National Park and Pre-serve and Noatak National Preservewere continued in July 2007. NPS’sArctic Network Inventory and Moni-toring Program, Gates of the Arctic,and Western Arctic Parklands staff alsosurveyed suitable sheep habitat in thesetwo parks in the summers of 2005 and2006. The goal is to estimate popula-tion size and establish a monitoringplan for Dall’s sheep in the region.

The Brook’s Range is the northernmostextent of Dall’s sheep. The last compre-hensive survey in the region was donein the early 1980s following the creationof Gates of the Arctic and NoatakPreserve by the Alaska National Inter-est Lands Conservation Act and con-cerns about new sport hunting regula-tions. A region-wide decline in Dall’ssheep was observed in the late 1980sand early 1990s, but most studiesconducted since 1984 have been inlimited areas.

In 2005 and 2006, attempts were madeto re-survey the same large survey unitsas the 1982-1984 study. However,surveys were only possible for a por-tion of those units due to weather andother logistics issues. In 2007, goodsurvey conditions and a change inmethodology will allow for an area-wide sheep population estimate. Weclassified survey units into high (>1.6sheep/km2) and low strata based on allprevious population surveys andrandomly sampled units. Surveys werecompleted in 14% (5,734 km2) of the

Where’s Waldo? Can you find the sheep in this image? Hint: it’s larger thanyou may think. This sheep, which may be a ewe or yearling ram, was spottedduring July 2007 surveys in Noatak National Preserve, as was the group of ramsin the photo on the opposite page.

These data...will help direct

long-termmonitoring of

Dall’s sheeppopulations

as well asmanagement

of sheep,sheep habitat,and harvest

opportunities inthe parks.


Distribution and Water Quality of Open-Water Areas in WinterBy Greta Burkart

Open-water areas that persist alongrivers and lakes during arctic winterscan be considered “islands” of open-water embedded within a frozen land.These open-water islands are associ-ated with areas of groundwater up-welling, and as a result exhibit relativelystable thermal regimes throughout theyear. Their persistence is vital to thefitness and survival of many arcticorganisms; thus, these habitats are aninvaluable part of Gates of the Arcticecosystems. As the arctic climate con-tinues to warm, altering regional as wellas local hydrologic regimes, the persis-tence and ecological functioning ofthese open-water habitats may bealtered dramatically. Researchers havedocumented the disappearance ofmany small, high-latitude lakes; how-ever, our knowledge of the quantityand extent of open-water habitatsremains scarce. Our objective was tocollect baseline water-quality data anddocument the quantity and extent ofthese open-water islands and theirassociation with stands of poplarduring the winter.

In March 2007, Arctic Network andPark staff collaborated to map locations

of 29 open-water habitats in mostmajor drainages within and along theperimeter of the Park. We observedpoplar in only seven drainages and insix of these we found open-waterhabitat. Therefore, presence of poplarwas a good indicator of open-waterpresence for at least 20% of open-water habitats documented on oursurvey. Preliminary observationssuggest that open-water habitats maybe associated with increased heightand density of willows and increasedactivity of terrestrial animals such asmoose, wolves and ptarmigan. Hence,open-water habitats may be importantfor a diverse terrestrial biota.

During summer, 2007, we sampledlongitudinal temperature and specificconductivity along the lower Alatna,which indicated that groundwaterupwelling in this river was substantial.Also, the ratio of total nitrogen to totalphosphorus in open-water habitatssuggests that open-water habitats maybe limited by nitrogen and that pri-mary productivity may be stimulatedby future increases in atmosphericnitrogen deposition and increases inabundance of terrestrial nitrogenfixers like alder.

Preliminary observationssuggest thatopen-waterhabitats may be associ-ated with increasedheight and density ofwillows and increasedactivity of terrestrialanimals such as moose,wolves and ptarmigan.


Hares, Lynx and… Dirt?By Donna DiFolco

positive effect may be limited, as haresappear to be lethargic during periods ofsoil consumption. Additionally, lynxthat feed on geophagic hares undergounusual changes in body conditionincluding decreased weight despite anabundant hare population, and abnor-mally dark, purplish-blue muscletissue.

Questions about why hare populationsin “mineral” vs. “non-mineral” areasare different and why lynx are affectedby eating soil-consuming hares stimu-lated development of the SnowshoeHare Ecology Project, where we hopeto track changes in vegetation chemis-try, monitor trends in hare and lynxpopulations, and analyze soil chemistry.

While we continue to build on the 11-year data set of snowshoe hare trackcounts in the Park, we have also set uppellet plots in the expanded study areato obtain indices to hare densities in sixstudy sites in mineral and non-mineralareas. This year marked the first annualpellet count. Supporting our findingsin this year’s track count inMarch (see side-bar), wetallied a total of 120 harepellets in 53, or 13%, of408 plots.

In 1997, NPS began monitoringsnowshoe hares in a small portion ofGates of the Arctic by counting haretracks. We witnessed drastic changesin vegetation during peak years whenhares were abundant. Willows wereseverely browsed, completely strippedof bark, and many young spruce treeswere killed after being completelydenuded of needles, bark andbranches by browsing hares. We alsodocumented areas where hares visitedexposed soil in creek banks. Long-time area residents told us how harepopulations farther north and southof our study area were different inthat, during their population peak,they did not consume vegetation tosuch a degree nor did they reach ashigh a peak as the hares in our studyarea and other similar areas in theregion. They also did not visit soillicks. This soil consumption, orgeophagy, during the hare populationpeak, may have a medicinal effect onthe hares enabling them to consumehighly defended browse plants to agreater degree. Consuming thismineral-rich soil may extend the peakof hare populations who utilize it incomparison with other populations.

However, this

Bunnies are Back

The 11th annual snow-shoe hare track countwas conducted in Gatesof the Arctic March 13,2007. For the first timesince 2002, we countedfresh snowshoe haretracks along the surveyroute. Thirteen haretracks were tallied inone of the denselyvegetated areas alongWiseman Creek.

Evidence: Fresh haretracks, pellets andbrowsed alder offer proofthat the hare populationis rebuilding after fouryears of very low num-bers.


A Cross-Disciplinary View of Wilderness, Ecosystem ComplexityBy Greta Burkart and Bill Brody

and a strong need to pull artistic andscientific tools together to help com-municate the experience of being there.

AccomplishmentsBill Brody has produced five highresolution, 360-degree panoramasthat are stitched seamlessly intoimages conveying complex ecosys-tems along the Wild and ScenicAlatna River. These images allowthe viewer to become an activeobserver immersed in the wilder-ness landscape of Gates of theArctic.Potential out-put includes poster-sized photographic prints, outreachand interactive websites wherescientists can add their own exposi-tory links to point out particularitems of interest.

Documentation, both scientific andartistic, can provide a statement of whatwe have and what we may lose. Ourobjective is to produce art that docu-ments the inherent value of and futurechanges in the beauty and wild natureof Gates of the Arctic. The kind ofartistic and scientific documentationthat we propose provides a virtualconnection between the artist’s experi-ence in this vast wilderness and thenaïve observer.

National Parks Volunteer and artist BillBrody is a technical photographer andpainter with a talent for total engage-ment and immersion in the wilderness.Bill traveled with National Park Servicestaff and scientists using his camera todocument the cross-disciplinary viewof wilderness and ecosystem complex-ity that evolved from sharing a strongsense of devotion to this wilderness

A 360-degree view from aknoll above Takahula Lake.Photo by Bill Brody.

Our objectivein this project is toproduce art that

documents theinherent value of

and futurechanges in the

beauty and wildnature of Gates of

the Arctic.


Brody’s spherical panoramas allow one to standon a lichen covered hilltop with a view of lichen-spruce woodland

lit by the arctic’s midnight sun.

A full-circle view from ahilltop in the Alatna Rivervalley. Photo by Bill Brody.


The Road Not Taken—A Wilderness PerspectiveBy Peter Christian

ing, as we so often do without a secondthought.

While Lower-48 park areas generallyprohibit machines in Wilderness,Alaska’s “ANILCA parks” allow the useof snowmobiles, airplanes and motor-boats for traditional activities likesubsistence. Subsistence activities areconsidered part of the natural ecosys-tem, as people have lived on the land-scape for thousands of years. It is acompromise that has proven wise overthe course of time, lending an authen-ticity to designated Wilderness.

But as other technology such as “quiet”helicopters provide a rationale foraccessing areas previously visited onlyby foot, what are the implications forwild country? Are there any places lefton our overcrowded planet that areheld sacrosanct? We already have theanswer: Wilderness—embodied inspecial places like Gates of the Arctic,largely unaffected by the power ofmodern humans and their machines,where the road less traveled is best, orperhaps the road not taken at all.

In Wendell Berry’s Home Economicsand Other Essays, he wrote, “I wouldargue that it is not human fecunditythat is overcrowding the world somuch as technological multipliers ofthe power of individual humans.” Inother words, it is the power of ourmachines that amplifies our effect onthe planet rather than our numbers thatis doing so much harm. A hundredpeople with shovels may, in time, dosome minor damage to the ground, butone man with a machine can levelmountains and change the course ofrivers.

The 1964 Wilderness Act compels us totake a different view of ourselves andour machines and how they affect ourrelationship with nature. The Act urgesus toward restraint when the easy pathwould propel us through wildernessastride fast, efficient and comfortablemachines. What we leave behind is apart of ourselves that forgets the quietland and murmuring waters. Wewould do well to consider this philoso-phy whenever we use our machines forhunting, fishing, recreating and work-

As technology...provides a

rationale foraccessing areas

previously visitedonly by foot,what are the

implications forwild country?Are there any

places left on ourovercrowded

planet that areheld sacrosanct?

A sweeping view in theAlatna River valley. Photoby Bill Brody.


Park visitors and the general public understand and appreciate the preservation of parks and theirresources for this and future generations.

Annual Goal: By September 30, 2007, 92% of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve visitorsunderstand the significance of the Park.GOAL ACHIEVED

Travelers, Students Learn about Gates of the ArcticBy Tracie Pendergrast

This year, Gates of the Arctic continuedto offer interpretive programs to a widevariety of audiences. Nightly interpretivetalks were provided to independent andtour travelers along the Dalton Highwayat the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center.Backcountry orientations were providedin person to groups going into the Parkfrom Bettles, Coldfoot, Anaktuvuk Passand Fairbanks. Tourist visitation toAnaktuvuk Pass continues to increase.Gates of the Arctic has stepped up toprovide an interpretive experience tothose visitors despite space and staffinglimitations.

Gates of the Arctic continues to reach outto a diverse student population. Thisyear we again offered curriculum basedprograms to the Fairbanks area schools.A presentation on migratory birds wasadded to the program. We expanded ouroutreach efforts to include three residentzone communities. A joint venture withWestern Arctic Parklands took Interpre-tive Ranger Tracie Pendergrast to Kobukand Shungnak. Later in the spring, Tracieand Ranger Al Smith offered programs tothe Nunamuit school in Anaktuvuk Pass.Al also participated in the junior highspring camping trip with Anaktuvuk Passstudents. In Bettles, a community

outreach program on medicinal plantswas well received.

The 2007 Far North Conservation FilmFestival at Pioneer Park was a successwith 375 attendees view a wide variety ofconservation related films. Gates of theArctic continues to be an integral partnerin this community event.

Provide for Public Enjoyment and Visitor Experience

Interpretive Ranger TraciePendergrast talks with aschool girl in Fairbanks.Gates of the Arcticoutreach programsreached a broad audienceand covered a variety oftopics.


Annual Goal: By September 30, 2007, 96% of visitors to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Pre-serve are satisfied with appropriate park facilities, services, and recreational opportunities.GOAL ACHIEVED

Visitors safely enjoy and are satisfied with the availability, accessibility, diversity, and quality of parkfacilities, services, and appropriate recreational opportunities.

Sharing Fish and Friendship at Agiak Lake Clean-UpBy Seth McMillan

ter had transported it from Anaktuvukto the Hugo’s Native allotment at AgiakLake. The shelter had not been used inover 10 years, and the harsh arcticconditions of the continental divide inthe Brooks Range had taken its toll. Overthe years, wind, snow, rain and bearshave resulted in its collapse.Paul and his son Darrel met Brad and Iat the lake to clean up the structure’sremains. While there, Paul sharedhunting and fishing stories with us. Hetold us of how his parents and grand-parents lived for some time near AgiakLake long ago. In those days, large

In early August, Gates of the ArcticPark Ranger Seth McMillan and Main-tenance laborer Brad Dunkin joinedAnaktuvuk Pass residents Paul Hugoand Darrel Hugo in cleaning up theremains of an abandoned structure atthe south end of Agiak Lake. PaulHugo told us it had been a cabin fromAnaktuvuk Pass in the mid-1980s andhad been used as a shelter for hunters,

trappers and people fishing in thearea. The North Slope Borough’s

Search and Rescue helicop-

The shelter hadnot been used in

over 10 years,and the harsh

arctic conditions...had taken its

toll.


numbers of caribou come over thebroad, low pass from Chandler Lake(10 miles to the north) which made forgood hunting. On the slopes above thelake you can still see inuksuks, rockfeatures used long ago to steer thecaribou towards hunters using primi-tive weapons.

Paul told us of the good fishing spotson Agiak, Amiloyak and Chandlerlakes. Many of the residence ofAnaktuvuk Pass often come to the areato ice fish in late winter or early spring.Fish is an important part of the subsis-tence users’ diet. Brad and I learned anew Inupiaq word while fishing withPaul and Darrel. Yaholina is a localword used to describe a big, fightingfish (any species, I guess), because theyused it when they would land a big laketrout or char. Maybe it is a yaholinaonly when the fisherman yells outYAHOOO when hooking a big one.Brad and I learned that we had lots ofroom for improvement in the fishingdepartment and took advantage of thelessons from the local fishermen.

The four of us had a great time at thelake, cleaning up the old shelter, enjoy-ing time and some good fishing to-

gether. Paul was able to see the AgiakLake area in the summer again, wherehe hadn’t been in over 15 years. It wasDarrel’s and Brad’s first time at AgiakLake. Darrel got to ride in a DeHavilland Beaver float plane for thefirst time. Brad reluctantly triedmuktuk (raw whale fat and skin) for thefirst time. I appreciated the opportu-nity to spend time with wonderfulpeople in a beautiful place working onan important project. It was a greatexperience for every one!

The project truly was a “win-win” forall involved. Paul and Darrel haveoffered to help move the shelter re-mains back to AKP in the spring. Muchof the wood material is still usable andcan be put to use in the village. Remov-ing the shelter remains has improvedwilderness character, enhanced visitorsatisfaction and enjoyment, reducedrefuse in the park, continued to fosterstrong relationships between theNational Park Service and the subsis-tence community of Anaktuvuk Pass,and allowed the four of us to visit AgiakLake, a spectacular and beautiful place.

Before: The scattered ruins of a shelter at AgiakLake before the clean-up effort began.

After: The neat pile of material to removed nextspring.

More Cleaning To Do

The last day of our visitwe saw a group of 7backpackers that hadbeen hiking for 45days! These youngmen were from CampManatowish, anoutdoor leadershipcamp in Wisconsin,and had started onfoot from the DaltonHighway in mid-June.We were the onlypeople they had seenon their trip in thebackcountry. Theywere happy to see uscleaning up the Parkand protecting thewilderness characterthey had traveled sofar to experience. Theycommented on theamount of refuse anddebris surroundingChandler Lake andthought that area alsowas worthy of cleaningup. I informed themthat a clean-up projecthas been proposed forthe Chandler and LittleChandler lakes areaand is anticipated tobe funded by the ArmyCorps of Engineers inFY 2008.


Ensure Organizational Effectiveness

The National Park Service uses current management practices, systems, and technologies to accom-plish its mission.

Coldfoot Ranger Station Gets New LookBy Julia Youngblood

Building the new Coldfoot VisitorsCenter in cooperation with U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service and the Bureau ofLand Management has offered ourvisitors on the Dalton Highway a stellarstopping point in their travels along theroad north. At the same time, closingthe old, unheated visitors’ center threeyears ago provided an opportunity formore accessible office space than whatthe current situation offered. DaltonCorridor Ranger Peter Christian hadbeen using one of three bedrooms inhis residence at Marion Creek as hisyear ‘round work space, and it was timeto make a change. The old visitors’center provided the space, and reusing/recycling the building would save NPSdollars in new construction.

In August, 2007, maintenance staffScott Schoppenhorst and RJ Johnsonsuccessfully turned a once-empty roominto an insulated, carpeted, heated

space useable year ‘round. Projectmaterials were ordered in spring, withdelivery scheduled for mid-summer. Anew fuel cube was purchased andinstalled along with a Monitor heater toprovide warmth in the previouslyunheated space. Extra insulation wasadded to the walls, floor and ceiling.New, energy efficient windows wereinstalled prior to installation of re-cycled fiber carpet tiles and bead boardwall covering.

Now, year ‘round, if a research projector other trip up the Dalton brings youto Coldfoot, stop by for a visit. It willbe warm inside!

Out with the old, in with the new. Maintenanceworker RJ Johnson trims out the interior of thenewly renovated office space in the old visitors’center in Coldfoot.

Maintenancestaff successfully

turned aonce-empty roominto an insulated,carpeted, heated

space useableyear ‘round.


Cultural Resources$329,637 (11%)

Natural Resources$474,816 (17%)

Protection$668,388 (24%)

Maintenance$349,371 (12%)

Interpretation$124,849 (4%)

Subsistence$97,232 (3%)

Management$204,182 (7%)

Administration$305,318 (10%)

Utilities$117,518 (4%)

Lease Funds$247,000 (8%)

Cultural Resources$144,275 (6%)

Natural Resources$361,649 (14%)

Protection$668,388 (26%)

Maintenance$323,996 (13%)

Interpretation$117,780 (5%)

Management$204,182 (8%)

Administration$305,318 (12%)

Utilities$117,518 (5%)

Lease Funds$247,000 (10%)

Subsistence$20,000 (1%)

Financial Summary

Operating Budget Base Allocations (ONPS) ExpendituresTotal = $2,510,106

All Funding Source ExpendituresIncluding Inventory & Monitoring, Project, Fishery SubsistenceTotal = $2,782,759


Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Organization

Note: All positions areshared with Yukon-CharleyRivers National Preserveexcept those under theChief of Operations inBettles.

Chief ofAdministration

Chief of ResourceManagement

Chief of OperationsBettles

Chief of OperationsEagle (YUCH)

Superintendent

ManagementAssistant (vacant)

Wildlife Biologist Wildlife Biologist Wildlife Biologist

Natural ResourceSpecialist

CartographicTechnician

Aquatic Ecologist

Subsistence Mgr/Fisheries Biologist

Cultural ResourceSpecialist Historian Archeologist

Fire ManagementOfficer

ForestryTechnician (2)

Budget Analyst AdministrativeClerk

AdministrativeClerk

Park Ranger/PilotBackcountry

Coordinator LE

Office SupportClerk (Bettles)

MaintenanceMechanic

Park Ranger LE

Anaktuvuk Pass AreaRanger LE (vacant)

Dalton CorridorArea Ranger LE

Park Ranger(Interp.) (Coldfoot)

BiologicalTechnician (vacant)

MaintenanceWorker

Park Ranger(Interpretor)

ComputerSpecialist

ComputerSpecialist

Anaktuvuk Pass Com-munity Liaison (vacant)

The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people

so that all may experience our heritage.

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA

U.S. Department of the Interior ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ National Park Service

A bull muskoxen peeks at the photographer from behind a willow in the Noatak Rivervalley. An aerial survey in March revealed four bull muskoxen in the Noatak, same as in2002, and the most seen in Gates of the Arctic at any one time. So far, no cows havebeen spotted in the Park.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve...rivers and inhabited by far-ranging populations of...

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Transcript of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve...rivers and inhabited by far-ranging populations of...