alaska maritime national wildlife refuge wilderness

ALASKA MARITIME

NATIONAL WILDLIFE

REFUGE WILDERNESS

Aleutian Islands ▪ Bering Sea ▪ Bogoslof ▪ Chamisso Island

Forrester Island ▪ Hazy Island ▪ Semidi Islands

Simeonof ▪ St. Lazaria ▪ Tuxedni

A Report on

Wilderness

Character

Monitoring

Kelly A. Pippins

Wilderness Fellow

US Fish and Wildlife Service

September 2012

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1

ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE .......................................................................... 3

Aleutian Islands Unit ........................................................................................................................ 4

Alaska Peninsula Unit ....................................................................................................................... 4

Gulf of Alaska Unit ........................................................................................................................... 4

Bering Sea Unit ................................................................................................................................ 4

Chukchi Sea Unit .............................................................................................................................. 5

HISTORY OF ESTABLISHING THE WILDERNESS ................................................................................ 6

Purpose of the Refuge and Wilderness ................................................................................................ 6

GEOGRAPHIC & ECOLOGICAL SETTING OF THE WILDERNESS ........................................................ 8

Aleutian Islands Wilderness ............................................................................................................... 8

Bogoslof Wilderness ......................................................................................................................... 9

Simeonof Wilderness........................................................................................................................ 9

Semidi Wilderness ......................................................................................................................... 10

Tuxedni Wilderness ........................................................................................................................ 10

Forrester Island Wilderness ............................................................................................................. 11

Hazy Island Wilderness ................................................................................................................... 11

St. Lazaria Wilderness ..................................................................................................................... 12

Bering Sea Wilderness .................................................................................................................... 12

Chamisso Wilderness ...................................................................................................................... 13

MEASURES USED ........................................................................................................................... 14

Data Adequacy .............................................................................................................................. 15

Undeveloped Quality ........................................................................................................ 16

Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation ............................................................ 22

Untrammeled Quality ....................................................................................................... 30

Natural Quality .................................................................................................................. 35

MEASURES NOT USED ................................................................................................................... 42

PROCESS USED FOR IDENTIFYING MEASURES .............................................................................. 43

DOCUMENTS CONSULTED ............................................................................................................ 44

STAFF CONSULTED ........................................................................................................................ 44

CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 45

APPENDIX A: List of Wilderness Islands by Refuge Unit .............................................................. 46

APPENDIX B: Inventory of Structures ........................................................................................... 48

APPENDIX C: Threatened, Endangered, and red-listed Audubon Alaska WatchList Species ...... 50

APPENDIX D: Priority Ranking of All Measures Considered ......................................................... 51

APPENDIX E: Summary of Effort Required for Wilderness Character Monitoring ...................... 54

APPENDIX F: Data Sources and Protocols for All Measures Used ................................................ 57

The purpose of this report is to establish a baseline assessment and monitoring strategy for the Wilderness areas

of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge as a part of an interagency initiative to monitor trends in

wilderness character throughout the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Wilderness Act of 1964 was

established to protect natural lands from the seemingly endless threat of “expanding settlement and growing

mechanization.” Section 4(b) of the Wilderness Act states that “each agency administering any area designated as

wilderness shall be responsible for preserving the wilderness character of the area.” The Wilderness Act defines

Wilderness as having the following qualities:

Untrammeled

“An area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man”

Undeveloped

“An area of undeveloped Federal land … without permanent improvements or human habitation”

Natural

“Protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions”

Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation

“Has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation”

Other Features

“May also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical

value”

In 2008, the Interagency Wilderness Character Monitoring Team – representing the Department of the Interior

(DOI) Bureau of Land Management, DOI Fish and Wildlife Service, DOI National Park Service, DOI U.S. Geological

Survey and the U.S. Forest Service – published a strategy for monitoring wilderness character based on the

aforementioned qualities. This strategy divides each quality into a hierarchical set of monitoring questions,

indicators, and measures to assess trends in Wilderness Character. While the qualities, monitoring questions and

indicators are nationally consistent, measures are specific and sometimes unique to individual Wilderness areas.

This approach balances national and local needs for monitoring by defining locally relevant measures whose trends

can be compiled at higher levels for national or regional reporting. This interagency monitoring strategy provides:

Information for improving on-the-ground wilderness stewardship, policy review, and implementation

based on credible data that are consistently collected and endure over time as personnel change;

Accountability for the legal and policy mandates “to preserve wilderness character” that apply to all four

wilderness management agencies;

A set of key wilderness stewardship goals that are common across all the agencies with responsibility for

wilderness and those that are tied to the legislative direction of the 1964 Wilderness Act; and

A tool for communicating wilderness stewardship needs and priorities within the agencies and with the

public.

For more information on the interagency wilderness character monitoring strategy applied in this report see

Keeping it Wild: An Interagency Strategy to monitor Trends in Wilderness Character Across the National Wilderness

Preservation System (2008).

The Alaska Maritime NWR stretches from Forrester Island in Southeast Alaska to the tip of the Aleutian chain and

almost to Barrow on the Arctic Ocean. The refuge includes approximately 6 million acres of islands, islets,

headlands, rocks, reefs, spires, and submerged lands. If superimposed on a map of the lower 48 states, the refuge

would stretch from coast to coast and nearly from Mexico to Canada (Figure 1).

There are huge differences in climate, species, and habitats from one end of the refuge to the other. For

management purposes the refuge is divided into five regional management units: Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Peninsula, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea Units (Figure 2).

Alaska

Figure 1. Alaska Maritime NWR superimposed on the contiguous United States Refuge land is indicated in yellow

Figure 2. Refuge unit boundaries

Aleutian Islands Unit

This unit extends about 1,100 miles from Amak Island (north side of the Alaska Peninsula) to Attu Island at the

western tip of the Aleutian chain. More than 15,300 islands, islets, and rocks, ranging in size from over one million

acres (Unimak Island) to rocks of less than six square feet make up this unit. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the

Aleutian Chain is an arc of more than 20 active volcanoes that are frequently rocked by earthquake activity. Some

of the islands are mountainous, glaciated, and bordered by steep cliff faces. Others are relatively low, wave-cut

platforms, fringed by low sea cliffs. The islands form a boundary between the Bering Sea to the north and the

deeper North Pacific Ocean to the south. The shelf is narrow and drops precipitously on the Pacific side, to depths

greater than 25,000 feet in some areas, such as the Aleutian Trench. Both water bodies affect the climate and

weather and offer habitat and migrational pathways for birds, fish, and mammals.

Alaska Peninsula Unit

This unit extends nearly 400 miles and includes almost 1,600 islands, islets, and rocks, and nearly 265,000 acres of

submerged land on the south side of the Alaska Peninsula. The islands range in size from 0.02 acres to 110,000

acres and are generally rugged, mountainous, and often surrounded by rocky reefs and outcrops. The unit

experiences a moderate maritime climate with high winds and frequent precipitation. The continental shelf is

relatively broad and the North Pacific serves as a heat sink that tends to moderate temperatures. Several physical

processes enhance regional nutrient supply and primary productivity including coastal upwelling and recirculation

around the Alaska Gyre, a large counterclockwise flow of currents.

Gulf of Alaska Unit

This unit extends over 1,000 miles from Forrester Island in Southeast Alaska to Tugidak Island south of Kodiak

Island. Features in this unit range from rocks measuring about 180 square feet to an island of more than 75,000

acres (Sitkalidak Island) to about 395,500 acres of submerged lands off Afognak Island and Women’s Bay. Islands in

Southeast Alaska are primarily mountainous and heavily forested. Dense stands of Sitka spruce give way to mixed

Sitka spruce/western hemlock forests on the wetter islands to the east. Other islands, primarily in the western part

of the unit, are covered with maritime tundra. The climate is moderate (particularly in the southeastern islands),

characterized by mild winters, cool summers, and abundant precipitation. The continental shelf is broad, but drops

off steeply into the North Pacific Ocean. The primary ocean current is the wide, slow-moving Alaska Current that

flows northward off the shelf of the eastern gulf. Some areas of the gulf have among the largest tides in the world,

second only to the Bay of Fundy in Atlantic Canada.

Bering Sea Unit

This unit extends over 750 miles from Fairway Rock near the village of Wales to Isanotski Islands at the tip of the

Alaska Peninsula. The unit includes more than 300 islands, islets, rocks, and capes, ranging in size from small sand

spits of less than 3,300 square feet to 77,400-acre St. Matthew Island. Islands in this unit range from low-lying sand

spits, barrier islands, and beaches to rolling hills and volcanic cones. This unit also includes several headlands or

capes on the mainland. The largest of these are Bluff (10,445 acres) and Cape Darby (8,320 acres). The Bering Sea

is relatively shallow and has one of the largest continental shelves and the two largest submarine canyons in the

world. The climate is influenced by arctic and continental land masses in the winter and maritime air masses

during the summer. To a greater or lesser extent, the Bering Sea is covered with sea ice in winter. The ice can

extend as much as 500 miles seaward. However, during recent decades, the Bering Sea has been warming and the

amount of sea ice declining. Climate models project the Bering Sea to experience the largest decreases in

atmospheric pressure in the northern hemisphere, with an associated increase in storm activity and coastal

erosion.

Chukchi Sea Unit

This unit extends nearly from Barrow to just north of Cape Prince of Wales in the Bering Strait (more than 360

miles) and includes more mainland and barrier island acreage than the other units. The largest mainland areas,

Cape Lisbourne (105,200 acres) and Cape Thompson (139,600 acres) are characterized by high rocky sea cliffs. Both

the northern and southern ends of the unit are dominated by several large lagoons and low-lying barrier islands.

Like the Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea is relatively shallow with an extensive continental shelf. The unit lies mostly

north of the Arctic Circle and has a sub-arctic climate with annual formation of sea ice and frequent storms.

Although there is considerable annual variation, climate records indicate that rising temperatures are reducing the

thickness and extent of sea ice. This trend is expected to continue. A longer ice-free season, combined with more

frequent storms will likely accelerate coastal erosion in vulnerable areas.

The Alaska Maritime NWR was officialy established by the Alaskan National Interest Lands Conservation Act

(ANILCA) in 1980. This legislation formally combined 11 pre-existing Refuges (see table below) with 1.9 million

acres of additional land to form the AMNWR. These 11 refuges were established as preserves and breeding

grounds for native birds and, where applicable, for the propagation of reindeer and furbearing animals, and for the

encouragement and development of fisheries in the early 1900’s. Most of those refuges were designated as

Wilderness prior to their incorporation into the Alaska Maritime NWR.

National Wildlife Refuge Date Established Date of Wilderness Designation

Bering Sea 1909, February 27 1970, October 23

Pribilof Islands 1909, February 27 N/A

Tuxedni 1909, February 27 1970, October 23

St. Lazaria 1909, February 27 1970, October 23

Bogoslof 1909, March 2 1970, October 23

Chamisso Island 1912, December 7 1975, January

Forrester Island 1912, January 11 1970, October 23

Hazy Islands 1912, January 11 1970, October 23

Aleutian Islands* 1913, January 1 1980, December 2

Semidi Islands 1932, May 17 1980, December 2

Simeonof Island 1958, February 29 1976, October

*The Aleutian Islands Refuge was also designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976

Purposes of the Refuge and Wilderness

The purposes for which the Alaska Maritime NWR was established as defined by ANILCA, Section 303(1)(B) include:

(i) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity including, but not limited to

marine mammals, marine birds, and other migratory birds, the marine resources upon which the rely

bears, caribou and other mammals;

(ii) to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their

habitats;

(iii) to provide, in a manner consistent with the purposes set forth in subparagraphs (i) and (ii), the opportunity

for continued subsistence use by local residents;

(iv) to provide, in a manner consistent with subparagraphs (i) and (ii), a program of national and international

scientific research on marine resources; and

(v) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable and in a manner consistent with the purposes set forth in

subparagraph (i), water quality and necessary water quantity within the refuge.

The purpose of congressionally designated wilderness as defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964 (16 U.S.C. 1131-

1136), Section 2(a):

“For this purpose there is hereby established a National Wilderness Preservation System to be composed

of federally owned areas designated by the Congress as “wilderness areas,” and these shall be

administered for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner as will leave them

unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness, and so as to provide for the protection of these

areas, the preservation of their wilderness character, and for the gathering and dissemination of

information regarding their use and enjoyment as wilderness…”

The Wilderness designations

in Alaska Maritime NWR are

categorized by refuge unit.

Refuge Unit Wilderness

Aleutian Islands

Aleutian Islands

Bogoslof

Simeonof

Alaska Peninsula Semidi Islands

Gulf of Alaska

Tuxedni

Forrester Island

Hazy Island

St. Lazaria

Bering Sea Bering Sea

Chukchi Sea Chamisso Island

Aleutian Islands Wilderness

Over 57% of Aleutian Islands have designated Wilderness areas. These islands are part of the Aleutian Island

Refuge Unit. A complete list of the major islands with Wilderness designation in this refuge unit (excluding most

spires, rocks and islets), in order from west to east, can be found in Appendix A. Flora and fauna in the Aleutian

Islands comes from both North America and Asia. The vegetation is classified as terrestrial marine tundra

composed of arctic-alpine species, dominated by heath, grass and composite families. Cool average temperatures

prevent trees from establishing here. Marine mammals include the endangered Steller sea lion, threatened

northern sea otter, and harbor seal. Most of the land mammals, including foxes, reindeer, and caribou, have been

introduced by humans.

The Aleutians are perhaps best known for their bird species. More than 10 million birds nest in the Aleutian Islands

each summer. Puffins, auklets, gulls, storm petrels, cormorants, terns, kittiwakes, murres, pigeon guillemots, and

murrelets are among the most abundant species. The Aleutians Islands are home to America’s largest known

nesting colony of northern fulmars. The cackling goose, once thought to be extinct, is now considered recovered,

and continues to re-colonize former nesting islands.

The Aleut people originally settled on these islands as early as 9,000 years ago. They built seacoast villages

throughout the Aleutian Islands. At their peak, the Aleut population numbered somewhere between 15,000 and

25,000 people. In 1741, the Russians arrived in the Aleutians islands and decimated the Aleut population. By 1831,

fewer than 1,000 Aleuts remained. Today their villages exist only on several islands.

War broke out on these islands in 1942 as the U.S. military fought off Japanese occupation of Kiska and Attu

Islands during World War II. Today, the remnants of battle remain in impeccable condition. Thanks to the extreme

isolation and climate in this region, the military ordnance laid to waste throughout the refuge is said to be one of

the best-preserved World War II battle sites in the entire world.

Bogoslof Wilderness

The Bogoslof Wilderness, part of the Aleutian Islands Refuge

Unit, is composed of 2 main islands: Bogoslof Island (175

acres) and Fire Island (about five acres). As an active volcanic

island, Bogoslof has undergone change as recently as 1993. A

single rugged spire, Castle Rock, stands above the island's

rocky beaches and black lava. Vegetation on this domed and

treeless isle is typical of the Aleutians: grasses, sedges,

heath. As many as 90,000 murres, kittiwakes, puffins, and

gulls nest here. A rookery of fur seals has grown in size, while

a sea lion rookery that peaked with about 5,000 individuals

has shrunk.

North of Unalaska Island, the Bogoslof Wilderness is difficult to access and rarely seen except over the gunwales of

passing fishing boats. Winds blow almost constantly during cool foggy summers and mild foggy winters. Although

the Bering Sea does not freeze here, storms come often and remain long, violently hurling wind and waves against

the barren shoreline.

Simeonof Wilderness

Simeonof Island was established as a refuge for sea

otters in 1958. It became a Wilderness in 1976 and a

subunit of the Alaska Peninsula Unit of the Alaska

Maritime NWR in 1980. The Simeonof Wilderness is one

of two Wilderness designations in the Alaska Maritime

NWR that includes area below mean high tide.

Wilderness "lands" in the Simeonof Wilderness include

the water, shoals, and kelp beds within a one mile buffer

of the island. The only other Wilderness area in the

Alaska Maritime NWR with a designated wilderness

water column is the Semidis Wilderness.

Like the rest of this refuge, rain, fog, strong winds, and cool temperatures are characteristic of this island, which

receives few human visitors. At least 17 species of whales have been identified in the Simeonof Wilderness.

Surprisingly few sea otters still live in the region. With shores that slope easily to the sea and wide beaches,

Simeonof attracts relatively few seabirds compared to the rest of the refuge.

Cattle and fox ranchers used the island between 1890 and 1930, but they eventually abandoned their ranches.

Cattle were returned to the island in 1960, and a herd that was often too large for the island to support scared off

the few terns and other birds that nested here. The last cow was removed in 1985.

Bogoslof Island

Photo Credit: Vernon Byrd, USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

w.wilderness.net

Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

Simeonof Island

Semidi Wilderness

Nine major treeless and ragged rock islands, some sided with precipitous cliffs, were combined with many small

rocks and islets to form Semidi Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1932. In 1980 these lands became a subunit of

the Alaska Peninsula Unit of the Alaska Maritime NWR and a Wilderness area. More than 2.4 million birds, almost

half of the breeding seabirds of the Alaska Peninsula Unit, nest on the Semidis. Aghiluk Island alone, the largest of

the Semidis, is home to more than half a million birds. About 370,000 horned puffins nest in

the Semidis along with almost all of the unit's northern fulmars and jaegers, and over one million murres. Ancient

murrelets and parakeet auklets are among the other species found here.

Semidi Islands Wilderness Area is not great in land mass but

includes approximately one-quarter million acres of

surrounding seabed, providing at least temporary habitat

for sea otters, sea lions, seals, porpoises, and whales.

Exposed to the stormy Gulf of Alaska, drenched by frequent

rains, remote and difficult to reach, lying in poorly charted

waters, this region is seen by few humans.

The primary users of this Wilderness area are refuge staff as

Chowiet Island is home to annual sea-bird monitoring crews

in the summer.

Tuxedni Wilderness

In 1909, Duck and Chisik Island at the mouth of

Tuxedni Bay off of Cook Inlet were established as a

refuge for seabirds, bald eagles, and peregrine

falcons. In 1970, they were designated Wilderness

and in 1980 became a subunit of the Gulf of Alaska

Unit of the Alaska Maritime NWR. Most of the

refuge lies on Chisik Island. Six-acre Duck Island is a

rocky islet with almost no vegetation. Chisik slopes

upward out of Cook Inlet from sandy beaches on the

southern end to 400-foot cliffs on the northern end.

A cannery located on the southern end occupies a

small inholding on the island.

An understory of salmonberry, alder, and other brushy growth forms an impenetrable, wet jungle over much of

Chisik, filling the few openings in the spruce-hemlock forest. The higher elevations are alpine tundra from which

the volcanoes of Mounts Redoubt and Iliamna in Lake Clark Wilderness often can be seen.

Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

Semidi Wilderness from Chowiet Island

Photo Credit: Steve Ebbert, USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

Tuxedni Wilderness

Forrester Island Wilderness

The Forrester Island Wilderness is composed of three major

islands: Lowrie, Petrel and Forrester Island. These islands and

numerous nearby rocks were established as a wildlife refuge in

1912, and were designated Wilderness in 1970. In 1980 they were

added as a subunit of the 475,000-acre Gulf of Alaska Unit of the

Alaska Maritime NWR, at the southeastern end of the state. Vast

populations of Leach's storm petrels, fork-tailed petrels, Cassin's

auklets, and rhinoceros auklets nest in burrows throughout these

islands. An estimated 780,000 storm petrels nest on Petrel Island

alone.

Forrester Island lies under a heavy forest of spruce and hemlock with a few lodgepole pine and red cedar

bordering open muskegs. In small ravines and in areas of windfall on this mountainous piece of land the thick

scrub, a web of berry bushes and devil's club, discourages travel. The shoreline has many sheer cliffs and few

beaches, as does the shoreline of Petrel Island, which is also heavily forested. The nearby Lowrie Islands lie

essentially flat.

Hazy Island Wilderness

The former Hazy Islands National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1912, was designated Wilderness in 1970 and

incorporated as a subunit into the Alaska Maritime NWR, Gulf of Alaska Unit, in 1980. Far offshore, beaten by wind

and wave, Hazy Island and four smaller rocks stick out of the frigid sea, providing predator-free nesting areas for

large populations of common murres, pigeon guillemots, glaucous-winged gulls, horned puffins, and tufted puffins.

Remote, beaten by frequent storms under high winds, the Hazy Islands are seldom seen or visited by humans. This

is Alaska's smallest Wilderness area.

Photo Credit: Tory Houser Source: www.wilderness.net

Lowrie Island

Photo Credit: USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

Hazy Island

St. Lazaria Wilderness

Rising no more than 180 feet above the ocean at the entrance to Sitka Sound, St. Lazaria Island was established as

a refuge for seabirds in 1909, became a Wilderness in 1970, and was added as a subunit to the Alaska Maritime

NWR in 1980. Saint Lazaria has two low summits, forested with mature Sitka spruce, which are connected by a

bare saddle that is washed by waves at high tide. Cliffs topped with lush grasses fall to the sea.

Among the tangled tree roots are the burrows of petrels,

tufted puffins, and rhinoceros auklets. Pigeon guillemots

create a nest-scrape in rocky crevices near common

murres, glaucous-winged gulls, and pelagic cormorants.

Just under half a million birds nest on St. Lazaria, where

overcast skies drizzle rain and winds blow moderately to

strong throughout much of the year. This island may see

the most public use of all of the Wilderness areas in

Alaska Maritime NWR due to its proximity to Sitka. It is

also home to one of the refuges annual sea-bird

monitoring sites.

Bering Sea Wilderness

The area designated as Wilderness in the Bering Sea Unit includes St.

Matthew Island and the smaller Hall and Pinnacle Islands. One of the

largest seabird concentrations in the North Pacific (3.5 million birds) can

be found here in summer, dominated by auklets, common eiders, old-

squaws, gulls, murres, and puffins.

Geographically, this Wilderness is the most isolated in all of America,

formed by volcanic activity, rising more than 1,500 feet above the sea with

sheer cliffs and waterfalls dropping dramatically into icy water. On St.

Matthew you'll find one of the few colonies of northern fulmars on Earth,

and almost the entire world's population of McKay's buntings nest here.

Northern sea lions and seals haul out at several places, and walruses climb

ashore at one spot on St. Matthew. Reindeer, once introduced here, have

disappeared. Arctic foxes den here, and polar bears, practically wiped out

by hunting, can wander over from the mainland occasionally on the winter

ice pack. Gray whales are often seen offshore, and sometimes an

endangered bowhead whale swims by in winter.

St. Lazaria Island Photo Credit: USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

Bering Sea Wilderness Photo Credit: Vernon Byrd, USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

Chamisso Wilderness

Chamisso Island and Puffin Island were established as a refuge in 1912, designated as Wilderness in 1975 and

added to the Chukchi Sea Unit of Alaska Maritime NWR in 1980. Chamisso has one large sand spit and a low beach

zone surrounding a tundra with a few marshy bogs. Although Chamisso Island is much larger, Puffin Island houses

more nesting birds, particularly horned puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, and thick-billed murres who build their

nests on the steep-walled cliffs that fall into Spafarief Bay. Eskimos still cross from the mainland to gather eggs,

primarily from kittiwakes and murres. The only other wildlife found here is the occasional fox that may cross the

frozen sea in winter. This Wilderness area is rarely visited by refuge staff.

Chamisso Island (taken from Puffin Island)

Photo Credit: Art Sowls, USFWS Source: www.wilderness.net

The following sections describe in detail the measures identified for monitoring Wilderness character in the

Wilderness areas of Alaska Maritime NWR. The following items are addressed for each measure:

Source and protocol for quantifying the measure

Frequency of data collections (every 1 or 5 years)

The minimum change that is required to indicate

a trend in that measure

Adequacy of the data (see Data Adequacy below)

Context and relevance of a measure to its

indicator

Most recent baseline value

At least one measure was developed for each nationally consistent indicator within the Keeping it Wild framework

for the refuge as a whole. Unfortunately, data on Wilderness character is not readily available for all Wilderness

areas for each measure. For the purposes of WCM, measure values are assumed to be characteristic of every

wilderness area within a single unit. However, it should be noted that many units of the Alaska Maritime refuge

span great distances and the value of some measures may not reflect significant variation within a single unit.

Furthermore, the protocol for gathering data for a single measure may vary from unit to unit and some measures

may apply only to a single unit. These exceptions will be addressed within the measures for which they apply.

NOTE: Wilderness character is Unique for each Refuge Unit

The Keeping it Wild WCM framework is used to establish the condition of Wilderness character for

individual Wilderness areas for the purpose of improving Wilderness stewardship and supporting

management decisions within that Wilderness. The value of measures used and subsequent trends in

Wilderness character of one Wilderness should not be compared to other Wildernesses, even if the same

measures are used for both Wildernesses. For management purposes, Wilderness areas in Alaska

Maritime NWR are grouped by refuge unit. Following the logic in Keeping it Wild, the condition of

Wilderness character in one refuge unit should not be compared to the condition of Wilderness character

in another refuge unit. For example, the condition of the undeveloped quality of Wilderness character of

the Aleutian Islands Refuge Unit should not be compared to the condition of the undeveloped quality of

the Gulf of Alaska unit, even if similar measures are used to determine that condition.

The measures selected for monitoring Wilderness character in Alaska Maritime NWR and their baseline values

have been entered into the Wilderness Character Monitoring (WCM) Database. As new data is entered every one

or five years, the database will determine trends in Wilderness Character based on the conditions of each

measure.

The database is designed to address individual Wilderness areas. Since Wilderness areas in this refuge are grouped

by Refuge Unit, all of the Wilderness areas in a single unit will receive the same value in the database; with the

exception of the air quality in the Gulf of Alaska (see Measure – Air Quality). This means that any Wilderness area

within a refuge unit can be used to determine trends in Wilderness character for that unit. For more information

on the WCM Database, see the WCM Database User Guide.

Data Adequacy

Data adequacy is defined as the reliability of the data to assess trends in the measure. There are two aspects of

data adequacy: data quantity and data quality. Data quantity refers to the level of confidence that all appropriate

data records have been gathered. Data quality refers to the level of confidence about the source(s) of data and

whether the data are of sufficient quality to reliably identify trends in the measure. Each measure is evaluated for

both quality and quantity based on the flowing:

Data Quantity

Complete There is a high degree of confidence that all data records have been gathered. For example, to assess the occurrence of nonindigenous invasive plants, a complete inventory of the wilderness was conducted or all likely sites were visited. Similarly, to assess visitor use, all trailheads were inventoried. Partial There is a moderate degree of confidence that all data records have been gathered. For example, to assess the occurrence of nonindigenous invasive plants, a partial inventory was conducted or a sampling of sites was conducted in which these plants are likely to occur were visited. Similarly, visitor use was assessed at selected trailheads. Insufficient There is a low degree of confidence that all records have been gathered. For example, no inventory for nonindigenous invasive plantshas been conducted, and visitor use was not assessed anywhere.

Data Quality High There is a high degree of confidence that the quality of the data can reliably assess trends in the measure. For example, data on the occurrence of nonindigenous invasive plants is from ground-based inventories conducted by qualified personnel; for visitor use, data would come from visitor permit data. Moderate There is a moderate degree of confidence about the quality of the data. For example, data on invasive plants could come from national or regional databases; for visitor use, data could come from trailhead registers. Low There is a low degree of confidence about the quality of the data. For example, data on invasive plants and visitor use could come from professional judgment.

The Wilderness Act states that Wilderness is “an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its

primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation,”

“where man himself is a visitor who does not remain” and “with the imprint of man’s work

substantially unnoticeable.” This quality is degraded by the presence of structures, installations,

habitations, the use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport that

increases people’s ability to occupy or modify the environment, or other evidence of modern

human presence or occupation.

Monitoring Question Indicator Measure

What are the trends in non-recreational

development inside the Wilderness?

Non-recreational installations, structures

and developments

Number of installations, structures or developments in

Wilderness

Inholdings

Number of mixed ownership islands

Total number of acres of Wilderness

What are the trends in mechanization inside the

Wilderness?

Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, and

mechanical transport

Index of motorized equipment and mechanical

transport

UNDEVELOPED QUALITY [Non-recreational installations, structures and developments]

Number of installations, structures or developments in Wilderness

Source and Protocol – 5 years

Alaska Peninsula, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea &

Chukchi Sea Units

Count the number of structures, installations and

developments in Wilderness in each refuge unit.

Appendix B contains a current list of the

developments that degrade the undeveloped quality

of WC as identified by Unit Biologists in 2012.

Aleutian Island Unit

Only count the number of installations, structures

and developments in Wilderness with origins that

are post-Wilderness designation (1980). Include

developments such as cabins, plane wrecks, research

installations and permanent structures that are

maintained or improved by the refuge.

Significant Change

Any change in this measure is significant

Data Adequacy

Partial/Moderate – Data for this measure is

compiled from the knowledge of refuge staff. In

some cases, knowledge on the current status of

developments and installations in the Wilderness

may not be readily available.

Context and Relevance

The “imprint of man’s work” is extensive across the

Aleutian Island Unit. Most of these developments

are remnants from WWII, prior to the designation of

Wilderness in this unit. For the purposes of this

measure in the Aleutian Islands Unit, all

developments that existed prior to designation of

Aleutian Island Wilderness are accepted as a

component of the Wilderness. Structures that were

built after the Wilderness designation are

considered to further degrade the undeveloped

quality of wilderness. No developments are known

to exist in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea Units.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 17

Alaska Peninsula 6

Gulf of Alaska 13

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

UNDEVELOPED QUALITY [Inholdings]



Count the number of mixed-ownership islands that

have area designated as Wilderness. The realty and

Natural Resources Division in the Regional Office

maintains a GIS layer of land status for all refuges in

Alaska that can be used to determine the current

ownership status of each Wilderness island

(http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/realty/data.htm). A

shapefile of Wilderness areas (current to 2012) is

available on the GIS shared drive. Mixed ownership

islands are identified in Wilderness Islands 2012.xls

*Unimak should be excluded from calculations of this

measure. A Wilderness Character Assessment was

completed for Unimak Island in 2011.

Significant Change

Any increase in this measure indicates a potential

decrease in the undeveloped quality of Wilderness

character. Results should be interpreted with

caution since most conveyed lands are not currently

developed.

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


Inholdings adjacent or interior to designated

Wilderness are not given the same protections as

Wilderness lands around them. These lands can be

developed for various purposes at the discretion of

the landowner, and thereby have a large impact on

the surrounding Wilderness. Wilderness on mixed-

ownership islands is therefore threatened by the

opportunity for development of privately owned

land. As land ownership is appropriated through

ACNSA more Wilderness islands may be put under

mixed ownership.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 34

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 1

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/realty/data.htm

2012%20WC%20Data/Wilderness%20Islands%202012.xlsx

UNDEVELOPED QUALITY [Inholdings]



Using currently licensed GIS software, determine the

total number of acres under Wilderness designation.

Include any rocks, spires, or islets that are

designated wilderness. The Realty and Natural

Resources Division in the Regional Office maintains a

GIS layer of land status for all refuges in Alaska

(http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/realty/data.htm) that

can be used to update the Wilderness shapefile

available on the GIS shared drive.

*Unimak should be excluded from calculations of this

measure. A Wilderness Character Assessment was

completed for Unimak Island in 2011.

Significant Change

Any decrease in this measure indicates a potential

decrease in the undeveloped quality of WC since

land lost to private ownership can be developed.

This measure is unlikely to increase.

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


The loss of Wilderness area occurs as land is

conveyed under ACNSA. These losses essentially

become new inholdings that can undergo

development and threaten the adjacent Wilderness.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 1,320,711

Alaska Peninsula 282,642

Gulf of Alaska 8,642

Bering Sea 81,529

Chukchi Sea 418

http://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/realty/data.htm

UNDEVELOPED QUALITY [Use of motorized equipment and mechanical transport]

Index of motorized equipment and mechanical transport in Wilderness

Source and Protocol – Annually

Multiply the number of days that a particular type of

equipment is used each year by its relative weight.

Field camps should keep track of their use of

motorized equipment throughout the field season.

Other authorized uses of motorized equipment and

mechanical transport can be estimated from permits

issued in Wilderness areas. Current refuge staff

members who work closely with the U.S. Army COE,

Navy, or Coast Guard should be consulted to

determine the number of days those agencies use

motorized equipment and mechanical transport in

Wilderness areas. Other knowledge of distinct uses

of motorized equipment or mechanical transport can

also be included in this measure.

Small, handheld portable devices such as shavers,

wristwatches, flashlights, cameras, stoves, cellular

telephones, radios, GPS units, or other similar small

equipment should not be included in this measure.

If multiple pieces of the same type of equipment are

being used, each piece should be counted

individually. For example, if two bulldozers are

offloaded from a single barge in the same day, this

measure should be calculated as:

(2 pieces of heavy equipment) × (weight of 4) × (1

day) + (1 barge) × (weight of 3) × (1 day) = 11

The sum of these products indicates the level use of

motorized equipment and mechanical

transportation.

These values are not meaningful in an absolute

sense. A measure of 2X does not mean that one

Wilderness has twice the level of use of motorized

equipment and mechanical transportation than a

Wilderness with a value of 1X. This measure should

only be used to assess general trends in the level of

impact that surrounding land uses have on the

Wilderness.

Type of Equipment Weight

Air compressor 2

Air tanker 3

All-terrain vehicle 3

Barge 3

Bicycle 1

Chain saw 3

Concrete equipment 3

Fixed wing aircraft 3

Float plane 3

Generator 2

Heavy equipment 4

Helicopter 3

Motorcycle 3

Motorized watercraft 3

Motorized winch 2

Portable pump 2

Rock drill 3

Snow machine 3

Truck 3

Wheelbarrow 1

Wheeled litter 1

Significant Change

A 10% or greater increase in this index indicates

degradation in the undeveloped quality of WC. A

10% or greater decrease in this index indicates an

improvement in the undeveloped quality of WC

Data Adequacy

Partial/High – Field crew may vary in their

Baseline data for this measure will be gathered

during calendar year 2013


This measure was adapted from the Forest Service

Technical Guide for Monitoring Selected Conditions

Related to Wilderness Character. Refuge

management activities make up the most consistent

use of motorized equipment and mechanical

transport in this Wilderness. The U.S. Army COE and

Coast Guard also contribute significantly to the value

of this measure through the irregular use of heavy

equipment. There is some concern about increased

use of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) in Wilderness, but

the refuge has no reasonable means of collecting

data these activities.

The Wilderness Act states that Wilderness has “outstanding opportunities for solitude or a

primitive and unconfined type of recreation.” This quality is about the opportunity for people to

experience Wilderness; it is not directly about visitor experiences per se. This quality is

degraded by settings that reduce these opportunities, such as visitor encounters, signs of

modern civilization recreation facilities and management restrictions on visitor behavior.


What are the trends in outstanding opportunities

for solitude inside Wilderness?

Remoteness from sights and sounds of

people inside the Wilderness

Number of distinct groups or individuals who use or occupy the Wilderness

Marine debris

Remoteness from occupied and

modified areas outside the Wilderness

Average number of watercraft adjacent to

Wilderness

Average number of aircraft flights over Wilderness

What are the trends in outstanding opportunities

for primitive and unconfined recreation inside the Wilderness?

Facilities that decrease self-reliant

recreation

Agency-provided recreation facilities

Management restrictions on

visitor behavior

Number of restrictions on visitor behavior specific to

Alaska Maritime NWR

SOLUTIDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED

RECREATION [Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the

Wilderness]


Source and protocol – Annually

Count the number of distinct uses of Wilderness

including the number of special use permits issued

that indicate occupation of Wilderness areas, refuge

research sites, or other known users of Wilderness

each year. Unit biologists and refuge staff in charge

of issuing permits should be consulted to determine

the value of this measure.

Significant Change

Any change in this measure is significant. However,

trends in this measure should be interpreted with

caution. Increases in this measure may indicate that

more people are benefitting from this Wilderness if

they are using different islands at different times

than other visitors. This is a positive trend. It is up to

the discretion of refuge staff to determine if an

increase in this measure is great enough to impact a

visitor’s sense of solitude.

Data adequacy

Partial/High – Although public use of the Wilderness

is low, not all public users will be accounted for in

this measure. For example, refuge staff knows that

Chamisso and Puffin Island are used by locals for day

trips, but there is no feasible way to gather reliable

information on that public use.


There is very little public use of the Wilderness in

Alaska Maritime NWR due to its extreme

remoteness. In general, the only evidence of people

inside the Wilderness comes from the structures and

installations measured under the undeveloped

quality of Wilderness character. With the exception

of local communities and refuge staff, use of the

Wilderness is generally represented by the number

of special use permits issued in Wilderness.

2012 Data values

Unit Value Description

Aleutian Islands 9 8 permits issued that indicate occupation of the Wilderness; 1 annual monitoring site in Wilderness (Buldir)

Alaska Peninsula 1 Annual monitoring site (Chowiet)

Gulf of Alaska 3 Annual monitoring site (St. Lazaria); UAF graduate researcher; ADF&G activities on Lowrie

Bering Sea 1 Refuge research

Chukchi Sea 0



Wilderness]

Marine debris


Determine the average number of items of marine

debris identified per survey site in each unit,

regardless of size or material, from annual shoreline

surveys as prescribed by the NOAA Marine Debris

Shoreline Survey Field Guide.

For the purposes of this measure, the data from the

four transects of each survey site as described in the

manual can be lumped together to represent the

entire site (i.e. sum the number of items recorded

along each transect to determine the total amount

of marine debris at a site). Sites should be surveyed

once a month for as long as field crews are present

at a site. Some sites will be surveyed more often

than others in a single season. Refuge staff should

try to survey the same sites each year. The results of

the surveys can be inputted into the Marine Debris

Calculator to determine the value of this measure

for each refuge unit.

With the exception of the Pribolof islands, data from

all field camp sites should be included in this

measure regardless of whether or not the site is

located in the Wilderness. The Pribolofs are

significantly developed islands. Much of the debris

collected on these islands likely originated from the

communities living there. Additionally, there are no

Wilderness designations near the Pribolofs, while

other field camps are generally on or near

Wilderness islands.

Significant Change

A 25% increase in this measure indicates a significant

degradation of WC. A 25% decrease in this measure

is a significant improvement in WC.

Data Adequacy

Insufficient/Moderate – The number of sites

monitored for marine debris each year are an

extremely small subset of the overall Wilderness

area in the Alaska Maritime refuge. Furthermore,

the location of survey sites on individual islands can

have a significant impact on the amount of debris

collected (i.e. some shorelines may experience more

debris than others)


Marine debris that washes ashore Wilderness islands

is evidence of human habitation. It can also

manipulate the biophysical environment by altering

habitat, through consumption by wildlife or other

means. The geographic location of the Alaska

Maritime NWR leaves certain parts of the refuge

particularly vulnerable to marine debris. There is

concern about future increases in debris from the

Japanese tsunami event of 2011.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 66

Alaska Peninsula 13

Gulf of Alaska 150

Bering Sea 40

Chukchi Sea n/a

Marine%20Debris%20Calculator.xlsx

Marine%20Debris%20Calculator.xlsx


RECREATION [Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the

Wilderness]

Average number of watercraft adjacent to Wilderness


Field crew should record the number of boats seen

or heard each day of the field season. If two

members of the crew see the same boat it should

only be counted once. If two members of the crew

hear the same boat it should only be counted once.

A boat that is both seen and heard is counted twice;

once for impacting the viewscape and once for

impacting the soundscape. A boat be counted from

anywhere on the island within refuge boundaries.

They do not have to be spotted from Wilderness

areas or directly from a camp. Boats seen or heard

from the Tiglax not included, but the Tiglax itself

should be counted if it it’s seen or heard by field

crew.

*On St. Lazaria, only boats within a ½ mile radius of

the shoreline should be included.

Data are gathered from all field sites in the following

units despite whether there are Wilderness

designations on that island or not: Aleutian Islands,

Alaska Peninsula, and the Gulf of Alaska. It is likely

that a boat or plane seen or heard from any refuge

land in these units will also impact a Wilderness area

elsewhere in the unit that do not necessarily have an

annual field site for monitoring.

Extreme weather conditions will not affect the

protocol for this measure. The weather in AMNWR

can shelter visitors, and potentially wildlife, from

hearing or seeing boats outside the Wilderness.

Boats outside the range of an individual’s sense of

sight or hearing will not impact their sense of

solitude.

Use the Boats and Aircraft Calculator to determine a

measure value for each refuge unit. The total

number of tallies for the entire season for one field

crew is divided by the number of days that crew was

in the field to estimate the average number of boats

seen or heard from that island each day. If there are

multiple survey sites within a single refuge unit, take

the average of the average number of boats and

planes seen or heard per day at each site to

generate one number representative of the entire

unit.

Significant Change

A 25% increase in this measure indicates a

degradation of Wilderness character. A 25%

decrease in this measure is an improvement in

Wilderness character. The value of this measure is

highly variable and dependent on weather

conditions.

Data Adequacy

Insufficient/Moderate – The number of monitoring

sites for this measure is an extremely small subset of

the overall Wilderness area in the Alaska Maritime

refuge. Some field crews will pay closer attention to

gathering data on this measure than others. Data is

only gathered during the summer season.

Boats%20and%20Aircraft%20Calculator.xlsx


Boat traffic throughout the refuge can reduce a

visitor’s sense of solitude and may impact nesting

bird colonies in some cases. The Great Circle Route,

a very popular trade route for commercial ships

traveling from North America to East Asia, passes

through the Aleutian Islands at two primary points.

As many as 8 or 9 ships travel this route every day.

The Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea

also support significant commercial fisheries, so

fishing vessels may also be seen from Wilderness

areas as well. Wilderness areas in the Gulf of Alaska

Unit also experience significant recreational traffic.

There are currently no data regularly collected on

boat traffic near the refuge. Acknowledging that the

data collected under this measure are extremely

limited in both time and space, they are the only

indicators of boat traffic near the Wilderness

currently available. There may be future efforts (e.g.

ship tracking by the U.S. Coast Guard) to quantify

annual traffic along the Great Circle Route that could

be used as a supplemental measure for boat traffic

in the Aleutian Islands Unit.

2012 Data Values

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0.2

Alaska Peninsula 0.1

Gulf of Alaska 9.9

Bering Sea n/a

Chukchi Sea n/a



Wilderness]



See Boats above. Contrails (i.e. condensation trails)

should be considered as “seeing” an aircraft in this

measure

Significant Change

A 25% increase in this measure indicates a

degradation of Wilderness character. A 25%

decrease in this measure is an improvement in

Wilderness character. The value of this measure is

highly variable and dependent on weather

conditions.

Data Adequacy

Insufficient/Moderate – The number of monitoring

sites for this measure is an extremely small subset of

the overall Wilderness area in the Alaska Maritime

refuge. Some field crews will pay closer attention to

gathering data on this measure than others. Data is

only gathered during the summer season.


Like boats, air traffic throughout the refuge can

reduce a visitor’s sense of solitude and may impact

nesting bird colonies in some extreme cases.

2012 Data values

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0.75

Alaska Peninsula 0.1

Gulf of Alaska 2.4

Bering Sea n/a

Chukchi Sea n/a

SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED

RECREATION [Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation]



Count the number of facilities provided and

maintained by refuge staff for visitor use. This

measure includes tent pads, designated camping

areas, recreational/directional signs, physical

structures, authorized aircraft landing sites,

backcountry campsites, miles of trails and other

maintained facilities.

Significant Change

Any increase in this measure decreases the

opportunity for primitive recreation.

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


Currently the refuge offers no facilities for visitors.

Some visitors may take advantage of old cabins or

WWII structures that were present prior to

Wilderness designation. So long as the refuge does

not maintain these structures they should not be

included in this measure.

2012 Data value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED

RECREATION [Management restrictions on visitor behavior]

Number of restrictions on visitor behavior imposed by the refuge


Count the number of restrictions that Alaska

Maritime NWR imposes on visitors that are

supplemental to the Wilderness Act, ANILCA, other

legislation or statewide restrictions. This measure

includes restrictions for general public use that are

initiated by and specific to this refuge. Restrictions

on individual permits should not be included in this

measure.

Significant Change

Any increase in this measure decreases the

opportunity for unconfined recreation

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


Due to limited accessibility of the refuge, primary

users of Wilderness are refuge staff, community

members who live near Wilderness and users who

receive a Special Use permit. There are currently no

general restrictions on the use of Wilderness within

the refuge. The only restrictions that exist come

from state or federal legislation. Restrictions are

applied to individual permits on a case-by-case basis.

Permit restrictions are not included in this measure.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

The Wilderness Act states that Wilderness is “an area where the earth and its community of life

are untrammeled by man,” and “generally appears to have been affected primarily by the

forces of nature.” In short, Wilderness is essentially unhindered and free from modern human

control or manipulation. This quality is degraded by modern human activities or actions that

intentionally control or manipulate the components or processes of ecological systems inside

the Wilderness.


What are the trends in actions that control or manipulate the "earth and its community of

life" inside Wilderness areas?

Actions authorized by federal land manager that

manipulate the biophysical environment

Number of acres of land

managed for invasive species

Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate plants, wildlife or

habitat

Number or acres of FUDS in Wilderness

Actions NOT authorized by the federal land

manager to manipulate the biophysical environment

Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to

manipulate the biophysical environment

UNTRAMMELED QUALITY

[Actions authorized by federal land manager that manipulate

the biophysical environment]

Number of acres of land managed for invasive species


Determine the total number of acres of Wilderness

managed for invasive species each year. In most

cases management occurs across an entire island.

Only the area that is designated as Wilderness

should be included in this measure. Rock, spires, or

landmasses off the coast of an island should not be

included in this measure unless they were actively

management of invasive species.

Significant Change

Changes in this measure will be large since invasive

species management in this refuge generally applies

to entire islands. Any increase in this measure

degrades the untrammeled quality of WC. Any

decrease in this measure is an improvement of the

untrammeled quality of WC.

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


The management of invasive species in Wilderness

areas is a significant, authorized manipulation of the

biophysical environment. These actions are

necessary for the conservation of native plant and

animal communities throughout the refuge.

2012 Value


Aleutian Islands 118,502 Kagalaska, Kanaga

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

UNTRAMMELED QUALITY



Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate plants,

wildlife or habitat


Count the number of sites where research was

conducted with the intent to manipulate any aspect

of the ecological system. Include projects that

manipulate plants, wildlife, or habitat by fencing,

removing, or disturbing vegetation, handling wildlife,

or cause other disturbances to the environment

inside the Wilderness. Do not include invasive

species management or FUDS cleanup activities

since they are counted in other measures.

Observation of wildlife should not be considered a

significant manipulation of the biophysical

environment. This measure includes refuge research

sites, permitted research sites, as well as any other

distinct activities that become known to the refuge

staff that manipulates the environment. Unit

biologists and refuge staff responsible for issuing

permits should be consulted for this measure.

Significant Change

Increases in this measure degrade the untrammeled

quality of WC

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


The Alaska Maritime NWR offers some extremely

unique opportunities for research. Research

activities often involve the handling of wildlife,

disruption of ground surface or other actions that

manipulate populations, communities or processes

in the Wilderness. Alone, these actions may be

considered insignificant compared to the scale of

Wilderness in this refuge. However, together, they

can threaten the untrammeled quality of

Wilderness.

2012 Data Value


Aleutian Islands 2 Annual monitoring site (Buldir); Archeological work on Adak;

Alaska Peninsula 1 Annual monitoring site (Chowiet);

Gulf of Alaska 3 Annual monitoring site (St. Lazaria); UAF graduate research; ADF&G activities on Lowrie

Bering Sea 1 Refuge research

Chukchi Sea 0

UNTRAMMELED QUALITY



Number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness


Approximate the total number of acres of FUDS in

Wilderness using the current Wilderness shapefile

and the U.S. Army COE publically accessible virtual

GIS for FUDS found here:

https://rsgisias.crrel.usace.army.mil/publicfuds/

In most cases, FUDS are either entirely within the

Wilderness, or encompass an entire island. Only

Wilderness area should be included in the latter.

Only include sites were work is planned. FUD

properties without a designated work area should

not be included.

Significant Change

All increases in this measure significantly degrade

the untrammeled quality of WC.

Data Adequacy

Complete/Moderate – the FUDS propert


FUDS cleanup activities can be extremely intrusive to

the biophysical environment. Activities can include

removal or mitigation of hazardous wastes and

unexploded ordnance, deconstruction of facilities,

and other actions that will physically manipulate the

landscape. Heavy equipment is commonly used to

accomplish these tasks. A FUDS will remain

designated until all federal laws have been complied

with and cleanup is complete. However, as more

information becomes available and laws change, it

becomes more complicated to complete FUDS

cleanups.

2012 Data Value


Aleutian Islands 290,981 Attu, Kiska, Little Kiska, Amchitka, Ogliuga, Tanaga, Caton

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

*The Wildernesses of Adak and Semisopochnci include FUDS property without current work area plans. These islands should be included under this measure when work areas are designated.

https://rsgisias.crrel.usace.army.mil/publicfuds/

UNTRAMMELED QUALITY

[Actions NOT authorized by federal land manager that

manipulate the biophysical environment]

Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to manipulate the biophysical

environment


This measure is a general catch all category for

unauthorized actions in the refuge that manipulate

the biophysical environment. This measure is a low

priority for the refuge. Gathering reliable data for

this measure is unrealistic, but the WCM database

requires that each indicator have a measure. Unless

distinct actions become known to the refuge, the

value of this measure will remain 0 for each unit.

Significant Change

Any change in this measure is significant

Data Adequacy

Low/High – Currently, the primary concern for this

measure would be unauthorized ATV use, but there

is no feasible way to gather reliable data on

unauthorized ATV use, or other unauthorized actions

in this refuge.


See source and protocol

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

The Wilderness Act states that Wilderness is “protected and managed so as to preserve its

natural conditions.” In short, Wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the

effects of modern civilization. This quality is degraded by intended or unintended effects of

modern people on the ecological systems inside the Wilderness since the area was designated.


What are the trends in terrestrial, aquatic and

atmospheric natural resources inside

Wilderness?

Plant and animal species and

communities

Number of federally threatened or endangered and red-listed Audubon

Alaska WatchList species

Number of populations of monitored bird species in decline

Number of islands with invasive species

Number of shipwrecks that impact the environment in the Wilderness

Physical Resources Air quality

What are the trends in terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric processes

inside Wilderness?

Biophysical Processes

Ice cover index

NATURAL QUALITY [Plant and animal species and communities]

Number of federally threatened or endangered and red-listed Audubon Alaska

WatchList species

Source and protocol – 5 years

Record the number of federally threatened or

endangered species and the number of Red Listed

species on the Audubon Alaska WatchList that

depend on Wilderness areas in each refuge unit.

Species that do not make direct use of Wilderness

area of the refuge unit (e.g. migratory birds that do

not breed on Wilderness islands) should not be

included in this measure. The Supervisory Refuge

Biologist and Unit Biologists should be consulted to

determine whether a species range overlaps and

make direct use of Wilderness areas in the refuge.

Species that become extinct or extirpated from their

respective refuge unit should continue to be

included in this measure.

A list of species protected under the Endangered

Species Act that occur in Alaska:

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=special

status.fedendangered.

The Audubon Alaska WatchList, is updated every 2-3

years is available here:

http://ak.audubon.org/alaska-watchlist

The WatchList identifies Alaska birds that are

vulnerable or declining, therefore warranting special

conservation attention. We graded all regularly

occurring bird species in Alaska (and some

subspecies) based on four criteria: global population

size, minimum range, percent of population

occurring in AK, and population trends. Red-listed

populations are vulnerable, and declining or

depressed.

Significant Change

Changes in this measure should be interpreted with

caution since factors both inside and outside the

Wilderness may affect listed species populations in

either positive or negative ways. In general,

increases in this measure may degrade the natural

quality of WC and decrease in this measure may

improve the natural quality of WC.

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


Wilderness areas serve as a place where populations

of sensitive plant and wildlife species can find

protection. This measure tracks the number of

sensitive wildlife and plant species.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 7

Alaska Peninsula 7

Gulf of Alaska 6

Bering Sea 3

Chukchi Sea 1

*See appendix C for a detailed list of

species counted under this measure.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=specialstatus.fedendangered

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=specialstatus.fedendangered

http://ak.audubon.org/alaska-watchlist



Source and protocol – 5 years

Count the number of species with declining

population trends over the past decade in each unit

as indicated by the Recent Population Trends table

presented in the executive summary of the refuge

annual reports (Breeding Status, Population Trends,

and Diets of Seabirds in Alaska). Since the regions in

these reports do not correspond with refuge units,

data for each unit should be selected from the

region in which the Wilderness areas of a refuge unit

lie. For example, the St. Matthew Island group that

comprises the Wilderness of the Bering Sea Unit lies

in the North Bering/Chukchi Sea region of the annual

report. Therefore, data gathered for this unit under

this measure should be selected from the North

Bering/Chukchi Sea region of the annual report. The

same data will also be used for the Chukchi Sea Unit

(i.e. the value for this measure will be the same for

the Bering Sea Unit and the Chukchi Sea Unit).

Likewise, data for the Gulf of Alaska Unit should be

selected from the Southeast region; data for the

Alaska Peninsula Unit should be selected from the

Gulf of Alaska region; and data for the Aleutian

Islands Unit should be selected from the SW Bering

Sea. Data from the SE Bering Sea region can be

included in the Aleutian Islands Unit if population

declines occur on Aleutian Islands that have been

delegated to that region. There are currently no

population declines on Aleutian Islands in the SE

Bering Sea region.

Significant Change

Changes in this measure should be interpreted with

caution since factors both inside and outside the

Wilderness may affect species populations in either

positive or negative ways. In addition, unlike the

previous measure (Number of federally threatened

or endangered, and red-listed, Audubon Alaska

WatchList species) this measure is not specific to

species that make direct use of the Wilderness.

Nonetheless, declining trends in monitored species

in this refuge should raise a red flag for Wilderness

too. In general, increases in this measure will

degrade the natural quality of WC and decrease in

this measure may improve the natural quality of WC.

Data Adequacy

Complete/Moderate


Data are collected annually for selected species of

marine birds at breeding colonies across the refuge

to monitor the condition of the marine ecosystem

and to evaluate the conservation status of species

under the trust of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

This information provides a basis for researchers to

test hypotheses about ecosystem change. Declines

in these species may indicate significant changes to

Wilderness systems.

2012 Data Value


Aleutian Islands 3 Unspecified Cormorant, Pigeon Guillemot, Least Auklet

Alaska Peninsula 2 Northern Fulmars, Tufted Puffins

Gulf of Alaska 1 Pelagic Cormorant

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0



Count the number of islands that are known to have

invasive species. Count each island once per species.

If a single islands harbors multiple invasive species it

will be counted more than once under this measure.

A record of invasive species by island is available in

Wilderness Islands 2012.xls

Significant change

Any increase in this measure degrades the natural

quality of WC. Any decrease in this measure is an

improvement of the natural quality of WC.

Data adequacy

Complete/High


Invasive species alter the natural community

structure in Wilderness areas of this refuge primarily

through grazing by invasive ungulates and predation

of native species

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 26

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0


2012%20WC%20Data/Wilderness%20Islands%202012.xlsx




Record the number of shipwrecks that affect the

Wilderness each year. A wreck can have 2 long term

impacts on Wilderness: oil spills, invasive species

introductions. Both of these impacts should be

counted under this measure (i.e. a shipwreck that

causes an oil spill that impacts the Wilderness and

carries non-native species should be counted twice

under this measure). Although oil spills are an

immediate consequence of shipwrecks, invasive

species introductions may not be. For that reason

any ship that is known to carry a non-native plant or

animal species should be included in this measure

regardless of whether the species is known to

establish itself in the Wilderness. Shipwrecks should

be Leslie Slater, the Wildlife Biologist for the Gulf of

Alaska Unit, currently keeps record of shipwrecks

that occur in the vicinity of the refuge.

Significant change

Any increase in this measure degrades the

untrammeled quality of WC.

Data Adequacy

Complete/High


Shipwrecks near the Wilderness can affect the native

plant and animal communities by introducing

invasive species and causing oil spills.

2012 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 0

Chukchi Sea 0

NATURAL QUALITY [Physical resources]

Air quality


The FWS Department of Inventory and Monitoring

(I&M) provides data on air quality for Wilderness

areas in the refuge system. The only data available

for the Wilderness areas Alaska Maritime NWR is a

measure of visibility extrapolated from monitoring

sites near the Tuxedni and Simeonof Wildernesses.

Visibility is a measure of the scenic conditions that

determine how well and how far a visitor of the

Wilderness can see based on the amount of small

particles in the air (measured in deciviews, dv).

Unlike other measures in this report, air quality data

can only be applied to individual Wilderness areas.

The value of one Wilderness is not applied to the

entire refuge unit. All Wilderness areas will receive a

value of zero for this measure except Tuxedni and

Simeonof. Changes in this measure are not expected

to affect the overall trend of Wilderness character in

their respective refuge units.

2009 Data Value

Tuxedni Wilderness 2.1 dv

Simeonof Wilderness 3.5 dv

Significant change

Changes in this measure are significant when the data value indicates a change in qualification from the previous five years based on the following conditions (i.e. the data value must move down from Moderate):

< 2 Good 2-8 Moderate > 8 Significant Concern

Data adequacy

Partial/Moderate – Data for this measure is not

collected from the location of the Cedar Keys

Wilderness. It is interpolated by the Division of

Inventory and Monitoring from nearby air quality

monitors.


The effects of air pollution can be detrimental to the

refuge environment. Air pollutants can cause injury

to vegetation, impair visibility, and change terrestrial

and aquatic ecosystems. Measures of ozone

pollution, nitrogen and sulfur concentrations and

visibility are standard measures of air quality.

NATURAL QUALITY [Biophysical processes]

Ice cover index


Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea Units:

Record the ice cover index determined by Bering

Climate: A current view of the Bering Sea Ecosystem

and Climate. Select Ice cover under the ocean

category on the data page of the Bering Climate

Website and click ‘List Data.’ Scroll down to find the

most recent value of the ice cover index.

Significant change

Professional judgment should be used to determine

if changes in this measure are significant enough to

be considered a trend.

Data adequacy

Complete/High

*This measure does not apply to the Aleutian Islands,

Alaska Peninsula or Gulf of Alaska Units. These units

will receive a value of zero for this measure in the

WCM database


Sea ice cover of the Bering Sea has a profound

influence on the physical and biological ocean

environment. The ice cover index is the average ice

concentration for Jan 1-May 31. Ice concentration

data are from the National Snow and Ice Data Center

(NSIDC) using the Bootstrap algorithm for historical

data (through ~2006) and the NASA Team algorithm

for more current data. The data start from late 1978

and are daily time series calculated by Sigrid Salo

(NOAA/PMEL) to give average ice concentration in a

2-deg x 2-deg box (56-58°N, 163-165°W). The final

index is given as normalized anomalies for each year,

based on the mean (7.15) and standard deviation

(4.01) for the period 1981-2000. For more

information on this measure see Bering Climate: A

current view of the Bering Sea Ecosystem and

Climate

2010 Data Value

Unit Value

Aleutian Islands 0

Alaska Peninsula 0

Gulf of Alaska 0

Bering Sea 5.19

Chukchi Sea 5.19

http://www.beringclimate.noaa.gov/



http://www.beringclimate.noaa.gov/data/index.php

http://nsidc.org/data/seaice/pm.html

http://nsidc.org/data/seaice/pm.html




Measures Not Used

Population density in the vicinity of Wilderness This measure was initially selected to represent remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside

the Wilderness. No easily repeatable protocol was developed that accurately reflected changes in this

indicator. Furthermore, changes in population density were not expected to have significant impacts on

Wilderness character.

Miles of travel routes within Wilderness Travel routes in this refuge are not currently documented. The only routes used regularly are established

by field crew, and some user-created trails to historic monument. None of these trails are maintained by

the refuge. This measure was determined to be a low priority for Wilderness character monitoring.

Number of distinct man-made environmental hazards mitigated or removed from

Wilderness The primary purpose of this measure was to account for the positive implications of FUDS cleanups.

However, there is no reasonable way to quantify this measure. The removal or mitigation of

environmental hazards at FUDS is more or less a never-ending job, often spanning decades. For example:

On Tanaga Island the U.S. Army COE removed more than 6,000 fuel barrels, many transformers and

batteries and acres of contaminated soil. This removal action took place during a site investigation. A soil

test will determine migration and extent of contamination. More transformers and batteries will be

removed as other investigations are completed. If they find contamination in the water system they will

be required to take further action. This measure would easily reach the thousands or more for each

unit/island being cleaned up. Differentiating between distinct hazards would be extremely difficult. Future

efforts could be taken to develop a qualitative measure if the refuge decides it is necessary.

Number of shipwrecks impacting a visitor’s sense of solitude This measure was excluded because it did not significantly affect an indicator of Wilderness character.

While oil spills and invasive species introductions from shipwreck are true threats to the natural quality of

Wilderness character, the temporary presence of the infrequent shipwreck near Wilderness will not likely

impact a visitor’s sense of solitude. There are not enough wrecks or visitors in the Wilderness for this

measure to be a priority. Historic shipwrecks were also considered under this measure. However, it was

determined that those ships generally contribute to Wilderness character as cultural resource.

PROCESS USED FOR IDENTIFYING MEASURES

1. Review the refuge’s background and history. I was fortunate enough to have a full day of introductory

presentations with a group of other refuge volunteers when I first arrived at AMNWR. A few of the refuge

staff gave presentations on topics ranging from the role of USFWS, to the establishment of the refuge and

current refuge research and management projects, to the roles of individual staff members. AMNWR

refuge headquarters are located within the refuge visitor center. I took full advantage of that resource to

gain a broad understanding AMNWR.

2. Read the CCP and browse annual narratives and other relevant documents. As I went through these

documents I made a list of questions, ideas, and potential impacts that I felt were significant to wilderness

character.

3. Talk to refuge staff and develop a preliminary list of measures. Equipped with a fundamental

understanding of AMNWR and a sense of its wilderness character, I met with my immediate supervisor

and the supervisory biologist to discuss what I had come up with. Their input helped to frame a

preliminary list of measures.

4. Refine measures. In order to refine measures, I identified individual staff members with the proper

expertise and met with them to discuss each measure.

5. Present measures to staff. In order to ensure that all critical impacts were accounted for, I presented my

list of measures to a group of staff including the biologists for each refuge unit. The goal of this meeting

was to identify information gaps and address the feasibility and reliability of each measure. I subsequently

refined the measures again and held a second meeting to get final approval on Wilderness Character

measures.

6. Gather data. After completing my list of measures, I gathered data on each measure. In some cases, the

baseline data was available immediately upon identification of the measure and was recorded at that

time. Otherwise, I waited to gather the data until after the measure was accepted by refuge staff.

7. Input measures and baseline data into database.

8. Distribute draft report. I finalized a draft of my wilderness character monitoring report and distributed it

amongst the refuge staff for review.

9. Incorporate edits

Aleutian Islands Wilderness Study Report (September 1973)

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental Impact

Statement/Wilderness Review (August 1988)

Land Protection Plan: Options for the protection of fish and wildlife habitats (August 2011)

Land Status Maps

Annual refuge reports: Breeding Status, Population Trends, and Diets of Seabirds in Alaska

Name Position Title

Steve Delehanty Refuge Manager

Dave Bolin Assistant Manager (Permits, Lands, Law Enforcement)

Steve Ebbert Invasive Species and Restoration Biologist

Merry Maxwell Assistant Manager (Aleutian Islands & Bering Sea)

Heather Renner Supervisory Wildlife Biologist

Leslie Slater Wildlife Biologist (Gulf of Alaska Unit)

Nora Rojek Wildlife Biologist (Alaska Peninsula Unit)

Don Dragoo Wildlife Biologist (Chukchi Sea Unit)

Jeff Williams Wildlife Biologist (Aleutian Islands Unit)

Researchers at annual monitoring sites

CONCLUSION

The Alaska Maritime Wilderness areas are remote, natural, and untrammeled. The Bering Sea Wilderness is said to

be one of the most remote areas in the country; farther away from evidence of man than any other place in

America. However, that also makes access to this Wilderness extremely difficult. In fact, most of the Wilderness in

this refuge is virtually inaccessible to the general public. On one hand, this preserves the untrammeled and natural

qualities of Wilderness character. On the other hand, the extreme remoteness of these Wilderness areas means

that fewer people will benefit from experiencing such naturally exotic regions.

Some Wilderness areas in this refuge are significantly more developed than others. Most of that development

existed prior to Wilderness designation and contributes to the cultural quality of Wilderness character. The only

developments currently maintained in the Wilderness are facilities that aid in refuge research activities. The

Wilderness in Alaska Maritime NWR provides unparalleled opportunities for scientific research. One of the refuges

biggest challenges for managing Wilderness has been, and will continue to be, minimizing the impacts of research

in Wilderness areas.

The Wilderness character monitoring protocol established in this report can be used to acknowledge changes in

Wilderness character in Alaska Maritime NWR over time. The plan consists of 20 measures in total (4

Undeveloped, 6 Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation, 4 Untrammeled and 6 Natural). Although this list

is not exhaustive, the measures selected represent the most significant and measurable features of Wilderness in

Alaska Maritime NWR and adequately represent the qualities of Wilderness character.

Wherever possible, measures were developed from data that is already collected by refuge staff. However,

balancing ease of implementation with data adequacy in developing these measures was challenging. The vast

expanse of Wilderness not only makes data collection difficult but also affects our ability to generalize trends

throughout the refuge.

In light of these issues, the results generated from Wilderness character monitoring in this refuge should primarily

be used to bring attention to potential issues. In most cases, further analysis will be required to determine where

and if the condition of Wilderness character is changing. This report was nonetheless an essential first step toward

compiling knowledge about the Wilderness in Alaska Maritime NWR. As additional or more precise information

becomes regularly available to refuge staff, it can be incorporated into the Wilderness Character monitoring

protocol. Implementation of this plan will promote Wilderness stewardship and support future management

decisions in the Alaska Maritime Wilderness.

APPENDIX A: List of Wilderness Islands by Refuge Unit


Attu Skagul Chisak Amukta Amak Island and Sealion Rocks

Agattu Tag Umak Chagulak Unimak*

Alaid Ugidak Anagaksik Yunaska Gunboat

Nizki Gramp Aziak Herbert Telemitz

Buldir Ilak Tanaklak Carlisle Peterson

Kiska Tanaga Asuksak Chuginadak Mary

Sobaka Rock Kanaga Kanu Corwin Sisters Islands

Little Kiska Bobrof Box Uliaga Lida

Tanadak Ringgold Tagadak Kagamil Princess Rock

Segula Staten Great Sitkin Vsevidof Trinity Islands

Khvostof Argonne Igitkin Kigul Long

Pyramid Dora Ulak Ogchul Rabbit

Davidof North Chugul Ship Rock Wanda

Rat South Fenimore Rock Pustoi Elma

Little Sitkin Green Tagalak Emerald Inikla

Amchitka Ina Ikiginak Islands offshore of Unalaska

Umla

Bird Rock Sea Parrot Oglodak Buck Caton

Semisopochnoi Channell Kasatochi Ogangen

Amatignak Eddy Koniuji Bogoslof

Tanadak Crone Salt Fire

Ulak Island North of Elf Atka Egg

Unalga Elf Amlia Old Man Rock

Dinkum Rocks Adak Sagagik Avatanak

Kavalga Kagalaska Tanadak Kaligagan

Gareloi Silak Agligadak Ugamak

Ogliuga Little Tanaga Seguam Islands offshore of Aiktak

*Unimak is managed by the Izemback NWR. A Wilderness Character Assessment for this Wilderness was

completed in 2011


Simeonof

Semidi Islands

Gulf of Alaska Unit

Chisik

Duck

St. Lazaria

Hazy Islands

Forrester Island

Bering Sea Unit

Hall

St. Matthew

Pinnacle

Chukchi Sea Unit

Puffin Island

Chamisso Island

APPENDIX B: Inventory of Structures


Attu FWS Cabin (deteriorating)

Buldir Annual Monitoring Camp

Little Sitkin AVO Site

Gareloi AVO Site

Tanaga AVO Site

Kanaga

Cabin

Cabin

AVO Site

Adak U.S. CG Navigation Marker

Great Sitkin AVO Site

Igitkin AVO Site

Amlia Native-built Cabin

Bogoslof Cabin

Sealion Rock U.S. CG Navigation Marker

Caton Cabin

Shed

Seguam Concrete lighthouse foundation

TOTAL 17

*Only include post Wilderness designation (1980) structures in this unit.


Chowiet

Cabin

Outhouse

Walled tent

Weatherport platform

Simeonof Ranch house (half collapsed)

Fencing

TOTAL 6

Gulf of Alaska Unit

St. Lazaria

Cabin

Tent platform

Camera mount and antenna

12x12 cement pad from WWII

Trash pile from WWII

Steel rods anchored to rock

I-bolts

Monument marker

Graffiti on Petrel island

Lowry

Cabin

Tent platform

Outhouse

Chisik Refuge Boundary sign

TOTAL 13

NOTE: The Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea Units have no known developments in Wilderness

APPENDIX C: Threatened, Endangered, and red-listed Audubon Alaska WatchList Species

Designation Species Aleutian Islands

Alaska Peninsula

Gulf of Alaska

Bering Sea

Chukchi Sea

E Steller Sea Lion Eumetopias jubatus

x x x x

E Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae

x

T Polar Bear Ursus maritimus

x

T Northern Sea Otter Enhydra lutris kenyoni

x x x

R Red Faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax urile

x x x x

R Common Eider (Pacific) Somateria mollissima v-nigrum

x x x

R Rock Sandpiper Subspecies Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis

x

R Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus

x x

R Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus

x x

R Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris

x x x

T Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri

x

E = Federally Endangered

T = Federally Threatened

R = Audubon Alaska WatchList Red-List Species

Threatened or endangered species that were

excluded from this measure because they do not

make direct use of Wilderness areas include: Blue

Whale; Bowhead Whole, Cook Inlet Beluga Whale,

Fin Whale, North Pacific Right Whale, Sei What,

Short-tailed Albatross, Sperm Whale, Spectacled

Eider, Steller’s Eider, Aleutian Shield Fern.

APPENDIX D: Priority Ranking of All Measures Considered

The following criteria are used to assign priority to each potential measure:

A. Level of significance (the measure is highly relevant to the quality and indicator of wilderness character, and is

highly useful for managing the wilderness):

High = 3 points Medium = 2 points

Low = 1 point

B. Level of vulnerability (measures an attribute of wilderness character that currently is at risk, or might likely be

at risk over 10-15 years):


Low = 1 point

C. Degree of reliability (the measure can be monitored accurately with a high degree of confidence, and would

yield the same result if measured by different people at different times):


Low = 1 point

D. Degree of feasibility (the measure is related to an existing effort or could be monitored without significant

additional effort):

High = 1 point Low = 0 point

(if 0 is given, do not use)

POTENTIAL MEASURE Criteria for Prioritizing Potential Measures OVERALL

SCORE A. Significance B. Vulnerability C. Reliability D. Feasibility

UNTRAMMELED QUALITY

Indicator: Authorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Number of acres of land managed for invasive species

3 2 3 1 9

Indicator: Authorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate plants, wildlife or habitat

3 1 2 1 7

Indicator: Authorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness

3 3 3 1 10

Indicator: Unauthorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment Measure: Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to manipulate the biophysical environment

3 1 1 0 5

NATURAL QUALITY

Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Number of federally threatened or endangered and red-listed Audubon Alaska WatchList species

3 3 3 1 10

Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Number of populations of monitored bird species in decline

3 3 3 1 10

Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Number of islands with invasive species

3 2 3 1 9

Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities Measure: Number of shipwrecks that impact the environment in the Wilderness

2 1 3 1 7

Indicator: Physical resources Measure: Air quality

3 2 3 1 9

Indicator: Physical resources Measure: Number of distinct man-made environmental hazards mitigated or removed from Wilderness

3 3 1 0 Not

feasible

Indicator: Biophysical processes Measure: Ice cover index

3 3 3 1 10

UNDEVELOPED QUALITY

Indicator: Non-recreational structures, installations, or developments Measure: Number of installations, structures or developments in Wilderness

3 1 2 1 7

Indicator: Non-recreational structures, installations, or developments Measure: Miles of travel routes within Wilderness

2 1 1 0 4

Indicator: Inholdings Measure: Number of mixed ownership islands

3 2 3 1 9

Indicator: Inholdings Measure: Total number of acres of Wilderness

2 2 3 1 8

Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport Measure: Index of motorized equipment and mechanical transport in Wilderness

3 2 2 1 8

SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED RECREATION QUALITY

Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness Measure: Number of distinct groups or individuals who use or occupy the Wilderness

2 1 1 1 5

Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness Measure: Marine debris

3 2 2 1 8

Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness Measure: Average number of watercraft adjacent to Wilderness

3 2 1 1 7

Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness Measure: Average number of aircraft flights over Wilderness

3 2 1 1 7

Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness Measure: Population density in the vicinity of Wilderness

1 1 2

Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness Measure: Number of shipwrecks impacting a visitor’s sense of solitude 1 1 2

Indicator: Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation Measure: Agency-provided recreation facilities

3 1 3 1 8

Indicator: Management restrictions on visitor behavior Measure: Number of restrictions on visitor behavior imposed by the refuge

3 1 3 1 8

APPENDIX E: Summary of Effort Required for Wilderness Character Monitoring

Quality Indicator Measure

Were data gathered from office paper files, computer

files, or field work (professional judgment is

an option)?

Time you spent gathering data for

each measure (in whole hours)

Comments

Un

tram

mel

ed

Authorized actions Number of acres of land managed for invasive species

Invasive species biologist 1

Authorized actions Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate plants, wildlife or habitat

paper files and refuge staff 1 Compile knowledge from staff members

Authorized actions Number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness

computer files 2

Unauthorized actions Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to manipulate the biophysical environment

PLACEHOLDER MEASURE 0 this measure is not feasible

Nat

ura

l

Plant and animal species Number of federally threatened or endangered and red-listed Audubon Alaska WatchList species

computer files 1

Plant and animal species Number of populations of monitored bird species in decline

paper files 1

Plant and animal species Number of islands with invasive species

invasive species biologist 2

Plant and animal species Number of shipwrecks that impact the environment in the Wilderness

computer files 1

Physical resources Air quality computer files 1

Biophysical processes Ice cover index computer files 0

Un

dev

elo

ped

Non-recreational structures, installations, and developments


refuge staff 3 Compile knowledge from staff members

Inholdings Total number of acres of Wilderness computer files 1

Inholdings Number of mixed ownership islands computer files 1

Use of motorized or mechanical


paper files 2 recorded by field crew

Solit

ud

e +

Remoteness from inside Number of distinct groups or individuals who use or occupy the Wilderness

paper files and refuge staff 1 Compile knowledge from staff members

Remoteness from inside Marine debris field work 5 recorded by field crew

Remoteness from outside Average number of watercraft adjacent to Wilderness

field work 0

Remoteness from outside Average number of aircraft flights over Wilderness

field work 0

Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation

Agency-provided recreation facilities N/A 0

Management restrictions on visitor behavior


N/A 0

Effort by Refuge Staff:

Title of staff involved in identifying, prioritizing, and selecting measures

Staff time to identify, prioritize, and select measures (in whole hours)

Refuge Manager 5

Assistant Manager (Permits, Lands, Law Enforcement) 7

Invasive Species and Restoration biologist 10

Assistant Manager (Aleutian Islands & Bering Sea) 10

Supervisory Wildlife Biologist 8

Wildlife Biologist (Gulf of Alaska Unit) 7

Wildlife Biologist (Alaska Peninsula Unit) 7

Wildlife Biologist (Chukchi Sea Unit) 5

Wildlife Biologist (Aleutian Islands Unit) 8

Effort by Wilderness Fellow:

Time you spent to identify,

prioritize, and select all the

measures (in whole hours)

Time you spent to learn how to

enter data into the WCM database

application (in whole hours)

Time you spent to enter all data into

the WCM database

application (in whole hours)

Time you spent on other tasks

directly related to WCM (e.g.,

reading CCP, giving presentations,

talking with staff writing report)

(in whole hours)

Time you spent doing other

Refuge tasks not directly related

to WCM (in whole hours)

280 5 15 200 100

APPENDIX F: Data Sources and Protocols for All Measures Used

Measures that earned a priority ranking score of 9 or 10 received High Priority Measures that earned a priority ranking score of 7 or 8 received Medium priority Measures that earned a priority ranking score of 5 or 6 received Medium priority

Measure Priority (H, M, L)

Detailed Description of the Data Source(s) and Protocols for How the Data Were Gathered

Untrammeled Quality

Number of acres of land managed for invasive species

H Determine the total number of acres of Wilderness managed for invasive species each year.

Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate plants, wildlife or habitat

M Include projects that manipulate plants, wildlife, or habitat by fencing, removing, or disturbing vegetation, handling wildlife, or cause other disturbances to the environment inside the Wilderness.

Number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness

H Approximate the total number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness

Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to manipulate the biophysical environment

L

This measure is a general catch all category for unauthorized actions in the refuge that manipulate the biophysical environment. This measure is a low priority for the refuge. Gathering reliable data for this measure is unrealistic, but the WCM database requires that each indicator have a measure

Natural Quality

Number of federally threatened or endangered and red-listed Audubon Alaska WatchList species

H Record the number of federally threatened or endangered species and the number of Red Listed species on the Audubon Alaska WatchList that depend on Wilderness areas in each refuge unit.


H

Count the number of species with declining population trends over the past decade in each unit as indicated by the Recent Population Trends table presented in the executive summary of the refuge annual reports (Breeding Status, Population Trends, and Diets of Seabirds in Alaska).


H Count the number of islands that are known to have invasive species. Count each island once per species.


M Record the number of shipwrecks that affect the Wilderness each year. A wreck can have 2 long term impacts on Wilderness: oil spills, invasive species introductions. Count each wreck once per impact.

Air quality H Provided by FWS Department of Inventory and Monitoring

Ice cover index H Record the ice cover index determined by Bering Climate: A current view of the Bering Sea Ecosystem and Climate



Undeveloped Quality


M

Count the number of structures, installations and developments in Wilderness in each refuge unit. Only count the number of installations, structures and developments in Wilderness with origins that are post-Wilderness designation (1980) in the Aleutian islands unit.


H Count the number of mixed-ownership islands that have area designated as Wilderness


M Using currently licensed GIS software, determine the total number of acres under Wilderness designation.


M Multiply the number of days that a particular type of equipment is used each year by its relative weight.

Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Quality


L

Count the number of distinct uses of Wilderness including the number of special use permits issued that indicate occupation of Wilderness areas, refuge research sites, or other known users of Wilderness each year.

Marine debris M

Determine the average number of items of marine debris identified per survey site in each unit, regardless of size or material, from annual shoreline surveys as prescribed by the NOAA Marine Debris Shoreline Survey Field Guide.

Average number of watercraft adjacent to Wilderness

M Field crew should record the number of boats seen or heard each day of the field season to determine the average number of watercraft that passes near wilderness each day


M See above


M Count the number of facilities provided and maintained by refuge staff for visitor use.


M Count the number of restrictions that Alaska Maritime NWR imposes on visitors that are supplemental to the Wilderness Act, ANILCA, other legislation or statewide restrictions

alaska maritime national wildlife refuge wilderness

Documents