ALASKA MARITIME
NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE WILDERNESS
Aleutian Islands ▪ Bering Sea ▪ Bogoslof ▪ Chamisso Island
Forrester Island ▪ Hazy Island ▪ Semidi Islands
Simeonof ▪ St. Lazaria ▪ Tuxedni
Kelly A. Pippins
Wilderness Fellow
US Fish and Wildlife Service
September 2012
A Report on
Wilderness
Character
Monitoring
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).
Alaska
Figure 1. Alaska Maritime NWR superimposed on the contiguous United States
Refuge land is indicated in yellow
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).
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. 11311136), 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…”
Refuge Unit
Wilderness
Aleutian Islands
The Wilderness designations
in Alaska Maritime NWR are
categorized by refuge unit.
Aleutian Islands
Bogoslof
Simeonof
Alaska Peninsula
Semidi Islands
Tuxedni
Gulf of Alaska
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.
Bogoslof Island
Photo Credit: Vernon Byrd, USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
w.wilderness.net
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.
Simeonof Island
Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
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.
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 Wilderness
from Chowiet Island
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.
Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
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.
Tuxedni Wilderness
Photo Credit: Steve Ebbert, USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
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.
Forrester Island Wilderness
Lowrie Island
Photo Credit: Tory Houser
Source: www.wilderness.net
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.
Hazy Island
Photo Credit: USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
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.
St. Lazaria Island
Photo Credit: USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
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, oldsquaws, gulls, murres, and puffins.
Bering Sea Wilderness
Photo Credit: Vernon Byrd, USFWS
Source: www.wilderness.net
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.
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
Data Quality
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.
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 groundbased inventories conducted by qualified
personnel; for visitor use, data would come from
visitor permit data.
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.
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.
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.
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
What are the trends in
non-recreational
development inside the
Wilderness?
Indicator
Measure
Non-recreational
installations, structures
and developments
Number of installations,
structures or developments in
Wilderness
Number of mixed ownership
islands
Inholdings
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]
Number of mixed ownership islands
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Data Adequacy
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
Complete/High
*Unimak should be excluded from calculations of this
measure. A Wilderness Character Assessment was
completed for Unimak Island in 2011.
Context and Relevance
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 mixedownership 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.
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.
2012 Data Value
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
34
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
1
Bering Sea
0
Chukchi Sea
0
UNDEVELOPED QUALITY [Inholdings]
Total number of acres of Wilderness
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Data Adequacy
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.
Complete/High
*Unimak should be excluded from calculations of this
measure. A Wilderness Character Assessment was
completed for Unimak Island in 2011.
2012 Data Value
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.
Context and Relevance
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.
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
1,320,711
Alaska Peninsula
282,642
Gulf of Alaska
8,642
Bering Sea
81,529
Chukchi Sea
418
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.
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
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.
Barge
3
Bicycle
1
Chain saw
3
Concrete equipment
3
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:
Fixed wing aircraft
3
Float plane
3
Generator
2
Heavy equipment
4
Helicopter
3
(2 pieces of heavy equipment) × (weight of 4) × (1
day) + (1 barge) × (weight of 3) × (1 day) = 11
Motorcycle
3
Motorized watercraft
3
Motorized winch
2
Portable pump
2
Rock drill
3
Snow machine
3
Truck
3
Wheelbarrow
1
Wheeled litter
1
The sum of these products indicates the level use of
motorized equipment and mechanical
transportation.
Significant Change
Context and Relevance
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
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.
Data Adequacy
Partial/High – Field crew may vary in their
Baseline data for this measure will be gathered
during calendar year 2013
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.
Monitoring Question
What are the trends in
outstanding opportunities
for solitude inside
Wilderness?
What are the trends in
outstanding opportunities
for primitive and
unconfined recreation
inside the Wilderness?
Indicator
Remoteness from
sights and sounds of
people inside the
Wilderness
Remoteness from
occupied and
modified areas
outside the
Wilderness
Measure
Number of distinct groups or
individuals who use or
occupy the Wilderness
Marine debris
Average number of
watercraft adjacent to
Wilderness
Average number of aircraft
flights over 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 [Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the
RECREATION Wilderness]
Number of distinct groups or individuals who use or occupy the Wilderness
Source and protocol – Annually
Data adequacy
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.
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.
Context and Relevance
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.
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
SOLUTIDE OR PRIMITIVE
AND UNCONFINED [Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the
RECREATION Wilderness]
Marine debris
Source and Protocol – Annually
Significant Change
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.
A 25% increase in this measure indicates a significant
degradation of WC. A 25% decrease in this measure
is a significant improvement in WC.
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.
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)
Context and Relevance
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
SOLUTIDE OR PRIMITIVE
AND UNCONFINED [Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the
RECREATION Wilderness]
Average number of watercraft adjacent to Wilderness
Source and Protocol – Annually
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.
Context and Relevance
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
SOLUTIDE OR PRIMITIVE
AND UNCONFINED [Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the
RECREATION Wilderness]
Average number of aircraft flights over Wilderness
Source and Protocol – Annually
Context and Relevance
See Boats above. Contrails (i.e. condensation trails)
should be considered as “seeing” an aircraft in this
measure
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.
Significant Change
2012 Data values
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.
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]
Agency-provided recreation facilities
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Context and Relevance
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.
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
Significant Change
Unit
Any increase in this measure decreases the
opportunity for primitive recreation.
Aleutian Islands
0
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
0
Bering Sea
0
Chukchi Sea
0
Data Adequacy
Complete/High
Value
SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE
AND UNCONFINED
RECREATION [Management restrictions on visitor behavior]
Number of restrictions on visitor behavior imposed by the refuge
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Context and Relevance
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.
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.
Significant Change
Any increase in this measure decreases the
opportunity for unconfined recreation
2012 Data Value
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
0
Data Adequacy
Alaska Peninsula
0
Complete/High
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.
Monitoring Question
Indicator
Measure
Number of acres of land
managed for invasive species
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 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
[Actions authorized by federal land manager that manipulate
UNTRAMMELED QUALITY the biophysical environment]
Number of acres of land managed for invasive species
Source and Protocol – Annually
Data Adequacy
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.
Complete/High
Context and Relevance
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.
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.
2012 Value
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
118,502
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
0
Bering Sea
0
Chukchi Sea
0
Description
Kagalaska, Kanaga
[Actions authorized by federal land manager that manipulate
UNTRAMMELED QUALITY the biophysical environment]
Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate plants,
wildlife or habitat
Source and Protocol – Annually
Significant Change
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.
Increases in this measure degrade the untrammeled
quality of WC
Data Adequacy
Complete/High
Context and Relevance
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
Unit
Value
Description
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
[Actions authorized by federal land manager that manipulate
UNTRAMMELED QUALITY the biophysical environment]
Number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Data Adequacy
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.
Complete/Moderate – the FUDS propert
Significant Change
All increases in this measure significantly degrade
the untrammeled quality of WC.
Context and Relevance
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
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
290,981
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
0
Bering Sea
0
Chukchi Sea
0
Description
Attu, Kiska, Little Kiska, Amchitka,
Ogliuga, Tanaga, Caton
*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.
[Actions NOT authorized by federal land manager that
UNTRAMMELED QUALITY manipulate the biophysical environment]
Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to manipulate the biophysical
environment
Source and Protocol – 5 years
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.
Context and Relevance
See source and protocol
2012 Data Value
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
0
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
0
Significant Change
Bering Sea
0
Any change in this measure is significant
Chukchi Sea
0
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.
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.
Monitoring Question
Indicator
Measure
Number of federally threatened or
endangered and red-listed Audubon
Alaska WatchList species
What are the trends in
terrestrial, aquatic and
atmospheric natural
resources inside
Wilderness?
Plant and animal
species and
communities
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
What are the trends in
terrestrial, aquatic and
atmospheric processes
inside Wilderness?
Physical Resources
Air quality
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
Significant Change
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.
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.
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.
Data Adequacy
Complete/High
Context and Relevance
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
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.
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.
NATURAL QUALITY [Plant and animal species and communities]
Number of populations of monitored bird species in decline
Source and protocol – 5 years
Significant Change
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.
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
Context and Relevance
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
Unit
Value
Description
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
NATURAL QUALITY [Plant and animal species and communities]
Number of islands with invasive species
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Context and Relevance
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
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
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
Unit
Value
Aleutian Islands
26
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
0
Bering Sea
0
Chukchi Sea
0
NATURAL QUALITY [Plant and animal species and communities]
Number of shipwrecks that impact the environment in the Wilderness
Source and Protocol – 5 years
Data Adequacy
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.
Complete/High
Significant change
Any increase in this measure degrades the
untrammeled quality of WC.
Context and Relevance
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
Source and Protocol – 5 years
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
Simeonof Wilderness
2.1 dv
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
2-8
>8
Good
Moderate
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.
Context and Relevance
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
Source and Protocol – Annually
Context and Relevance
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.
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
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
2010 Data Value
Unit
*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
Value
Aleutian Islands
0
Alaska Peninsula
0
Gulf of Alaska
0
Bering Sea
5.19
Chukchi Sea
5.19
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
Aleutian Islands 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
Alaska Peninsula Unit
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
Aleutian Islands Unit
Attu
FWS Cabin (deteriorating)
Buldir
Annual Monitoring Camp
Little Sitkin
AVO Site
Gareloi
AVO Site
Tanaga
AVO Site
Cabin
Kanaga
Cabin
AVO Site
Adak
U.S. CG Navigation Marker
Great Sitkin
AVO Site
Igitkin
AVO Site
Amlia
Native-built Cabin
Bogoslof
Sealion Rock
Caton
Seguam
TOTAL
Cabin
U.S. CG Navigation Marker
Cabin
Shed
Concrete lighthouse foundation
17
*Only include post Wilderness designation (1980)
structures in this unit.
Alaska Peninsula Unit
Cabin
Chowiet
Outhouse
Walled tent
Weatherport platform
Simeonof
Ranch house (half collapsed)
Fencing
TOTAL
6
Gulf of Alaska Unit
Cabin
Tent platform
Camera mount and antenna
12x12 cement pad from WWII
St. Lazaria
Trash pile from WWII
Steel rods anchored to rock
I-bolts
Monument marker
Graffiti on Petrel island
Cabin
Lowry
Tent platform
Outhouse
Chisik
TOTAL
Refuge Boundary sign
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
Alaska
Islands Peninsula
Gulf of
Alaska
Bering
Sea
x
x
E
Steller Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
E
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
T
Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
T
Northern Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris kenyoni
x
x
x
R
Red Faced Cormorant
Phalacrocorax urile
x
x
x
x
x
x
R
R
Common Eider (Pacific)
Somateria mollissima vnigrum
Rock Sandpiper Subspecies
Calidris ptilocnemis
ptilocnemis
x
x
x
Aleutian Tern
Onychoprion aleuticus
x
R
Marbled Murrelet
Brachyramphus marmoratus
x
R
Kittlitz's Murrelet
Brachyramphus brevirostris
x
T
Steller's Eider
Polysticta stelleri
T = Federally Threatened
R = Audubon Alaska WatchList Red-List Species
x
x
R
E = Federally Endangered
x
Chukchi
Sea
x
x
x
x
x
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):
High = 3 points
Medium = 2 points
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):
High = 3 points
Medium = 2 points
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
A. Significance
UNTRAMMELED QUALITY
Indicator: Authorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment
3
Measure: Number of acres of land managed for invasive species
Indicator: Authorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment
Measure: Number of research, survey, and monitoring projects that manipulate
3
plants, wildlife or habitat
Indicator: Authorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment
3
Measure: Number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness
Indicator: Unauthorized actions that manipulate the biophysical environment
Measure: Number of unauthorized actions with the intent to manipulate the
3
biophysical environment
NATURAL QUALITY
Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities
Measure: Number of federally threatened or endangered and red-listed Audubon
3
Alaska WatchList species
Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities
3
Measure: Number of populations of monitored bird species in decline
Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities
3
Measure: Number of islands with invasive species
Indicator: Plant and animal species and communities
2
Measure: Number of shipwrecks that impact the environment in the Wilderness
Indicator: Physical resources
3
Measure: Air quality
Indicator: Physical resources
Measure: Number of distinct man-made environmental hazards mitigated or
3
removed from Wilderness
Indicator: Biophysical processes
3
Measure: Ice cover index
UNDEVELOPED QUALITY
Indicator: Non-recreational structures, installations, or developments
3
Measure: Number of installations, structures or developments in Wilderness
Indicator: Non-recreational structures, installations, or developments
2
Measure: Miles of travel routes within Wilderness
B. Vulnerability
C. Reliability
D. Feasibility
OVERALL
SCORE
2
3
1
9
1
2
1
7
3
3
1
10
1
1
0
5
3
3
1
10
3
3
1
10
2
3
1
9
1
3
1
7
2
3
1
9
3
1
0
Not
feasible
3
3
1
10
1
2
1
7
1
1
0
4
Indicator: Inholdings
3
Measure: Number of mixed ownership islands
Indicator: Inholdings
2
Measure: Total number of acres of Wilderness
Indicator: Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport
3
Measure: Index of motorized equipment and mechanical transport in Wilderness
SOLITUDE OR PRIMITIVE AND UNCONFINED RECREATION QUALITY
Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness
2
Measure: Number of distinct groups or individuals who use or occupy the Wilderness
Indicator: Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness
3
Measure: Marine debris
Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness
3
Measure: Average number of watercraft adjacent to Wilderness
Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness
3
Measure: Average number of aircraft flights over Wilderness
Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness
1
Measure: Population density in the vicinity of Wilderness
Indicator: Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness
1
Measure: Number of shipwrecks impacting a visitor’s sense of solitude
Indicator: Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation
3
Measure: Agency-provided recreation facilities
Indicator: Management restrictions on visitor behavior
3
Measure: Number of restrictions on visitor behavior imposed by the refuge
2
3
1
9
2
3
1
8
2
2
1
8
1
1
1
5
2
2
1
8
2
1
1
7
2
1
1
7
1
2
1
2
1
3
1
8
1
3
1
8
APPENDIX E: Summary of Effort Required for Wilderness Character Monitoring
Natural
Untrammeled
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)
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
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
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
Comments
Compile knowledge
from staff members
this measure is not
feasible
Undeveloped
Solitude +
Non-recreational
structures, installations,
and developments
Number of installations, structures
or developments in Wilderness
refuge staff
3
Inholdings
Total number of acres of Wilderness
computer files
1
Inholdings
Number of mixed ownership islands
computer files
1
Use of motorized or
mechanical
Index of motorized equipment and
mechanical transport in Wilderness
paper files
2
recorded by field crew
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
Number of restrictions on visitor
behavior imposed by the refuge
N/A
0
Compile knowledge
from staff members
Effort by Refuge Staff:
Title of staff involved in identifying, prioritizing, and
selecting measures
Refuge Manager
Assistant Manager (Permits, Lands, Law Enforcement)
Invasive Species and Restoration biologist
Assistant Manager (Aleutian Islands & Bering Sea)
Supervisory Wildlife Biologist
Wildlife Biologist (Gulf of Alaska Unit)
Wildlife Biologist (Alaska Peninsula Unit)
Wildlife Biologist (Chukchi Sea Unit)
Wildlife Biologist (Aleutian Islands Unit)
Staff time to identify, prioritize, and
select measures (in whole hours)
5
7
10
10
8
7
7
5
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)
280
5
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)
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
Number of research, survey,
and monitoring projects that
manipulate plants, wildlife or
habitat
Number of acres of FUDS in
Wilderness
Number of unauthorized
actions with the intent to
manipulate the biophysical
environment
H
Determine the total number of acres of Wilderness managed for
invasive species each year.
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.
H
Approximate the total number of acres of FUDS in Wilderness
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.
Number of populations of
monitored bird species in
decline
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).
Number of islands with
invasive species
H
Count the number of islands that are known to have invasive species.
Count each island once per species.
Number of shipwrecks that
impact the environment in
the Wilderness
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
Number of installations,
structures or developments
in Wilderness
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 postWilderness designation (1980) in the Aleutian islands unit.
Number of mixed ownership
islands
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.
Total number of acres of
Wilderness
Index of motorized
equipment and mechanical
transport in Wilderness
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
Average number of aircraft
flights over Wilderness
M
See above
Agency-provided recreation
facilities
M
Count the number of facilities provided and maintained by refuge staff
for visitor use.
Number of restrictions on
visitor behavior imposed by
the refuge
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
Number of distinct groups or
individuals who use or
occupy the Wilderness