Alaska Peninsula and Becharof
National Wildlife Refuges

Becharof Refuge lies between Katmai National Park and Preserve and Alaska Peninsula Refuge. The refuge is dominated by Becharof Lake, the second largest lake in Alaska. The lake covers one-fourth of the refuge and is surrounded by low rolling hills, tundra wetlands, volcanic peaks and, to the east, the 477,000-acre Becharof Wilderness.

Sandwiched between Becharof National Wildlife Refuge to the north and Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to the south, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge presents a breathtakingly dramatic landscape made up of active volcanoes, towering mountain peaks, rolling tundra and rugged, wave-battered coastlines. As is the case with most of Alaska’s coastal refuges, salmon provide the principal “nutrient engine” for Alaska Peninsula, supporting the species that prey upon them and enriching the rivers and surrounding lands after they spawn and die.

These two refuge units are managed jointly from the headquarters in King Salmon. To learn more about each refuge click on its site name Alaska Peninsula or Becharof.

Comprehensive Conservation Plan
This plan combines the conservation plans for the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge and the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, completed in 1985 and 1987, respectively, because these units are now managed jointly. The plan also covers the Seal Cape Unit of Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, but excludes the Pavlof and North Creek units of Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, which are now managed by Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

This is the first comprehensive conservation plan in Alaska to be revised since the plans for Alaska refuges were first completed in the 1980s. (see the draft revised plan by clicking here.)

Scoping for this plan was started in 1998. Information about the planning process was provided to interested public via newsletters

• Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges
  Planning News
  
• Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges
  Planning Update (pdf)

The draft revised plan was made available for public review in February 2004. Meetings were held in villages near the refuges during February and March 2004 to obtain public input on the draft revised plan. of the public review draft of this plan the public review period ended June 11, 2004.

Contacts:
Peter Wikoff, Planning Team Leader
1011 East Tudor Rd MS 231
Anchorage, AK 99503
fw7_apb_planning@fws.gov

Daryle Lons, Refuge Manager
Alaska Peninsula/Becharof NWR
PO Box 277
King Salmon, AK 99613

Land Conservation Plan
Click here to download part of the land-conservation plan for Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge. If you would like to get the full copy of the document, contact us.

Visitor Services Plan
A visitor services plan (at the time, it was called a public use management plan) was completed for the Alaska Peninsula and Becharof Refuges in 1994. This is a step-down plan to the comprehensive conservation plan and provides direction for implementing the conservation plan. It contains direction for managing access, guided and nonguided public use, facility development and use, and information and education.

The goal of the plan is to provide consistent with the purposes of the refuges, high-quality natural resource–oriented public-use opportunities, including education and interpretation.

The revised comprehensive conservation plan will incorporate any changes needed to the existing visitor services plan.