Opinions

Protection of Denali wildlife is wise in more ways than one

This month (Feb. 26) marks the 100th anniversary of Alaska's most iconic tourism destination — Denali National Park and Preserve. This would be the perfect time to finally resolve the century-old problem of protecting park wildlife along the park's eastern boundary.

 

Wolf Townships history

When the original 2 million-acre park was established as a "game refuge" in 1917, the precise boundaries necessary to protect park wildlife were unclear and imperfect. In particular, many felt that lands northeast of the park boundary where park wildlife migrate seasonally were in need of protection as well.

As noted by Fairbanks historian Ed Davis, since then there have been many unsuccessful attempts to add lands along the northeast boundary, now known as the "Wolf Townships," into the park to protect park wildlife – by the Alaska Railroad in 1922, the Johnson administration in 1969, the Carter administration in 1978, the House version of ANILCA in 1980, the state's proposed Kantishna exchange in 1985 and the proposed university land deal in 2001.

The first no-kill wolf buffer (811 square miles) along the eastern boundary was established by the Board of Game in 1992 but rescinded by the same board only two months later in political retaliation for Gov. Wally Hickel's suspension of some wolf control programs elsewhere.

[More wolves seen in Denali when wolf killing stops outside park, study says]

In 2000, a small (122 square miles) buffer was enacted, and in 2010, several Alaska citizen groups proposed an expansion of that insufficient buffer to the Game Board. Instead, the board eliminated the buffer entirely and imposed a legally questionable six-year moratorium on considering any further Denali buffer proposals. Since 2010, Alaska citizens have made repeated requests to the Board of Game, ADFG commissioner and governor to establish an effective no-kill buffer on state lands to protect Denali park wildlife.

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None of these efforts throughout the park's 100-year history have succeeded. 

 

Wildlife viewing decline

Today, against the wishes of many Alaskans, the state continues to permit hunting and trapping of Denali wildlife along the northeast park boundary. While this lethal take is relatively limited (a reported total of roughly 25 bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines per year), it has had a significant impact on wildlife viewing in the park.

For instance, just since the state eliminated the wolf buffer in 2010, park visitor viewing success for wolves plummeted from 45 percent to only 5 percent and has remained at this low level for the past four years.  This translates into an additional 250,000 visitors per year being deprived the opportunity to view wolves in Denali.

Studies confirm that killing Denali wolves along the park boundary (conducted by just two or three locals) has reduced the park population, denning near the park road and visitor viewing success.  The state has yet to concede these facts.

 

Economic value of wildlife viewing

One of the primary reasons visitors come to Alaska is to view wildlife. A 2011 study estimated that wildlife viewing in Alaska supported more than $2.7 billion in economic activity — over twice that generated by hunting. Wildlife viewing supports an estimated 18,820 sustainable jobs in Alaska, with visitor spending per trip averaging $6,000, compared with some 8,400 jobs supported by hunting.

[Why we need to stop killing Denali Park wolves, and how we can try]

For the many Alaska visitors who don't venture from the road system, Denali is their best chance to view wildlife. Denali is Alaska's most-visited national park, with 650,000 visits last year, 70,000 by Alaskans. Visitor spending generated by Denali in 2015 was estimated at $567 million (exceeding Yellowstone and Yosemite), supporting some 7,300 jobs. In fact, Denali is the fourth-largest revenue-generating national park in the nation, exceeded only by Blue Ridge Parkway, Smoky Mountains and Grand Canyon.

Much of this economic value is driven by wildlife viewing. A majority of Denali visitors cite wildlife viewing as the main purpose of their trip and that viewing wolves and grizzly bears is a main indicator of a satisfying visitor experience.

At Yellowstone, with an average visitor viewing success for wolves at 45 percent to 85 percent, the value of wolf viewing alone is estimated at $35 million a year. Some Alaskans who want to view wolves in the wild now go to Yellowstone, not Denali. It is easy to imagine the potential value of restoring wolf viewing in Denali to such levels.

Clearly, Denali wildlife is worth far more alive than dead.

 

Denali Wildlife Conservation Area

It is obvious that the Game Board will not and cannot provide a lasting solution to protect Denali's watchable wildlife. The board remains ideologically opposed to protecting watchable wildlife in parks; even if the board were to enact a closed area, the closure would almost certainly be insufficient and could easily be rescinded by subsequent board action (e.g. the initial 1992 Denali buffer eliminated by the same board only two months later).

To restore, sustain and enhance the valuable wildlife viewing resource of Denali, an authentic and durable solution is needed.

Thus, in commemoration of Denali's centennial, many Alaskans are asking Alaska Gov. Bill Walker to establish a permanent Denali Wildlife Conservation Area along the northeast boundary of the park. This would be similar to the 300,000-acre bison conservation area established last year on the boundary of Yellowstone by Montana's governor.

As proposed, the Denali conservation area would include about 530 square miles of land (two-thirds the size of the original 1992 buffer), would prohibit take of predator species (bears, wolves, wolverine, lynx, etc.) and would remain open for take of ungulates (e.g. moose) and small game as currently permitted. The few predator hunters/trappers who would be displaced would retain access to millions of acres of state and federal lands to the north, east and south. As such, the conservation area would have minimal impact on overall wildlife use patterns in the region.

 

Public support

Thousands of emails and other communications have been sent to Alaska's governor in support of permanent protection for Denali wildlife along the park boundary. The state's main tourism association — the Alaska Travel Industry Association — supports the effort. An online citizens petition in support of a Denali wildlife conservation area has more than 330,000 signatures from over 100 countries and all U.S. states, many of them from Alaska.

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And last August, the Fairbanks North Star Borough adopted "A Resolution Urging Governor Walker to Close Areas Adjacent to Denali National Park and Preserve to the Trapping and Hunting of Bears, Wolves and Wolverines."

Clearly, Denali's watchable wildlife is one of the most important tourism assets in Alaska, and the economic benefit of protecting Denali park wildlife on state lands east of the park is overwhelming and clear. In these challenging economic times, the state should do everything possible to enhance our sustainable wildlife viewing economy.

Hopefully, Gov. Walker will respond to this historic opportunity and give Alaskans, Americans and the world a long-overdue birthday present for Denali's centennial by establishing the proposed Denali Wildlife Conservation Area.

Rick Steiner is a conservation biologist with Oasis Earth in Anchorage and was a professor with the University of Alaska from 1980 to 2010, based in Kotzebue, Cordova and Anchorage.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com

 
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