Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other islands named after the Prince of Wales, see Prince of Wales Island.

Prince of Wales Island is the third largest island in the United States, after Hawai‘i and Kodiak Island. It is one of the islands of the Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle. The island is in the Prince of Wales - Outer Ketchikan Census Area.

1 Geography and ecology
2 Economy
- 2.1 Logging
- 2.2 Tourism
3 Transportation
4 Communities

[edit] Geography and ecology

The island is 135 miles (215 km) long, 45 miles (72 km) wide and has an area of 2,577 sq mi (6,675 km²), slightly larger than the State of Delaware.

The island is covered by the Tongass National Forest. It is the main homeland of the Kaigani Haida people, and the only home of the Prince of Wales flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons)[1].

[edit] Economy

[edit] Logging

Logging has historically been a mainstay of the collective Prince of Wales economy, however, recently there has been a decline in the industry leaving only a few small-scale sawmills operating.

Residents of Point Baker and Port Protection on the island's north end sued the U.S. Forest Service in 1974 to prevent the clearcutting of 400,000 acres (1600 km²) of old-growth forest, including several salmon streams. The outcome was a December 1975 order preventing the logging, but political pressure from pro-logging interests resulted in the National Forest Management Act, which effectively nullified the decision and permitted the logging. The 1990 Tongass Timber Reform Act reimposed restrictions on logging.

[edit] Tourism

Recently, tourism, including sport fishing has gained a strong place in Prince of Wales' economy. Tourism has also increased in part due to the easier accessibility to Prince of Wales Island by the new Inter-Island Ferry Authority.

[edit] Transportation

Historically, the Alaska Marine Highway served the port of Hollis, but after skimpy schedules the communities of Prince of Wales Island banded together to create their own ferry service, the Inter-Island Ferry Authority which has two Prince of Wales Island-dedicated vessels in its fleet currently with direct and indirect service (with connections to the Alaska Marine Highway) to Wrangell, Petersburg (via Wrangell), and Ketchikan.

The only airport on Prince of Wales is the Klawock Airport. It receives service from L.A.B. Flying Service with flights from Ketchikan as well as charters. There are numerous seaplane bases in communities throughout the island.

A road system, much of it originally created by the logging industry, spans much of the island and an increasing amount of it is become paved. Only a number of communities on the northern tip of the island are without road access to other Prince of Wales communities.