Izembek Wilderness
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Izembek Wilderness | |
|---|---|
| IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area) | |
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| Location | Alaska, USA |
| Nearest city | Cold Bay, Alaska |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 307,982 acres (1,246 km²) |
| Established | 1980 |
| Governing body | US Fish and Wildlife Service |
Izembek Wilderness is a 307,982 acres (1,246 km²) wilderness area in a coastal region of the the U.S. state of Alaska panhandle, facing Bristol Bay. Located within the 315,000 acres (1,275 km²) Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, all of the land has been designated Wilderness, with the exception of that along a gravel road system and several private holdings. The area was designated wilderness in 1980 with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.[1][2]
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[edit] Wildlife
Izembek Wilderness hosts a quarter-million migratory birds every fall, including the entire world's population of black brants and thousands of Canada and emperor geese, Steller's eiders, and various species of duck and shorebird. Izembek Lagoon contains one of the largest eelgrass beds in the world, providing food and shelter for the birds. Tundra swans live on the Refuge year-round and thousands of gray, minke, and orca whales migrate along the coast. Hundreds of thousands of salmon spawn in the Wilderness. Other common wildlife in the Wilderness include brown bear, seal, walrus, Steller's sea lion, sea otter, and caribou from the Southern Alaska Peninsula herd.[1][2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
- ^ a b Izembek Wilderness - Wilderness.net
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - US Fish & Wildlife Service
- Izembek Wilderness - Wilderness.net
- Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - The Wilderness Society
