Safe and Legal Fish Waste Composting in Alaska

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

Safe and Legal Fish Waste Composting in AlaskaIzetta Chambers, an Extension Agent with the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program in Dillingham, has published a guide to safely composting fish waste, without attracting the attention of local authorities. Major considerations addressed in Safe and Legal Fish Waste Composting in Alaska are the attraction of nuisance bears and control of offensive odors.

Done correctly, the composting of fish waste provides an economical alternative to commercial fertilizer and could help facilities like small craft harbors to deal with this waste stream. Chambers details strategies for wildlife deterrence, legal considerations, the composting process and provides a number references on the subject.

This bulletin is available as a free PDF download from the Alaska Sea Grant Bookstore. Visit the Alaska Sea Grant Bookstore for many other excellent publications from Alaska.

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Kennecott National Historic Landmark

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

pana0041Kennecott is a historic mining town tucked away in a corner of the great Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Built to claim a truly huge and rich copper deposit in some of the wildest terrain of Alaska, much of this mining town remains in place. Congress designated Kennecott as a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and the site was taken into the National Park System in 1998 as part of the Wrangell-St. Elias Park.

History – Geologists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) first explored the region surrounding Root and Kennicott glaciers in 1899. They reported the area’s geology as favorable for copper formations.The Kennecott mine and town site was named after the nearby glacier, but there a misspelling of the name at some point in its history. Armed with the USGS information, Clarence Warner and “Tarantula Jack” Smith discovered a massive copper outcropping near the eastern edge of Kennicott Glacier. A guide with St. Elias Alpine Guides, the company that provides tours through the Kennecott Mill, remarked that “Tarantula Jack” had to be the perfect name for an old time prospector. The claim was referred to as the “Bonanza Mine Outcrop” and eventually came under the control of a mining engineer named Stephen Birch. Initial assays found the ore discovery to contain 70% copper. Modern copper mines are profitable with ore at the 1.5% copper levels. Read More »

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The Future History of the Arctic by Charles Emmerson

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

The Future History of the Arctic by Charles EmmersonThe north has captured the public imagination for generations. Stories of the search for the North Pole, the Northwest Passage and a land of everlasting ice are nearly the stuff of myths. Regardless of deniers, the Arctic is changing because of changing climatic conditions and ready access to the region increases annually.

Charles Emmerson explores what might happen in the north of the future. We know that with access will come increased oil production, exploration for other minerals and frequent crossings by commercial vessels transiting the Northwest Passage from Asia to Europe. Emmerson explores the history of the Arctic and relates it the future. Readers without this knowledge base are destined to view the north through the lens of its mythology.

The Future History of the Arctic is broken into a series of four thematic areas of discussion; the topics cover power, nature, riches and freedom. Emmerson’s narrative seeks to tell the stories of Arctic peoples; the Russians, Inuit, Norwegians and Canadian. Even the United States is part of account, with a population that often fails to realize the country is an Arctic power through its holdings in Alaska. Read More »

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Marine Travel in Alaska: A Rich History of Ocean Travel from Steamships to Fast Ferries

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

Historic Steamship SS Alaska

Marine travel provides a ready way to explore the many wildlife viewing and recreational opportunities found in coastal Alaska.

Alaska is rugged coastal state, rich with maritime traditions and nautical history. With more than 90 percent of the State’s population living along its coasts, marine transportation dominates as the prime means of access for visitors to Alaska. Coastal visitors can retrace the steps of prospectors and early explorers, experience simply incredible fishing opportunities, enjoy world-class wildlife and glacier viewing, and visit an incredibly diverse variety of Alaskan communities. So sit back in your Captain’s chair and read about marine transportation in Alaska.

The Past – Alaska Natives plied the coastal waters for thousands of years in a variety of craft. There were the Aleut Baidarkas, Eskimo Kayaks, and Tlingit Canoes. European contact occurred with the arrival of Spanish explorers, Russian furtraders, and New England whalers. Read More »

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The Alaska Milepost 2010 Travel Planner 62nd Edition

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

Synonymous with travel in the north, the 62nd edition of the Milepost is valued by visitors to Alaska and nearby areas. The guidebook provides a mile-by-mile highway log for Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territory detailing the significant attractions, jumping off points to other forms of transportation and key highway intersections.

The Milepost is regarded as the bible of north country travel. Field editors verify route information provided by the guidebook every year. The 2010 edition holds 784 pages of information that is supplemented with some 800 photographs and more than a hundred different maps. Even those that can only dream of travel north this year will find this guide to be a welcome armchair companion for planning future adventures.

Along with its exhaustive route information, the Milepost offers details how to cross the border with a minimum of trouble, provides hints for erstwhile birders and explains ferry travel options. Read More »

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The Grouse and Ptarmigan of Alaska

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

crop0002“Not simply another field guide, The Grouse and Ptarmigan of Alaska offers an amazing amount of information about these incredible birds.” is the claim made by the Alaska Department of Fish (ADF&G) and Game and the Ruffed Grouse Society. In this case, the statement is certainly true for bird watchers in Alaska interested in these birds.

This publication represents a joint, collaborative effort by a number of organizations to update and reprint the well regarded Upland Game Birds of Forest and Tundra written by Robert Weeden and Laurence Ellison, first printed by ADF&G in 1968.

The text introduces you to the grouse and ptarmigan that live in Alaska. It goes on to describe the role of these birds in the ecosystem and the information will interest others beyond the hunters that pursue them. Naturalists, photographers and bird watchers all enjoy observing these animals. Read More »

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Critical Habitat Designation for Polar Bears Debated in Alaska

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011

Polar Bear - Photo: NOAA Climate Program OfficeThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the attention of many Alaskans with its notice of intent to designate 200,541 square miles of critical habitat for the Polar bear. This region of proposed refuge would include barrier island habitat, sea ice habitat and terrestrial denning habitat. A 60-day public comment period on the measure started October 22, 2009.

In a press release detailing the announcement, Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland stated, “This Administration is fully committed to the protection and recovery of the polar bear. Proposing critical habitat for this iconic species is one step in the right direction to help this species stave off extinction, recognizing that the greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change. As we move forward with a comprehensive energy and climate strategy, we will continue to work to protect the polar bear and its fragile environment.” Read More »

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Explore Southern Southeast Alaska: A Perfect Destination for the Independent Outdoor Traveler

By Alan Sorum | Published: 28 November 2011
Ketchikan Waterfront

Ketchikan Waterfront

Take time to visit Southeast Alaska and explore the many recreational opportunities available especially for independent travelers.

We’re a jaded bunch here in Alaska and don’t always appreciate our surroundings. I often forget how overwhelming Southeast Alaska was to all of my senses stepping off the M/V Matanuska onto the Wrangell dock for the first time. Alaska dwarfs your sense of scale and everything is immense, the trees, the mountains, the water. I think of Southeast Alaska as the first Alaska. The Tlingit, Spanish, Russian, English and American cultures all came together here to form what would become our 49th state. Population growth didn’t occur in other parts of the state until well into the beginning of the twentieth century.

Southeast Alaska is home to Misty Fiords National Monument and the Tongass National Forest, which is the largest forest within the national forest system and largest temperate rain forest on earth. Rainfall can reach 152 inches (3.86 m) a year in Ketchikan where they measure rain in feet. The southern region of Southeast Alaska encompasses a vast area that starts at Wrangell Island, extends down past Prince of Wales Island, and ends at Revillagigedo Island. Millions visit its protected waters each year, many traveling on cruise ships that originate from Vancouver, British Columbia. Read More »

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