M 17, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Mark Armstrong, public relations manager, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 406-523-3431, 406-370-2798 (cell)

Wildlife-Rich Coastal Habitat Conserved on Afognak Island

A public land purchase that was five years in the making will ensure future elk hunting in Alaska by conserving a critical parcel of wildlife habitat. The purchase permanently conserves 4,400 acres of exceptional coastal habitat for Sea Otter, Kodiak Bears and Roosevelt Elk in storm-sheltered Perenosa Bay, on the northern coast of Afognak Island. Adjacent and nearby coastal lands totaling nearly 200,000 acres are already in public ownership, including Afognak Island State Park, Shuyak Island State Park, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

Under terms of the $4 million purchase from the Afognak Joint Venture (AJV), the land will be turned over to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and will be open to diverse public uses that range from hunting and fishing, to whale watching and sea kayaking. AJV is made up of seven Kodiak-area Native corporations.

“It is a great day when conservation meets the goals of a landowner, a local community, wildlife agencies and the public, and the Perenosa Bay transaction does all of that,” said Gale A. Norton, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

“Perenosa Bay provides some of the Gulf of Alaska’s best sea otter and marine mammal habitat, offering state and federal biologists optimum chances to sustain these species,” Norton said.

Located about 225 miles southwest of Anchorage in the Kodiak Archipelago, Afognak is home to the largest elk population in Alaska -- about 900 animals that grew from a small herd introduced in 1929. In recent years, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has teamed with state and federal wildlife agencies and the AJV to study elk on the island. In 2000, the Elk Foundation partnered with American Land Conservancy and the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust to undertake the conservation project in Perenosa Bay.

“This transaction ensures that winter range for two herds is maintained and that is great news for hunters who love to hunt the magnificent Roosevelt Elk on the island, “said Steve Perrins, Alaska State Volunteer Chair for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

“Securing this special place illustrates the Foundation’s commitment to conserving habitat not only for elk but for other animals,” he said.

The Afognak area also provides spawning habitat for four species of salmon and is prime nesting habitat for marbled murrelets and harlequin ducks -- waterfowl species impacted by the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez in 1989.

The three conservation organizations helped assemble the federal and private grants to make the purchase possible. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $2 million in federal coastal wetland grants to the project.

Additional private funds matched the federal dollars and came from Thoresen Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Paul Allen Foundation, The Vital Ground Foundation, and the Johnny Morris Conservation Creel Fund.

A substantial portion of the effort in support of this project spanning several years was made by the Afognak Joint Venture members, which are Alaska Native Corporations. State Senator Gary Stevens, former State Representative Dan Ogg, the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly and Kodiak and Homer chambers of commerce also supported the effort.

Among the proponents of the multi-year effort is Afognak Wilderness Lodge owner Shannon Randall who hailed the success. “This is a sound investment for Kodiak tourism and the wildlife of Perenosa Bay,” says Randall. “I’m glad everyone worked together. It will provide an incredible natural area on Afognak’s north coast that will attract visitors to Alaska for generations to come.”

Dave Cline, chairman of the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust said this broad-based partnership effort in habitat protection represents another major step forward for Kodiak brown bears, Alaska wild salmon and all who cherish them.

“It is fortunate that so many Alaskans recognize such collaborative efforts as helping to sustain the Kodiak Archipelago’s wildlands-based economy,” Cline said.

Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has permanently protected more than 1,000 square miles of critical elk habitat and enhanced another 5,200 square miles of elk country. In addition, over 400,000 acres have been opened to public access for hunting, fishing and other enjoyment. To help protect wild elk country, visit www.elkfoundation.org or call 800-CALL-ELK.

Founded in 1990, the American Land Conservancy is a private non-profit land trust dedicated to conserving the landscapes that represent the very best of the nation’s ecological, scenic, recreational, cultural and agricultural resources. Through land acquisition, conservation easements and land exchanges, ALC has completed 332 projects conserving 195,000 acres, with a value of $541,000,000. For information on ALC, visit www.alcnet.org.

The mission of the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust is to support conservation of the majestic Kodiak brown bear through funding of habitat protection, research and public education. For information, visit www.kbbt.org