Afognak Island: Phase 1

Preserving Resource-Rich Perenosa Bay

Amid the nutrient-rich currents of the Gulf of Alaska lies the Kodiak Archipelago. Here, Kodiak brown bears thrive and up to 60 million wild salmon return annually to spawn. The near-shore waters of north Afognak Island are home to the gulf of Alaska's largest population of sea otters, and the world's foremost nesting and breeding habitat for marbled murrelets.

ALC has worked in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust to conserve 18,000 acres of coastal rainforest on Afognak Island inside Perenosa Bay. The bay is considered a highly desired habitat conservation target for recovering fish and wildlife populations injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.  The partners have cooperated closely with local stakeholders including commerical fishermen, chambers of commerce and guides and outfitters to conserve more than 4,400 acres of exceptional coastal habitats and this coalition is seeking public and private financial support to continue the Perenosa Bay Phase Two work.

To learn more about Afognak Island State Park, visit the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.