Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

The National Wildlife Refuge System is a series of lands and waters owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the refuge system. It drives everything we do from the purpose a refuge is established, to the recreational activities offered there, to the resource management tools we use. Selecting the right tools that are based on the best science available helps us ensure, protect or enhance habitats and to maintain ecosystems for the benefit of fish and wildlife, ultimately helping fulfill the purposes of the Refuge. Tools we use at Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge focus on understanding and monitoring natural systems rather than manipulating system components whenever possible, and any active management required emphasizes protecting systems. Important conservation tools used at Kanuti Refuge include:

• Fire management: Wildland fire is managed as a natural process that is essential in maintaining the natural variety of habitats typical of Kanuti and interior Alaska. We do this by monitoring natural ignitions to allow them to burn for resource benefits when possible, and by suppressing fires where human health, safety, and other values are at risk.
• Subsistence management: The Alaska National Lands Interest Conservation Act that established Kanuti Refuge also protected the subsistence lifestyles of rural Alaska residents, ensuring they will continue to have priority uses of refuge resources for traditional purposes. The Refuge works closely with the State and other Federal agencies and stakeholders in harvest and resource monitoring programs to ensure the health and viability of wildlife populations to provide the opportunity for continued subsistence use.
• Special use permits: The refuge manages commercial and research activities through permits to ensure these activities are compatible with the purposes and conservation goals of the refuge. Permitting these activities allows us to limit the scope, timing, location, and other important aspects of them to minimize impacts on wildlife and habitat.