Steese National Conservation Area - Alaska Wilderness League

Steese National Conservation AreaThe Bureau of Land Management’s(BLM) Eastern Interior ResourceManagement Plan contains the onlyNational Conservation Area in thestate of Alaska. Simply put, these arethe only BLM conservation lands inAlaska. The Steese, located in theEastern Interior, hosts: critical habitatfor the Fortymile Caribou Herd,recreational hot spots for bothmotorized and non-motorized users Steese National Conservation Area and Birch Creek corridor.(such as hikers, sportsmen, fishermen, outdoorsmen, and subsistence users) and the Birch CreekNational Wild and Scenic River, a tributary of the Yukon River.Unfortunately, the waters of the Birch Creek have long been neglected, as they have prioritizedmineral development over conservation for this national treasure. It is likely that without publicsupport for the Steese that the BLM will choose to allow development on these lands. We need theBLM to give deference to the long term health of the river, wildlife, and sustainable uses within theconservation area over short-term mineral interests – to honor the very purpose of its designation.The Steese National Conservation Area has Long Standing, Designated Protections.The Steese National Conservation Area and Birch Creek were designated by the U.S. Congress in1971 to conserve the scientific, scenic, historical, and ecological values of the area. Its closeproximity to Fairbanks makes the Steese a destination for both tourists and Alaskans alike, includingoutdoor enthusiasts and sportsmen and subsistence hunters.Within the Steese, there are two Research Natural Areas and one National Wild and Scenic River:the Big Windy Hot Springs [designated for its scientific significance for climate change studies, and acritical mineral lick for caribou and Dall sheep], Mount Prindle [designated for uncommon bird andvegetation populations and important habitat for Alaska’s caribou and Dall sheep], and Birch CreekNational Wild and Scenic River [designated by U.S. Congress to protect the primitive nature of theriver and promote the wild, undeveloped, unpolluted and limited accessibility of the river]. Theseareas have been protected for nearly 40 years and should continue to be conserved because of theirbeauty, vastness, and mystery: there are still some areas yet to be discovered.Future Management of the Steese may Prioritize Development Over Long Standing Uses.This area has been closed to mineral development since 1971. As a result, these public lands are apopular destination for visitors from all over Alaska and beyond. However, the BLM’s current landuse planning efforts for this area may change how we use and enjoy our lands – the BLM’s planmost likely will include increased development on public lands, despite designations. Here are somelikely scenarios under the new BLM plan:• Lands previously off limits within the Steese are likely to become available to mineral interests:according to the BLM, there is an increased desire to develop the Steese because of historic

mineral occurrences and the proximity to the road system. Within the new planning effort, it canbe expected that the BLM will recommend opening the areas that are currently designated forsemi-primitive motorized recreation to development – approximately 88% of the Steese.• Water quality within the Birch Creek National Wild and Scenic River may be decreased: the riverserves as an occasional drinking water source for the village of Birch Creek. The BLM is likely toallow increased mining, particularly placer mining, on lands adjacent to the river which couldimpact water quality and the values for which it was originally designated. The Birch has a longhistory of impacts from mineral disturbances that are likely to worsen with increaseddevelopment.• Research natural areas will be negatively impacted: all mineral development is currentlyprohibited in these areas. However, under this new planning effort they can be made available tomineral interests. These areas are also considered highly sensitive and susceptible todisturbances, even to development outside of their boundaries.The Public Can Help Decide the Fate of these Lands.With this new management plan we can prevent the BLM from making some of these one-sideddecisions that only serve special interests. Much of the Steese is plagued by the legacy of mineraldevelopment and poorly managed Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use. We recommend that the BLMcommit to the following:• Maintain mineral closures in the Steese: mineral development is not compatible with the goals ofthis congressionally designated National Conservation Area. This designation is uncommon inAlaska and the BLM should prioritize the existing uses of hiking, birding, camping, horsebackriding, skiing, and responsible OHV uses.• Expand the acreage for the Big Windy Hot Springs Research Natural Area: given that it is a verysmall area at 160 acres, it is extremely susceptible to disturbances outside of its boundaries. TheBLM should adopt the 1984 Steese RMP recommendation to increase the acreage for the RNAup to 12,733 acres.• Conduct a new review for the National Natural Landmarks Program (NNLP): the MountPrindle RNA along with a considerably larger area (47,000 acres) was nominated and reviewedfor inclusion into the NNLP during the late 1970s. These areas still retain the values for whichthey were nominated and this planning process is the appropriate time to conduct this review• Maintain the current levels of OHV use: increased access will diminish the character of theconservation area (research natural areas, wild and scenic river corridor and critical habitat areas).Access is already at 88 percent of the 1.2 million acre conservation area for summer months and100 percent for snow machines in winter months. Existing designated and marked trails shouldbe maintained and the BLM should make stronger efforts to prevent increases in unapprovedand undesignated trails.• Mitigate impacts from climate change: climate change is altering the landscape of Alaska withimpacts to tundra, water quality, habitat and wildlife. BLM must monitor and manage for theseimpacts to protect the health of the land.The League anticipates a draft RMP/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be releasedin spring 2011. For more information, please contact Darcie Warden 907.459.5539Gwen Dobbs 202.544.5205www.AlaskaWild.org