Refuge Establishment
 Congress established the Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge in 1980 when it enacted the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). According to ANILCA the purposes for which the refuge was established and shall be managed include:
(i) to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity including, but not limited to, waterfowl and other migratory birds, moose, caribou, furbearers, and salmon.
(ii) to fulfill the international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats;
(iii) to provide in a manner consistent with the purposes set forth in subparagraphs (i) and (ii), the opportunity for continued subsistence uses by local residents;
(iv) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable and in a manner consistent with the purposes set forth in paragraph (i), water quality and necessary water quantity within the refuge.
The Northern Unit of the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge (known locally as the Kaiyuh Flats) encompasses 750,800 acres. Located south of the Yukon River, its northeastern boundary is directly across the river from the town of Galena. The Innoko Refuge was also established by ANILCA in 1980. Only the first purpose for the Innoko Refuge differs from those of the Koyukuk Refuge:
1. To conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity including, but no limited to, waterfowl, peregrine falcons, other migratory birds, black bear, moose, furbearers, and other mammals and salmon.
Headquarters for the Koyukuk Refuge have been located in Galena, Alaska, since the refuge was established. In 1990, staffs of the Koyukuk and Nowitna Refuges were joined to create the Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which also includes the Northern Unit of the Innoko Refuge.
Last updated: July 22, 2008
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