What We Do
Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.
Management and Conservation
Refuges deploy a host of scientifically sound management tools to address biological challenges. These tools span active water management to wilderness character monitoring, all aimed at ensuring a balanced conservation approach to benefit both wildlife and people
Becharof Refuge has a Comprehensive Conservation Plan. It specifies a management direction for the Refuge for 15 years (2006-2021). It describes the goals, objectives, and strategies for improving Refuge conditions—including the types of habitat we will provide, partnership opportunities, management actions needed to achieve desired conditions, and preferred alternative for managing the Refuge and its effects on the human environment.
Becharof National Wildlife Refuge includes a federally designated Wilderness, as well as Alaska's second largest lake. Millions of salmon drive the ecosystem, as well as supporting the world's last remaining wild salmon commercial fishery.
Alaska Peninsula NWR, formed in 1980 with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), has three units: Ugashik, Chignik, and Pavlof. The Pavlof Unit is managed as a complex with Izembek NWR. The other two are managed with Becharof NWR from headquarters in King Salmon.
Our Projects and Research
Many projects take place each year on the Refuge. Some are ongoing studies. Others are one-time efforts. Many are done in partnership with other entities. There are sometimes opportunities for employment or volunteering.
Law Enforcement
Alaska’s 16 National Wildlife Refuges are patrolled and protected by Federal Wildlife Officers. Federal Wildlife Officers are law enforcement professionals charged with protecting natural resources and public safety across the National Wildlife Refuge System. Their jobs may entail welcoming early morning refuge visitors, checking hunter licenses alongside state wildlife officers, helping refuge staff conduct biological surveys or giving a safety presentation to local schoolchildren. Using vehicles, snow machines, OHVs, boats, and even planes, Federal Wildlife Officers continue to connect and build relationships with the people of Alaska, rural and urban. Anyone with questions regarding USFWS law enforcement is encouraged to contact a local officer. For all who enjoy and rely upon the resources in National Wildlife Refuges, the USFWS Division of Refuge Law Enforcement is here to protect those resources for future generations. Learn more, visit the Refuge Law Enforcement page.
Laws and Regulations
1) National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
2) National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act
3) National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act
4) National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act
5) National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act