Approximately 57,500 acres of private land within the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge will not be developed for at least 10 years and is open to limited, regulated public use under an agreement signed recently by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Alaska and Koniag, Inc.
The land, owned by Koniag, Inc. as part of its entitlement under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), is in the Karluk River and Sturgeon River areas of Kodiak Island. It is prime recreational land popular for bear viewing and fishing. Throughout the duration of the easement, the land and its use will be managed cooperatively by Koniag, Inc. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Under the easement, which is funded by the Exxon Valdez Trustee Council, Koniag is paid to refrain from developing the lands and to permit regulated public access. Continued access for subsistence uses is guaranteed and all economic opportunities -- through visitor services along river and lake corridors -- are reserved to Koniag.
"The negotiations were well worth the time they took. This agreement ensures enforcement of land protections, compatible commercial opportunities that will benefit our shareholders and continued subsistence activities," Koniag President Dennis Metrokin said. "One of the reasons it has been such a challenge is that theres a fundamental dilemma between protecting our lands and public access. In its final form, the agreement regulates and limits uses that negatively impact the land."
"This agreement is an excellent example of cooperation among the Fish and Wildlife Service, a Native corporation and the state," said the Service
