| The Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge spans 340 miles of the Alaska Peninsula in the southwestern part of the state and encompasses approximately 4.3 million acres. Landforms of the refuge include mountain crests, sub-summits, U-shaped valleys, sea cliffs and fjords, low tundra wetland, glacial lakes and moraines.The prevailing feature in the refuge is the Aleutian Mountain Range, which is part of the chain of volcanoes known as the "Ring of Fire" that rims the Pacific Ocean. Eight key volcanoes, including five that are active, lie inside the refuge boundary.Brown bears, moose, caribou and wolves inhabit refuge lands and marine mammals are plentiful in near-shore waters. The large coastal brown bears are attracted to the salmon streams during salmon spawning runs. Many thousand ducks, geese, swans and other migratory birds are also present during the summer season.Refuge rivers, streams and lakes support runs of all five species of Pacific salmon, contributing to the commercial salmon fishery in Bristol Bay. Arctic char and grayling are also frequent.There are no roads in the refuge. Visitors reach refuge lands mainly by plane and boat. Visitor activities include wildlife observation and photography. Bird watching is popular on Attu Island (Aleutians) where Asian birds stop on their migration. |
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