Number: 1977-13
WHEREAS, the beautiful and gigantic State of Alaska is featured by spectacular natural resource such as lofty mountains, imposing glaciers, rivers, and green valleys, extensive stands of timber, and fish and wildlife as well as significant mineral deposits; and
WHEREAS, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the Alaska Statehood Act provide for distributions of lands to natives and the State as well as for the identification of those lands which should remain under Federal ownership and management; and
WHEREAS, some of these uses are in harmony with the concepts of sound fish and wildlife and natural resources management while other are not; and
WHEREAS, many species of birds, mammals, and fish of international significance use Alaska as nesting sites or breeding and spawning areas;
WHEREAS, many areas of Alaska possess such superb scenic, archaeological, historical, and wilderness values that they should be preserved by outdoor recreational and educational purposes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 24-27, 1977, in Washington, D.C. hereby expresses its conviction that the 59th Congress should take appropriate action to set out these principles:
- That the shorelines of rivers, lakes, and oceans in Alaska generally be retained in public ownership for use by the public;
- That, subject to valid claims, those fish and wildlife lands which are identifiable as important and significant be set aside as units of the National Wildlife Refuge, Park, and Wild and Scenic Rivers or National Forest systems and/or for study for possible future inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System under the management of any appropriate Federal agency, including the Bureau of Land Management;
- That replacements be provided for fish and wildlife lands selected by natives and/or the State within units of existing units of the National Wildlife Refuge or Park Systems.
- That mineral extraction on federal lands be permitted only under strict environmental controls which protect surface values;
- That, in the selection and designation of the several systems, emphasis be given to the inclusion of complete ecosystems insofar as possible and consistent with the present state of knowledge with regard to wildlife, plant communities, important invertebrates and fishes;
- That the management of resident fish and wildlife resources on public lands in Alaska continue as a state responsibility but with full coordination with appropriate federal agencies;
- That authority for management of each unit of federal land be vested in a single agency;
- That insofar as it does not detract from the sound management of wildlife resources or the degradation of outstanding recreational or scenic values, including wilderness potential, full consideration be given to the management of federal lands under the multiple use concept;
- That all federal (National Resource) lands remaining in Alaska after native, state, and “d-2” selections are completed be managed, at least temporarily, by the Bureau of Land Management under the multiple use concept and pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.