Public Land Order 2214

Here is the full text of the Public Land Order that created the Arctic National Wildlife Range in 1960. This Public Land Order text is also available in PDF format. (PDF information.)

The Range was renamed and expanded in 1980.

Overview of Refuge purposes at the time of establishment and as expanded in 1980.

[Public Land Order 2214]
[Fairbanks 017050]
ALASKA

By virtue of the authority vested in the President, and pursuant to Executive Order No. 10355 of May 26, 1952, it is ordered as follows:

1. For the purpose of preserving unique wildlife, wilderness and recreational values, all of the hereinafter described area in northeastern Alaska, containing approximately 8,900,000 acres is hereby, subject to valid existing withdrawals, withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining but not the mineral leasing laws, nor disposals of materials under the Act of July 31, 1947 (61 Stat. 681; 30 U.S.C. 601-604), as amended, and reserved for use of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the Arctic National Wildlife Range;

Beginning at the intersection of the International Boundary line between Alaska and Yukon Territory, Canada, with the line of extreme low water of the Arctic Ocean in the Vicinity of Monument 1 of said International Boundary line;

thence westerly along the said line of extreme low water, including all offshore bars, reefs, and islands to a point of land on the Arctic Seacoast known as Brownlow Point, at approximate longitude 145 degrees 51' W., and latitude 70 degrees 10' N.;

thence in a southwesterly direction approximately three (3) miles to the mean high water mark of the extreme west bank of the Canning River;

thence southerly up the said west bank of the Canning River along the mean high water mark approximately seventy (70) miles to the mouth of Marsh Fork of Canning River at approximately longitude 145 degrees 53' W., and latitude 69 degrees 12' N., and 10½ miles E. of Mt. Salisbury;

thence continuing in a southerly direction up the west bank of the Canning River approximately fourteen (14) miles to another fork of the river at approximate longitude 145 degrees 40' W., and latitude 69 degrees 00' N.;

thence easterly up the south bank of the stream approximately fifteen (15) miles to its source at the crest of an unnamed mountain whose elevation is approximately 7,900 feet and whose location is at approximate longitude 145 degrees 13' W., and latitude 68 degrees 53' N.;

thence southeasterly down the west and south banks of a stream which is tributary to the east fork of the Chandalar River approximately eighteen (18) miles to its junction with the Chandalar River at approximately longitude 144 degrees 47' W., and latitude 68 degrees 42' N.;

thence up the east bank of the said Chandalar River approximately three (3) miles to a point opposite the south bank of a tributary stream which flows from the southeast;

thence up the south bank of the said tributary stream approximately fifteen (15) miles to the crest of a mountain at the head of a branch of Old Woman Creek whose elevation is approximately 7,400 feet and whose location is approximate longitude 144 degrees 14' W., and latitude 68 degrees 41' N.;

thence in a generally southerly direction down the west and south banks of the said branch of Old Woman Creek approximately fifteen (15) miles to its junction with Old Woman Creek;

thence southeasterly down the south bank of Old Woman Creek approximately twelve and one-half (12 ½) miles to the point where said creek intersects a straight line projected from Brushman Mountain to Index Mountain;

thence approximately two and one-half (2 ½) miles south along said line to its intersection with a north fork of Monument Creek;

thence southerly down the west bank of said fork to its junction with Monument Creek;

thence down the west and south banks of Monument Creek approximately sixteen and one-half (16 ½) miles to a point on the east bank of Sheenjak River opposite the mouth of Monument Creek;

thence northeasterly up the east bank of the Sheenjak River approximately eight and one-half (8 ½) miles to its junction with a tributary which flows from the east, at approximately longitude 143 degrees 09' W., and latitude 68 degrees 05' N.;

thence up the east and south banks of the said tributary stream approximately ten (10) miles to a fork in the stream one-half (½) mile above a one and one-half (1 ½) mile lake, at approximate longitude 142 degrees 52' W., and latitude 68 degrees 11' N.;

thence up the south bank of the main south fork of the stream approximately eight (8) miles to the crest of the saddle where it arises at approximate longitude 142 degrees 35' W., and latitude 68 degrees 14' N.;

thence easterly from the said saddle following down the south bank of a stream which arises at approximately this point for approximately eleven (11) miles to its junction with the Coleen River at approximate longitude 142 degrees 10' W., and latitude 68 degrees 15' N.;

thence following down the west bank of the Coleen River along the mean high water mark for approximately eight (8) miles to its junction with the tributary stream which flows into the Coleen River from the east at approximate longitude 141 degrees 57' W., and latitude 68 degrees 10' N.;

thence up the east and south bank of the said tributary stream in a northeasterly direction to the saddle between its headwaters and those of Bilwaddy Creek at approximate longitude 141 degrees 32' W., and latitude 68 degrees 14' N.;

thence down the south bank of the said Bilwaddy Creek approximately eighteen (18) miles to the International Boundary line between Alaska and Yukon Territory, being a point located at approximate longitude 141 degrees 00' W., and latitude 68 degrees 11' N.;

thence north with the said International Boundary line approximately one hundred (100) miles to the point of beginning.

2. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to permit the hunting and the taking of game animals, birds, and fish in the wildlife range, or parts thereof, as well as the trapping of fur animals. However, no person may hunt, trap, capture, kill, or willfully disturb any wild mammal, wild bird, or fish, or take or destroy the eggs or nests of any such bird or fish within the wildlife range, except as may be prescribed by the Secretary. The provisions of State law shall govern all hunting and taking of wildlife which the Secretary of the Interior permits under the terms of this order.

Fred A. Seaton,
Secretary of the Interior.

December 6, 1960.
[F.R. Doc. 60-11510; Filed, Dec. 8, 1960; 8:53 a.m.]