Juneau had the largest low-grade gold mines in the world until World War II when gold mining was deemed a nonessential activity. The lack of workers forced the mines to close. The Treadwell, Alaska-Gastineau and the Alaska-Juneau mines produced over $150 million in gold from 1900 to 1944.

Because of its setting at the foot of Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts,Juneau is often called the San Francisco of the north. This picturesque setting is repeated in the character of the downtown area where many buildings have recently been restored to their turn-of-the-century origins. It is common to see several cruise ships docked downtown every day during the summer, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the capital city annually.

State and federal government are the major employers today, although the tourism industry has expanded dramatically during the last 10 years. The Forest Service maintains a large presence in Juneau with the Regional Office, Juneau Ranger District, Admiralty National Monument, Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, and the and Forestry Sciences Lab.

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Yakutat

Once the main winter village for local Tlingits, today the Yakutat area has about 680 people, mainly Alaska Natives. The community is located on the northwestern corner of the Alaska panhandle. Residents are heavily dependent on national forest resources to support the local economy.

Most residents make their living in commercial, sport, and subsistence fishing. The greatest potential for economic growth is in commercial fishing, recreation, and tourism. Yakutat is regularly accessible by jet aircraft with rare trips available on the Alaska State Ferry System.

Yakutat is home to the rare (for its size) glacier bear, a bluish variation of the black bear. The Situk River is thought to be the single most productive fishery in the Pacific Rim. People come from all over the world to see the bears, to fish for steelhead and salmon, and to hunt for mountain goat and moose. The Forest Service maintains 14 public cabins in the area. The Yakutat Ranger District has its headquarters here.

Hoonah

Hoonah, population less than 1,000, is a predominantly Tlingit community on the northern part of Chichagof Island about 40 air miles west of Juneau. Jobs in the area are dominated by fishing and timber. Fire destroyed most of Hoonah in 1946. The community was rebuilt with war materials quickly diverted from shipments under way to Hawaii.

Juneau residents and others visit Hoonah in increasing numbers to take advantage of the recreation along the road system. Hoonah recently completed work on a new cruiseship terminal and cultural center. This project is impacting not only the economy but the social climate of this small community.

The Hoonah Ranger District is in Hoonah.

Craig

With over 1,300 residents, Craig is the largest community on Prince of Wales Island. It is located on the west side of the island. Originally called Fish Egg, Craig was a seasonal fishing camp of Tlingit and Haida Indians.

The town is named for Craig Millar, who established a saltery there in 1906. Craig is the major fishing port for the island and its economy is still tied to fishing and logging. However, tourism is on the rise with a service and retail economy building. Over the last few years, Craig has been the fastest growing first class city in Alaska. Craig is home to the Craig Ranger District.

Angoon

Tlingit Natives inhabited AdmiraltyIsland for centuries, and today are the main residents in Angoon, a village of about 600 people on the western coast of the island. Located about 60 miles from Juneau, Angoon is the only permanent community on Admiralty Island. Alaska Native clans, such as the Dog Salmon and Bear, shape the art and family structures of the area. The Tlingit culture serves as the framework for ceremonies of birth, marriage and death.

Most residents lead a subsistence lifestyle with a strong respect for cultural traditions. The nearness of historic clan houses and modern buildings along Angoon streets are the obvious symbols of the forces of past and present at work in the village.

Community celebrations may include traditional potlatches or Christian church services. Subsistence resources such as salmon, deer, halibut, shellfish, kelp, berries and alder are gathered from nearby shorelines as they have been gathered for more than 1,000 years.

The community joined forces with environmental groups to promote monument and wilderness designation for Admiralty Island during the 1970s.

In accordance with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, the village corporation (Kootznoowoo, Inc.) selected lands on Prince of Wales Island in deference for culturally important lands on Admiralty Island.

The city, tribal government, village corporation and Forest Service are actively working together to provide essential services within the community and to enhance and diversify Angoon’s economy in a manner which will be compatible with its culture.

Petersburg

Petersburg, with a population of 3,224 residents, is the closest town to the southernmost tidewater glacier in the United States.

Petersburg is located on Mitkof Island, north of Ketchikan and south of Juneau. Petersburg was founded by Norwegian immigrants who noticed its similarity to their homeland. They also found the ice from the nearby glacier was useful for processing their fish. Known as "Little Norway," Petersburg celebrates its heritage with rosemaled storefronts. Rosemaling is Norwegian for rose painting, an activity used to enliven a long winter.

The economy of Petersburg depends on the natural resources of the area. Fishing and fish processing are dominant with increasing contributions from tourism. The island road system provides access to recreational opportunities. Nearby wildernesses include the Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck, and the Stikine–LeConte Wildernesses. The community is home to both the Petersburg Ranger District and the Petersburg staff of the Tongass National Forest Supervisor’s Office.

Thorne Bay

Thorne Bay, on Prince of Wales Island, has over 500 residents. Thorne Bay began as a logging camp in 1962, authorized under the terms of the long-term timber contract held by Ketchikan Pulp Company. The state received title to national forest lands around the Thorne Bay logging camp August 22, 1980. Those lands were subdivided, and residents who occupied lots were given the opportunity to purchase them.

Thorne Bay was incorporated as a city in 1982. Through state funding and some rural development funding from the Forest Service, Thorne Bay constructed a city park, boat and float plane dock, a state-of-the-art landfill, and a new water and sewer system. The community is now connected by paved road to the City of Craig. The Thorne Bay Ranger District is located in the City of Thorne Bay.

Canoeing on the Stikine River.

Wrangell

Wrangell is a community of 2,600 residents, located on the north end of Wrangell Island. Its history is linked to its proximity to the Stikine River. The Stikine meets the Inside Passage near Wrangell and provides a water highway through the Alaska coastal mainland and into British Columbia.

Wrangell is the only town in Alaska to have been governed not only by Alaska Natives but also under three flags: Russian, British and American. The community’s past began with Indian fur trade on the river and it later experienced the boom and bust of three 19th century gold rushes.

Today, Wrangell’s economy is based on timber, fishing, and tourism. Bears at Anan Bay and migratory birds on the Stikine River Delta lure visitors for world-class wildlife viewing. Many also visit the nearby Stikine–LeConte Wilderness. In addition, Wrangell acts as a service center for gold mining at Bronson Creek, which flows into the Iskut, a major tributary of the Stikine. Wrangell is home to the Wrangell Ranger District.

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is the supply center and transportation hub for southern Southeast Alaska with Saxman and other smaller communities on its road system. Ketchikan is a bustling, lively community of 7,922 people. Ketchikan is long and narrow as it snakes between the Tongass Narrows and tall mountains. The entire width of land is taken up by houses, staircased on steep mountain sides and built out over the water on wooden pilings.
 

Incorporated in 1900, Ketchikan’s rich past dates back generations when this area became the ancestral home of the Tongass clan of the Tlingits, who fished salmon from the mouth of Ketchikan Creek.

Contemporary settlement and industry began when the first of many canneries opened in 1887, establishing Ketchikan as an economic and cultural hub in Southeast Alaska.
 

Today the community still relies upon commercial fishing and timber, although cruise ship tourism is a growing sector of the economy. The drydock shipyard provides a diversity of job opportunities and training.

Ketchikan is home to the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District and the Tongass Supervisor’s Office.

Sitka

The seaside community of Sitka is nestled on the west side of Baranof Island, flanked on the east by majestic snow-capped mountains, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. It is the fifth largest city in Alaska with a population of 8,891.

Home of the Tlingit Indians for millennia, Russian traders recognized Sitka’s location and resources and made the city the capital of Russian America. Known as the "Paris of the Pacific," 1840s Sitka was the largest European-style settlement on the West Coast of North America. When the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, the Stars and Stripes were first raised on Castle Hill in downtown Sitka.

Today Sitka is a very diverse community and depends upon fishing, tourism, health services, education, timber, and government for its economic base. The influence of its rich Tlingit and Russian heritage is apparent throughout the community.

Fishing still tops the list of outdoor activities in Sitka. Another way to enjoy the water is to sea kayak miles of nearby sheltered waterways or look for wildlife such as humpback whales, sea otters and eagles.

Sitka is home to both the Sitka Ranger District and the Sitka staff of the Tongass Supervisor’s Office.  The Sitka Ranger District maintains 30 public recreational cabins and shelters in the Sitka vicinity. The district also manages Starrigavan Campground, Sawmill Creek Campground and the Harbor Mountain Recreation Area. Sitka Ranger District employees are responsible for approximately 50 miles of trails.