An estimated 2 1/2 million visitors enter Kenai National Wildlife Refuge each year on the Sterling Highway.

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge joined with the Kenai Convention and Visitors Bureau and other land managment agencies in welcoming 2006 Highway Neighbors Conference attendees to Kenai.  The three-day annual conference focuses on Alaska tourism associated with its road-accessible public lands and facilities.  Refuge Manager Robin West summarized the Kenai Refuge visitor service programs and its unique visitor opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation, and also spoke about the other 15 national wildlife refuges in Alaska, both remote sites and those road accessible.  Increasingly Alaska visitors are using urban communities as jump off points to visit remote rural sites, including refuges.  Over 40 attendees participated in the conference and addressed topics from visitor services to recent trends in Alaska tourism travel.  Scenery, wildlife viewing, cultural experiences, and fishing are four of the five most common reasons visitors travel to Alaska according to recent studies - all are found on Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges.  The remaining top five reason is "shopping", which can also be accomodated at several refuge visitor center bookstores.  Come visit a refuge in Alaska; they've got it all!