Law enforcement airplane and officers in arctic Alaska. USFWS photo

The phrase “law enforcement” typically evokes an image of uniformed officers driving patrol vehicles with lights and sirens. But on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 19-million acre wilderness without roads or vehicles, that image must be redefined. Instead of driving trucks, the Refuge’s three officers conduct patrols mostly by plane and raft, and occasionally by snowmachine (snowmobile). 

With two villages near the Refuge, education about laws and regulations is a major component of a multi-faceted approach to law enforcement. In May, before migratory birds arrived in northern Alaska, officers made a presentation to village residents about what is required to legally hunt waterfowl.

Soon the focus shifted from waterfowl hunting to recreational tourism. The Arctic Refuge is visited each year by up to 1,500 people. To ensure river guides were complying with Refuge rules and ascertain impacts of visitation on habitats, Officer Heather Knudsen and biologist Kate Martin floated the Kongakut River in late June. 

June and July featured multiple patrols along the Dalton Highway, the closest road to the Refuge. Dall sheep hunting season was in full swing in August and Refuge Officers were busy flying aerial patrols and checking hunting camps. In mid-August, officers responded to a call about a plane that was overdue at one such sheep camp. Three Refuge Officers along with a crew from Eielson Air Force Base joined in search efforts. Within a few hours the overdue aircraft was located—crashed into the base of a steep canyon with no survivors.  

In September, officers flew aerial patrols over moose hunting areas. Soon winter will be upon Arctic Refuge.  Officers will continue writing reports and investigating cases. But the long, cold, dark winter months don’t keep them cooped-up: they’ll be out patrolling on snowmachines and in small airplanes on skis.