The community of Selawik is located in a rich river delta environment in the Selawik Refuge. Photo by Susan Georgette.

Winter trail staking was an issue frequently mentioned in public scoping discussions. With no roads connecting communities, trails such as these are the "highways" of rural Alaska. Photo by Susan Georgette.

What do you think the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge should look like over the next 15 years?

That is the question the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will be asking the public in the coming months.

The Selawik National Wildlife Refuge is starting to update its Comprehensive Conservation Plan, or “CCP,” a document that will guide the management of the wildlife refuge for the next 15 years. The current plan, completed in 1987, is now more than 20 years old.

The 2.15-million-acre Selawik National Wildlife Refuge spans the lower Kobuk River and nearly the entire Selawik River watershed in northwest Alaska. The Refuge was created in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA).

Refuge staff recently launched the public scoping process with a trip to the Iñupiaq community of Selawik where they attended tribal and city council meetings and spoke informally with many other local citizens. These exchanges yielded interesting insights and concerns from the local public, who are the primary users of the Refuge.

Additional public scoping visits and open houses are planned in neighboring communities. A planning newsletter will soon be sent to interested individuals and organziations throughout the United States, asking for their thoughts and concerns. This is a great opportunity to get involved with planning for the future of Selawik Refuge!