Located in the Upper Tanana River Valley of east-central Alaska, the 934,000 acre Tetlin Refuge was established in 1980 under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The importance of the Tanana River Valley as a migratory bird migration corridor is exemplified by the 200,000 lesser sandhill cranes, 50 percent of the mid-continental population, that pass over Tetlin Refuge each spring and fall. Recognizing the significance of the Tanana Valley as a migration corridor for landbirds as well as waterfowl, the Refuge conducts a comprehensive regional and national survey monitoring program to assess landbird migration, productivity, survivorship and breeding. The river and stream, mixed birch-aspen-white spruce forests, extensive wetlands and alpine tundra habitats that characterize Tetlin Refuge provide foraging, breeding, and wintering habitat for caribou, moose, Dall sheep, lynx, brown and black bears, mink, and wolverine. Because fire is a primary ecological driver of the boreal forest ecosystem, Tetlin Refuge was one of 14 refuges in the country selected for a Land Management Research Demonstration (LMRD) area. Under this program, the Refuge will design and implement a fire monitoring and research program to better understand the role of fire in the boreal forest in relation to nutrient cycling, vegetation recovery, and the diversity, abundance and productivity of fish and wildlife. Located along the Alaska Highway near the Canadian border, the Refuge's gateway provides a prime site to teach the public about natural resources and our management challenges.