Afognak Island - Perenosa Bay

Preserving Resource-Rich Perenosa Bay

Afognak Island is located in the Kodiak Archipelago amid the nutrient-rich currents of the Gulf of Alaska, which create a diverse ecosystem supporing majestic Kodiak brown bears, Roosevelt elk, and pristine streams where up to 60 million wild salmon return annually to spawn. The near-shore waters of north Afognak are home to the Gulf of Alaska's largest population of sea otters and provides the world's foremost nesting and breeding habitat for marbled murrelets.

ALC worked with local stakeholders, including commercial fishermen, chambers of commerce, guides, and outfitters, to conserve more than 2,185 acres of exceptional coastal habitat for wild salmon, marine mammals, Kodiak bears, bald eagles, and many other wildlife in the Perenosa Bay area on the north coast of the island. The property is now open to public use, including hunting, whale watching, fishing, and kayaking.

The project is part of a long-term conservation effort on Afognak that ALC is pursuing in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the state of Alaska to conserve 18,000 acres of coastal rainforest on the north shore of the island. The area is a high priority habitat conservation target for the recovery of fish and wildlife populations injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. 

Learn more about ALC's work on Afognak Island here.