Afognak Island State Park
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| Afognak Island State Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Afognak Island State Park Location in Alaska | |
| Location | Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States |
| Coordinates | 58°21′12″N 152°18′21″W / 58.3533883°N 152.3057708°W[1] |
| Area | 75,047 acres (30,370 ha) |
| Elevation | 161 ft (49 m)[1] |
| Established | 1892 & 1994 |
| Administered by | Alaska Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Official website  |
Afognak Island State Park is a 75,047-acre (30,370 ha) Alaska state park on Afognak Island in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska in the United States. Afognak Island is northeast of Kodiak Island on the Alaska Peninsula.[1] Most of Afognak Island State Park is undeveloped. The park is known for its rugged topography and wide variety of wildlife. Afognak Island State Park is open to year-round recreation, including fishing, hunting, and hiking. Transportation is provided by float plane from Kodiak to various areas around the park. It is on the northern and eastern ends of the island and surrounds Perenosa, Seal and Tonki Bays.[2] It borders part of Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge to the west.[2]
What is now known as Afognak Island State Park was established as the first conservation areas in the United States in 1892, sixty-seven years before Alaska became the 49th state.[3] It then called the Afognak Island Forest and Fish Culture Reserve. This classification allowed for the conservation of wildlife and salmon habitat. It was reclassified in 1908 as part of Chugach National Forest. The property was transferred in 1980 to native corporations as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The establishment of Afognak Island State Park occurred in 1994 when 41,549 acres (168.14 km2) were sold to the state as parklands to restore and protect habitat in the wake of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. An additional 33,498 acres (135.56 km2) were added to the park in 2001 with funding from the Valdez case to protect more habitat.[3]
Ecology
Afognak Island State Park is in near pristine condition. Just a small section of the park near Seal Bay was logged in the 1990s. The park is home to an old-growth forest of Sitka spruce and provides spawning grounds for a variety of salmon. Sitka deer, Kodiak bear, Roosevelt elk and marbled murrelet are just a few of the animals that can be seen at the park.[3]