Public Use

River Ranger Program:

Introduction:

The main purposes of the River Ranger program at Togiak National Wildlife Refuge are to collect information about public use of resources in the refuge, to educate users about the resources, and to minimize impacts on these resources. Public use on Togiak Refuge has more than doubled in the past decade. The River Ranger program began in 1991 to address this increase in public use. Ranger camps are located on the Kanektok, Goodnews (North Fork), and Togiak rivers near the Wilderness Area boundary.

The majority of public use of the Togiak Refuge during summer months is in the form of float trips on rivers within the refuge, combined with sport angling and sometimes hunting. Visitors come from throughout the United States and also from many foreign countries to participate in both guided and non-guided recreation.

Another important user group is local subsistence users, who rely on the resources of the refuge as part of their traditional lifestyle. River Rangers educate different user groups about one another, as well as educating all users about proper wilderness ethics.

Who Are River Rangers?

River Rangers are seasonal employees at Togiak Refuge who live on and patrol Wilderness rivers during the summer season. Rangers, working in pairs, are assigned to three river systems in Togiak Refuge, covering an area more than 3,500 square miles. In addition to the six employees in the field positions, one Ranger based in the Dillingham office provides logistical support and contacts visitors for orientation briefings (see below). Some River Rangers are hired from local communities through a program that allows knowledge of area resources and customs to substitute for required post-secondary education.

Ranger Duties:

River Rangers contact refuge visitors as early in their visit as possible. They provide visitors with information about Togiak Refuge resources, regulations, and local conditions, and how to minimize negative impacts. During these contacts, and through other duties, Rangers also collect fishery, wildlife, and public use data. Most management issues faced by Togiak Refuge and State resource management agencies are addressed by the River Ranger program. River Rangers also provide emergency assistance to visitors and local residents. This is an important job since the rangers work in a remote area where they are often the only Federal, State, or local government personnel available, and in many cases may be the only help of any type available for many miles.

Public use and cultural issues addressed by the program include:

• conflicts between different types of user groups,
• trespassing on private lands,
• crowding,
• commercial operators compliance with permits,
• visitor and bear safety, and
• "leave no trace" camping techniques, including:
  • proper human waste disposal,
  • water quality, and
  • litter.

Fish and wildlife management issues addressed by the program include:

• mortality of fish from catch and release fishing,
• lack of fishery and wildlife information,
• effects of fishing on resident and anadromous fish populations,
• disturbance and displacement of wildlife,
• water quality,
• abandoned fish nets, and
• compliance with sport, subsistence, & commercial fishing and hunting regulations.

Equipment and Facilities:

Ranger camps are the home and the office for the Rangers for three months each year. Camps consist of two Weatherports (large tents with wooden floors, aluminum frames, and thick, waterproof skins) and personal sleeping tents. Communications with the Dillingham office are accomplished using a satellite telephone system. A VHF radio system serves as a secondary communications component.

River Rangers cover large distances on each river they work on, and in order to do so they use motorboats to run up and down the river. Flat-bottomed aluminum boats with four-stroke jet outboard engines are used, allowing the Rangers to operate in relatively shallow water and meandering, braided channels. Rangers are trained in motorboat operation and general motor maintenance prior to the field season.

In each village, Rangers have a four-wheel ATV for hauling fuel and doing errands. The four-wheelers are stored in container vans in the village when not in use. Camp is taken down at the end of each season, and camp equipment is also stored in the container vans. The container vans also store motor parts, tools and extra supplies.

Togiak Wilderness:

Togiak Wilderness was established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980, when 2.3 million acres were set aside. The Togiak Wilderness is the second largest contiguous wilderness in the National Wildlife Refuge System. River Rangers educate visitors about proper techniques for wilderness recreation, and clean up any traces parties may leave behind. These efforts serve to sustain the values of the Togiak Wilderness and enhance the experiences of future visitors. To learn more about wilderness and the National Wilderness Preservation System, visit Wilderness.net or our wild lands webpage.

Other Public Use Programs:

Visitor Orientation:

In an effort to maintain the wilderness character of the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge and to improve relations between various user groups, Togiak Refuge staff educate visitors regarding proper wilderness camping ethics, regulations, bear safety, refuge news, and other topics of interest. Rangers in Dillingham contact visitors prior to their trip to discuss the above topics and answer questions. View an overview of the orientation.

Cape Peirce Public Use

To learn more about visitation to the Cape Peirce wildlife viewing area, please see our other recreation webpage.

Last updated: July 24, 2008