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  • This sign marks the end of the Glacier Highway that currently ends at Echo Cove, approximately 43 miles north of Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million road project to extend Glacier Highway for closer access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is the only capital city in the United States whose roads do not connect with the continental road network. Currently travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.<br />
<br />
The plan by Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities calls for extending the road 48 miles along the Lynn Canal from Echo Cove north of Juneau to the Katzehin River where a new ferry terminal would be built. From there yet-to-be-built smaller ferries would transport vehicles and passengers to Haines and Skagway with four to eight trips per day.<br />
<br />
The proposal, decades in the making, is a contentious issue within the Lynn Canal communities. Proponents cite greater travel flexibility, lower costs for the state and travelers. Opponents cite concerns for marine and terrestrial wildlife, economic loss to local businesses, winter travel safety, landscape degradation, lack of planning for handling walk-on passengers to and from the remote Katzehin terminal and the high cost of the project.<br />
<br />
Most of the $570-million road construction cost will be paid by the federal government, with the state picking up approximately 10 percent in matching costs.<br />
<br />
In July, 2015, Alaska Governor Bill Walker lifted a moratorium on work on the project to complete environmental impact studies.
    End of Glacier Highway at Echo Cove.jpg
  • The Muir Inlet of the East Arm of Glacier Bay in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve offers some of the best sea kayaking in the park. The turquoise color of the water is caused by the minerals contained in “rock flour;” the material that tidewater glaciers release as the glaciers grind rocks into dust on their way to the sea. This aerial view is looking south, down the Muir Inlet. Pictured are: The Nunatak and Nunatak Cove (left foreground); Westdahl Point (right foreground), Stump Cove, the entrance to Wachusett Inlet; Hunter Cove, Rowlee Point, Point McLeod (middle right); Sealers Island (enter); Maquinna Cove (center background); Adams Inlet (center background to left background); Tree Mountain, Mount Case, Mount Right; Garforth Island, Sturgess Island, North Marble Island, South Marble Island, Willoughby Island, the northernmost islands of the Beardslee Island (upper right background); Sitakaday Narrows and the entrance to Glacier Bay (furthermost upper right background).<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The effects of a warming climate are easily seen here. It is a place where can you witness geological change firsthand — change that is normally measured in millennia.
    Muir Inlet aerial of East Arm.jpg
  • The town of Haines, in southeast Alaska, celebrates the Fourth of July with a parade, picnic, and other activities. For the parade, the local animal rescue kennel invited pet owners to dress up their pets in patriotic garb to march with them in the parade.<br />
<br />
Haines, a picturesque costal fishing community, is located on the Lynn Canal between the towns of Skagway and Juneau.
    Haines Fourth of July Parade-5.jpg
  • A pair of bald eagles perched in a tree near an eagle nest overlooking the Cattail Pool at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Pair of bald eagles with setting moo...jpg
  • A pair of bald eagles perched in a tree overlooking the Cattail Pool at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Pair of bald eagles with setting moo...jpg
  • Moss covers the forest floor along the Trail of Time Trail near the Mendenhall Lake and Mendhenall Visitor Center just outside Juneau, Alaska.
    Moss along Trail of Time Trail.jpg
  • Fall foliage along the Trail of Time near the Mendenhall Glacier
    Trail of Time fall still life.jpg
  • A juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree and calls in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Juvenile bald eagle in tree.jpg
  • A large American elm tree provides shade at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve as a pickup truck passes by on Kansas State Highway 177 near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Highway 177, a National Scenic Byway, passes through the heart of the Flint Hills. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.  Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    American elm.jpg
  • The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The glowing light on the right is from the city of Emporia some 20 miles away to the east. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Stars and Lower Fox Creek School-1.jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree next to the Lower Fox Creek School basks in the sunrise light on a fall morning at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Cottonwood tree sunrise.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise.jpg
  • Dillard Mill, located along Huzzah Creek, is one of Missouri’s best-preserved water-powered gristmills. The mill, now part of the Dillard Mill State Historic Site, was built in 1908 and was in business until 1956 making it the longest-running mill of its kind in the state. Since 1977, the Dillard Mill State Historic Site has been leased by the L-A-D Foundation to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for management by Missouri State Parks.<br />
<br />
Formerly known as the Mischke Mill before its restoration was completed in 1980, Dillard Mill uses an underwater turbine rather than a water wheel.<br />
<br />
Pictured at left is a Whitmore middlings purifier, used to separate the bran from the usable part of the flour. At right is a flour dresser used to sift the flour through finer wire and silk reels.<br />
<br />
When it was an operating mill, area farmers would bring their grain to the mill to be ground into flour and eventually livestock feed. Most of Dillard Mill's original machinery is still operational. Visitors can see and hear the sounds of the machinery and turbine just as millers did over a hundred years ago. <br />
<br />
Dillard Mill State Historic Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.
    Dillard Mill-3.jpg
  • Dung beetles roll a ball of bison dung along a road in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Dung beetles feed on manure, using it provide housing and food for their offspring and for prairie and pasture nutrient recycling. A male and a female beetle will work in a pair to roll a ball of dung away from a manure pile. They then will bury the ball as a home for their young. Drawn to manure by odor, a beetle will fly up to 10 miles in search of the right manure. Studies have also shown that dung beetles use the Milky Way as a directional bearing to navigate. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Dung beetle.jpg
  • The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes located in Death Valley National Park near Stovepipe Wells, is the largest dune field in the park. While the sand dunes appear tall, the highest dune only rises about 100 feet. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the easiest sand dunes to visit in Death Valley National Park. Three types of dunes are found in the dune field: crescent, linear, and star shaped. The dune field is named for the Mesquite trees that create hummocks that provide places for wildlife to live. Here a lone hiker stretches as the dunes are bathed in the first light at sunrise.<br />
<br />
Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California near the border with Nevada is one of the hottest spots on earth, holding the hottest recorded air temperature of 134 °F. The Park also is location of the lowest spot in North America, 282 feet below sea level at the vast salt flats at Badwater Basin. At 3.4 million acres, the park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Death Valley National Park sits between the Panamint Range on the west  and Amargosa Range on the east.
    Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at sunrise ...psd
  • Death Valley National Park Visitors come not only to experience the record heat but also the beauty. Despite the desert conditions, the park is known for its spring wildflowers. Under perfect conditions, the park experiences a rare event known as a wildflower "super bloom" which produces a sea wildflowers. Most of the desert wildflowers are annuals. This ensures their survival as this allows them to lie dormant as seeds during times of drought. Pictured here is Desert Gold, also known as Hairy Desert Sunflower, in Death Valley National Park.<br />
<br />
Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California near the border with Nevada is one of the hottest spots on earth, holding the hottest recorded air temperature of 134 °F. The Park also is location of the lowest spot in North America, 282 feet below sea level at the vast salt flats at Badwater Basin. At 3.4 million acres, the park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Death Valley National Park sits between the Panamint Range on the west  and Amargosa Range on the east.
    Desert Gold blowing in the wind,.jpg
  • The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes located in Death Valley National Park near Stovepipe Wells, is the largest dune field in the park. While the sand dunes appear tall, the highest dune only rises about 100 feet. The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are the easiest sand dunes to visit in Death Valley National Park. Three types of dunes are found in the dune field: crescent, linear, and star shaped. The dune field is named for the Mesquite trees that create hummocks that provide places for wildlife to live. Here a lone hiker stretches as the dunes are bathed in the first light at sunrise.<br />
<br />
Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California near the border with Nevada is one of the hottest spots on earth, holding the hottest recorded air temperature of 134 °F. The Park also is location of the lowest spot in North America, 282 feet below sea level at the vast salt flats at Badwater Basin. At 3.4 million acres, the park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Death Valley National Park sits between the Panamint Range on the west  and Amargosa Range on the east.
    Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at sunrise ...jpg
  • The morning sun dramatically rises on the prairie along the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway (Kansas State Highway 177) in the Kansas Flint Hills in Chase County, near the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Flint Hills prairie sunrise.jpg
  • Kayakers are dwarfed by the massive Holgate Glacier at sunset on the Holgate Arm of Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. Photo was taken from the Holgate public use cabin. The park, located near Seward, Alaska, is known for its glaciers that flow out from the Harding Icefield, and the coastal fjords shaped by its receding glaciers. Approximately 51 percent of the park is covered by ice. The Harding Icefield, thousands of feet deep, is the largest icefield solely contained within the United States. Exit Glacier, is one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska with easy walking trails leading up to the face of the glacier and more difficult trails leading up to the Harding Icefield which feeds Exit Glacier. Abundant land and sea life can be found within the parks boundaries including black and grizzly bears, Steller sea lions, puffins, humpback and orca whales. The park is a popular destination with sea kayakers who frequent Aialik Bay, Holgate Arm, Pederson Lagoon and Northwestern Fjord for magnificent views of the Aialik, Holgate, and Pederson glaciers. Tour companies offer boat tours out of Seward.
    Holgate Glacier kayakers, Aialik Bay...jpg
  • Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sit on the bank of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. One of the bald eagles extends his one wing behind another bald eagle as it sits on a log. <br />
<br />
Tender moment or just a stretch? While it is easy to anthropomorphize that these two bald eagles are sharing a tender moment, most likely the eagle is simply stretching or cooling off. Bald eagles do not sweat so to control their body temperature they often extend their wings. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. <br />
<br />
Recently, Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan have begun exploration for a potential site of a copper and zinc mine in the Klehini River/Chilkat River watersheds. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.
    Bald eagle with wing extended-3.psd
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) drags a chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) onto the gravel bar of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle dragging fish.jpg
  • Two bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) fight over a salmon carcass along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagles fighting in air.jpg
  • Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) power their way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. <br />
<br />
These chum salmon are returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. <br />
<br />
Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration.
    Chum salmon -13.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be among the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle in flight.jpg
  • A spawning male chum salmon uses its large canine-like teeth to attack another male salmon. The two salmon are making their way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska during the fall run of chum salmon. <br />
<br />
These salmon are returning to freshwater Herman Creek after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. <br />
<br />
Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration.
    Chum salmon -24.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle in flight.jpg
  • Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) soar together in what is known as a kettle high above the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. It was estimated that there were over 100 bald eagles in the swirling kettle. During November and December several thousand bald eagles come the confluence near Haines, Alaska because of the availability of spawned-out salmon and open waters. The open water is due to a deep accumulation of gravel and sand that acts as a large water reservoir whose water temperature remains 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the surrounding water temperature. This warmer water seeps into the Chilkat River, keeping a five mile stretch of the river from freezing as quickly as other rivers in the area. The 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in 1982.
    Bald eagle kettle.jpg
  • Two large glaciers come together to form the main flow of the McBride Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The dark lines of rock debris are called medial moraines. A medial moraine is formed when two glaciers meet and the debris on the edges of the adjacent valley sides join and are carried on top of the glacier. <br />
<br />
The McBride Glacier, the most active glacier and only tidewater glacier in the Muir Inlet, is retreating.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Medial moraines, McBride Glacier.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) drags a chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) onto the gravel bar of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. EDITORS NOTE: Image is a cropped version of Image ID I0000C8fO92kKcJE.
    Bald eagle dragging fish.jpg
  • A chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) powers its way up the special spawning channel of Herman Creek to spawn during the fall chum salmon run. The nonprofit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA) built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt. <br />
<br />
The chum salmon is returning to freshwater Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska after three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. Both sexes of adult chum salmon change colors and appearance upon returning to freshwater. Unlike male sockeye salmon which turn bright red for spawning, male chum salmon change color to an olive green with purple and green vertical stripes. These vertical stripes are not as noticeable in females, who also have a dark horizontal band. Both male and female chum salmon develop hooked snout (type) and large canine teeth. These features in female salmon are less pronounced. <br />
<br />
Herman Creek is a tributary of the Klehini River and is only 10 miles downstream of the area currently being explored as a potential site of a copper and zinc mine. The exploration is being conducted by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. Some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that a mine might threaten the area’s salmon. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals, found in mine waste, leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River further downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration.
    Chum salmon -10.jpg
  • A day hiker overlooks the grandeur of the cinder cones in the seven mile long and two mile wide and 2,600 feet deep Haleakalā Crater in Haleakalā National Park on the island of Maui, Hawaii. The female hiker in this photo is standing atop the Ka Lu'u o ka 'O'o cinder cone looking out towards (front to rear) the cinder cones of Kama'oli'i, Pu'u o Maui and Pu'u Maile. In the far distance is the Kaupo Gap. The Haleakalā Volcano of east Maui is considered dormant, having last erupted sometime between 1480 and 1600 AD. The 33,265 acre park consists of the Summit District and the coastal Kipahulu District. Haleakalā National Park is known for it volcanic features, cinder cones and clear night skies for star gazing. It is believed that there are more endangered species living in Haleakalā National Park than any other national park, including the Haleakalā Silversword plant.
    Haleakalā Crater cinder cones, Maui.jpg
  • Two bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) fight over a salmon carcass along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagles fighting in air.jpg
  • Deep crevasses of Margerie Glacier take on an other worldly look in early evening light in this photo taken at the uppermost region of the glacier just inside the U.S. at the Canadian border. The 21-mile-long glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of the park’s tidewater glaciers. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Margerie Glacier crevasses.jpg
  • Deep crevasses of Margerie Glacier take on an other worldly look in early evening light in this photo taken at the uppermost region of the glacier just inside the U.S. at the Canadian border. The 21-mile-long glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of the park’s tidewater glaciers. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Margerie Glacier crevasses-2.jpg
  • Deep crevasses of Margerie Glacier take on an other worldly look in early evening light in this photo taken at the uppermost region of the glacier just inside the U.S. at the Canadian border. The 21-mile-long glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of the park’s tidewater glaciers. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Margerie Glacier crevasses.jpg
  • The brass ship's bell of the M/V LeConte is positioned at the bow of the ferry. The LeConte is a ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway system. It often travels the northern Lynn Canal route between Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
    LeConte ship's bell.jpg
  • Fallen debris on the side of a valley of the Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve appears to be almost feather-like.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Johns Hopkins Glacier debris.jpg
  • The $24.4 million Flint Hills Discovery Center, located in Manhattan, Kansas celebrates the history, culture, and heritage of the Flint Hills and tallgrass prairie. Through interactive exhibits Flint Hills Discovery Center visitors can explore the science and cultural history of the last stand of tallgrass prairie in North America – one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems.<br />
<br />
The Flint Hills Discovery Center was designed by the museum architectural firm Vern Johnson Inc. with interpretive design and planning by Hilferty and Associates. The 34,900 square foot science and history learning center features permanent interactive exhibits, temporary exhibits, and areas for community programs and outreach activities.<br />
<br />
Attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: a 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen; an ‘underground forest’ depicting the long roots of prairie plants including the 7-foot roots of bluestem prairie grass; explanations of importance of fire to the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie; and exhibits about the people and cultural history of the Flint Hills.<br />
<br />
The Flint Hills Discovery Center received a LEED green building certification for their environmental design and energy efficiency, including their lighting and geothermal heating/cooling system.
    Flint Hills Discovery Center evening...jpg
  • An assortment of ferns including Hapu'u tree ferns in the wet forest in a small crater near the Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
    Hapu'u tree ferns.jpg
  • Mount Crillon (12,726 ft.) rises above the clouds near the Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Mount Crillion.jpg
  • Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), an icon of the American West, once numbered as many as 16 million birds. Today, fewer than 200,000 remain. Their population is in decline due to loss of habitat from energy development and residential building in sage brush areas. A scientific study found that the population declined 55 percent from 2007 to 2013. Sage grouse are named for the sagebrush that they primarily feed on. <br />
<br />
Greater sage-grouse are an umbrella species. Conserving their habitat benefits 350 other species. Greater sage-grouse had been listed as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. In 2015, after evaluating the best available scientific and commercial information regarding the greater sage-grouse, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has determined that protection for the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act is no longer warranted and withdrew the species from the candidate species list.<br />
<br />
Males are known for the large air sacks on their breasts that they inflate during elaborate courtship dances performed on leks (mating areas). Sage-grouse are the largest native grouse in North America.
    Greater sage-grouse tail.jpg
  • Among the concerns related to the proposed Juneau Access Improvements Project is the Steller sea lion haulout at Gran Point (pictured). The haulout at Gran Point is a designated Steller sea lion Critical Habitat Area. According to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s 2014 Juneau Access Improvements Project: Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement, more than one hundred Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have been counted at the haulout during the spring and fall. As currently proposed the proposed highway would be built just uphill from the haulout area, approximately 100 to 600 feet horizontally and 50 to 100 feet vertically.<br />
<br />
Highway plans near the haulout includes blasting steep rock-cut embankments and several tunnels with one tunnel entrance only 550 feet away from the haulout. There is concern for haulout abandonment by the sea lions during highway construction as studies have shown Steller sea lions are very sensitive to noise, both in and out of water. Because Steller sea lions frequent Gran Point nearly year round, the use of explosives and helicopters will be challenging during construction.<br />
<br />
There are two distinct populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska. The majority of Stellar sea lions that frequent the Lynn Canal are part of the eastern population of Steller sea lions which are not listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; unlike the western population of Steller sea lions which are listed as endangered. That said however, there have been confirmed sightings of the western population Steller sea lions at Gran Point.<br />
<br />
The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million highway project to extend Glacier Highway out of Juneau for closer road access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau’s roads do not connect with the continental road network.<br />
<br />
Editors note: This is a cropped version of image# I00007z0NNeMhXeA
    Steller sea lions -6c.jpg
  • Among the concerns related to the proposed Juneau Access Improvements Project is the Steller sea lion haulout at Gran Point (pictured). The haulout at Gran Point is a designated Steller sea lion Critical Habitat Area. According to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s 2014 Juneau Access Improvements Project: Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement, more than one hundred Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have been counted at the haulout during the spring and fall. As currently proposed the proposed highway would be built just uphill from the haulout area, approximately 100 to 600 feet horizontally and 50 to 100 feet vertically.<br />
<br />
Highway plans near the haulout includes blasting steep rock-cut embankments and several tunnels with one tunnel entrance only 550 feet away from the haulout. There is concern for haulout abandonment by the sea lions during highway construction as studies have shown Steller sea lions are very sensitive to noise, both in and out of water. Because Steller sea lions frequent Gran Point nearly year round, the use of explosives and helicopters will be challenging during construction.<br />
<br />
There are two distinct populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska. The majority of Stellar sea lions that frequent the Lynn Canal are part of the eastern population of Steller sea lions which are not listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; unlike the western population of Steller sea lions which are listed as endangered. That said however, there have been confirmed sightings of the western population Steller sea lions at Gran Point.<br />
<br />
The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million highway project to extend Glacier Highway out of Juneau for closer road access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau’s roads do not connect with the continental road network. Travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System.
    Steller sea lions-5.jpg
  • One step of the restoration of the fire hall located on the grounds of historic Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska included having to raise and level the existing building as shown in this photo. Using 22 jacks to support the building, the entire building was raised approximately 6 inches. This allowed for the removal of rotten wood and the adding of a stem wall to the foundation.<br />
<br />
The old doors pictured would eventually be used as design elements in the restored interior. The jack in the center of the photo marks the spot where at one time the length of the fire hall had at one time been extended.<br />
<br />
The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall renovation-15.jpg
  • The Saksaia Glacier sits at the top of the Glacier Creek valley near the location of the potential mine site being explored by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. The area of exploration, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway and the Porcupine placer gold mining area near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company.<br />
<br />
If approved and developed, the mine would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine.<br />
<br />
Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini and Chilkat River. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. At times more than 3,000 eagles have been recorded at the primary gathering area for the fall chum salmon run.
    Saksaia Glacier 3.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Anchorage Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide.jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Sinclair Mountain and other mountains in the Kakuhan Range at Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen. *** EDITORS NOTE: Boulders in foreground were lit with a flashlight during time exposure***
    Northern lights over Haines, Alaska.jpg
  • Dylan Burbank a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), fertilizes chum salmon roe with milt collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek, located near Haines, Alaska.  <br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
After mixing the roe with the milt, the roe is placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan is exploring a potential site for a mine on the steep mountain slopes shown in this photo. This area above Glacier Greek known as the Palmer Deposit, is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company.<br />
<br />
If approved and developed, the mine, near Haines, Alaska would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine. The Haines Highway can be seen in photo on the right.<br />
<br />
Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini River and the Chilkat River 14 miles downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration.
    Constantine Palmer Deposit aerial -5.jpg
  • The conflict over putting in a hard-rock mine near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska took a new turn recently with the filing of a lawsuit by an Alaska Native Tlingit tribe and three environmental groups. The group is suing the Bureau of Land Management, saying that the agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect the Chilkat River's salmon and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.<br />
<br />
Constantine Metal Resources and investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan are exploring a potential site for a mine on the steep mountain slopes pictured above Glacier Creek. This area is known as the Palmer Deposit.<br />
<br />
Joining the Tlingit village of Klukwan in the lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management are the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Lynn Canal Conservation and Rivers Without Borders. They are represented by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm. The group is asking for mining permits to be revoked.<br />
<br />
In August 2015, Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia submitted a plan with the BLM to extend their existing access road by 2.5 miles including a switchback road leading to a staging area at the 800 ft. level on the side of the 1,700 ft. mountainside (left). A proposed bridge crossing Glacier Creek would be located in the shadow area in the lower center of the photo with a switchback road leading from the Glacier Creek to the staging area for helicopter and ground-supported activities on the left. The road would also provide access for up to 40 new exploration drill sites. Pictured in the background is the Klehini River. A map showing exactly how this road would appear can be found here: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/54990/65845/71485/Figure_6.4_accessible.pdf<br />
<br />
The group suing is concerned that copper and other heavy metals in mine waste might leech into the nearby Klehini River and the Chilkat River, 14 miles downstream.
    Constantine Palmer Deposit aerial -3.jpg
  • The conflict over putting in a hard-rock mine near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska took a new turn recently with the filing of a lawsuit by an Alaska Native Tlingit tribe and three environmental groups. The group is suing the Bureau of Land Management, saying that the agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect the Chilkat River's salmon and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.<br />
<br />
Constantine Metal Resources and investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan are exploring a potential site for a mine on the steep mountain slopes pictured above Glacier Creek. This area is known as the Palmer Deposit.<br />
<br />
Joining the Tlingit village of Klukwan in the lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management are the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Lynn Canal Conservation and Rivers Without Borders. They are represented by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm. The group is asking for mining permits to be revoked.<br />
<br />
In August 2015, Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia submitted a plan with the BLM to extend their existing access road by 2.5 miles including a switchback road leading to a staging area at the 800 ft. level on the side of the 1,700 ft. mountainside. A proposed bridge crossing Glacier Creek would be located in the shadow area in the lower center of the photo with a switchback road leading from the Glacier Creek to the staging area for helicopter and ground-supported activities on the left. The road would also provide access for up to 40 new exploration drill sites. Pictured in the background is the Klehini River. A map showing exactly how this road would appear can be found here: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/54990/65845/71485/Figure_6.4_accessible.pdf<br />
<br />
The group suing is concerned that copper and other heavy metals in mine waste might leech into the nearby Klehini River and the Chilkat River, 14 miles downstream.
    Constantine Palmer Deposit aerial -2.jpg
  • The conflict over putting in a hard-rock mine near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska took a new turn recently with the filing of a lawsuit by an Alaska Native Tlingit tribe and three environmental groups. The group is suing the Bureau of Land Management, saying that the agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect the Chilkat River's salmon and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. <br />
<br />
Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan is exploring a potential site for a mine (located on the upper left side of image) just above Glacier Creek (foreground) and the Klehini River (right side of image). The border with British Columbia is at the upper right. The area above Glacier Greek, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver.<br />
<br />
Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini River (shown) and the Chilkat River 14 miles downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration.
    Constantine Palmer Deposit aerial.jpg
  • Harsh winds and winters had taken their toll on the fire hall located on the grounds of historic Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska prior to the the two-year restoration was begun on the 110 year old building. The building, originally the firehall for the fort, became the fire hall for the Port Chilkoot Volunteer fire department. At the time this photo was taken, the fire hall was used for storage by the Haines Borough fire department. <br />
<br />
The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall renovation-31.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-3.jpg
  • Denali (Athabaskan for "The High One") basks in morning light at sunrise in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The snow and glacier covered mountain, part of the Alaska Range soars to a height of 20,310 feet. Denali is the tallest mountain on the North American continent. Although Mt. Everest is higher, the vertical rise of Denali is greater. This view is a small detail from the north slopes of the mountain seen from Wonder Lake.
    Denali detail.jpg
  • A juvenile bald eagle swoops down on trumpeter swans and other waterfowl in the Snow Goose Pond Complex at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs  is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Bald eagle attacking swans.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Anchorage Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
This aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide was taken two days after the landslide.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Anchorage Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide-3.jpg
  • Dylan Burbank, a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), rinses fertilized roe with freshwater from Herman Creek prior to putting the roe in the incubation boxes located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The roe are placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
The non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), fertilizes chum salmon roe with milt collected from chum salmon captured at the special spawning channels at Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska.  <br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Once the chum salmon roe and milt are mixed together, the milt begins to foam. A small amount of water is added and the roe and milt are gently mixed by hand. Then the roe is rinsed with the fresh water from Herman Creek. <br />
<br />
After mixing the roe with the milt, the roe is placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
The non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), fertilizes chum salmon roe with milt collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska.  <br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Dylan Burbank a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), prepares to fertilize chum salmon roe collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek, located near Haines, Alaska.  <br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
After mixing the roe with the milt, the roe is placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Dylan Burbank, a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), tosses a chum salmon ready for sorting and processing at a temporary weir located the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Dylan Burbank (left) and David Campbell, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), begin to harvest chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Among the concerns related to the proposed Juneau Access Improvements Project is the Steller sea lion haulout at Gran Point (pictured). The haulout at Gran Point is a designated Steller sea lion Critical Habitat Area. According to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s 2014 Juneau Access Improvements Project: Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement, more than one hundred Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have been counted at the haulout during the spring and fall. As currently proposed the proposed highway would be built just uphill from the haulout area, approximately 100 to 600 feet horizontally and 50 to 100 feet vertically.<br />
<br />
Highway plans near the haulout includes blasting steep rock-cut embankments and several tunnels with one tunnel entrance only 550 feet away from the haulout. There is concern for haulout abandonment by the sea lions during highway construction as studies have shown Steller sea lions are very sensitive to noise, both in and out of water. Because Steller sea lions frequent Gran Point nearly year round, the use of explosives and helicopters will be challenging during construction.<br />
<br />
There are two distinct populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska. The majority of Stellar sea lions that frequent the Lynn Canal are part of the eastern population of Steller sea lions which are not listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; unlike the western population of Steller sea lions which are listed as endangered. That said however, there have been confirmed sightings of the western population Steller sea lions at Gran Point.<br />
<br />
The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million highway project to extend Glacier Highway out of Juneau for closer road access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau’s roads do not connect with the continental road network.
    Steller sea lions-2.jpg
  • Among the concerns related to the proposed Juneau Access Improvements Project is the Steller sea lion haulout at Gran Point (pictured). The haulout at Gran Point is a designated Steller sea lion Critical Habitat Area. According to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s 2014 Juneau Access Improvements Project: Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement, more than one hundred Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have been counted at the haulout during the spring and fall. As currently proposed the proposed highway would be built just uphill from the haulout area, approximately 100 to 600 feet horizontally and 50 to 100 feet vertically.<br />
<br />
Highway plans near the haulout includes blasting steep rock-cut embankments and several tunnels with one tunnel entrance only 550 feet away from the haulout. There is concern for haulout abandonment by the sea lions during highway construction as studies have shown Steller sea lions are very sensitive to noise, both in and out of water. Because Steller sea lions frequent Gran Point nearly year round, the use of explosives and helicopters will be challenging during construction.<br />
<br />
There are two distinct populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska. The majority of Stellar sea lions that frequent the Lynn Canal are part of the eastern population of Steller sea lions which are not listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; unlike the western population of Steller sea lions which are listed as endangered. That said however, there have been confirmed sightings of the western population Steller sea lions at Gran Point.<br />
<br />
The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million highway project to extend Glacier Highway out of Juneau for closer road access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau’s roads do not connect with the continental road network. Travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System.
    Steller sea lions-3.jpg
  • Among the concerns related to the proposed Juneau Access Improvements Project is the Steller sea lion haulout at Gran Point (pictured). The haulout at Gran Point is a designated Steller sea lion Critical Habitat Area. According to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s 2014 Juneau Access Improvements Project: Draft Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement, more than one hundred Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) have been counted at the haulout during the spring and fall. As currently proposed the proposed highway would be built just uphill from the haulout area, approximately 100 to 600 feet horizontally and 50 to 100 feet vertically.<br />
<br />
Highway plans near the haulout includes blasting steep rock-cut embankments and several tunnels with one tunnel entrance only 550 feet away from the haulout. There is concern for haulout abandonment by the sea lions during highway construction as studies have shown Steller sea lions are very sensitive to noise, both in and out of water. Because Steller sea lions frequent Gran Point nearly year round, the use of explosives and helicopters will be challenging during construction.<br />
<br />
There are two distinct populations of Steller sea lions in Alaska. The majority of Stellar sea lions that frequent the Lynn Canal are part of the eastern population of Steller sea lions which are not listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; unlike the western population of Steller sea lions which are listed as endangered. That said however, there have been confirmed sightings of the western population Steller sea lions at Gran Point.<br />
<br />
The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million highway project to extend Glacier Highway out of Juneau for closer road access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau’s roads do not connect with the continental road network. Travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System.
    Steller sea lions-4.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-5.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall (right). That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-4.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall.jpg
  • A long line dangles from a helicopter above the location of the potential mine site being explored by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. The area of exploration, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway and the Porcupine placer gold mining area near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company.<br />
<br />
If approved and developed, the mine would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine.<br />
<br />
Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini and Chilkat River. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. At times more than 3,000 eagles have been recorded at the primary gathering area for the fall chum salmon run.
    Helicopter working at Constantine Pa...jpg
  • The Alaska Department of Transportation is proposing to widen and realign a 21.8-mile section of the two-lane Haines Highway (AK 7) near Haines, Alaska and bring the road up to federal highway standards. The department’s goal is to widen the highway, replace the Chilkat River Bridge, help control landslides and bring the speed limit up from 50 to 55 mph by straightening curves. Much of the rural highway travels through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve. <br />
<br />
In this photo bald eagles perch in trees next to the Haines Highway at 20.7 mile near the parking lot pullout for the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Proposed roadwork in the area shown in this photo is less extensive than in nearby areas not shown. <br />
<br />
Some Haines residents worry about the impact the straightening will have on a 15-mile section of the road through the preserve. Bald eagle perching and roosting trees, wetlands and salmon spawning habitat and cultural sites could potentially be affected. The straightening of the curve shown is one of the curves which would require significant work including wetland mitigation and stream relocation. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the location of one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world each fall. The 48,000 acre area was designated as a preserve in 1982. The Haines Highway is the only road access to Haines. The 152 mile highway travels from Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon in Canada where it connects with the Alaska Highway and continental highway system.
    Haines Highway realignment.jpg
  • The Alaska Department of Transportation is proposing to widen and realign a 21.8-mile section of the two-lane Haines Highway (AK 7) near Haines, Alaska and bring the road up to federal highway standards. The department’s goal is to widen the highway, replace the Chilkat River Bridge, help control landslides and bring the speed limit up from 50 to 55 mph by straightening curves, like this curve at mile 17 of the highway. Much of the rural highway travels through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve. <br />
<br />
Some Haines residents worry about the impact the straightening will have on a 15-mile section of the road through the preserve. Bald eagle perching and roosting trees, wetlands and salmon spawning habitat and cultural sites could potentially be affected. The straightening of the curve shown is one of the curves which would require significant work including wetland mitigation and stream relocation.<br />
<br />
The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the location of one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world each fall. The 48,000 acre area was designated as a preserve in 1982. The Haines Highway is the only road access to Haines. The 152 mile highway travels from Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon in Canada where it connects with the Alaska Highway and continental highway system.
    Haines Highway realignment-2.jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow of the aurora borealis dances in the upper atmosphere above Mt. Emmerich and other peaks in the Chilkat Range at the Chilkat Inlet for the Chilkat River just outside Haines, Alaska. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow of the aurora borealis dances in the upper atmosphere above Mt. Emmerich and other peaks in the Chilkat Range at the Chilkat Inlet for the Chilkat River just outside Haines, Alaska. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Sinclair Mountain and other mountains in the Kakuhan Range at Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • Sun rises on Denali and the Alaska Range as seen from Wonder Lake in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Denali is North America's tallest peak at 20,310 feet and towers over 18,000 feet above the surrounding lowlands. Other mountain peaks pictured include: Mount Brooks, Mount Silverthrone, Mount Tatum, and Mount Carpe. SPECIAL NOTE: This image is a panorama composite consisting of multiple overlapping images stitched together.
    Denali sunrise panorama 9.jpg
  • Sun rises on Denali and the Alaska Range as seen from Wonder Lake in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Also pictured is the setting moon, above Denali. Denali is North America's tallest peak at 20,310 feet and towers over 18,000 feet above the surrounding lowlands. Other mountain peaks pictured include: Mount Brooks, Mount Silverthrone, Mount Tatum, Mount Carpe and Mount Foraker. SPECIAL NOTE: This image is a panorama composite consisting of multiple overlapping images stitched together.
    Denali sunrise moon panorama.jpg
  • A bald eagle awaits sunrise as the moon sets at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Bald eagle with setting moon.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Alaska Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
Mountainsides that were held strong by the heavy ice of glaciers become weak when the glaciers retreat. Erosion along with earthquakes are triggers that can cause the weakened slopes to collapse.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide-4.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Anchorage Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide-5.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Alaska Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
Mountainsides that were held strong by the heavy ice of glaciers become weak when the glaciers retreat. Erosion along with earthquakes are triggers that can cause the weakened slopes to collapse.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide-2.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Anchorage Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide.jpg
  • Dylan Burbank, a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), gently pours the fertilized eggs onto a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic in the incubation boxes. The boxes are located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • David Campbell, a fish technician for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), gently pours the fertilized eggs onto a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic in the incubation boxes. The boxes are located on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • Once the chum salmon roe and milt are mixed together, the milt begins to foam. A small amount of water is added and the roe and milt are gently mixed by hand. Then the roe is rinsed with the fresh water from Herman Creek. <br />
<br />
After mixing the roe with the milt, the roe is placed in the incubation boxes over a bed of loosely ground chunks of plastic. The incubation boxes have a steady flow of fresh water from Herman Creek flowing through them. Over the winter the fertilized eggs will develop into fry. The incubation process is 100% natural. Fry are not fed. Once they are big enough, the fish leave the incubation boxes on their own.<br />
<br />
The non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), fertilizes chum salmon roe with milt collected from chum salmon captured at the man-made spawning channels at Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska.  <br />
<br />
In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • David Campbell (left) and Dylan Burbank, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), inspect roe from a female chum salmon captured on the man-made spawning channel of Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska.  <br />
<br />
NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
It is important to remove bad eggs to keep the fish healthy while in the incubation boxes.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • David Campbell (left) and Dylan Burbank, fish technicians for the non-profit Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), use a large net to catch chum salmon in a man-made spawning channel near Herman Creek located near Haines, Alaska. <br />
<br />
NSRAA built the channel to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes on Herman Creek and the Klehini River. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into these incubation boxes. The 2013 incubation box survival rate was 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%.<br />
<br />
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon.<br />
<br />
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn. <br />
<br />
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    NSRAA chum salmon artificial spawnin...jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-2.jpg
  • One step of the restoration of the fire hall located on the grounds of historic Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska included having to raise and level the existing building. Using 22 jacks to support the building, the entire building was raised approximately 6 inches. This allowed for the removal of rotten wood and the adding of a stem wall to the foundation.<br />
<br />
This photo shows the tower portion resting on a new cement stem wall that was added to the original three-foot deep concrete anchor pad. Corner rods are original to the building’s tower. They are imbedded in the original anchor pad. Two additional new actors were added in each corner with safety-ties for added stability for the hight of the restored tower.<br />
<br />
The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall renovation-4.jpg
  • This tobacco tin was found in the interior of a sealed wall during the restoration of the fire hall, located on the grounds of the former U.S. Army post, Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
According to the National Historic Landmarks register the fort was "established by Executive Order on December 31, 1898, and first known as Haines Mission, Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot.<br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall renovation-11.jpg
  • This is how the fire hall located on the grounds of historic Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska looked before the the two-year restoration was begun on the buildling built around 1904. The original 60-foot tower was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the restored fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall renovation-22.jpg
  • The Saksaia Glacier sits at the top of the Glacier Creek valley near the location of the potential mine site being explored by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. The area of exploration, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway and the Porcupine placer gold mining area near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company.<br />
<br />
If approved and developed, the mine would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine.<br />
<br />
Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini and Chilkat River. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. At times more than 3,000 eagles have been recorded at the primary gathering area for the fall chum salmon run.
    Saksaia Glacier 1.jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Sinclair Mountain and other mountains in the Kakuhan Range at Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen. *** EDITORS NOTE: Boulders in foreground were lit with a flashlight during time exposure***
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • Snow and ice on the Snow Goose Pool Complex at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Pond scene, Loess Bluffs NWR-2.jpg
  • An injured coyote makes his way across the frozen and snow covered pond of the Snow Goose Complex at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Coyote at Loess Bluffs-3.jpg
  • An injured coyote makes his way across the frozen and snow covered pond of the Snow Goose Complex at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Coyote at Loess Bluffs-2.jpg
  • A small creek is partially frozen in the North Woods section of the Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    North Woods creek.jpg
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