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  • A detail of one of the few remaining buildings still standing in the town of Ballarat.<br />
<br />
Ballarat is a ghost town located in the Panamint Valley near Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1897. Ballarat served prospectors and miners working in the nearby Panamint mountain range. At its height it had 400-500 residents, but by 1917 the Ballarat was mostly abandoned. In one of the abandoned buildings is graffiti rumored to have been placed there by murderer Charles Manson sometime in the 1960s when Manson and the “Manson Family” lived at a nearby ranch. Ballarat was also the location for a scene from the movie Easy Rider. Today, only a few buildings remain, along with a cemetery which includes the grave of prospector Charles Ferge, also known as Seldom Seen Slim.
    Detail of abandoned building, Ballar...jpg
  • One of the few remaining buildings still standing in the town of Ballarat.<br />
<br />
Ballarat is a ghost town located in the Panamint Valley near Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1897. Ballarat served prospectors and miners working in the nearby Panamint mountain range. At its height it had 400-500 residents, but by 1917 the Ballarat was mostly abandoned. In one of the abandoned buildings is graffiti rumored to have been placed there by murderer Charles Manson sometime in the 1960s when Manson and the “Manson Family” lived at a nearby ranch. Ballarat was also the location for a scene from the movie Easy Rider. Today, only a few buildings remain, along with a cemetery which includes the grave of prospector Charles Ferge, also known as Seldom Seen S
    Abandoned building, Ballarat.jpg
  • This abandoned building sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm building.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin-4.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin-7.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin-5.jpg
  • Visitors to Ballarat have left coins on the grave of local prospector Charles Ferge, also known as Seldom Seen Slim.<br />
<br />
Ballarat is a ghost town located in the Panamint Valley near Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1897. Ballarat served prospectors and miners working in the nearby Panamint mountain range. At its height it had 400-500 residents, but by 1917 the Ballarat was mostly abandoned. In one of the abandoned buildings is graffiti rumored to have been placed there by murderer Charles Manson sometime in the 1960s when Manson and the “Manson Family” lived at a nearby ranch. Ballarat was also the location for a scene from the movie Easy Rider. Today, only a few buildings remain.
    Grave of Charles Ferge aka Seldom Se...jpg
  • A damaged statue stands at a grave in the cemetery at Ballarat.<br />
<br />
Ballarat is a ghost town located in the Panamint Valley near Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1897. Ballarat served prospectors and miners working in the nearby Panamint mountain range. At its height it had 400-500 residents, but by 1917 the Ballarat was mostly abandoned. In one of the abandoned buildings is graffiti rumored to have been placed there by murderer Charles Manson sometime in the 1960s when Manson and the “Manson Family” lived at a nearby ranch. Ballarat was also the location for a scene from the movie Easy Rider. Today, only a few buildings remain, along with a cemetery which includes the grave of prospector Charles Ferge, also known as Seldom Seen Slim.
    Cemetery statue.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin-6.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin-3.jpg
  • In one of the abandoned buildings of Ballarat is graffiti rumored to have been placed there by murderer Charles Manson sometime in the 1960s when Manson and the “Manson Family” lived at a nearby ranch. <br />
<br />
Ballarat is a ghost town located in the Panamint Valley near Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1897. Ballarat served prospectors and miners working in the nearby Panamint mountain range. At its height it had 400-500 residents, but by 1917 the Ballarat was mostly abandoned. Ballarat was the location for a scene from the movie Easy Rider. Today, only a few buildings remain, along with a cemetery which includes the grave of prospector Charles Ferge, also known as Seldom Seen Slim.
    Charles Manson graffiti.jpg
  • An cart used in mining rusts in the town of Ballarat.<br />
<br />
Ballarat is a ghost town located in the Panamint Valley near Death Valley National Park. The town was established in 1897. Ballarat served prospectors and miners working in the nearby Panamint mountain range. At its height it had 400-500 residents, but by 1917 the Ballarat was mostly abandoned. In one of the abandoned buildings is graffiti rumored to have been placed there by murderer Charles Manson sometime in the 1960s when Manson and the “Manson Family” lived at a nearby ranch. Ballarat was also the location for a scene from the movie Easy Rider. Today, only a few buildings remain, along with a cemetery which includes the grave of prospector Charles Ferge, also known as Seldom Seen Slim.
    Rusted mining cart.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin-2.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Fox farm cabin.jpg
  • The abandoned ruins of the Welch Hospital sit next to Welch Spring along the Current River, located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The two-story hospital was developed as a health resort for people affected by asthma. It was believed that patients could be helped by the cool, pollen-free air from the cave. The hospital ceased operations in 1940 with the death of its owner, Dr. Christian Diehl. Welch Spring delivers an average daily flow of 78.2 million gallons of crystal clear water to the Current River.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Additionally, there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Welch Hospital and Welch Spring.jpg
  • The abandoned ruins of the Welch Hospital sit next to Welch Spring along the Current River, located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The two-story hospital was developed as a health resort for people affected by asthma. It was believed that patients could be helped by the cool, pollen-free air from the cave. The hospital ceased operations in 1940 with the death of its owner, Dr. Christian Diehl. Welch Spring delivers an average daily flow of 78.2 million gallons of crystal clear water to the Current River.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Additionally, there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Welch Hospital-2.jpg
  • An abandoned log cabin sits in the woods near Pulltite Spring along the Current River, one of two rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri. The cabin (note the vertical log construction) was built as a “retreat” for early 20th century visitors who came to float the Current River. The Current River is the most spring-fed of all the rivers in the Missouri Ozarks. The river is a favorite with paddlers who enjoy the cold crystal clear water from springs that feed the Current River, including Cave Spring, Pulltite Spring, Round Spring, Blue Spring, and Big Spring. The scenic river is lined with rock ledges, caves, gravel bars and bluffs.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Additionally, there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Pulltite cabin-2.jpg
  • A visitor looks at the abandoned log cabin near Pulltite Spring along the Current River, one of two rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri. The cabin (note the vertical log construction) was built as a “retreat” for early 20th century visitors who came to float the Current River. The Current River is the most spring-fed of all the rivers in the Missouri Ozarks. The river is a favorite with paddlers who enjoy the cold crystal clear water from springs that feed the Current River, including Cave Spring, Pulltite Spring, Round Spring, Blue Spring, and Big Spring. The scenic river is lined with rock ledges, caves, gravel bars and bluffs.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Additionally, there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Pulltite Cabin.jpg
  • The abandoned ruins of the Welch Hospital sit next to Welch Spring along the Current River, located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The two-story hospital was developed as a health resort for people affected by asthma. It was believed that patients could be helped by the cool, pollen-free air from the cave. The hospital ceased operations in 1940 with the death of its owner, Dr. Christian Diehl. Welch Spring delivers an average daily flow of 78.2 million gallons of crystal clear water to the Current River.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Additionally, there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Welch Hospital.jpg
  • Morning sunrise light bathes the Lower Fox Creek School, a one-room schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The building had been completed in 1882 with the first school semester beginning on September 1, 1884. Average enrollment was between 1-19 students that included all grades. The school was closed in 1930. In 1968 the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas renovated the building. The school is on the National Register of Historic Places. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of 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. The 10,894-acre preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls.
    Lower Fox Creek School-3.jpg
  • In a dense grove of bamboo in the  Hanakapiai Valley lies the remains of a stone chimney of a coffee mill from the late 19th century. The remnants can be seen on the trail to Hanakapiai Falls in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. The 120 foot falls are reached by way of a two mile primitive side trail off the Kalalau Trail which runs along the Na Pali coast on the northern shore of the island of Kauai in Hawaii. From the Kalalau trailhead at Kee Beach in Haena State Park, the strenuous hike is eight miles roundtrip.
    Coffee mill.jpg
  • The abandoned ruins of the Welch Hospital sit next to Welch Spring along the Current River, located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The two-story hospital was developed as a health resort for people affected by asthma. It was believed that patients could be helped by the cool, pollen-free air from the cave. The hospital ceased operations in 1940 with the death of its owner, Dr. Christian Diehl. Welch Spring delivers an average daily flow of 78.2 million gallons of crystal clear water to the Current River.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Additionally, there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Welch Hospital and Spring, Current R...jpg
  • Pictured is the cornerstone of the abandoned Clements Stone Arch Bridge over the Cottonwood River is located in the Kansas Flint Hills approximately 1/2 mile south of Clements, south of highway US 50 near the Flying W Ranch in Chase County. The bridge with its massive 28 foot double arches is the largest and one of the oldest limestone bridges in Kansas. Built in 1886 though not completed until 1888, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the bridge no longer carries traffic and seems out of place now that the road over the bridge ends up into a pasture.
    Clements Stone Arch Bridge cornersto...jpg
  • An adult member of the Grant Creek wolf pack looks at other adult members of the pack as the pack was traveling near Stony Creek in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Grant Creek wolf pack of Denali National Park and Preserve has been described as one of the most visible and photographed group of wolves in the world as the pack’s home range includes the park road that bisects much of the vast six million acre park.<br />
<br />
In May of 2012, The Los Angeles Times wrote about the deaths of the two primary breeding females of the pack. The death of one of these females was the result of being snared by a trapper just outside the park boundary. According to the story a trapper shot an aging horse near its death and used it as bait to lure and fatally snare the female radio-collared wolf and a male wolf. It is unknown if the male wolf was part of the Grant Creek wolf pack. The wolf kills were within a former no-wolf-killing zone that had been established by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game because the zone was surrounded on three sides by park land. In 2010, the regulation expired and the board of the department declined to retain the special area designation.<br />
<br />
What makes the loss of this female troubling to advocates of the no-wolf-kill zone is that the female wolf was believed to be the only remaining primary breeding female wolf in the Grant Creek pack. Earlier this spring, the only other primary breeding female of the pack was found dead of natural causes within park boundaries. In November of 2012 the Fairbanks News-Miner reported that researchers found that the Grant Creek Pack didn't produce pups in 2012, their den abandoned and the pack split up.<br />
<br />
For the entire park, the number of wolves counted was the lowest in 25 years, down from 143 in 2007 to 57 this year.
    Grant Creek wolf pack wolf 1.jpg
  • Unnamed waterfall on Dunloup Creek near the abandoned mining town of Thurmond, in the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve in West Virginia.
    Waterfall on Dunloup Creek.jpg
  • The National Bank of Thurmond located in the mostly abandoned town of Thurmond, West Virginia is part of the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve. During the height of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a properous town with banks and other businesses.
    National Bank of Thurmond.jpg
  • The abandoned Clements Stone Arch Bridge over the Cottonwood River is located in the Kansas Flint Hills approximately 1/2 mile south of Clements, south of highway US 50 near the Flying W Ranch in Chase County. The bridge with its massive 28 foot double arches is the largest and one of the oldest limestone bridges in Kansas. Built in 1886 though not completed until 1888, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the bridge no longer carries traffic and seems out of place now that the road over the bridge ends up into a pasture.
    Clements Stone Arch Bridge-4.jpg
  • The abandoned Clements Stone Arch Bridge over the Cottonwood River is located in the Kansas Flint Hills approximately 1/2 mile south of Clements, south of highway US 50 near the Flying W Ranch in Chase County. The bridge with its massive 28 foot double arches is the largest and one of the oldest limestone bridges in Kansas. Built in 1886 though not completed until 1888, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the bridge no longer carries traffic and seems out of place now that the road over the bridge ends up into a pasture.
    Clements Stone Arch Bridge-3.jpg
  • The abandoned Clements Stone Arch Bridge over the Cottonwood River is located in the Kansas Flint Hills approximately 1/2 mile south of Clements, south of highway US 50 near the Flying W Ranch in Chase County. The bridge with its massive 28 foot double arches is the largest and one of the oldest limestone bridges in Kansas. Built in 1886 though not completed until 1888, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the bridge no longer carries traffic and seems out of place now that the road over the bridge ends up into a pasture.
    Clements Stone Arch Bridge.jpg
  • An adult member of the Grant Creek wolf pack looks at other adult members of the pack as the pack was traveling near Stony Creek in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Grant Creek wolf pack of Denali National Park and Preserve has been described as one of the most visible and photographed group of wolves in the world as the pack’s home range includes the park road that bisects much of the vast six million acre park.<br />
<br />
In May of 2012, The Los Angeles Times wrote about the deaths of the two primary breeding females of the pack. The death of one of these females was the result of being snared by a trapper just outside the park boundary. According to the story a trapper shot an aging horse near its death and used it as bait to lure and fatally snare the female radio-collared wolf and a male wolf. It is unknown if the male wolf was part of the Grant Creek wolf pack. The wolf kills were within a former no-wolf-killing zone that had been established by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game because the zone was surrounded on three sides by park land. In 2010, the regulation expired and the board of the department declined to retain the special area designation.<br />
<br />
What makes the loss of this female troubling to advocates of the no-wolf-kill zone is that the female wolf was believed to be the only remaining primary breeding female wolf in the Grant Creek pack. Earlier this spring, the only other primary breeding female of the pack was found dead of natural causes within park boundaries. In November of 2012 the Fairbanks News-Miner reported that researchers found that the Grant Creek Pack didn't produce pups in 2012, their den abandoned and the pack split up.<br />
<br />
For the entire park, the number of wolves counted was the lowest in 25 years, down from 143 in 2007 to 57 this year.
    Grant Creek wolf pack wolf 2.jpg
  • Unnamed waterfall on Dunloup Creek near the abandoned mining town of Thurmond, in the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve in West Virginia.
    Waterfall on Dunloup Creek.jpg
  • The restored train station at the mostly abandoned town of Thurmond, West Virginia also serves as a visitor center for the National Park Service. The Thurmond historical district is part of the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve. During the height of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a properous town with banks and other businesses.
    Thurmond Station-2.jpg
  • he bright, green color of lungwort (Lobaria pulmonaria) is an indication that it is saturated with water. This lichen was photographed near the abandoned fox farm in the Beardslee Islands of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The presence of lungwort is an indicator of a rich, healthy ecosystem. Lungwort is sensitive to air pollution.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. 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.
    Lungwort.jpg
  • Klepzig Mill is an abandoned small water turbine grist and sawmill located on Rocky Creek at Mill Mountain Shut-in. The mill is located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, near Eminence, Mo.. Klepzig Mill was built by Walter Klepzig before 1912. In the 1940’s Klepzig Mill was used to generate electricity for a nearby farmstead. The mill's construction is typical of the mills of the area having been built of sawn boards with no framing, known as a “sawmill house” style.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Additionally there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Klepzig Mill-2.jpg
  • Klepzig Mill is an abandoned small water turbine grist and sawmill located on Rocky Creek at Mill Mountain Shut-in. The mill is located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, near Eminence, Mo.. Klepzig Mill was built by Walter Klepzig before 1912. In the 1940’s Klepzig Mill was used to generate electricity for a nearby farmstead. The mill's construction is typical of the mills of the area having been built of sawn boards with no framing, known as a “sawmill house” style.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Additionally there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Klepzig Mill.jpg
  • Close up of the stones of the abandoned Clements Stone Arch Bridge over the Cottonwood River is located in the Kansas Flint Hills approximately 1/2 mile south of Clements, south of highway US 50 near the Flying W Ranch in Chase County. The bridge with its massive 28 foot double arches is the largest and one of the oldest limestone bridges in Kansas. Built in 1886 though not completed until 1888, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the bridge no longer carries traffic and seems out of place now that the road over the bridge ends up into a pasture.
    Clements Stone Arch Bridge stones.jpg
  • The abandoned Clements Stone Arch Bridge over the Cottonwood River is located in the Kansas Flint Hills approximately 1/2 mile south of Clements, south of highway US 50 near the Flying W Ranch in Chase County. The bridge with its massive 28 foot double arches is the largest and one of the oldest limestone bridges in Kansas. Built in 1886 though not completed until 1888, the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Today, the bridge no longer carries traffic and seems out of place now that the road over the bridge ends up into a pasture.
    Clements Stone Arch Bridge.jpg
  • The restored train station at the mostly abandoned town of Thurmond, West Virginia also serves as a visitor center for the National Park Service. The Thurmond historical district is part of the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve. During the height of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a properous town with banks and other businesses.
    Thurmond Station.jpg
  • The National Bank of Thurmond (left) and other buildings located in the mostly abandoned town of Thurmond, West Virginia is part of the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve. During the height of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a properous town with banks and other businesses.
    National Bank of Thurmond-2.jpg
  • Litter next to an unnamed waterfall on Dunloup Creek near the abandoned mining town of Thurmond, in the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve in West Virginia.
    Litter.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
  • Connelly Lake (center) is a 90-acre alpine lake near Haines, Alaska that drains into the Chilkoot River. Connelly Lake is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T). AP&T proposes to build a dam at the outlet of Connelly Lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. Concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat, and bald eagles. The eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. A hydro aquatic studies report prepared by the Shipley Group states that according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 41 percent of the sockeye salmon in the upper Lynn Canal come from the Chilkoot River with 25 percent of those salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River drainage above Chilkoot Lake. The value of the fishery is estimated at more than $1,000,000 annually. AP&T announced in June 2013 that it was putting the project on hold citing difficulty securing funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the lack of community support. Despite these setbacks AP&T says that it not abandoning pursuing the project. In early September 2013, the Haines Borough announced that it was exploring possibly filing for a preliminary permit now that the project was no longer being pursued by AP&T. This photo of the ice and snow covered Connelly Lake was taken in mid-July.
    Connelly Lake, Chilkoot River - 1.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.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
  • Snow-covered Connelly Lake (foreground left) is a 90-acre alpine lake near Haines, Alaska that drains into the Chilkoot River (right). Connelly Lake is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T). AP&T proposes to build a dam at the outlet of Connelly Lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. Concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat, and bald eagles. The eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. A hydro aquatic studies report prepared by the Shipley Group states that according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 41 percent of the sockeye salmon in the upper Lynn Canal come from the Chilkoot River with 25 percent of those salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River drainage above Chilkoot Lake. The value of the fishery is estimated at more than $1,000,000 annually. AP&T announced in June 2013 that it was putting the project on hold citing difficulty securing funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the lack of community support. Despite these setbacks AP&T says that it not abandoning pursuing the project. In early September 2013, the Haines Borough announced that it was exploring possibly filing for a preliminary permit now that the project was no longer being pursued by AP&T. The large lake in the background is Chilkoot Lake.
    Connelly Lake, Chilkoot River - 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-6.jpg
  • Steller sea lions jump into the Lynn Canal waters from the Gran Point haulout (first photo of three photo sequence). Steller sea lions often jump into water as a reaction to noise or movement.<br />
<br />
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.<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 jump from haulout ...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
  • Snow-covered Connelly Lake (far left) is a 90-acre alpine lake near Haines, Alaska that drains into the Chilkoot River (right). Connelly Lake is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T). AP&T proposes to build a dam at the outlet of Connelly Lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. Concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat, and bald eagles. The eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. A hydro aquatic studies report prepared by the Shipley Group states that according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 41 percent of the sockeye salmon in the upper Lynn Canal come from the Chilkoot River with 25 percent of those salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River drainage above Chilkoot Lake. The value of the fishery is estimated at more than $1,000,000 annually. AP&T announced in June 2013 that it was putting the project on hold citing difficulty securing funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the lack of community support. Despite these setbacks AP&T says that it not abandoning pursuing the project. In early September 2013, the Haines Borough announced that it was exploring possibly filing for a preliminary permit now that the project was no longer being pursued by AP&T. The large lake in the background is Chilkoot Lake. Beyond Chilkoot Lake is Lutak Inlet of the Lynn Canal.
    Connelly Lake, Chilkoot River - 2.jpg
  • Steller sea lions jump into the Lynn Canal waters from the Gran Point haulout (third photo of three photo sequence). Steller sea lions often jump into water as a reaction to noise or movement.<br />
<br />
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.<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 jump from haulout ...jpg
  • Steller sea lions jump into the Lynn Canal waters from the Gran Point haulout (second photo of three photo sequence). Steller sea lions often jump into water as a reaction to noise or movement.<br />
<br />
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.<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 jump from haulout ...jpg
  • The Chilkoot River corridor between Chilkoot Lake (upper left) and Lutak Inlet of the Lynn Canal (bottom right) is a popular sport fishing spot and a culturally important Tlingit historic site. The river area is also popular with grizzly bears who also come for the salmon who spawn in the Chilkoot River. While this concentration of bears makes for exciting bear viewing for visitors, the narrow corridor in which humans and bears must pass can lead to dangerous encounters. The Alaska Legislature has approved $1 million for a bear-viewing platform aimed at reducing encounters between bears and visitors to the scenic corridor. This area is part of the popular Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site. In the upper reaches of the Chilkoot River Valley (not pictured) there have been proposals to dam the outlet of Connelly Lake, a high alpine lake above the Chilkoot River, for a hydroelectric project. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. Alaska Power and Telephone announced in June 2013 that it was putting the project on hold citing difficulty securing funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the lack of community support. Despite these setbacks AP&T says that it not abandoning pursuing the project. In early September 2013, the Haines Borough announced that it was exploring possibly filing for a preliminary permit now that the project was no longer being pursued by AP&T.
    Chilkoot River aerial.jpg