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  • Visitors to the Flint Hills Discovery Center watch the 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as smoke, fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen at the $24.4 million center, located in Manhattan, Kansas. This scene in the movie depicts fireflies (also known as lightning bugs) flickering in the early evening light on the 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. Other attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: 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. 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. 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 immersi...jpg
  • Visitors to the Flint Hills Discovery Center watch the 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as smoke, fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen at the $24.4 million center, located in Manhattan, Kansas. This scene in the movie depicts the important role that fire plays in preserving the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. 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. Other attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: 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. 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. 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 immersi...jpg
  • Visitors to the Flint Hills Discovery Center watch the 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as smoke, fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen at the $24.4 million center, located in Manhattan, Kansas. This scene in the movie depicts the important role that fire plays in preserving the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. 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. Other attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: 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. 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. 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 immersi...jpg
  • The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska, with four salmon runs, starting in mid-June and ending in mid-October. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. It is managed by Alaska State Parks. In the upper reaches of the Chilkoot River Valley (not pictured) Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T) proposes to dam the outlet of Connelly Lake, a high alpine lake above the Chilkoot River, for a hydroelectric project. Water from Connelly Lake would be delivered down the mountain to a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. The Connelly Lake Hydro Aquatic Studies Report for 2012 prepared by the Shipley Group for AP&T 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 wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway.
    Chilkoot River fishermen 1.jpg
  • The sun envelopes the Chilkat River valley following a snowstorm in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. One of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world occurs in November along the Chilkat River. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. In the background is Four Winds Mountain. Mountains in the Haines area are a popular destination for heli-skiing.
    Four Winds Mountain snow scene 1.jpg
  • The moon sets over Four Winds Mountain during sunrise in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. One of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world occurs in November along the Chilkat River. A close examination of this photo shows approximately 66 bald eagles on the Chilkat River gravel bar. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    Setting moon on Four Winds Mountain.jpg
  • Ice slowly begins to form on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During November and December several thousand bald eagles come to the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers 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. The mountain the background is Four Winds Mountain. Mountains in the Haines area are a popular destination for heli-skiing.
    Four Winds Mountain snow scene 3.jpg
  • Ice slowly begins to form on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During November and December several thousand bald eagles come to the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers 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. The mountain the background is Four Winds Mountain. Mountains in the Haines area are a popular destination for heli-skiing.
    Four Winds Mountain snow scene 2.jpg
  • Students Heidi Kattenhorn (left), Maggie Martin (second left) and Allison Stuart (far right) along with Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director (center), count bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) along the Chilkat River, near Haines, Alaska. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. 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 count - 12.jpg
  • Students (left to right) Allison Stuart, Heidi Kattenhorn and Maggie Martin, pose above the banks of the Klehini River for a photo being taken by Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director to be used in their presentation on bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. 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 count - 32.jpg
  • Photographers capture the sunrise on the ice-laden Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. Photographers from around the world come to the Chilkat River to photograph bald eagles. During November and December several thousand bald eagles are seen along the river allowing for ample opportunities to photograph the birds along with beautiful scenery that the area offers. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    Chilkat River sunrise photographers.jpg
  • Beachcombers walk the beach at the Gustavus ferry dock during low tide. Gustavus is a tiny town in southeast Alaska located on the Icy Straight next to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Pictured in the background is Excursion Ridge.
    Ferry dock beach view.jpg
  • Death Valley National Park is a favorite for landscape photographers, particularly at sunrise and sunset. Here photographers are silhouetted against the rising sun at the Mesquite Sand Dunes. The Mesquite 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 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.<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.
    Silhouetted photographers at sunrise...jpg
  • Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, reviews the structure for an upcoming presentation by students who are conducting a weekly count of bald eagles as part of their citizen science project at the Haines School. Students pictured are (left to right) Allison Stuart, Heidi Kattenhorn, and Maggie Martin. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. 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 count - 10.jpg
  • Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director and students, Allison Stuart, Heidi Kattenhorn and Maggie Martin pose for a class photo above the banks of the Klehini River where they earlier were conducting a count of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. 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 count - 33.jpg
  • Students (left to right) Maggie Martin, Allison Stuart, Heidi Kattenhorn, and Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, walk to their bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) spotting location on the Klehini River Bridge, near the Porcupine Crossing turnoff to count bald eagles. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. 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 count - 25.jpg
  • Students (left to right) Heidi Kattenhorn, Allison Stuart and Maggie Martin have a playful moment catching snow flakes during a lull in the counting of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) from the Klehini River Bridge, near the Porcupine Crossing turnoff. Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, double checks to make sure she hasn’t missed any eagles. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. 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 count - 27.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (center) prepares to open the wings of a juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) so it may be photographed. Photos of a juvenile bald eagle’s molting, particularly in the head and tail feathers, can help determine its age before it reaches maturity due to the sequential molting pattern eagles experience during the first five years of their life. Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (left), is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Assisting is Dr. Chris Wilmers, associate professor, University of California Santa Cruz (right). Watching the procedure is Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (second from left). The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . 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 migration research - 31.jpg
  • Once leg snare and net launcher traps to catch bald eagles are set, it is a matter of waiting -- and waiting. On some days no eagles were caught, on others, only one or two were caught. The eagles were being caught as part of a research study being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is studying the migration of bald eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. Once caught, solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) are attached to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. The eagles are then released back into the wild. Pictured here on the bank of the Chilkat River (left to right) are Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska,  Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz, Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Wheat. 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 migration research - 42.jpg
  • Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska, comforts a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Ford was assisting Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (back to camera) and Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (not pictured), in the processing of eagles Wheat is studying. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. Helping with the recording of measurements taken of the bald eagle is Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director (left). The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . 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 migration research - 28.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left) explains how he wants to position a juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) for a photograph that will help determine the age of the bald eagle. Photos of a juvenile bald eagle’s molting, particularly in the head and tail feathers, can help determine its age before it reaches maturity due to the sequential molting pattern eagles experience during the first five years of their life. Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (second from left), is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Assisting with the holding of the bald eagle is Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (center) and Dr. Chris Wilmers, associate professor University of California Santa Cruz (right). The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . 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 migration research - 29.jpg
  • Little remains of the Tlingit village located in the area of the Chilkoot River now known as the Chilkoot River Corridor, between Chilkoot Lake and Lutak Inlet. In the 1860’s there were 30 houses on the west bank of the river, with additional houses on the east bank, near what is know known today as the Chilkoot Cultural Camp. Landslides and Western diseases took its toll on inhabitants. Only four tribal houses and nine smaller houses remained by 1895. <br />
<br />
In the 1950’s a road was constructed through the village to Chilkoot Lake. Today the area is known as the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area. <br />
<br />
This image is of a tombstone in a cemetery near the cultural camp. Today, forest keeps this tombstone and others like it in this cemetery hidden. Another cemetery near the entrance to the the corridor is more visible. In 1971, Tlingit people were outraged when the Alaska Department of Transportation bulldozed a roadway that unearthed remains. That work included the dynamiting of a scared site known as Deer Rock.
    Chilkoot River cemetery tombstone.jpg
  • A grizzly bear is surrounded by tourists at the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska. The bear was trying to access the nearby hillside following eating salmon on the river.  <br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears. This image is a good representation of the problem.<br />
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Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.
    Grizzly bear escapes from tourists a...jpg
  • Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, leads a group of visitors on a tour of the prairie on a fall day in October. 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.
    Prairie tour.jpg
  • Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, leads a group of visitors on a tour of the prairie using the park's tour bus on a fall day in October. 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.
    Visitor bus.jpg
  • The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska, with four salmon runs, starting in mid-June and ending in mid-October. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. It is managed by Alaska State Parks. In the upper reaches of the Chilkoot River Valley (not pictured) Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T) proposes to dam the outlet of Connelly Lake, a high alpine lake above the Chilkoot River, for a hydroelectric project. Water from Connelly Lake would be delivered down the mountain to a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. The Connelly Lake Hydro Aquatic Studies Report for 2012 prepared by the Shipley Group for AP&T 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. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. AP&T wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway.
    Chilkoot River fishermen 2.jpg
  • Heather Brown, Chief of Interpretation at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, leads a group of visitors on a tour of the prairie on a fall day in October. 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.
    Prairie hike.jpg
  • Prairie grass is 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. 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.
    Prairie sunrise 1.jpg
  • Prairie grass is 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. 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.
    Prairie sunrise 2.jpg
  • Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills, like this prairie hilltop in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. 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. The prairie has survived here because the soil is heavily laden with limestone and chert (commonly called flint) making it unsuitable for plowing. This rocky soil, combined with a cycle of wildfires and animal grazing has preserved the tallgrass prairie. 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.
    prescribed burn, prairie hilltop.jpg
  • This undated photo of Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska, shows the original fire hall tower on the grounds of the former U.S. Army post. To the right of the fire hall is the fort's guardhouse as soldier’s march on the fort’s parade field.<br />
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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 />
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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 historical pho...jpg
  • Eden Falls is a series of four waterfalls that plummet 170 feet down the limestone bluffs located along Clark Creek on the Lost Valley Trail near the Buffalo River and Ponca, <br />
<br />
The 150-mile Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was the first river in the United States to receive the designation as a National River. The Buffalo National River, encompasses 135 miles of the river which is managed by the National Park Service. The river is a popular canoeing, kayaking, camping, and fishing destination. Popular destinations in the national river’s boundaries include; Lost Valley, Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls (the highest waterfall between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, Indian Rockhouse, numerous caves and over 500-foot tall bluffs. The area is also home to Arkansas’ only elk herd.
    Eden Falls-5.jpg
  • Eden Falls is a series of four waterfalls that plummet 170 feet down the limestone bluffs located along Clark Creek on the Lost Valley Trail near the Buffalo River and Ponca, <br />
<br />
The 150-mile Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was the first river in the United States to receive the designation as a National River. The Buffalo National River, encompasses 135 miles of the river which is managed by the National Park Service. The river is a popular canoeing, kayaking, camping, and fishing destination. Popular destinations in the national river’s boundaries include; Lost Valley, Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls (the highest waterfall between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, Indian Rockhouse, numerous caves and over 500-foot tall bluffs. The area is also home to Arkansas’ only elk herd.
    Eden Falls-4.jpg
  • Eden Falls is a series of four waterfalls that plummet 170 feet down the limestone bluffs located along Clark Creek on the Lost Valley Trail near the Buffalo River and Ponca, <br />
<br />
The 150-mile Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was the first river in the United States to receive the designation as a National River. The Buffalo National River, encompasses 135 miles of the river which is managed by the National Park Service. The river is a popular canoeing, kayaking, camping, and fishing destination. Popular destinations in the national river’s boundaries include; Lost Valley, Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls (the highest waterfall between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, Indian Rockhouse, numerous caves and over 500-foot tall bluffs. The area is also home to Arkansas’ only elk herd.
    Eden Falls.jpg
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • An adult bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) attacks an immature (juvenile) bald eagle feeding on a salmon carcass on the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. It takes four to five years for a bald eagle to develop the distinctive white head, tail and yellow beak. 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.
    Adult bald eagle attacks immature ea...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
  • A lone cottonwood tree 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 4.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 3.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 8.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 9.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 10.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 12.jpg
  • Prairie grasses, wildflowers and a cottonwood tree are bathed in the dawn light moments before a 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.
    Prairie sunrise 4.jpg
  • New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, 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 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.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...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
  • 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 2.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers light up during a fall sunset 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.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • The pappus of dotted gayfeather contain the seeds for the plant as seen on this hillside on a fall afternoon in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The plant's taproot can be up to 15 feet deep. Native American's used the plant for medicinal purposes and food. 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.
    Dotted gayfeather.jpg
  • A hiker hikes one of the several trails cut through the tallgrass prairie and rolling hills of 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.
    Fall tallgrass prairie hiker.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 11.jpg
  • Prairie grasses, wildflowers, and a cottonwood tree are bathed in the dawn light moments before a 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.
    Prairie sunrise 5.jpg
  • Salt Creek pupfish also known as Death Valley pupfish are only found in the Salt Creek drainage of Death Valley National Park. Pictured in this image are a male (top) and a female (bottom) during spring mating season in Salt Creek. During mating season, the male and female fish do a quivering, side-by-side dance that results in fertilized eggs. <br />
<br />
The fish, listed as endangered, are thought to have been part of the fish that inhabited in Lake Manly which dried up during the last Ice age. The fish can survive in water four times more saline than ocean water, and in temperatures from 116 °F to freezing.<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.
    Salt Creek Pupfish mating-2.jpg
  • Salt Creek pupfish also known as Death Valley pupfish are only found in the Salt Creek drainage of Death Valley National Park. Pictured in this image are a male (top) and a female (bottom) during spring mating season in Salt Creek. During mating season, the male and female fish do a quivering, side-by-side dance that results in fertilized eggs. <br />
<br />
The fish, listed as endangered, are thought to have been part of the fish that inhabited in Lake Manly which dried up during the last Ice age. The fish can survive in water four times more saline than ocean water, and in temperatures from 116 °F to freezing.<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.
    Salt Creek Pupfish mating.jpg
  • Eden Falls is a series of four waterfalls that plummet 170 feet down the limestone bluffs located along Clark Creek on the Lost Valley Trail near the Buffalo River and Ponca, <br />
<br />
The 150-mile Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was the first river in the United States to receive the designation as a National River. The Buffalo National River, encompasses 135 miles of the river which is managed by the National Park Service. The river is a popular canoeing, kayaking, camping, and fishing destination. Popular destinations in the national river’s boundaries include; Lost Valley, Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls (the highest waterfall between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, Indian Rockhouse, numerous caves and over 500-foot tall bluffs. The area is also home to Arkansas’ only elk herd.
    Eden Falls-3.jpg
  • Eden Falls is a series of four waterfalls that plummet 170 feet down the limestone bluffs located along Clark Creek on the Lost Valley Trail near the Buffalo River and Ponca, <br />
<br />
The 150-mile Buffalo River in northern Arkansas was the first river in the United States to receive the designation as a National River. The Buffalo National River, encompasses 135 miles of the river which is managed by the National Park Service. The river is a popular canoeing, kayaking, camping, and fishing destination. Popular destinations in the national river’s boundaries include; Lost Valley, Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls (the highest waterfall between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, Indian Rockhouse, numerous caves and over 500-foot tall bluffs. The area is also home to Arkansas’ only elk herd.
    Eden Falls-2.jpg
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • An adult bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) knocks down an immature (juvenile) bald eagle feeding on a salmon carcass on the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. It takes four to five years for a bald eagle to develop the distinctive white head, tail and yellow beak. 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.
    Adult bald eagle knocks down immatur...jpg
  • An immature bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), photographed along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, begins to take on the features of an adult eagle. It takes four to five years for a bald eagle to develop the distinctive white head, tail and yellow beak. 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 changing from immature ju...jpg
  • New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, 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 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.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...jpg
  • New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, 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 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.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) prepares to attack another bald eagle feeding on a salmon on the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. Four other eagles watch the action from their perch on a log while it is snowing. 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 attacking.jpg
  • The Chilkat River valley outside Haines, Alaska is a popular destination for photographers who come to the river in November and December to photograph one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. This aerial photo is looking up the river valley from Haines to the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and further to the border with Canada. Four Winds Mountain is located on the left and the Takshanuk Range on the right.
    Chilkat River valley aerial.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers and other prairie grasses and plants light up during a fall sunset 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.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie wil...jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers light up during a fall sunset 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.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • A lone cottonwood tree 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 3.jpg
  • The urn shapped heads of the tall thistle attracts butterflies and songbirds. The plant can reach up to eight feet in height. This tall thistle was found at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the West Traps Pasture. 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.
    Tall thistle.jpg
  • Fall comes to the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre 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.
    Fall prairie grass.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers and other prairie grasses and plants light up during a fall sunset 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.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers and other prairie grasses and plants light up during a fall sunset 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.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 4.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 5.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a 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 7.jpg
  • 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 />
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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 />
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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 />
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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 />
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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
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left), and Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, remove one of the leg snare traps they used catch bald eagles. Each morning under darkness they would set their traps. Then in the late afternoon they would remove them. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. 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 migration research - 83.jpg
  • A grizzly bear, walks along the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears.<br />
<br />
Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.<br />
<br />
EDITORS NOTE: Bear was photographed with a telephoto lens from a bridge to allow the bear free movement.
    Grizzly bear walking along Chilkoot ...jpg
  • A grizzly bear walks along the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears.<br />
<br />
Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.<br />
<br />
EDITORS NOTE: Bear was photographed with a telephoto lens from a bridge to allow the bear free movement.
    Grizzly bear walking along Chilkoot ...jpg
  • A grizzly bear walks along the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears.<br />
<br />
Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.<br />
<br />
EDITORS NOTE: Bear was photographed with a telephoto lens from a bridge to allow the bear free movement.
    Grizzly bear walking along Chilkoot ...jpg
  • A grizzly bear catches a salmon in the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears.<br />
<br />
Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.
    Grizzly bear fishing on Chilkoot Riv...jpg
  • A grizzly bear walks along the Chilkoot River at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears.<br />
<br />
Care must be taken by visitors to the area to protect themselves and the bears. Bear and human conflicts have been increasing in recent years to the point that a special human free zone was established to give bears access to the river. In addition a bear viewing platform is under development to provide a safer location for visitors to view bears feeding in the river. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.<br />
<br />
EDITORS NOTE: Bear was photographed with a telephoto lens from a bridge to allow the bear free movement.
    Grizzly bear walking along Chilkoot ...jpg
  • A lone fisherman fishes at the outlet of Chilkoot Lake at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site near Haines, Alaska. <br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska. Four salmon runs are an open invitation for bears to feast on the spawning salmon. At times, the Chilkoot River Corridor has some of the highest bear activity in the state. The Chilkoot River corridor area is extremely narrow with room for an equally narrow road with few pullouts for tourists and fisherman causing traffic and congestion. This creates a serious conflict between humans and bears.<br />
<br />
The Chilkoot River ranks second in popularity for Southeast Alaska freshwater sports fishing. The area is also an important cultural area for the Tlingit people and site of a culture camp.
    Lone fisherman fiishing on Chilkoot ...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. 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. Pictured is the four story atrium at the entrance of the center. 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. 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 atrium.jpg
  • This wavy-leaf thistle was photographed in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Kansas Flint Hills. American Indians ate the roots of the wavy-leaf thistle and also used the roots to make an eye wash tea for the treatment for eye diseases in people and livestock. 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.
    wavy-leaf thistle.jpg