DENALI NATIONAL PARK WOLVES: THE ISSUE

In Alaska, wolves are among the most desired species for viewing, and 40% of visitors to Alaska reported hoping to view wild wolves during their visit. Denali National Park is recognized as one of the best places in the world for people to see wolves in the wild and, more than anywhere else in Alaska, wolves in the eastern region of Denali National Park provide significant wolf viewing opportunities as visitors travel along the Park Road.

From 2000 to 2010, the Alaska Board of Game approved the closure of certain areas outside of but adjacent to the eastern region of Denali National Park (the buffer zone) to wolf hunting and trapping year round in order to protect wolf viewing opportunities in the park. In 2010, the Board of Game eliminated the buffer zone and voted to prevent reconsideration of a buffer zone for at least six years. In 2017, the National Park Service submitted a proposal to the Board of Game to reinstate a buffer zone, but the Board of Game denied the request. There is no habitat buffer zone in place today.

The full history OF THE DENALI NATIONAL PARK WOLF ISSUE

In recognition of the exceptional economic value of wolf viewing in Denali, from 2000-­2010 the state had closed lands adjacent to the park’s eastern boundary to the taking of wolves to protect wolf-­viewing opportunities in the park. Together, the Stampede Closed Area and the Nenana Canyon Closed Area covered approximately 122 square miles of important wolf habitat. The closed areas had negligible effect on the few wolf trappers and hunters who had operated in the area, as adjacent areas remained open to their activities.

The results of 5-year a study conducted by the National Park Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Borg 2015) showed that not only were there increased sightings of wolves from 2000-2010 in Denali National Park than compared to the years just before or just after the buffer zone existed, but that the average harvest of wolves in areas adjacent to Denali National Park also increased when the buffer zone existed. Thus, when it existed, the buffer zone increased opportunities for both consumptive users (hunters) and non-consumptive users (wildlife viewers).

However, at its spring 2010 meeting, the Alaska Board of Game eliminated the former Denali buffer altogether. Despite several public proposals to the Board to expand the existing buffer, including a proposal from Denali National Park itself, as well as overwhelming public support for retaining and expanding the buffer, the Board not only denied all buffer expansion proposals, but voted to eliminate the existing buffer altogether. At the same time, the Board established a moratorium on future consideration of Denali buffer proposals from the public for at least 6 years.

Since the elimination of the buffer zone in 2010, wolf viewing inside Denali National Park has dropped precipitously, from 44% of visitors to the Park reporting wolf sightings in 2010, down to only 4% in 2013 (National Park Service survey of bus tour participants).  The wolf population in the Park declined from an estimated 143 wolves in 2007 to just 75 in 2018, almost a 50% decrease.

Also, one established pack, known as the “Comb Pack” was not seen after March 2018 (click here to see the Denali National Park and Preserve Spring 2018 wolf population estimate map).  The Comb Pack’s home range overlapped the area the National Park Service proposed as a buffer zone in 2017. 

Subsequently, Alaska Wildlife Alliance and several civil society interests in Alaska proposed that the Board of Game and/or the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reestablish a Denali buffer, but all such requests were declined. At the time, citizen petitioners predicted that the continued exposure of Denali wolves to take across the eastern boundary would result in a further drop in the park wolf population and visitor viewing success -­ precisely what we now know has occurred.

Today, the wolf population across the 6 million acre park and preserve has declined from 143 wolves in fall 2007 to just 55 in spring 2013 – a drop of more than half in six years. And, just since the state removed the buffer in 2010, wolf-­‐viewing success for the park’s 400,000 annual visitors has dropped precipitously from 44% in 2010 to just 4% in 2013. This is truly alarming, and again, as far as we are aware, unprecedented in the history of the national park system.

Wolves were once a must-see for visitors to Denali National Park; now they are a rarity. Unfortunately, the wolves don’t understand these lines drawn on a map, and are being killed just outside the sanctuary of Denali National Park by sport hunters and trappers.  AWA continues to tirelessly fight to re-establish a protective habitat buffer zone along key areas of the Park, for the benefit of all wildlife users, today and into the future. 

What we’ve done

On November 27th, 2013, a group of concerned individuals and organizations wrote to US Secretary of the Interior Sally and Jewel, and Alaska Governor Sean Parnell, asking “that you negotiate an easement exchange or purchase to secure a permanent wildlife conservation buffer east of Alaska’s Denali National Park. We propose a “win-­‐win” exchange of property interests (e.g., easements) between the U.S. and State of Alaska, or an easement purchase by the U.S., to maximize long-­‐term public benefit”.

The letter  is available to read here:
Letter Requesting Action to Create Permanent Buffer – Nov 27, 2013

The buffer request was denied, but AWA has never stopped pursuing the reinstatement of the buffer zone.

In March, 2018 AWA submitted a letter to the Senate Resources Committee urging members to vote in favor CSHB 105, which would establish a no-hunting buffer zone adjacent to Denali National Park.

In 2019, Alaska Wildlife Alliance invited filmmaker Ramey Newell to explore the ongoing controversy over hunting and trapping of wolves at the boundary of Denali National Park. A Good Wolf [working title] will be an independent feature-length documentary that explores diverging viewpoints within the context of the lengthy, emotionally charged, and continuing battle over how wolves (and bears) are managed in the Stampede Corridor. Learn more, and donate to the film to ensure its production here.

Denali National Park Wolves: What You Can Do

JOIN US to testify at the Alaska Board of Game meeting in March, 2020. You can speak up for Denali wolves and support proposals to limit the trapping season. If you are interested in submitting written testimony or testifying in person, please email us at info@akwildlife.org!

WRITE TO Board of Game, care of its executive director, Kristy Tibbles (kristy.tibbles@alaska.gov. Also copy your Board of Game Advisory Committee members urging them to support protections around Denali National Park.

SUBMIT COMMENTS on Board of Game proposals here: https://adfgcomments.psmfc.org/

DONATE to Alaska Wildlife Alliance so we can continue to raise voices for Denali’s wolves. You can also donate to the Denali wolf documentary directly by clicking here.

Thank you for speaking up for Denali’s wolves!