Environment

Larry Van Daele was named chair in January.  His membership on the board expires this summer, and he won't be reappointed. Van Daele talks about his time in Southwest Alaska and the history of a crucial caribou hunt.

Reiley brings experience as a biologist and technician in several states researching birds, grizzlies and black bears. He recently received his PhD in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Illinois.

When Pebble’s federal permit proposal was rejected last year, several of Bristol Bay’s Tribal and regional entities renewed calls for permanent protections at the region’s headwaters. Earlier this month, those groups introduced a two-step plan, or “The Call,” to do just that. 

Bear 747 was named the winner of Katmai National Park's Fat Bear Week competition, defeating 32 Chunk in the finals.

It’s a huge election year … for bears. Katmai National Park’s Fat Bear Week is underway, and the competition is bigger than ever. That’s in part to large sockeye salmon runs in Bristol Bay. 

A muskox was recently spotted in Manokotak. This is highly unusual — these animals normally range further north and west, across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. But in recent years, state biologists and Bristol Bay residents have noticed these stocky, furry fellas stepping out of their home turf.

The Trump administration last month proposed to narrow the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. That could have profound impacts on how industry players approach development in Alaska.

Lichens are a critical food source for the caribou herd that lives on the Nushagak Peninsula. But as the caribou thrive, they are depleting the photosynthetic composites they depend on.  

2019 was the hottest year on record for Bristol Bay. In rivers such as the Igushik, that heat resulted in tens of thousands of dead fish.