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Features

  • Welcome

    Yukon Flats Refuge is a remote 8.6 million acre wetland complex nestled between the White and Brooks Mountain Ranges in Interior Alaska.

    Welcome to the Refuge

  • Wilderness Logo 50th

    Celebrate Wilderness!

    Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act! Alaska refuges contain more than 18 million acres of these spectacular lands.

    Alaska Wild 50 Facebook Page

  • Air taxi photo

    Commercial Permit Application Periods

    Yukon Flats Refuge has established application periods for commercial special use permits. See the link below for more information.

    Permits

Refuge Highlights

About the Refuge

White Mountains

The Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity including nesting waterfowl, other migratory birds, dall sheep, bears, moose, wolves, wolverines, other furbearers, caribou, and salmon; to fulfill international treaty obligations; to provide for continued subsistence uses; and to ensure necessary water quality and quantity.

Read more about the Refuge

About the NWRS

National Wildlife Refuge System

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The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.

Learn more about the NWRS  

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Items of Note

  • Final Regulatory Changes

    Bear cubs_Proposed Rule

    The Service Publishes a Final Rule on the Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife for Alaska National Wildlife Refuge Regulations. The rule was developed in response to public interest and concern about predator control and recent liberalization of predator harvest within the State of Alaska. The final rule will become effective on September 6, 2016.

    Read more about the Final Rule
  • Local Culture

    woman processing salmon at fish camp

    Native Alaskans living within and near the Yukon Flats are primarily Gwich'in Athabascan Indians. Until fairly recent times, Athabascans were highly mobile people, moving in family groups throughout a home territory. Following contact with Europeans, Athabascans started settling in more permanent villages that evolved around trading posts and, primarily, newly constructed schools.

    Read more about the local culture
Page Photo Credits — All photos courtesy of USFWS unless otherwise noted.
Last Updated: Aug 15, 2016
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