PLAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BROWN BEAR 



11 



DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES 



Species with the characteristics of the grizzly type are found over 

 practically the whole of Alaska, while those species regarded as 

 brown bears are in general confined to the southern coastal areas. 

 Further study is necessary to determine the exact limit of distribu- 

 tion of the coastal species toward the interior of the territory. 



The range of the species of brown bears in Alaska extends along 

 the southern coast of the Territory from Dixon Entrance, on the 

 British Columbia line, to Unimak Island, at the tip of the Alaska 

 Peninsula, a distance of 1,500 miles. While the extent to which they 

 penetrate inland along the southern coastal strip is not definitely 



Figure 2. — South arm of Chaik Bay. 



Photo by Navy Department. 



A typical view of the west side of Admiralty 

 Island. 



known, the distance tentatively adopted by the Alaska Game Com- 

 mission gives a total range of 96,000 square miles, an area more than 

 twice the size of the State of Pennsylvania. 



Southeastern Alaska has about 27,000 square miles of brown-bear 

 range, or 28 percent of the total range in the Territory. Of this 

 area, 2,100 square miles is included in Chichagof , 1,664 square miles 

 in Admiralty, and 1,604 square miles in Baranof, the three large 

 brown-bear islands of this section. The remainder is largely main- 

 land. 



Within the entire brown-bear range of 96,000 square miles, com- 

 plete sanctuary is provided in national monuments, game refuges, 

 and elsewhere, to a total area of 10,000 square miles, or 10 percent 

 of the whole range. The sanctuaries in southeastern Alaska consist 



