flyways, bird hunters throughout central and 

 western United States depend upon their well- 

 being. Fires destroy the protective covering; they 

 burn nests and eggs and often kill fledglings 

 and even adults. Although specific data are not 

 available, fires along the lower Yukon River in 

 the disastrous season of 1957 must have caused 

 tremendous losses of eggs, fledglings, moulting 

 ducks, and even mature birds. 



Forest fires damage wildlife habitat, but 

 repeated burns destroy it completely. At least 

 10 years is required for vegetation and cover to 

 reappear in quantities and form sufficient to ac- 

 commodate furbearing animals. From 40 to 

 more than 100 years may be required for a 

 caribou and reindeer lichen range to regain its 

 optimum carrying capacity. Uggla (1958a) drew 

 similar conclusions after intensive ecological 

 studies in Sweden. Three hundred years may 

 elapse before the more palatable and valuable, 

 but least common, species recover to a point 

 where they can be safely grazed. 



Some animal species, for instance the mar- 

 ten, leave the country permanently after their 

 habitat has been destroyed by fire. Furbearers 

 appear to produce poorer quality pelts if they 

 live in burned areas. The Hudson Bay Company 

 pays premium prices for furs that were trapped 

 in unburned country. 



RECREATIONAL RESOURCES 



Recreation is a rapidly growing major in- 

 dustry in Alaska. It probably will produce an 

 annual income of $100 million to Alaska within 

 the next few years. Tourists come in increasing 

 numbers every year,- and they come earlier and 

 stay later than formerly. They come primarily to 

 see the country and enjoy the beauties of nature 

 — the mountains, forests and rivers, and the 

 novelty of glaciers and unfamiliar species of 

 wildlife. 



The map showing frequency of man-caused 

 fires (fig. 57) shows why many tourists are ex- 

 tremely disappointed in what they see along the 

 primary highways and along the Alaska Rail- 

 road route. Frequency of these fires is highest 

 along major travel routes. Some have resulted 

 from carelessness and some from road construc- 

 tion activities. Prevention and control of fires 

 in these areas are imperative so that the country 

 can reestablish itself to timber. 



Recreational value should by no means be 

 considered as confined to the tourist trade. On 

 weekends and holidays and during vacations, 

 Alaskan families fill the roads as they drive to 

 the woods, the lakes, or the numerous picnic and 

 fishing spots. An average family thinks nothing 

 of getting into the car, or even airplane, and 

 traveling hundreds of miles on a weekend just 



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