Misty Fiords National Monument

Misty Fiords National Monument
Misty Fiords National Monument
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Mifj inlet.jpg
One of the thousands of ocean inlets at Misty Fiords.
Map showing the location of Misty Fiords National Monument
Location of Misty Fiords (green dot) in the United States and North America, with Alaska highlighted.
Location Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, USA
Nearest city Ketchikan, AK
Coordinates 55°37′18″N 130°36′26″W / 55.62167°N 130.60722°W / 55.62167; -130.60722Coordinates: 55°37′18″N 130°36′26″W / 55.62167°N 130.60722°W / 55.62167; -130.60722
Area 2,294,343 acres (9,246 km²)
Established December 1, 1978
Governing body U.S. Forest Service

Misty Fiords National Monument (or Misty Fjords National Monument) is a National Monument and Wilderness Area administered by the US Department of Agriculture United States Forest Service 40 miles east of Ketchikan, Alaska, along the Inside Passage coast in extreme southeastern Alaska and covering 2,294,343 acres (9,246 km2) of Tongass National Forest in Alaska's Panhandle. All but 151,832 acres (614 km2) is designated Wilderness National Monument; Congress reserved the Non-wilderness National Monument area for the Quartz Hill molybdenum deposit, possibly the largest such mineral deposit in the world. The national monument was originally proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in December 1978 as Misty Fiords National Monument[1], using the authorization of the Antiquities Act and became a part of an ongoing political struggle between the federal government and the State of Alaska over land use policy and authority that finally led to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980.[2] In that law, it was statutorily established as Misty Fjords National Monument.[3]

Contents

Physical geography

The area is called "The Yosemite of the North" for its similar geology. Light-colored granite, about 50 to 70 million years old (Eocene Epoch to Cretaceous Period) has been sculpted by glaciers that gouged deep U-shaped troughs throughout the monument. Many of the glacial valleys are filled with sea water and are called "canals", but they are not man-made in any way; the walls of these valleys are near-vertical and often rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 m) above sea level, and drop 1,000 feet (300 m) below it.

Across from the Salmon River and Portland Canal and the settlement of Hyder, Alaska, small glaciers occupy high areas of the northeast part of the monument. Soule and Through Glaciers cover high plateaus and valleys in the Lincoln and Seward Mountains, where one peak rises to 6,250 feet (1,900 m) above sea level. Most mountain tops in the monument are in the 4,000 to 5,000 foot (1,200 to 1,500 m) elevation range. Tree line is usually around 2,700 feet (800 m).

Ecology

Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce and Western Redcedar dominate the prolific rainforest vegetation; wildlife in abundance includes both Grizzly and Black Bears, many species of salmon, whales, mountain goats, and deer.

Visitor access

Because of the remoteness of the area, most visitors arrive by cruise ship or fly over the monument in tourist aircraft from Ketchikan or Juneau, Alaska. More adventurous travelers choose an overnight charter service or spend days exploring by kayak.

Economic activity

History

The region was first visited by Europeans in 1793 when George Vancouver explored up Behm Canal, the prominent sea-filled glacial trough along the western margin of the monument and separating it from Revillagigedo Island. Vancouver discovered New Eddystone Rock, a 237 foot (72 m) tall column of basalt in the middle of Behm Canal. It was formed within the past 5 million years by volcanic activity, evidence for which is scattered sparsely through the monument, including a lava flow high above Punchbowl Cove, and at Blue River in the far northern part of the monument near the Canadian border.

See also

References

  1. ^ Proclamation 4623 - Misty Fiords National Monument of December 1, 1978
  2. ^ Alaska Humanities Forum: ANILCA
  3. ^ Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act – PUBLIC LAW 96-487-DEC. 2, 1980, Sec 503

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Misty Fjords National Monument — Mündung eines der Fjorde …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Monument national Misty Fiords — Catégorie UICN III (monument naturel) Identifiant 13041 Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cedar Breaks National Monument — Monument national de Cedar Breaks Catégorie UICN III (monument naturel) Identifiant 1042 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Fort Matanzas National Monument — Monument national du Fort Matanzas Fort Matanzas Catégorie UICN III (monument naturel) Identifiant 22514 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Admiralty Island National Monument — Monument national de l Île Admiralty Havre Windfall Catégorie UICN III (monument naturel) Identifiant …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Agua Fria National Monument — Monument national d Agua Fria Catégorie UICN III (monument naturel) Identifiant 365124 Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Fort Frederica National Monument — Monument national du Fort Frederica Catégorie UICN V (paysage terrestre/marin protégé) Identifiant 22521 Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Natural Bridges National Monument — Monument national des Natural Bridges Pont naturel Sipapu Catégorie UICN III (monument naturel) Identifiant 10 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • California Coastal National Monument — Monument national de California Coastal Catégorie UICN Inconnue Pays  États Unis État …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Effigy Mounds National Monument — Monument national des Effigy Mounds Les tumulus du Grand Ours Catégorie UICN V (paysage terrestre/marin protégé) Identifiant …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”