The last best place for (Ursus Arctos), the great brown/grizzly bear to survive the next century is Southwest Alaska's panoramic ranges of the Alaska Peninsula. The natural habitat of brown bears, marine mammals and seabirds makes the Alaska Peninsula a paradise for the naturalist and provides unparalleled opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts.

The Alaska Peninsula extends 650 miles into the Pacific Ocean toward the Aleutian Island of Unimak. At its head is Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, a magnificent wilderness of sea coast, mountains and glaciers intercepted with lakes and rivers.

The area between Katmai National Park and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve allows hunting. Hunters fought successfully, before the State Board of Game in 1991, to keep the State Refuge North of McNeil River open to hunting. Should this be reconsidered? What would be the best use of this area - open or closed to bear hunting - and what would benefit Alaska and bears the most?

Followed by the surreal volcanic landscape of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, in the scenic Katmai National Park and Preserve, a well known brown bear habitat maintaining one of the largest concentration of Coastal brown bears which are not hunted until they travel from the park North of McNeil River Sanctuary into the area between the two National parks of Katmai and Lake Clark or South into the National Wildlife Refuge.

	Becharof National Wildlife Refuge
	Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
	Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge
	Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
	Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Unimak, the first beautiful island in the windswept Aleutian Island chain sweeping 900 miles toward Asia where a 19 day battle, between Japanese and American troops, took place in May, 1943. This was the only enemy engagement fought on United States soil during World War II. Numerous National Wildlife Refuges dot the isles.