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Important Bird Areas

Orange fish in pond
Hidden Gems Along the Anchorage Birding Trail
September 03, 2025 — The Anchorage Birding Trail hosts some of the richest displays of bird life the city has to offer, but these sites have far more to discover than just feathered friends.
Trails
Town in river valley
More Good News for the Chilkat Valley
May 12, 2025 — American Pacific Mining Corp., which recently took full ownership of the proposed Palmer Mine, has also decided to leave the project.
Young shorebird in vegetation
Safety Sound, a Crucial Stopover Site for Migrant Birds, Is Under Threat From a Mining Operation
March 04, 2025 — A Nevada-based mining company could impact the Safety Sound Important Bird Area near Nome, a place vital to birds and wildlife, Alaska Native subsistence users, and tourism.
Emperor Geese over Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
Izembek: An Incredibly Critical Migratory Bird Habitat Is at Risk
December 09, 2024 — The Department of the Interior released a draft Environmental Impact Statement recommending a multi-part land swap, spelling trouble for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and public lands across Alaska.
River running through mountain valley
A Big Win for the Chilkat Valley
December 04, 2024 — DOWA, a Japanese smelter company and major funder of the proposed Palmer Mine, has pulled out of the project!
Tufted Puffin on rock
Seabirds Rejoice! Rat-Free Aleutian Islands Are Possible
October 01, 2024 — A centuries-old issue has seen some hopeful momentum with recent and near-future rat eradication efforts in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
Chilkat Valley in Alaska
The Importance of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve IBA to Migratory Birds
May 07, 2024 — One small study area in Southeast Alaska shocked the Audubon Science Division: The Chilkat Valley is a major migration passage for many Alaska birds.
Wetlands complex in with mountains, cloudly skies, and wayside signs
The Second Crossing and Southeast Alaska’s Mendenhall Wetlands Important Bird Area
March 05, 2024 — And the case for Salmon Creek, the last option for the Juneau Douglas Second Crossing to be constructed off the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge.
Caribou crossing wetlands
What’s So Special About Alaska’s Special Areas?
December 11, 2023 — And actually, what are Special Areas? Here’s the history of these life-giving zones in Alaska’s Western Arctic, and how Audubon Alaska staff helped to protect some of the most unique places on the planet.
Public Lands