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REGIONAL OVERVIEW

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2REGIONAL OVERVIEW

This segment of Alaska’s Marine Highway extends fromthe western portion of the Prince William Sound andthe Kenai Peninsula region at the City of Homer andextends to the west to include Kodiak Island, along theAlaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Chain to the portcommunity of Unalaska. The Marine Highway servesten port communities for this segment and has a lineardistance of over 1,000 miles. Homer falls into boththis region and the Prince William Sound and the KenaiPeninsula region due to the ship routing and thecommunity’s roles as a starting terminal for each regiondue to its road access to the mainland and the MarineSystem. As such, Homer will be discussed here as wellas in the Prince William Sound and the Kenai PeninsulaRegion Plan.

Many of the communities along this segment have verysmall populations; do not have terminals, and havelimited or no visitor services or accommodations. Thesailing schedule is also restrictive as it provides onlymonthly sailings to the seven communities west ofKodiak during the summer months. The ships typicallycall at these western communities for one to two hoursproviding limited time in the communities and makingstop-overs difficult unless travelers are willing to catchthe return sailing (usually one or two days later) or flyout. Many travelers typically ‘sail out and back’ on the

ship with only limited time in each community with the exception of Kodiak and Unalaskawhich have longer times in port. Given these limitations, most byway communities are notset up for a large influx of visitors. Visitors who travel this segment and are not swayed by thelimited services get to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience seeing true rural coastal communities,Alaskan culture, history, world class birding and wildlife viewing, and breathtaking views ofsea and landscape.The community of Unalaska is nestled between the ocean and mountains and is the largest community in the Aleutians. It maintains its RussianOrthodox and fishing heritage.

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ACCESS AND SHIP SERVICE

Access to Kodiak and the Aleutians is typically fromthe Homer ferry terminal with road access from theKenai Peninsula and Anchorage, or via air fromAnchorage to Kodiak or Unalaska. Scheduledcommercial air service is available to all ten portcommunities. Kodiak and Unalaska have daily serviceto Anchorage and other communities have frequentair service via local airlines and charters. Due to thethree-day length of a one way Aleutian sailing, visitorscan build their itinerary around a ‘ fly and ferry package’ ;flying one way and sailing the other direction. Thosewith more time will board the ship at either Homeror Kodiak and sail to Unalaska and back to theiroriginating port.

The M/V Tustumena provides service to the westernportion of the Prince William Sound and the KenaiPeninsula region and includes Homer and Kodiak aspart of its year round sailing schedule. The M/VTustumena also serves Kodiak and the Aleutians byproviding monthly sailings April thru October to thenine port communities between Kodiak and Unalaska.Upon arrival in Unalaska, the Tustumena returns toKodiak calling at the port communities in reverseorder. During this five day round-trip period, thereare no port calls between Kodiak and the mainland asthe Tustumena is on the Kodiak and the Aleutianssailing.

STATUS OF COMMUNITIES

The communities in this segment, from east to westare: Homer, Kodiak, Port Lions, Chignik, Sand Point,King Cove, Cold Bay, False Pass, Akutan, and Unalaska.Homer, though located on the Kenai Peninsula, isincluded here as it is an important vehicle link to thisregion. Each community is briefly described below.

Homer is the most westerly port of call with road accessto the mainland and lies at the end of the SterlingHighway, a state scenic byway. It is a quaint fishingand tourist community and popular recreationdestination on Kachemak Bay. The community is hometo the newly opened US Fish and Wildlife Service’sOceans and Islands Visitors Center, a state-of-the-artinterpretive, educational, & research facilityhighlighting the Alaska Maritime National WildlifeRefuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve andprovides a wonderful introduction to the Kodiak andthe Aleutians region. Given the community’s locationson the popular recreation destination of the KenaiPeninsula and easy highway access to Anchorage,Homer is a staging area for many visitors sailing toKodiak and the Aleutians region. A new terminal wasbuilt in 1999, and ships currently dock at the adjacentCity dock.

Erskine House in Kodiak, now an Early Russiancultural museum, is the oldest Russian structure inAlaska. It is adjacent to the Alutiiq Museum; togetherthey tell a complete cultural story of the area.

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Kodiak is one of the nation’s largest commercial fishingports, was the first capital of Russian America, and hasbeen inhabited by the Alutiiq people for millennia. Thetown offers exceptional museums, historic sites, and avariety of visitor activities. The City of Kodiak servesas a gateway to numerous outdoor adventure, wildlifeviewing, and sportfishing excursions. Bear viewingopportunities to the Kodiak National Wildlife Refugeand Katmai National Park are outstanding, but requirea float plane trip out of the city. The ferry terminal islocated downtown within easy walking distance to sitesof interest and services. Funding for a new terminalwas recently appropriated by the U.S. Congress and iscurrently in the planning stages.

Port Lions was established in 1964 by the residents ofOld Afognak Village whose village was decimated byearthquake-generated tsunamis. Located off ofKizhuyak Bay on the northeast coast of Kodiak Island,Port Lions is situated on Settlers Cove. Several locallodges offer accommodations and recreational servicesincluding sport fishing, hunting, beachcombing,kayaking, birding and wildlife viewing. Year round,scheduled flight service is available via Kodiak.

Chignik, a community of less than 100 residents, islocated on Anchorage Bay on the south shore of theAlaska Peninsula. Chignik, meaning “big wind,” hasbeen inhabited by the Alutiiq for millennia. It has acolorful past as a Russian fur trading outpost andcommercial fishing port. Fishing for salmon, halibut,and other species continues to serve as the basis for thelocal economy. A lodge, guide service, and rental agencyoffer accommodations and recreational activities. Dailyscheduled air service is available from Anchorage viaKing Salmon.

Sand Point, located on Popof Island, off the AlaskaPeninsula, receives direct daily scheduled air servicefrom Anchorage. Visitors have several choices foraccommodations, and car rentals and other servicesare available. A lucrative cod fishery attracted Unangansettlers (known since the Russian era as “Aleuts”) fromsurrounding villages and Scandinavian fishermen inthe 1800s. The Russian Orthodox St. Nicholas Chapelis on the National Register of Historical Places. SandPoint is home to one of the largest Aleutian fishingfleets, which continues to harvest salmon, halibut,groundfish, and more.

King Cove is located on a sand spit wedged betweenthe dramatic peaks of the Aleutian Range and thePacific Ocean. Established by an English immigrantand his Unangan wife in the 1880s, the developmentof commercial fishing soon brought early settlers fromScandinavia, Europe and surrounding Unanganvillages. The community continues to serve as aseafood harvesting and processing port. Dailyscheduled air service is available via Cold Bay fromAnchorage. Accommodations, taxi service, and otherlimited visitor services are available.

Not just another fish tale. All port communitiesalong this segment have exceptional sport fishing opportunities.

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Cold Bay, a small community of 100 people, is locatedin the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge at thewestern end of the Alaska Peninsula. The refuge is thesite of the largest eelgrass system in North Americaand provides an important stop over for hundreds ofthousands of migrating waterfowl, and sea and shorebirds. Virtually the entire population of Pacific blackbrant, Taverner’s Canada goose, and Emperor gooseinhabit Izembek Lagoon each fall. Approximately23,000 threatened Steller’s Eiders also molt, rest, andfeed at Izembek each autumn. During WWII, FortRandall was established and an extensive runway wasbuilt. Today the Cold Bay airport continues to serveas an important regional transportation hub, includingits designation as an alternate landing site for theNASA Space Shuttle. Daily scheduled air service isavailable from Anchorage.

False Pass, located on the eastern shore of UnimakIsland, is situated on Isanotski Strait, which connectsthe North Pacific to the Bering Sea. The area wasoriginally settled in the early 1900s, and grew withthe establishment of a cannery. Scheduled air serviceis available via Cold Bay from Anchorage. Visitorservices are limited.

Akutan is located on Akutan Island, a volcanic islandthat last erupted in 1976. Unique geological featurescreated from lava flows can be found throughout theisland. Fur trading, whaling and cod fishing luredUnangan, Russian, and European settlers to establishthe community in the 1870s. Today, Akutan continuesto be one of the nation’s most productive fishing ports.The Russian Orthodox Church stands as a reminderof the Russian colonial period. Limited visitor servicesare available. Akutan is accessible via scheduled dailyflights from Unalaska on amphibious planes. Visitorservices are limited.

Unalaska is the westernmost terminus of Alaska’sMarine Highway. The Unangan have inhabitedUnalaska Island for more than millennia. A localmuseum documents the Unangan culture and localhistory. The fur trade brought Russian colonization in1768. Holy Ascension of Christ Russian OrthodoxChurch is a prominent community landmark and isthe oldest cruciform-style church in North America.During World War II, the town was bombed by theJapanese. The Aleutian World War II InterpretiveCenter and National Historic Area documents theAleutian campaign, Japanese occupation, and the lastingimpact on the region and the Unangan people. Unalaskais the most productive seafood harvesting andprocessing port in the nation. Crab, halibut, cod,pollock and other groundfish fisheries are thefoundation of the local economy. Daily, nonstopscheduled air service from Anchorage and completevisitor services are available. Federal funding for a newferry terminal was recently approved.

All communities along this segment have a vibrant fish industry. Some communitiesoffer tours of their fish processing plants providing a great interpretation opportunity.This segment alone produces over half of the domestic seafood in the United States.

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In addition to Homer, Kodiak and Anchorage, the otherport communities within the Prince William Sound andKenai Peninsula segment provide road access andservices for byway visitors who may be using these portsto gain access to the Kodiak and the Aleutian portion ofthe Marine Highway. All visitors should be encouragedto explore these partner communities in order tolengthen stays and increase in-state expenditures.

Public land management agencies are critical partnersin this effort as well. They include the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service (Alaska Maritime National WildlifeRefuge, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge,Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge and Izembek NationalWildlife Refuge), National Park Service (KatmaiNational Park and Aniakchak National Monument andPreserve) Alaska Department of Natural Resources,Alaska State Parks (Afognak Island State Park, ShuyakIsland State Park, Fort Abercrombie State HistoricalPark, Buskin River State Recreation Site) and the AlaskaDepartment of Fish and Game. These agencies manage,interpret and promote some of the key visitor resourcesand attractions along the byway.

In addition, there are many organizations across KodiakIsland, the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians that willbe significant players and partners in the byway effort.These organizations are involved in community andeconomic development, tourism, culture and history,tribal governance, local government, and businessdevelopment. A partial list of partners includes: theSouthwest Alaska Municipal Conference, City ofHomer, Homer Chamber of Commerce, Kodiak IslandConvention & Visitors Bureau, Kodiak Chamber ofCommerce, Kodiak Island Borough, City of Kodiak,City of Port Lions, Koniag, Inc., Natives of Kodiak,Afognak Native Corporation, Village of Port Lions,Native Village of Afognak, Shoonaq Tribe of Kodiak,Lake & Peninsula Borough, City of Chignik, Chignik

Bay Village Council, Far West, Inc., Aleutians East Borough, City of Akutan, AkutanCorporation, Akutan Traditional Council, City of Cold Bay, City of False Pass, IsanotskiCorporation, False Pass Village Council, City of King Cove, King Cove Corporation, AgdaaguxTribal Council, City of Sand Point, Shumagin Corporation, Unga Corporation, QaganTayagungin Tribe of Sand Point, Unga Village Council, Aleutians West CRSA, City of Unalaska,Ounalashka Corporation, Qawalangin Tribal Council of Unalaska, and the Russian OrthodoxChurch of Alaska. There are also not-for-profit entities such as museums and educationalinstitutions that are likely to be involved in this byway. Successful implementation will requirecoordination with existing organizations’ activities to make best use of existing staffing andfinancial resources.

The community of Unalaska was bombed by the Japenese in World War II and several neighboring islands were occupied. The Aleutians WWII VisitorCenter tells this unique story.

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The M/V Tustumena.