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55-829: In 1960, the Alaska Conservation Society was founded by Alaskan environmentalist Ginny Wood and her then husband, Morton "Woody" Wood, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in College , Alaska to bring together like-minded people in order to better organize opposition to two major projects in Alaska: Project Chariot and the Rampart Dam. The group hoped that its status as an organization "by Alaskans and for Alaskans" would allow its arguments to gain traction in places where speakers from

110-762: A campaign with his wife to protect what is now the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge . The couple recruited U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas to help persuade President Dwight Eisenhower to set aside 8,000,000 acres (32,000 km ) as the Arctic National Wildlife Range. In 1948, Murie became the first American Fulbright Scholar in New Zealand and conducted research in the Fiordland National Park , acting as scientific leader in

165-560: A council seat on the recently created Wilderness Society . In this role, Murie lobbied successfully against the construction of large federal dams within Glacier National Park , Dinosaur National Monument , Rampart Dam on Alaska’s Yukon River and the Narrows Dam proposed for the mouth of Snake River Canyon . Murie helped to enlarge existing national park boundaries and to create additional new units. Testimony on

220-537: A lifetime working in wildlife biology. Because of the pristine and relatively untouched conditions of the arctic due to the lack of humans, Murie was able to establish a more holistic understanding of humans’ impact on an environment, which he would develop more in subsequent trips around North America. In 1920, following his work in Canada, Murie accepted a position working for the U.S. Biological Survey in Alaska, studying

275-460: A second bicycle tour in 1948 with Celia M. Hunter, a fellow WASP pilot. In the early 1950s, Wood and her husband purchased a used Cessna 170 , and took tourists on aerial trips around Fairbanks. While skiing in Fairbanks after the war, she met Morton Wood, a forest ranger at Mount McKinley National Park (now Denali National Park ) and Katmai National Park . They married in 1950. In 1951,

330-514: A teenager, she worked as a camp counselor and ranch tour guide. After graduating from high school, Wood enrolled at Washington State College at Pullman (now Washington State University ), but left in 1938, after one year, to travel in Europe. Afterwards, she spent the summer of 1939 working for Campfire Girls in upstate New York, before resuming her studies in Washington. Her first flight

385-453: A wildlife display" so tourists could easily view wild animals without actually putting in much effort. Murie greatly opposed this measure, believing that it would actually reduce the value and appreciation of nature by making it so available and convenient for people. In his article "Fenced Wildlife for Jackson Hole" he stated that "commercialized recreation has tend more and more to make us crave extra service, easy entertainment, pleasure with

440-413: Is beneficial to the herd, that the best animal[s] survive and the vigor of the herd is maintained. Man's killing does not work in this natural way, as the best animals are shot and inferior animals left to breed. I think that good breeding’s as important in game animals as it is in domestic stock. With our game, however we have been accustomed to reverse the process killing off the finest animals and removing

495-497: The Continental United States had not. According to Ginny Wood, one of their main reasons for establishing their own organization was that they didn't want "outside people" controlling the newly minted state. Celia M. Hunter , one of the group's founding members, became its first president. Early on, the society operated out of living rooms and utilized a small printing press to distribute their bulletin. Many of

550-475: The Denver Museum of Natural History . Her parents met while attending Oregon State University , and had one other daughter, Marie, after Wood. Shortly after Wood's birth, the family moved to Waterville, Washington . Wood became fond of outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, river rafting and horseback riding during her childhood, and her family spent many summers at a cottage on Lake Chelan . As

605-487: The Grand Teton National Park ). The Jackson Hole National Monument was especially near to his heart because he had studied the elk in this region for a long period of time. Before it was distinguished as a national park, Murie and others encouraged John D. Rockefeller, Jr to purchase the land and donate it to the federal government. During this time Murie was unaware that Rockefeller intended to create "

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660-572: The United States Geological Survey . The camp sold the airplane in 1964, as the 1957 construction of the Denali Highway had greatly improved road accessibility to and from the camp. Wood was influenced by the writings of pioneer ecologist Aldo Leopold and his philosophy that the natural world and plants had intrinsic rights. In the late 1950s, Wood hosted a meeting in her living room that led to formation of

715-640: The attack on Pearl Harbor restricted civilian flying. She continued studying English at the University of Washington and worked as a ski patrolman and truck driver on the side before her friend, Barbara Erickson , convinced her to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) corps for flight instruction in 1943. Wood trained for five months in Sweetwater, Texas under Jacqueline Cochran and Nancy Love , before being assigned

770-522: The "father of modern elk management", was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist who did groundbreaking field research on a variety of large northern mammals. Rather than conducting empirical experiments, Murie practiced a more observational-based science. Murie focused his research on the North American continent by conducting vast studies throughout Canada, Alaska and Wyoming. Through these constructive yet sometimes treacherous trips, Murie

825-940: The 1949 New Zealand American Fiordland Expedition . In 1950, Murie became president of The Wilderness Society . He was also a president of the Wildlife Society and a director of the Izaak Walton League . He received the Aldo Leopold Memorial Award Medal in 1952, the Pugsley Medal in 1953, the Audubon Medal in 1959, and the Sierra Club John Muir Award in 1962. Olaus Murie died on October 21, 1963. The Murie Residence in Moose, Wyoming

880-902: The Alaska Conservation Society. Wood helped lead protests against Project Chariot , a plan to use nuclear explosives to create a deep-water harbor in northwest Alaska and she testified before Congress in opposition to the Rampart Dam . In 1960 she lobbied U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to designate the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge . Wood wrote a regular column for the Northern Alaska Environmental Center's newsletter. She guided her last back-country trip at age 70 and continued to cross-country ski into her 80s. She died in her home in Fairbanks, Alaska , of natural causes. Olaus Murie Olaus Johan Murie (March 1, 1889 – October 21, 1963), called

935-634: The Alaska State Department of Environmental Conservation in 1975. During the conflict with Russia called the Cold War , the US proposed Project Chariot: a plan to detonate atomic bombs at Cape Thompson , near Point Hope , Alaska, to make an artificial bay. It was a part of Operation Plowshare . There was significant local resistance to the project by the Iñupiaq groups who live nearby, but

990-614: The Coyote in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (1935); Field Guide to Animal Tracks (1954); Fauna of the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula (NAF No. 61, 1959); and Jackson Hole with a Naturalist (1963). Wapiti Wilderness (with his wife, Mardy Murie ) was published posthumously, in 1966. One of Murie’s first experiences collecting specimens and conducting research was in 1914–1915 and 1917 in Canada. Hired by W. E. Clyde Todd,

1045-669: The Dakota Access Pipeline and others; the ACS was an early example of counter-pipeline debates and voices. Ginny Wood Virginia Hill Wood (October 24, 1917 – March 8, 2013) was an American environmental activist and a pioneer in the Alaskan conservation movement. Ginny Wood co-founded the Alaska Conservation Society in 1960 with her then husband, Morton "Woody" Wood. Virginia Hill Wood

1100-627: The Sixth Ferrying Division in Long Beach, California . The WASP corps was disbanded in December 1944, shortly before the end of World War II , and the female pilots were awarded military status for their service retroactively in 1977. After the war she flew cargo flights and war-surplus planes to Alaska and piloted tourist flights from Fairbanks to Kotzebue, Alaska with Wien Airlines . She also returned to Europe for

1155-821: The Ste. Marguerite River until they reached the Labrador Plateau, which they were required to trek across to access the Moisie River. Eventually they reached the Hamilton River and finally Ungava Bay and their destination, Fort Chimo. Although the trip was not without its trials, especially when they were unsure of the correct direction of their destination, it was a success overall for amassing specimens. In total 1,862 specimens were collected, which represented 141 species of birds and 30 species of mammals. Murie’s time in Canada provided him with skills needed for

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1210-410: The U.S. Biological Survey during this time was predator poisoning , which reduced predator populations in order to increase prey species. However, the more Murie studied caribou populations, the more he opposed this idea. ] Although Murie at first was not extremely vocal in his opposition, he began to express his views. He remarked, “I have a theory that a certain amount of preying on caribou by wolves

1265-545: The Woods and Hunter pooled their resources to buy land in the Alaskan wilderness under the Homestead Act. In 1952, they began building Camp Denali on the property, located around Wonder Lake , to serve as a tourist outpost and a base for backcountry exploration. Because Camp Denali had one of the few airplanes in the national park, Wood was frequently called in to do search and rescue operations, and to help trips taken by

1320-537: The area to come to terms with. The Rampart Dam was a project suggested to build a large hydroelectric dam on the Yukon River, stopping its flow and creating a large floodplain. Such a dam would have caused significant loss to both Indigenous villages as well as to animal habitat, as the Yukon Flats, when flooded, take up a space greater than that of the current Lake Erie. The Alaska Conservation Society opposed

1375-651: The boundaries of Olympic National Park helped to convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt to add the temperate rain forest of the Bogachiel River and Hoh Rain Forest in the Hoh River valley. Lobbying for a natural boundary for the elk of the Grand Teton area, Murie helped to create Jackson Hole National Monument in 1943 (it was upgraded to national park status several years later, then incorporated into

1430-625: The boundaries of the Olympic National Park , and to create the Jackson Hole National Monument and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge . During his career, Murie held many respected positions within environmental organizations. He served as president of The Wilderness Society , The Wildlife Society , and as director of the Izaak Walton League . Murie was born on March 1, 1889, in Moorhead, Minnesota ,

1485-402: The caribou in Alaska to locate the largest caribou populations, with the intention of crossbreeding them with reindeer. Murie was also expected to collect specimens of various animals, and act as a Fur Warden by enforcing laws that protected animals against illegal fur trade practices. Murie was also encouraged to ensure large caribou populations in the region. To do so, one practice employed by

1540-415: The case of Jackson Hole National Monument, he emphasized how new tourism was contributing to Jackson's local economy. Murie would go on to advocate for the preservation of many additional parks from human development. He believed that those who wished to "seek the solitude of the primitive forest" should have the ability to do so and that a democratic society should protect this right. In 1956, Murie began

1595-543: The child of Norwegian immigrants. Growing up in this less urbanized region helped foster a love for the wilderness from an early age. Murie studied biology at Fargo College , private liberal arts college of the Congregational Church. When his zoology professor moved to Pacific University in Oregon, he offered Murie a scholarship to transfer there, where he completed studies in zoology and wildlife biology and

1650-544: The curator of birds at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and accompanied by Native American guides Paul Commanda, William Morrison and Jack (Jocko) Couchai, Murie embarked on his apprenticeship to study wildlife in Canada in 1914. While on this trip, Murie had numerous jobs and expectations. Murie was responsible for collecting bird, rodent and larger mammal specimens, as well as sketching and taking photographs of different organisms and environments. To do so, Murie

1705-579: The early members were scientists, although this was not true for either the Woods or Hunter. The Conservation Society was organized into two groups: Alaskan members, who had voting authority, and "associate," or non-Alaskan members, who did not. It was very important to the Woods that Alaskans maintain control over the organization. By 1961, one year after its founding, the Alaska Conservation Society had about 300 members, 50 percent of whom were associate members. Thanks to widening coverage granted it during its opposition to Chariot and Rampart development projects,

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1760-472: The ecological and cultural similarities and differences of the Hudsonian and Arctic life zones. Two years later, Murie returned to Canada with Clyde Todd, Alfred Marshall, a wealthy businessman, and guides Paul Commanda, Philip St. Onge and Charles Volant. The trip was ambitious, as they proposed to travel 700 miles north across Labrador, an expedition that had never been done before. They began by following

1815-523: The field and resulted in more recognition for him in the realm of field biology. ] In 1927, after his time in Alaska, Murie was hired by the National Elk Commission to determine the cause of the elk winterkill problem in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As the chief field biologist, Murie concluded that human development was causing overcrowding in the elk’s winter range. Murie was one of the first to discover that these elk historically resided in

1870-594: The foundation for many of his key ideas about wildlife management and conservation. As a scientist of the U.S. Biological Survey, Murie developed key ideas concerning predator prey relationships. Generally unheard of during his time, Murie argued that a healthy predator population was key to ensuring a harmonious balance between predator and prey populations. Murie used these ideas to improve current wildlife management practices. Throughout his life, Murie advocated on behalf of wildlife conservation and management. With his wife, Mardie Murie , he successfully campaigned to enlarge

1925-399: The government conducted some tests in secrecy, although, according to Gerald Johnson, none of the people involved in the project had ever visited the site. Although these documents were declassified in 2014, the full extent of the damage to the local area is not known. The Alaska Conservation Society, in conjunction with local groups, opposed the project. Despite the ostensible win for ACS and

1980-463: The group expanded to more than 600 members by 1965. While early on the group focused on things like the negative effects hunting wolves had on ecosystems or the importance of large carnivore conservation, they eventually scrutinized government projects. The group's influence grew after Project Chariot and the Rampart Dam were successfully canceled, a fact illustrated by the selection of Alaska Conservation Society president Ernst W. Muller as commissioner of

2035-473: The idea of cheap electricity. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , also known as ANWR, lies in Northeastern Alaska and covers 19.3 million acres. It was established in 1980 by President Carter , and cannot be opened up to oil exploration without congressional action. This designation occurred after a number of smaller tracts of land in the same area, with the same name, were protected; the ACS

2090-559: The least possible exertion." He believed instead that "national parks were created for preservation in their primitive conditions." Once the park was established in 1943, Murie was appointed as the head of the Wildlife Management Division of the National Park Service and was in charge of creating a management plan for the monument. Despite protest from local sportsmen, Murie banned hunting within

2145-595: The local Iñupiaq groups, people living in Point Hope continue to suffer elevated levels of certain cancers, indicating radiation, chemical contaminants, and other pollutants. This historical episode contributes to high levels of mistrust among the locals towards government, especially the federal government. Since the experiments were done secretly and the documents involved are difficult to understand, local people have accepted that they may never know exactly what happened. This has been difficult for many Indigenous people of

2200-632: The matriarchs of Alaskan conservation. In 1993, the Society disbanded. It was replaced by the Alaska Conservation Foundation, which credits Wood and Denny Wilcher , who helped found the Sierra Club , on its website. It also has influenced the state by being an early proponent of wildlife refuges and other large wildernesses that are not considered parks, which continue to this day. Debates over pipelines also continue, such as

2255-472: The matter, conservationists such as Murie interpreted this as a win for their side. With a new position as Director of the Wilderness Society, Murie would continue to fight for and defend existing national parks. Murie relied on techniques that stressed the economic value of national preservation sites because he knew this was the most effective way to appeal to America’s public. For instance, in

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2310-410: The mountains and not solely in the plains thus contributing to overcrowding. Although a National Elk Refuge existed in this region consisting of 4,500 acres, this refuge had some unexpected consequences. Due to supplemental feeding and a rougher browse, elk were developing bacterial lesions in their throat and mouth called necrotic stomatitis or calf diphtheria. The squirrel-tail grass seeds found on

2365-428: The national park. Even when the state of Wyoming, in the case State of Wyoming V Franke , claimed that the additional land held no archeological, scientific or scenic interest, Murie stood by the decision to deem it a national park. He maintained that the park had biological significance with countless species of birds and mammals that lived within the park. Although in the end the court announced it could not interfere in

2420-422: The natural enemies which tend to keep down the unfit.” Murie saw that hunting by humans was counter to trends produced by nature, and counteracted Darwin’s survival of the fittest . He believed the true cause of a reduction in elk populations was not wolves, but rather human economic drive. Murie believed that the “caribou’s greatest menace is not the wolf nor the hunter but man's economic development, principally

2475-808: The next 6 years in the field with his brother Adolph Murie , studying Alaskan caribou, mapping migratory routes and estimating numbers. He married Margaret Thomas in 1924 in Anvik, Alaska . They spent their honeymoon tracking caribou through the Koyukuk River region. In 1927, the Biological Survey assigned Murie to research the Jackson Hole elk herd, resulting in the classic publication The Elk of North America. He also authored six other major publications, including Alaska-Yukon Caribou (North American Fauna [NAF] No. 54, 1935); Food Habits of

2530-400: The project. After a long fight, including surveys done by scientists to examine the environmental impact of flooding the Yukon Flats, the project was halted. Ginny Wood cites the Rampart Dam fight as a significant one for the ACS. They brought in outside economists and other people to specifically counter claims made by the government about the benefits the dam would have for the state, including

2585-476: The raising of reindeer”. Murie observed that elk, along with other wild species, needed ample land to survive. Thus, to ensure a specie’s survival, Murie argued that preservation of its habitat was necessary. While Murie was critical of his own agency’s ways, it was not until later in his life that he became more outspoken in his views. Besides allowing Murie to formulate his own ideas towards conservation, his time in Alaska gave him additional experience working in

2640-427: The refuge contributed to the irritation of these lesions and the close proximity of elk allowed for the bacteria to spread easily. Through these observations, Murie determined that protecting the elk’s habitat initially, would have been more beneficial than attempting to mitigate the problem later. Due to Murie's extensive knowledge of elk in their native habitat, he was shoulder-tapped by Colonel John K. Howard to be

2695-539: The scientific leader of the 1949 New Zealand American Fiordland Expedition . Murie's son, Donald, was also part of the 49-strong expedition team, who spent January to May 1949 in Fiordland National Park . The main aim of the expedition was to study the elk (wapiti) population that had been established in the park in 1905, but the large interdisciplinary team also comprised New Zealand biologists from other fields in zoology, botany, geology, and forest survey, as well as surveyors and photographers. In 1937, Murie accepted

2750-414: Was able to gain valuable experience observing species and collecting specimens. During his first expedition to Canada, Murie discovered his passion for fieldwork and was able to develop resourceful skills from his indigenous guides, which were critical for his survival in such a harsh environment. Murie employed many of these same skills as he travelled to Alaska and finally to Wyoming. These trips served as

2805-515: Was at age 4, seated in her father's lap with a barnstorming pilot at the controls. While a senior at the University of Washington, she enrolled in the Civilian Pilot Training Service , passing the competitive entrance examinations to become one of five women in the program. After completing the program, Wood attempted to obtain her commercial flight license, but struggled to reach the required hours of flying time after

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2860-615: Was born in Moro, Oregon , to Charles Edwin Hill, an experimental farm superintendent, and Edythe née Brunquist Hill, a schoolteacher, on October 24, 1917. Her father was from a wealthy family from Springfield, Massachusetts , supposedly a distant relation to James Garfield , while her mother grew up in Boston as the daughter of Swedish immigrants. Wood's uncle, Ernest Brunquist was a noted psychologist and botanist, who served as an honorary curator at

2915-452: Was first involved in 1959, then in 1960 helped protect 8.9 million acres of the refuge. People who contributed significantly to this effort included Olaus and Margaret Murie , as well as George Collins. Although the ACS contributed to the establishment of the refuge in its early days, debate over ANWR, oil drilling, and conservation continues to this day. Ginny Wood, the founder of ACS, and Celia Hunter, its first president, are considered

2970-474: Was graduated in 1912. He did graduate work at the University of Michigan and was granted an M.S. in 1927. He began his career as an Oregon State conservation officer and participated in scientific explorations of Hudson Bay and Labrador, financed by the Carnegie Museum . He joined the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey (now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ) in 1920 as a wildlife biologist, spending

3025-504: Was required to preserve and label not only animal skins but also rolls of film that was to be given to Carnegie Museum. During his time in Canada, Olaus Murie travelled to various locations and became accustomed to the harsh environment of the Arctic. Murie decided to stay an extra winter in Canada to gain more experience, despite the departure of his colleagues. Murie used this additional time to collect more animal samples as well as explore

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