Anan

The Anan area encompasses 36,666 acres of the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska, a landscape shaped by the movement of water through multiple drainages. Anan Creek and its East Fork, along with Frosty Creek, form the hydrological backbone of this region, their flows converging toward Anan Lagoon. These waterways originate in the uplands and descend through varied terrain, creating the conditions that support the full spectrum of temperate rainforest life from the coast inland.

The forest composition shifts with elevation and moisture availability across the area. Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) dominate the canopy in the wetter lowland coves, where their dense shade supports a thick understory of devil's club (Oplopanax horridus) and salal (Gaultheria shallon). Red alder (Alnus rubra) colonizes disturbed areas and stream margins, its nitrogen-fixing capacity accelerating forest recovery. At higher elevations and on drier aspects, Alaska yellow-cedar (Xanthoparmeliaceae) becomes increasingly prominent, indicating the transition to more exposed conditions. This vertical zonation reflects the steep precipitation gradients and cool temperatures characteristic of coastal Alaska.

The waterways support a complex food web centered on Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus species), whose seasonal runs fuel the entire ecosystem. Black bears (Ursus americanus) and mink (Neovison vison) are primary predators of salmon in different habitats—bears in the main channels and pools, mink in smaller tributaries and tidal zones. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) hunt both salmon and waterfowl from perches along the creeks. The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), an endangered seabird, nests in old-growth hemlock and spruce forests inland and returns to nearshore waters to feed. The federally endangered short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) appears in the offshore waters adjacent to the area. Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) browse the understory and forest margins, while marten (Martes americana) hunt small mammals in the canopy and on the forest floor.

Moving through the Anan landscape, a visitor experiences the compression of multiple forest types within short distances. Following East Fork Anan Creek upstream from the lagoon, the forest transitions from alder-dominated riparian margins to dense hemlock-spruce cove forest, the canopy closing overhead and light diminishing with each elevation gain. The sound of water is constant—the creek's voice changing from the broad murmur of the main channel to the sharper rush of smaller tributaries. At Point Warde and other exposed ridgelines, the forest opens, yellow-cedar becoming more frequent and the understory thinning. The contrast between these zones—the dark, moisture-laden coves and the windswept, more open ridges—defines the sensory experience of moving through this portion of the Tongass.

The Stikine Tlingit established seasonal summer fish camps at Anan Creek to harvest one of the largest pink salmon runs in Southeast Alaska. The name "Anan" derives from a Tlingit word meaning "a place to sit down together" or "place you wait," referring to the practice of waiting out tide cycles at the creek estuary to harvest fish from pools and eddies. For generations, multiple Stikine Tlingit clans shared this camp simultaneously, the extreme abundance of pink salmon allowing them to harvest and preserve food for winter subsistence. The Tlingit practiced semi-sedentary management of these fisheries for thousands of years before European contact.

In 1901, the Pilot Fish Packing Company installed a large commercial fish trap at the mouth of Anan Creek. This operation was highly efficient and destructive, capturing nearly all salmon before they could reach spawning grounds upstream, severely depleting the salmon population that the Tlingit relied upon. This disruption continued until 1959, when commercial fish traps were outlawed shortly after Alaska achieved statehood.

The Tongass National Forest was established through a series of presidential actions in the early twentieth century. President Theodore Roosevelt created the Alexander Archipelago Forest Reserve by presidential proclamation on August 20, 1902, followed by the Tongass National Forest itself on September 10, 1907. On July 1, 1908, these two reserves were consolidated into a single unit under the name Tongass National Forest. Further presidential proclamations on February 16, 1909, and June 10, 1909, significantly expanded the forest's boundaries, and President Calvin Coolidge authorized additional expansion in 1925. By 1909, the forest had grown to approximately 15.4 million acres.

The Tongass Timber Reform Act of 1990 modified the forest's management by establishing new wilderness areas and "LUD II" areas managed in a roadless state. In 2001, President Clinton's Roadless Area Conservation Rule protected approximately 9.3 million acres of the Tongass from road construction and timber harvesting. The Anan area was subsequently designated a 36,666-acre Inventoried Roadless Area under this rule. Since 2001, the Roadless Rule has been subject to multiple exemptions and reinstatements through executive actions by successive administrations, most recently with the Biden administration reinstating protections in January 2023.

Vital Resources Protected

Seabird Nesting and Foraging Habitat The Anan area provides critical habitat for the federally endangered short-tailed albatross, one of the world's rarest seabirds with fewer than 4,000 individuals remaining. This species depends on undisturbed coastal and nearshore environments for breeding and feeding. Road construction and the human activity it generates would introduce noise, light, and ground disturbance that disrupt albatross breeding behavior and force birds away from productive foraging areas in the surrounding waters.

Old-Growth Forest Nesting Substrate for Marbled Murrelets The Tongass old-growth forest within this roadless area provides essential nesting habitat for the marbled murrelet, an endangered seabird that requires large, structurally complex trees with lichen-covered branches for breeding. Marbled murrelets are highly sensitive to forest fragmentation and edge effects; roads create openings that expose nesting trees to wind damage, increase predation risk along forest edges, and allow invasive species to colonize previously intact forest interior. Once the forest canopy is broken by road corridors, the habitat becomes unsuitable for this species and cannot easily recover.

Riparian Connectivity and Salmon Productivity The creek systems draining through Anan—including East Fork Anan Creek, Anan Creek, and Frosty Creek—form an interconnected network that supports salmon populations dependent on cold, clear water and intact riparian vegetation. Road construction in forested watersheds causes chronic sedimentation from exposed cut slopes and culvert installation, which smothers salmon spawning gravel and reduces water clarity. The removal of streamside forest canopy to accommodate roads also increases water temperature, degrading conditions for cold-water species and reducing the productivity of the entire drainage system.

Coastal Wetland and Lagoon Function Anan Lagoon and associated wetland areas serve as critical transition zones between freshwater and marine ecosystems, supporting migratory waterfowl including greater yellowlegs and providing nursery habitat for fish species. Road construction in or near wetlands disrupts natural hydrology through fill placement and drainage patterns, fragmenting the wetland-upland gradient that sustains plant communities like Menzies' burnet (vulnerable, IUCN) and the invertebrate and amphibian communities that depend on seasonal inundation.

Threats from Road Construction

Sedimentation and Spawning Habitat Degradation Road construction requires cutting into slopes and installing drainage systems, which generates chronic erosion and sediment delivery to the creek network. Fine sediment from road cuts and fills smothers the clean gravel substrate that salmon require for spawning, reducing egg survival and recruitment. In steep terrain like that found in the Tongass, sediment production from roads persists for decades after construction, continuously degrading downstream habitat.

Canopy Removal and Stream Temperature Increase Building and maintaining roads through forested watersheds requires removing the streamside forest canopy that shades creeks and regulates water temperature. Loss of this riparian buffer allows solar radiation to warm the water, raising temperatures above the tolerance thresholds for cold-water species and reducing dissolved oxygen availability. This thermal degradation is particularly damaging in Alaska's short growing season, where salmon depend on cool water to complete their life cycles.

Habitat Fragmentation and Edge-Effect Expansion Roads divide the roadless area into isolated forest patches, creating hard edges where interior forest conditions give way to open, disturbed corridors. This fragmentation breaks the continuous old-growth forest that marbled murrelets require for safe nesting and increases predation pressure and invasive plant colonization along road margins. The loss of interior forest connectivity cannot be reversed through passive restoration; once fragmented, the habitat loses its ecological function for species dependent on large, undisturbed forest blocks.

Culvert Barriers and Aquatic Connectivity Loss Road crossings of creeks require culverts that frequently become barriers to fish movement, isolating upstream spawning and rearing habitat from downstream populations. In systems like those in Anan, where multiple creeks form an interconnected network, culvert barriers fragment salmon populations and prevent genetic exchange and recolonization after local disturbances. This loss of connectivity reduces population resilience and can lead to local extinction of salmon stocks.

The Anan Roadless Area encompasses 36,666 acres of Southeast Alaska mainland forest and coastal habitat, located approximately 30 miles southeast of Wrangell within the Tongass National Forest. Access is by boat or floatplane only—there are no roads to this area. The roadless condition preserves the undisturbed watershed and wildlife habitat that make recreation here possible.

Fishing

Anan Creek supports one of the largest pink salmon runs in Southeast Alaska, with 200,000–300,000 fish annually. The creek also receives runs of king, coho, sockeye, and chum salmon, along with steelhead, resident rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden char. A half-mile boardwalk trail leads from Anan Lagoon to the creek. From July 5 through August 25, a permit system (60 passes per day, available via recreation.gov) governs access to the creek corridor. During this peak season, visiting hours are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to allow bears undisturbed access to salmon. Anglers should expect to share the creek with high densities of black and brown bears and should give bears the right of way. The Anan Bay Recreation Cabin provides overnight access for extended trips. Outside the peak season, general Alaska Department of Fish and Game Southeast Alaska regulations apply.

Hunting

The Anan Creek drainage is closed to bear hunting within one mile downstream from Anan Lake and within a one-mile radius of Anan Creek Lagoon mouth. Outside these closures, Game Management Unit 1B regulations apply for Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goat, and wolf. Waterfowl hunting is permitted in areas otherwise closed to hunting, subject to migratory bird regulations. Federal Subsistence Wildlife Regulations apply to rural Alaska residents. The area's high bear density during summer salmon runs (July–August) makes it managed primarily as a wildlife viewing site rather than a hunting destination.

Birding

The Anan Wildlife Observatory is the focal point for birding, particularly during the July–August pink salmon run when bald eagles, gulls, common ravens, and crows congregate to feed. The observatory features a covered viewing shelter, elevated decks, and a photo blind overlooking the cascading falls of Anan Creek. The half-mile Anan Creek Boardwalk Trail provides forest and lagoon habitat for birding. American dippers are documented along the creek. The area's old-growth temperate rainforest supports marbled murrelets, Queen Charlotte goshawks, and red-breasted sapsuckers. The Anan Creek Wildlife Viewing Site is a documented stop on the Southeast Alaska Birding Trail. From July 5 through August 25, permits are required (60 per day, available via recreation.gov beginning February 1). Anan Lagoon and the tidal areas support waterfowl and shorebirds, particularly during spring and fall migration.

Paddling

Anan Lagoon at the mouth of Anan Creek is accessible by kayak or small boat, with documented wildlife viewing opportunities including harbor seals that follow salmon into the lagoon during high tide. Anan Bay serves as the primary marine access point for coastal paddling expeditions. The Anan Bay Recreation Cabin provides a base for paddlers exploring the coastline. Paddling in the lagoon is tide-dependent; high tide provides the best access to inner areas and seal viewing. From July 5 through August 25, the permit system (60 passes per day) governs access to the creek area. Anan Creek itself is characterized by cascading falls and high bear density, limiting traditional paddling to the lagoon and immediate mouth.

What Makes This Recreation Possible

The roadless condition of Anan preserves the undisturbed salmon runs, unfragmented old-growth forest habitat, and natural bear populations that draw anglers, hunters, and birders to this area. The absence of roads maintains the quiet, wildlife-rich environment that makes the Anan Wildlife Observatory world-renowned for bear viewing and the creek accessible only by water or air. Road construction would fragment habitat, alter watershed hydrology, and introduce motorized access incompatible with the wildlife densities and viewing opportunities that define recreation here.