North Baranof

North Baranof encompasses 314,089 acres of mountainous terrain on the Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska, with peaks rising to 4,301 feet at Mount Bassie and 4,281 feet at Annahootz Mountain. The area drains into the Baranof River watershed through a network of named streams—Sawmill Creek, Takatz Creek, Fish Bay Creek, Rodman Creek, the Glacial River, Range Creek, and Cutthroat Creek—that originate in alpine headwaters and descend through steep valleys to tidewater. This hydrology creates a landscape where water is the organizing principle: streams carve through forested slopes, emerge into coastal bays, and connect the high country to the sea.

The forest composition shifts with elevation and moisture. At lower elevations and in wetter coves, Sitka Spruce-Western Hemlock Forest dominates, with western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) forming a dense canopy above a thick understory of devil's club (Oplopanax horridus), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), and deer fern (Struthiopteris spicant). In areas with poor drainage, Yellow-cedar Forested Wetland develops, where Alaska yellow cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) grows among sphagnum mosses and sedges. Higher on the slopes, Mountain Hemlock Forest takes hold, with mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and Alaska yellow cedar forming open stands above alpine meadows. At the highest elevations, Alpine Meadows and Muskeg/Bog communities replace forest entirely, with white bog orchid (Platanthera dilatata) and deer-cabbage (Nephrophyllidium crista-galli) marking the transition to tundra.

Brown bears (Ursus arctos) move through all these zones seasonally, following salmon runs up the named creeks and feeding on berries in the Red Alder-Sitka Spruce/Salmonberry Forest that borders stream corridors. Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) browse the understory of the lower forests, while mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) occupy the alpine ridges and cliff faces. In the streams themselves, pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) return to spawn, supporting both the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), an endangered seabird that nests in old-growth forest and hunts in nearshore waters, and bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that hunt from perches above the creeks. The federally endangered short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) ranges across offshore waters adjacent to the area. Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) inhabit the cold headwater streams, while pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), an endangered marine species, cling to rocky subtidal zones in the bays.

A person traveling through North Baranof would experience the landscape as a series of ecological transitions. Following Sawmill Creek or Takatz Creek inland from tidewater, the traveler enters the dense, dark Sitka Spruce-Western Hemlock Forest, where the canopy closes overhead and the understory becomes nearly impenetrable. As elevation increases, the forest opens slightly, hemlock becomes more prominent, and the sound of water grows louder as the creek steepens. Breaking above treeline onto the alpine meadows and ridges—crossing Mount Bassie or Annahootz Mountain—the view expands to reveal the full drainage system below and the Gulf of Alaska beyond. The shift from forest to meadow is abrupt: the dense green gives way to low herbaceous growth, exposed rock, and wind. Descending a different drainage back toward the coast completes the circuit through distinct forest communities, each shaped by the specific combination of elevation, aspect, and the relentless moisture that defines this temperate rainforest archipelago.

The Sheet'ká Kwáan (Sitka Tribe), a division of the Tlingit people, have inhabited Baranof Island, known in the Tlingit language as Shee, for approximately 8,000 to 10,000 years. Archaeological evidence, including the Hidden Falls site on the northeastern shore, confirms this deep occupation. The Kiks.ádi clan held traditional ownership of resources and lands across the western and northern reaches of Baranof Island, while other clans including the Kaagwaantaan, L'uknax̱.ádi, Coho, and Eagle moiety also maintained territories within the Sheet'ká Kwáan region. The Tlingit harvested salmon species including sockeye and coho from productive watersheds, hunted Sitka black-tailed deer and brown bears in the forests, gathered berries, medicinal plants, and cedar bark, and exploited marine resources such as herring, halibut, and shellfish from bays and estuaries. Northern waters, particularly Peril Strait, served as a major route for trade and travel throughout the Alexander Archipelago.

In 1804, following the Battle of Sitka, many Kiks.ádi Tlingit were displaced from their primary winter villages, retreating to the northern and eastern portions of the island and across to Chichagof Island during what became known as the "Survival March." This displacement reshaped settlement patterns across North Baranof.

The establishment of Russian colonial infrastructure began in the early 19th century when Sitka, originally named New Archangel, became the capital of Russian America from 1804 to 1867. Following the Alaska Purchase in 1867, industrial resource extraction accelerated. A sawmill was established in 1889 by the Swedish Free Mission Church. Gold and silver mining operations were established as a mining camp around 1895. Large-scale logging intensified in the 1950s following the award of long-term timber contracts. In 1956, the Japanese-owned Alaska Lumber and Pulp company secured a 50-year contract for 5.25 billion board feet of timber from the Tongass National Forest.

The Tongass National Forest was established through a series of presidential actions under Section 24 of the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, which authorized the President to set aside public lands as forest reservations. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the Alexander Archipelago Forest Reserve on August 20, 1902, and later created the Tongass National Forest on September 10, 1907. On July 1, 1908, these reserves were consolidated into a single Tongass National Forest administrative unit. The forest was further expanded through presidential proclamations on February 16, 1909, June 10, 1909, and in 1925 under President Calvin Coolidge. Congress affirmed these actions in 1909. In 1935, Executive Orders 7144 and 7179 excluded specific tracts of land to accommodate Alaska Native settlements. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 conveyed approximately 632,000 acres of old-growth forest from the Tongass to Alaska Native corporations. In the 1935 case Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska v. United States, the court found that the creation of the Tongass National Forest constituted a taking of land from the Tlingit and Haida peoples, who held aboriginal title to the territory through time-immemorial occupancy.

North Baranof became a focal point of national conservation policy under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protected 9.3 million acres of the Tongass from new road construction. This protection has been subject to multiple administrative reversals: the Bush administration exempted the Tongass in 2003, a court ruling reinstated protections in 2011, the Trump administration exempted it again in 2020, and the Biden administration reinstated roadless protections in January 2023. The Sitka Conservation Society conducted a ground-truthing project from 2005 to 2006 in northern Baranof to document the impacts of past logging on salmon streams and old-growth forest connectivity. In January 2025, the second Trump administration issued an executive order titled "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential" with the stated intent to rescind roadless protections across the Tongass National Forest.

Vital Resources Protected

Headwater Network Supporting Salmon Rearing Habitat

North Baranof contains nine major river and creek systems—including the Baranof River, Takatz Creek, Fish Bay Creek, and Cutthroat Creek—that originate in alpine and subalpine zones and flow through intact forest to productive lowland spawning and rearing grounds. Historical logging in the area's alluvial bottomlands has already reduced deep pool habitats critical for coho salmon rearing by altering stream dynamics and removing large wood recruitment. The roadless condition of the remaining upper watershed preserves the intact forest canopy and slope stability necessary to maintain cold water temperatures, deliver woody debris that creates rearing pools, and prevent sedimentation that smothers spawning substrate—functions that cannot be restored once lost.

Mountain Hemlock and Yellow-Cedar Forest Refugia

The area's alpine and subalpine zones—including elevations around Mount Bassie (4,301 ft), Mount Radamaker (3,648 ft), and Annahootz Mountain (4,281 ft)—support Mountain Hemlock Forest and Yellow-Cedar Forested Wetland ecosystems that are increasingly stressed by climate change. Reduced snowpack is causing root freezing injury and driving yellow-cedar decline across the region. These high-elevation forests function as climate refugia where cooler microclimates and intact soil-water relationships allow vulnerable species to persist as conditions warm at lower elevations. Road construction and associated canopy removal would eliminate the snow-holding capacity and thermal buffering that these refugia provide, accelerating local extinction of species dependent on cool, moist conditions.

Interior Forest Habitat for Marbled Murrelet and Forest-Dependent Species

The Sitka Spruce-Western Hemlock and Red Alder-Sitka Spruce forests of North Baranof provide nesting and foraging habitat for the marbled murrelet, a species listed as endangered (IUCN), which requires large, unfragmented old-growth forest blocks with dense canopy structure for successful reproduction. The area also supports brown bears, Alexander Archipelago wolves, and Sitka black-tailed deer—species whose habitat capability declines sharply in development-adjacent lands and fragmented forest. The roadless condition maintains the interior forest conditions and large contiguous habitat blocks that these species require; fragmentation by roads creates edge effects that increase predation risk, reduce thermal cover, and disrupt movement corridors essential for population viability.

Coastal and Marine Connectivity for Federally Endangered Species

The area's coastal features—including Point Kakul, Duffield Peninsula, Point Thatcher, and Catherine Island—provide critical habitat and migration corridors for the federally endangered short-tailed albatross, which uses coastal waters and islands for foraging and resting during transoceanic migrations. The federally endangered sea otter and endangered pinto abalone depend on nearshore kelp forests and rocky substrates connected to intact upland watersheds that maintain water quality and nutrient cycling. Road construction in the coastal zone would increase sedimentation and runoff that degrades nearshore habitat, while inland road networks would fragment the landscape connectivity that allows these marine species to access and utilize the full range of coastal and nearshore resources they require for survival.

Threats from Road Construction

Sedimentation and Stream Temperature Increase from Canopy Removal and Cut Slopes

Road construction requires removal of forest canopy along the roadbed and cut slopes to create stable grades on steep terrain. In North Baranof's mountainous landscape, this canopy loss exposes mineral soil to erosion, particularly during the region's heavy precipitation events, generating chronic sediment input to the nine major river and creek systems. Simultaneously, removal of riparian shade causes stream water temperatures to rise—a direct mechanism of thermal stress for cold-water species like coho salmon that depend on cool rearing habitat. Because the area's alluvial bottomlands have already lost deep pool habitat from historical logging, the remaining intact upper watershed is the primary source of cold water and large wood that sustains salmon populations; sedimentation and warming from road construction would degrade these critical refugial habitats beyond recovery within relevant ecological timescales.

Habitat Fragmentation and Loss of Interior Forest Conditions

Road networks fragment the landscape into smaller, isolated patches, eliminating the interior forest conditions that marbled murrelets require for nesting and reducing the large contiguous habitat blocks necessary for brown bears, Alexander Archipelago wolves, and Sitka black-tailed deer to maintain viable populations. Edge effects from roads—including increased light penetration, wind exposure, and predation pressure—extend inward from the roadside, degrading habitat quality across a zone wider than the road itself. Because North Baranof's 314,089 acres represent one of the largest remaining unfragmented forest blocks in the region, road construction would permanently reduce the total area of interior habitat available to forest-dependent species, with no possibility of restoring connectivity once the landscape is divided.

Disruption of Alpine and Subalpine Climate Refugia Connectivity

Road construction through high-elevation zones would remove the Mountain Hemlock and Yellow-Cedar forest canopy that currently holds snowpack and maintains cool, moist soil conditions critical for species persisting in climate refugia. The mechanical disturbance of road building—including fill placement, drainage alteration, and soil compaction—disrupts the hydrological function of subalpine wetlands and muskeg/bog ecosystems that regulate water storage and temperature. As regional temperatures warm, species dependent on these refugia will need to shift upslope or to cooler microclimates; roads that fragment the elevational gradient and eliminate the cool-forest connectivity between lower and higher elevations would prevent this adaptive migration, trapping populations in unsuitable habitat.

Invasive Species Establishment and Spread via Road Corridors

Road construction creates disturbed soil and vegetation conditions that facilitate invasion by non-native species, particularly European bird cherry (Mayday trees), which can disrupt salmon food availability by altering riparian plant communities and reducing native berry production. The road corridor itself functions as a dispersal pathway for invasive species, allowing them to spread from the point of introduction into previously intact forest and aquatic ecosystems. Because North Baranof's roadless condition has limited opportunities for invasive species establishment, the introduction of roads would open the entire 314,089-acre area to colonization by species that degrade habitat quality for native salmon, waterfowl, and forest-dependent wildlife—impacts that are difficult to reverse once invasive populations become established.

Hunting

North Baranof lies entirely within Game Management Unit 4 and supports some of Southeast Alaska's most productive hunting. Sitka Black-tailed Deer are the primary quarry, hunted August 1 through December 31, with peak harvest in November during the rut. Hunters pursue deer in old-growth forests and along the shoreline, accessing the area by boat to bays including Fish Bay, Rodman Bay, and Appleton Cove, then hiking from the coast into alpine meadows.

Brown Bear hunting occurs in spring (May) and fall (September–October); non-resident hunters must be accompanied by a registered guide, with a limit of one bear every four regulatory years. The area is part of the ABC Islands, which support some of the world's densest brown bear populations. Mountain Goat hunting opens August 1 in the alpine regions of Mount Bassie, Mount Radamaker, Mount Furuhelm, and Annahootz Mountain; harvest is managed via registration permits with small quotas. Sooty Grouse and Ptarmigan are hunted in subalpine timber-line and alpine areas. Sea Ducks are often taken in combination with late-season deer hunts along the coast.

The roadless condition is essential to this hunting. The steep, rugged terrain and absence of roads make access by boat and floatplane the only practical means to reach remote bays and alpine zones. This isolation preserves the undisturbed habitat and low human pressure that support the area's high game densities and the physically demanding, backcountry character that defines hunting here.

Fishing

The roadless area contains productive cold-water streams and alpine lakes supporting wild populations of Pacific salmon, trout, and char. Baranof Lake and Lake Eva support cutthroat and rainbow trout under strict regulations: artificial lures or flies only, 2 fish per day, 14–22 inch size limit. Beaver Lake supports rainbow and brook trout and allows bait year-round. Indian River supports four species of Pacific salmon (Chinook, Coho, Pink, and Chum), steelhead, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden; fishing for chum, coho, pink, and sockeye is closed downstream of the Sawmill Creek Bridge. Baranof River and Baranof Lake support cutthroat and rainbow trout. Sawmill Creek supports Chinook salmon, Pacific cod, and Black rockfish. Takatz Lake is documented as a fishing destination.

Access is by floatplane to alpine lakes or by boat to coastal stream mouths at Fish Bay, Rodman Bay, and other bays. Some anglers reach streams near the Sitka road system via established hiking trails. The roadless status preserves intact spawning habitat and wild fish populations. The absence of road development means no stream fragmentation, no siltation from road construction, and no motorized access that would degrade the remote wilderness character essential to the fishing experience.

Birding

The area's diverse forest and alpine habitats support year-round birding. Bald Eagles and Northern Goshawks are documented raptors. Forest specialists include Sooty Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pacific Wren, Varied Thrush, and Swainson's Thrush. Water-associated species include American Dippers, Belted Kingfishers, Harlequin Ducks, Common Mergansers, and Great Blue Herons. Willow Ptarmigan inhabit alpine elevations.

Spring migration brings Rufous Hummingbirds, Western Sandpipers, and Bar-tailed Godwits to coastal meadows and estuaries. Breeding season hosts neotropical migrants including Yellow-rumped Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, and Townsend's Warblers in Sitka spruce and western hemlock forests. Winter residents include White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Common Ravens, and Glaucous-winged and Mew Gulls.

The Starrigavan Estuary Recreation Area at the roadless area's edge offers a bird viewing platform and boardwalks for observing waterfowl, shorebirds, and estuary songbirds. The Mosquito Cove Trail northeast of Starrigavan Bay provides coastal forest birding access. Blue Lake Road and Harbor Mountain Road offer access to inland forest and sub-alpine habitats. Coastal boat access to Sitka Sound and Peril Strait provides viewing for seabirds including Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemots, and Rhinoceros Auklets. The roadless condition maintains unfragmented interior forest habitat critical for breeding warblers and other forest-dependent species, and preserves the quiet, undisturbed estuaries and coastal forests that support waterfowl and shorebirds.

Paddling

The Baranof River is a documented packrafting route featuring small whitewater and boulder gardens before opening into Baranof Lake. Access involves a strenuous overland approach through thick brush to reach the river corridor; paddlers then float downstream to Baranof Lake and continue to Baranof Warm Springs. The river is shallow in sections; packrafts are preferred for their low draft. Coastal paddling is typically available April through October. Tidal exchanges reach 20 feet and currents up to eight knots in narrow channels around Catherine Island and Point Kakul.

Most coastal sea kayaking trips originate from Sitka via boat shuttle or direct paddling, traversing the fjords and bays of the roadless area. Several outfitters operate guided multi-day expeditions along the North Baranof coastlines. The roadless condition preserves the remote, undisturbed fjord and river environment essential to backcountry paddling. Road construction would fragment the coastal wilderness and introduce motorized traffic that would degrade the quiet, self-powered paddling experience.

Photography

Mount Bassie (4,301 ft) offers a challenging hike with exceptional views of Baranof Island peaks, reflective lakes, narrow ridges, and scree slopes. The Baranof Cross Island Trail provides access to Mount Bassie and views of surrounding mountainous terrain and glacial features. Medvejie Lake on the Mount Bassie route features slippery rocky shores suitable for reflective photography. Alpine meadows peak in wildflower bloom in June and July. Coastal vistas from the Duffield Peninsula and Catherine Island include white shell beaches and small unnamed islands east of Gagarin Island.

Mountain Goats are visible on rocky slopes, particularly in snow. Brown Bears leave visible evidence along Medvejie Lake shoreline and salmon-bearing streams like Fish Bay Creek. Sitka Black-tailed Deer are accessible for viewing in alpine areas starting in August. Ptarmigan and Bald Eagles are documented subjects. The area features culturally modified yellow-cedar trees and ancient Sitka spruce and hemlock stands. The roadless landscape maintains the natural appearance, minimal development, and dark sky conditions that support high-quality scenic and wildlife photography.