Living with Wildlife in Anchorage:
A Cooperative Planning Effort
Chapter 3: Plan Goals and Objectives

This chapter presents the goals and objectives of the plan. These are broad, value-based statements about the importance of wildlife in Anchorage and the principles upon which it should be managed. Although different planning frameworks define these terms differently, we have followed the Anchorage Municipality's planning model in developing the goals and objectives below. More quantitative standards or performance measures for the plan are presented in Chapter 4.

Some comments on the Public Review Draft Plan urged planners to prioritize these goals and objectives because it is possible that some situations may place them in conflict. Although the planning team recognizes this potential, no priority for them has been established. Ultimately it is hoped that this plan and subsequent actions will address them all in some substantial way.

Overall Goal

In order to enhance the quality of life for Anchorage's residents and visitors, conserve and enhance a wide diversity of native wildlife and their habitats throughout the Municipality, while allowing species to prosper in harmony with the community.

Goals and Objectives

1. Conserve, enhance, and restore optimal populations of native wildlife and their habitats in the Municipality of Anchorage.

   • Identify, map, and evaluate wildlife habitat availability and wildlife population levels of key species.
   • Identify and conserve, enhance, or restore areas of important wildlife habitat on public lands, including the corridors that connect those habitats in order to avoid net losses in functional habitat types or abundance.
   • Identify areas of important wildlife habitat on private lands in Anchorage and promote ways to conserve, enhance, or restore those areas in an effort to avoid net losses in functional habitat types or abundance.
   • Promote educational efforts for agency staff, land use developers, the public and others that describe the characteristics and importance of wildlife habitat and the ways it can be conserved, enhanced, or restored.
   • Maintain native wildlife populations at biologically and socially optimal levels. If these levels conflict, the lower of the two will take precedence in most situations. In balancing these dual objectives, social capacities should generally receive greater weight in developed areas while biological criteria should generally receive greater weight in undeveloped or natural areas (e.g., Chugach State Park, Bicentennial Park/Campbell Tract).
   • Enhance declining native wildlife populations so they can return to biologically and/or socially optimal levels.
   • Reduce non-native wildlife populations to socially acceptable levels.
   • Identify ways the public can conserve or enhance habitat.
2. Maximize opportunities for positive interactions between wildlife and people.

   • Provide for a diversity of wildlife recreation opportunities through the development and maintenance of recreation facilities such as trails, interpretive stations, visitor centers, etc.
   • Provide for a diversity of wildlife learning opportunities through the development of wildlife education programs and facilities.
   • Develop and distribute information that helps residents and visitors take advantage of the diversity of wildlife recreation and natural history learning opportunities available in the area.
3. Minimize opportunities for conflicts between wildlife and people, while responding to conflict situations as required.

   • Promote educational efforts that help residents and visitors avoid wildlife conflict situations and respond appropriately when they arise.
   • Promote education and/or regulation efforts to minimize attraction of "nuisance" wildlife to areas with high potential for human-wildlife conflicts.
   • Design and maintain recreation facilities to minimize the risk of human-wildlife conflicts.
   • Respond to wildlife conflicts in ways that balance public safety needs with humane wildlife control methods.
4. Foster a sense of stewardship for wildlife and their habitats among the public, non-governmental organizations, and local governmental agencies.

   • Promote cooperative efforts that help the variety of public agencies share and integrate information and resources dedicated to wildlife management.
   • Promote increased public involvement in wildlife stewardship through the development of volunteer projects.
5. Promote the economic, social and other benefits related to wildlife and their habitats.

   • Support research efforts that will help identify the benefits of wildlife.
   • Develop wildlife education programs that help residents and visitors recognize the benefits of wildlife and their habitat.