Eric and Pam Bealer transcended their earthly bodies in September of 2018.  They chose to leave a legacy gift for Wilderness and left their estate to the Sitka Conservation Society’s Living Wilderness Fund. The Sitka Conservation Society considers this a great honor and we are humbled by their gift. We will honor their love of the wilderness through the stewardship of these spectacular areas of intact ecosystems and by working to protect West Chichagof–Yakobi Wilderness so that future generations may continue to be as inspired by this remarkable place as Eric and Pam were.

Pam and Eric with some of their beloved animals

Jeff Feldpausch (right) and Brenden Didrikson (left) help Kyle Rosendale, STA Fisheries Biologist (center), deploy a seine net at Klag Bay. Photo by Sarah O'Leary.

The abundant sockeye runs of Sitkoh Bay and Klag Bay are just two of many places in the Tongass National Forest where salmon and other traditional foods can be harvested for subsistence use. Our public lands are critical for keeping the longstanding culture and practice of subsistence alive in Southeast Alaska. Without large tracts of public lands, not only would access to these important, cultural sites for subsistence harvest be lost, but also the incredible productivity of the Tongass would decline overall if broad swaths of habitat are not kept intact.

The Tongass National Forest is so ecologically rich that it can also sustain a rich human culture of subsistence. Read on to see how the practice and culture of subsistence relies on our public lands, especially the designated Wilderness areas within them.