Adak Island Adventure

Its been a while since my last ghost post, so I thought I would give it another go. I know most of you have been eagerly waiting for this moment.

As some of you may already know, I recently went to work for an Alaska Regional Native Corporation called The Aleut Corporation (http://www.aleutcorp.com/). The Aleut Corporation is one of the thirteen Regional Native Corporations established in 1972 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Under the terms of this Act, The Aleut Corporation received a settlement of $19.5 million, 66,000 acres of surface lands, and 1.572 million acres of subsurface estate. The company is privately owned by its approximate 3,400 Aleut Shareholders. The Company is diversified into subsidiaries that include Government Operations & Management, Telecommunications, Environmental Remediation, Fuel Sales, and Real Estate Management. The Company also participates in various partnerships, joint ventures, and other business activities.

My job for The Aleut Corporation falls in the area of operations and one of my primary tasks is to help the company and its subsidiaries operate with more efficiency. As one of my specific assignment early on, I have been responsible for the companies real estate holdings (land, property, and buildings) on the Island of Adak. I just returned from a business trip to Adak Island, where I was meeting with staff, helping to assess real estate holdings, and meeting with the community and City of Adak leadership. Some or all of you may be wondering, what is Adak Island and where is it? If you have not already stopped reading, due to boredom, below you will find many answers about Adak. If you are truly intrigued and need more, google "Adak" and read away. Most of what you will read below is from a combination of web sites.

Location

Adak Island is in western Alaska in the Aleutian Island Chain. It is 350 miles west of Unalaska (Dutch Harbor, home harbor for the show "Deadliest Catch") and 1,300 miles southwest of Anchorage. Adak is the southernmost community in Alaska and the western most City in the United States of America. Click on link below for Adak Island map.

http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov/visitors-educators/caribhunting/AdakLandStatus.pdf

Climate & Weather

The climate for Adak is maritime with severe storms, high winds, overcast skies much of the year. Winter storms can have winds as high as 100 mph and summer brings dense fog. Average temperatures range from 20 to 60 degrees. With the high winds much of the time, the wind chill factor makes the air seem much colder. Adak average annual precipitation is 64 inches per year. Adak average annual snowfall is 100 inches per year.

History & History Related Items

Adak Island has been the home to Aleut peoples since ancient times. Russian explorers in the 1700s also visited the island but made no permanent settlements. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army took control of two of the most western Aleutian Islands - Attu and Kiska. The Japanese also attacked the American base at Dutch Harbor by air. In response, the United States military began a campaign to unseat the invaders. Since the nearest US military presence was in Cold Bay, Alaska, the military began to construct bases in the western Aleutian Islands from which to launch operations against the Japanese. Adak Island was chosen as the site of an airfield, and flight operations began in September 1942. In May of 1943, American soldiers landed on Attu Island and defeated the Japanese garrison there, with 2,300 Japanese and 550 American deaths recorded. Expecting a similar battle for Kiska Island, soldiers landing there found that the occupiers had been stealthily evacuated by Japanese naval forces. Even so, over 313 American soldiers died from friendly fire, mines, and other anti-personnel devices. Adak Naval Air Station continued to be a military base during the Cold War but was designated a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site in 1995 and closed in March 1997. Shortly thereafter, the town of Adak, Alaska was incorporated at the site of the former base. Down from a peak population of 6000, the island recorded a 2000 census population of 316 residents, all in the city of Adak, in the northern part of the island. A good portion of Adak Island lies within the boundaries of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. As the result of a Land Transfer Agreement with the US government, The Aleut Corporation owns 47,000 acres on the northern part of Adak Island that includes facilities, surface, and subsurface holdings. Adak is now being developed as a commercial center. Other businesses and facilities are planning re-openings in the future.

Statistics & Facts

• The population of Adak is approximately 69 (2004)
• The amount of land area in Adak is 316.835 sq. kilometers
• The amount of land area in Adak is 122.4 sq. miles
• The amount of surface water is 12.746 sq. kilometers
• The distance from Adak to Washington DC is 5123 miles
• The distance to the Alaska State Capital is 1848 miles (As the crow flies)
• Adak is positioned 51.84 degrees north of the equator and 176.64 degrees west of the prime meridian
• Adak per capita income is $31,747 (2000)
• Adak median income is $52,727 (2000)
• Alaska Airlines flies two flights weekly (Sunday and Thursday), weather permitting
• The population of Adak is 37.3% Alaska Native or Part Native
• There is an airport with two asphalt-paved runways, both over 7,000 feet long
• There are also deep-water docks and fueling facilities owned and operated by Aleut Enterprise, LLC a subsidiary of The Aleut Corporation
• The island has about 16 miles of paved roads with a number of other unpaved and gravel roads

Caribou

• There are no indigenous land mammals on any of the Aleutian Islands west of Umnak Island. However, foxes, ground squirrels, reindeer and other mammals have been introduced by humans.
• At the request of the U.S. Navy, caribou were introduced to Adak Island by Alaska Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide sport hunting for local Navy and civilian residents and to provide an additional food resource in the event of a national emergency.
• Twenty-three calves survived captivity and were released on the southwest side of the island. Due to the lack of predators and biting insects, coupled with good range habitat and mild winters, the herd quickly increased. By 1964 the herd had grown enough to allow the first sport hunt.
• It is estimated today that the caribou population of Adak Island is well over 3,000 caribou.
  

Visiting Adak is truly an adventure. I will have more in future posts.