Fortymile River Raptors

A team including Joe Welch and Andy Bankert performed aerial and boat based surveys for Peregrine Falcon occupancy along the Fortymile River and on other BLM-managed lands within the Eastern Interior of Alaska. They used a helicopter to conduct aerial surveys of historically used or potentially used nesting sites within the White Mountains National Recreation Area and Steese National Conservation Area. The two-man crew then used an inflatable canoe to survey river stretches between plane- and road-accessible put-ins of the Fortymile River, including on the Middle Fork, North Fork, South Fork, and Main Stem.

Systematic surveys of that area had not been conducted for over a decade, and updated survey results will help resource managers make important decisions for the region.