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Alaska came into its own
within the refuge system in 1980 with passage of the Alaska National
Interest Lands Conservation Act, which added 54 million acres
(22 million hectares) to the system, doubling its size. Although
it has only 4 percent of the nations refuges, Alaska has
83 percent of the systems total acreage. The Alaska lands
are often thought of as the last pristine environments for wildlife
in the United States, where marine mammals, seabird colonies,
and migratory caribou herds enjoy immunity from pollution and
human interference. Well, yes and no. Here are some glimpses of
the blessings of wide open spaces and some challenges to their
purity.
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