Located in south central Alaska just 50 miles south of Anchorage, the Chugach forms a great arc around Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska. It stretches more than 200 miles from the Kenai Peninsula to the remote and wild Copper River Delta. More than half of Alaska's population live within a short drive to the Kenai, making it the most accessible area of the Chugach. It hosts residents and
visitors for fishing the Russian and Kenai River, camping, and hiking and biking an extensive trail system. Prince William Sound, the heart of the forest, envelops deep fiords and great walls of glacial ice. communities of the Sound are linked together by its intricate coastline. The Copper River Delta enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a birder's paradise, and is home of the famous Copper river red (sockeye) salmon, on of the most highly prized fish in the world.
โThe National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages Americans in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests. http://www.nationalforests.org/โ
The Forest Service manages a system of 155 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and 222 research and experimental forests, as well as other special areas, covering more than 192 million acres of public land. The Forest Service has evolved into a 30,000 employee agency that manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife.
