Nome Field Station
The BLM Anchorage Field Office maintains a field station in the southwest Alaska coastal community of Nome, on the Norton Sound. BLM natural resources coordinator Tom Sparks manages the Nome Field Office, located on Front Street in Nome. From permits to land conveyance, Sparks is the BLM's point person in "Nome country." You can reach Tom Sparks at (907) 443-2177, or via e-mail.
What does the BLM do in Nome country?
Land Transfer Program Support: A significant part of the BLM’s work in the Nome area involves the land transfer program. Tom Sparks and BLM seasonal hire Carrie Ojanen help Native allotment applicants document their use of the land through on-the-ground field exams. Sparks helps Native Veteran allotment applicants by working with the State of Alaska to relinquish lands selected by Vet applicants.
Sparks also works with villages in the Region to prioritize land selections under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Many ANCSA villages in the region are at or near full entitlement, which allows village corporations to focus on long-term plans for their communities.
Reindeer Grazing Program: Reindeer were introduced to Alaska from Siberia in 1891 as a stable food supply for rural residents of the Seward Peninsula after caribou populations declined. After reindeer numbers peaked in the early 1930s, the Reindeer Act of 1937 was passed to restrict ownership of reindeer herds to Alaska Natives.
The Nome Field Station administers 13 reindeer grazing permits under a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Alaska and the National Park Service. Reindeer numbers on the Seward Peninsula fluctuate widely. Approximately 7,500 reindeer were corralled in 2004. The UAF Reindeer Research Program estimates that roughly only 80 percent of a herd is rounded up during corralling.
Sensitive Species Management of Kigluaik Arctic char: Fisheries assessments of 6 glacially-formed lakes in the
Kigluaik Mountains, including Crater Lake (left), indicate resident populations of
Arctic char that appear genetically distinct from other populations. These char are thought to be relict populations that survived the last glaciation in Beringia.
Kigluaik char typically grow only one inch per year. Males reach a maximum of 25 inches in 20-30 years (right: 20 to 30-year-old male Kig Arctic char). These char exhibit 3-4 year intervals between spawning, low annual production or replacement rate, and appear extremely susceptible to overfishing.
Kigluaik Arctic char were designated as a BLM Sensitive Species in 2004 due to their unique genetic makeup, geographic isolation, slow growth, and increasing regional fishing pressure. Fisheries biologists monitor Kigluaik Arctic char to track population trends.
Recreation Management: Nome is the end point of America's "Last Great Gold Rush Trail." The majority of the
Iditarod National Historic Trail is located on public lands and easements managed by federal agencies and the State of Alaska.
The BLM coordinates management of the trail under a cooperative agreement with other agencies and landowners along the trail system. BLM Iditarod Trail Administrator
Kevin Keeler works closely with other agencies, community groups, and the nonprofit
Iditarod National Historic Trail, Inc. Each year these groups contribute time and money to help the BLM maintain and improve this popular historic trail. Maintenance and improvements are also supported in part by fees from commercial users operating on BLM public lands under Special Recreation Permit, such as the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
The Nome Field Station maintains
Salmon Lake Campground, 40 miles north of Nome on the Nome-Kougarok Road. The campground offers 6 campsites with fire pits and picnic tables, a natural boat launch at Salmon Lake, and an outhouse. The campground opens in early June after the Nome-Kougarok Road is free of snow and remains open until mid October, depending on snow and road conditions. The Salmon Lake area offers outstanding recreational opportunities. It’s the spawning grounds for the northernmost run of sockeye salmon in the United States.
Other BLM Nome fieldwork:
- The Nome Field Station administers 6 Special Recreation Permits in the Nome area, primarily for big game guiding.
- The Nome office works 4 active mining cases under the “3809” program (BLM surface management regulations).
- Other permit work in the Nome area includes rights-of-way, gravel sales, and communications sites.
Right: Tom Sparks removes fuel drums at an abandoned dredge mine near the Fish River, east of Council.
Programs
