Existing Protection Methods
Separate National Site DesignationInternational Park Site Designation
Existing Protection Methods
Separate National Site Designation
International Park Site Designation
Many types of conservation units were considered in the United States before the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980. After intense debate, national parks, national preserves, national monuments, designated wilderness, national wildlife refuges, wild and scenic rivers, and other reserves were established for special pruposes. Each designation has specific legal meanings. National parks, monuments, preserves, and designated wilderness generally carry the most preservation-oriented levels of resource protection available to the United States government.
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve was one of the areas established by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Its primary purpose is to protect and preserve for research and education a portion of the prehistoric land link with Asia. Its other management purposes include the following:
Bering Land Bridge is the principal area of the U.S. national park system that is related to the history of the Bering land bridge. Other areas managed by the National Park Service within the Beringian region are Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Noatak National Preserve, and Kobuk Valley National Park. These areas have similar mandates for their preservation, protection, and understanding of natural and cultural resources.
The eastern Chukotskiy Peninsula also contains many natural and cultural resources, and many efforts are taking place to preserve important sites. Archeological sites are under government protection; however, no joint protection of cultural and natural resources exists. Conservation efforts are also hampered because various resources are managed by different ministries and agencies.
To preserve and protect natural and cultural resources of the Beringian region, one alternative is the continued management of existing U.S. national park system areas in Alaska and the establishment of complementary protected areas on the Chukotskiy Peninsula.
While this is a simple alternative for the United States and would protect sites, resources, and ways of life, it would not formally recognize the historic and prehistoric ties between the continents or between the Soviet and American people. It also lacks the symbolic joining of the two continents, governments, and people.
Like the United States, the Soviet Union has many categories of protected territory, and the goal of preserving the natural and cultural heritage of Beringia could be done by adding to one of these existing territories.
For example, this could include one or two zapovedniki (a strict reserve with closed access) located near major river estruaries. Another options is a system of seasonally closed preserves called zakazniki, which could be established to protect ares used by migrating waterfowl or wildlife.
These kinds of programs could be further improved by creating scientific centers to provide the research and support for meeting preservation goals.
Another solution would be to create a Chukotskiy National Park, which would consolidate responsibility for preserving natural and cultural resources. The boundary, internal organization, and management should be determined by the Soviet Union, with an example being the creation of the Pereslavsk National Park.
The designation of an international park, consisting of protected sites in both the United States and the Soviet Union, is another alternative. This could be achieved by designating one or more national park areas in Alaska and reserving comparable areas on the Chukotskiy Peninsula as an international park. This would give legal and management protection for natural and cultural resources, would protect local lifeways, and would allow complementary management of sites on both sides of the Bering Strait.
This alternative would recognize the natural and cultural links between the continents and their people. Cooperative activities could improve site management and research, provide for the restoration and continuation of cultural ties, and establish an important symbol of our shared Beringian heritage.
For the Soviet Union, this alternative would require the creation of a national park described above, and for the United States, designation by the government of an existing park unit.