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VECO Polar Resources supports a summer and winter field research site in Council, which is a small community at the far end of a 75-mile gravel road from Nome. This summer road (open mid-June through September) makes Council accessible for fuel, food and equipment for researchers. Summer and winter camp facilities can be arranged in one of the local homes. Conditions are rustic with bunkhouse style accommodations. The atmosphere in Council is neighborly with town residents often involved in day-to-day life at the camp. (from the VPR website) Two watersheds in the Council area are being studied by the Water and Environmental Research Center (WERC) of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF). The program is named "Arctic Transitions in the Land-Atmosphere System" (ATLAS). Details of the study, and data, are available at the WERC-ATLAS web site. Page header photo above by Larry Hinzman. |
| Location | Environment Types Accessible at this Location | Primary Logistics Provider | Permits and Legal Issues | Physical Access | Buildings | Maps | Current Projects and Research History |
| Location | ||||
| Country: | USA | |||
| State/Province/Region: | Alaska | |||
| Description: | Council is about 60 miles (97 km) northeast of Nome, on the banks of the Niukluk River, at the end of the Nome/Council road. The road ends at the river, and Council is on the far side. The town is a seasonal fish camp. Several Nome residents have homes in Council, used for summer subsistence food-gathering activities. | |||
| Latitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 64.9° N | |||
| Longitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 163.66° W | |||
| Environment Types Accessible at this Location | ||||
| Interior, Riparian, Tundra, Taiga | ||||
| Primary Logistics Provider | ||||
| Organization: | Veco Polar Resources | |||
| Name and title of contact person: | Marin Kuizenga | |||
| Address: | Veco Polar Resources 3535 College Road Suite 201 Fairbanks, AK 99709 |  | ||
| Telephone: | 907-455-4214 | |||
| Fax: | 907-455-4126 | |||
| E-mail: | marin@polarfield.com | |||
| Contact person or agency web page: | http://204.133.253.219/vpr/ | |||
| Permits and Legal Issues | ||||
| Permit contact person, name and title: | For permission to conduct research in the Council area, contact Barb Gray at the Council Native Council at Council@nome.net. Or contact the Alaska Department of Natural Resources at 550 W. 7th Ave. Ste. 1260 Anchorage, AK 99501. Phone: 907-269-8400, fax: 907-269-8901, url: http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/. | |||
| Physical Access | ||||
| Accessibility: | Council is on the banks of the Niukluk River, at the end of the Nome/Council road. The road is generally passable from mid-June through August, but this should not be assumed: the road is occasionally closed by washouts, early / late snowfall, etc. The road ends at the river, and Council is on the far side. The river can usually be forded using a 4 wheel drive truck, but water level varies! Seek local advice when planning to drive to Council, and before fording the river. If the road is impassable, Council can be reached by air. |  | ||
| Airstrip description: | The Council airstrip is a public facility, owned by the Sate of Alaska, Department of Transportation, and maintained by the state, in summer only. The runway is gravel, 3,000 feet (914 meters) in length, and 60 feet (18 meters) wide. There are no services, and the runway is unattended and unmonitored: Visual inspection is recommended before landing. | Council Airstrip management: Manager: JOEL CRAFT Address: PO BOX 1048 NOME, AK 99762 Phone No.: 907-443-3444 | ||
| Airstrip : | ||||
| Buildings | ||||
| Lodging | ||||
| Maps | ||||
| Map sources: | Topograhic maps USGS topographic and geologic maps of Alaska are available for purchase at The Geophysical Institute Map Office, also known as the State Earth Science Information Center (ESIC), located in the International Arctic Research Center, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This information is from the ESIC web site: Maps are available in the following scales: * 1:250,000-scale * 1:63,360-scale * 1:25,000-scale (limited to certain areas) A free index to Alaska topographic maps is available by mail upon request. Phone orders are accepted with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit cards. Orders are shipped anywhere in the U.S. and to foreign countries. Hours of operation: 8 AM - 5 PM (Alaska Standard Time), Monday through Friday For more information call: (907) 474-6960 E-mail: maps@gi.alaska.edu FAX: (907) 474-2645. USGS topographic maps are also available at many retail stores throughout the United States, although most such outlets stock only maps of local interest. To find sales locations for Alaska, or any other state, use the locator on the USGS web site at: http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/acis-bin/choosebylocation.pl?statechoice=none. Visit the United States Geological Survey web site at: http://www.usgs.gov/ for a vast amount of information on map products. | |||
| Current Projects and Research History | ||||
| Research sources: | Click here for information on research in the vicinity of Council from the database of Veco Polar Resources. | |||