Harmony Hall Harmony Hall is in the Broad Crek Historic District, the first historic district formed under Prince George's County preservation law. The house is an 18th century Georgian country house that architecturally ranks as one of the great early plantation houses and an outstanding early colonial house of Maryland. The front of the house faces the Potomac River and remains much as it appeared in 1766, the estimated time of construction.
Harmony Hall was acquired by the National Park Service in 1966 under the provisions of the Capper-Crampton Act of 1930, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Iditarod National HistoricTrail Recreation Management Area The Iditarod National Historic Trail is a network of 2,037 miles of trails once used by ancient Alaska Natives and early 20th- century prospectors. The vegetation varies from coastal Sitka spruce to the alpine tundra of the Chugach Mountains and Alaska Range. Wildlife is plentiful and includes moose, caribou, black bear, brown bear, lynx, beaver, otter, marten, bald eagle, and all types of waterfowl. Fish species include salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden, trout, and arctic graying. The Iditarod received its Historic Trail designation from Congress in 1978 for its historic importance. The Trail is the route for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Innoko NWR Innoko NWR is a roadless, relatively flat plain containing most of the Innoko River drainage and bordered on the west by the Yukon River. About 80 percent of the refuge is wetlands; there are innumerable small lakes, streams, and bogs that are enriched by annual flooding associated with river runoff. The upland vegetation is a transition between the boreal forest of interior Alaska and shrub and tundra communities common in western and northern Alaska. Wildfire plays a key role in maintaining diversity in the boreal forests. Moose, wolves, waterfowl, and bears are common. Furbearers are abundant. Salmon, sheefish, and northern pike abound in Refuge streams and lakes. The refuge contains several abandoned towns, remnants of the gold rush era, but no occupied communities. Residents of fifteen villages hunt and fish on the Refuge for subsistence. The high moose population attracts many hunters in the fall. Other visitors float refuge rivers, fish, explore historical sites, or just admire the scenery.
Inupiat Heritage Center The Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska was designated an affiliated area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts to ensure that the contributions of Alaska Natives to the history of whaling is recognized. More than 2000 whaling voyages from New Bedford sailed into arctic waters during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many Alaska Natives, particularly Inupiat Eskimo people, participated in commercial whaling. In addition to crewing on the ships they hunted for food for the whalers, provided warm fur clothing, and sheltered many crews that were shipwrecked on the Alaska coast.
The Inupiat Heritage Center was dedicated in February 1999 and houses exhibits, artifact collections, library, gift shop, and a traditional room where people can demonstrate and teach traditional crafts in Elders-in-Residence and Artists-in Residence programs. The Federal Government does not own or manage the Center. Rather, the North Slope Borough owns it and manages it through Ilisagvik College, also based in Barrow. The Heritage Center is one of several partners, associated through New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park legislation, who participate in telling the story of commercial whaling in the United States. Park partners operate independently but collaborate in a variety of educational and interpretive programs.
Izembek NWR Izembek NWR surrounds and protects the Izembek Lagoon, critically important habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl and a designated Wetland of International Importance. Most of the refuge is designated Wilderness. The lagoon contains one of the largest eelgrass beds in the world. Hundreds of thousands of waterfowl, including nearly the entire population of Pacific brant and most of the world's emperor geese depend on the refuge during spring and fall migrations. Other geese, ducks, and shorebirds are also abundant in the fall. The Steller's eider is abundant during winter. All five species of Pacific salmon are found in refuge waters. Brown bear, caribou, river otter, gray wolf and 19 other species of land mammals inhabit the refuge. Sea otters, Steller's sea lions, and harbor seals are found on coastlines and gray, killer, and minke whales are common offshore. Cold Bay days of old. World War II brought frenzied activity to Cold Bay. Fort Randall was established as a western post to stave off Pacific invasions during WWII. During the Vietnam Conflict, Thornbrough Air Force Base served as a dispatch point for units en route to Asia. Most war era buildings have been torn down but relicts dot the landscape. Unexploded ordnance has been occassionally encountered in unexpected places. A brochure is availalble at the Refuge headquarters to help you recognize the various types of ordance you might find.
Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Kachemak Bay is the largest reserve in the system. It is also one of the most productive, diverse and intensively used estuaries in the state of Alaska. The local community pursued the designation of Kachemak Bay as a National Estuarine Research Reserve to preserve the lifestyle and economy of the region.The reserve increases understanding and wise use of the bay and its resources. Kachemak Bay features extensive tidal mudflats, subtidal habitat and upland forests. The bay is 24 miles wide at its mouth and approximately 36 miles long. The southern shore is comprised of the Kenai Mountains, containing several glaciers with direct drainage to Kachemak Bay.
