FIGURE S-1 Map of Alaska showing the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region. The region of concern for the purposes of this study includes the Yukon River drainage, the Kuskokwim-Goodnews drainage, and the drainages between Shishmaref in the north and Cape Newenham in the south. The area of study does not include North Slope drainages and the northern part of the Northwestern region drainages. Source: Adapted from USGS 2004.

The reasons for the drop in salmon returns are not well understood, which makes it difficult for fishery managers and scientists to identify appropriate management actions, although they likely involve aspects of the life cycles of the fish and their environments in freshwater and in saltwater as well as human impacts.

The AYK Sustainable Salmon Initiative (SSI) was created through a $5M congressional appropriation in 2002 to undertake an expanded research program toward gaining an understanding of the declines of salmon and to support sustainable salmon management in the region (an additional $8.5 million has been appropriated through 2004). An AYK