The work accomplished during the fiscal year is summarized as follows: New construction.-1214 miles of road, 734 miles of sled road, 61⁄44 miles of tram road, 126 miles of trail, 848 linear feet of timber bridges over 38-foot span, 1,120 linear feet of steel bridges of 300-foot span or over, 1,836 linear feet of timber trestle span bridges, 432 linear feet of concrete girder span, and 2 airplane landing fields. Improvement.-77 miles of road reconstructed, 8634 miles of road surfaced, 486 metal culverts replaced, and 18 air fields enlarged and improved. Maintenance.-1,653 miles of road, 74 miles of tramway, 549 miles of sled road, 4,0051⁄2 miles of permanent trail, and 304 miles of temporary flagged trail. The cost during the year was $1,565,311.14, of which $977,778.15 was for new work and $587,532.99 was for maintenance and improvement. Total expenditures during the fiscal year were $1,667,209.93. The more important projects upon which new construction was performed are the Juneau-Douglas Bridge and approach, and the following roads: McCarthy-Nizina, Mount McKinley National Park, Gulkana-Nabesna, Olnes-Livengood, Dillingham-Snag Point, NomeSunset Creek, Iliamna, Lucky Shot Mine-Willow Station, Anchorage-Matanuska, Cantwell-Valdez Creek, and Seward Peninsula Tramroad extension. New air fields were constructed at Cache Creek and May Creek. The Richardson Highway was maintained open during the entire season. Improvement to new standard was continued and this road is now in excellent condition for auto traffic. Surfacing the Steese Highway was completed. As a result of the improvement traffic over this route continued to increase. Work was continued on the major project of constructing a road from Gulkana, on the Richardson Highway, to Nabesna, through the mineralized belt north of the Wrangell Mountains, resulting in the completion of this road except surfacing, which is 60 percent complete. The road from Olnes to Livengood was partially graded for the entire distance of 61 miles so that truck freighting was possible after the freezeup. Completion of grading and surfacing throughout is necessary to provide an all-season road. The work of maintenance and rehabilitation has been pushed, and the roads and trails under the jurisdiction of the commission are in better shape than ever before. The total mileage of roads and trails constructed and maintained by the commission since its inception aggregate 11,04334 miles, consisting of 1,89734 miles of wagon road, 8014 miles of tramway, 1,5622 miles of sled road, 7,1994 miles of permanent trail, and 304 miles of temporary flagged trail. The roads and trails constructed by the Commission have not only opened up to development nearly all sections of the Territory but have effected large savings in freight charges. The major portion of this freight would not have been transported without the roads, and the indirect loss which would have been occasioned by the restriction on output and development cannot be estimated. As a result of the recent impetus to gold mining, demands for roads into new areas have greatly increased in the past year. Under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, the Alaska Road Commission has undertaken the construction and main tenance of roads and trails in Mt. McKinley National Park and the maintenance of Sitka National Monument with funds allotted by the Park Service. At the close of the fiscal year 742 miles of road were suitable for traffic and 10 miles were under construction in Mt. McKinley Park. The route selected is one of great scenic grandeur. The Sitka National Monument has been placed in excellent condition and maintained. MOUNT MCKINLEY NATIONAL PARK Mount McKinley National Park was established in the year 1917 and was created primarily to protect the large herds of caribou and mountain sheep which live in this section of the Alaska Range. It is situated in south-central Alaska and is the second largest of all the national parks, with an area of 3,030.46 square miles, or 1,939,494 acres. In addition to the abundant animal life, which is composed of caribou, mountain sheep, moose, grizzly bears, Alaska brown bears, wolverines, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and many other small fur-bearing animals, there is the grandeur of the main Alaska Range which parallels the south boundary. The paramount feature of the great range is Mount McKinley, which rises to an altitude of 20,300 feet-the highest mountain on the North American Continent and the highest mountain in the world from its base to the top. Mount McKinley, or Denali, the Indians' name, is situated in the western end of the park, surrounded by many lower mountains and large glaciers. Mount Foraker, the second in size, reaches an altitude of 17,000 feet, and Mount Russell, which marks the southwest corner of the park, rises to an altitude of 11,500 feet. The first ascent of Mount Foraker was made during the past season by Charles S. Houston, New York City; Dr. T. Graham Brown, Cardiff, England; and O. Chyrchale Watertown, North Andover, Mass., who reached the north peak on August 6 and the south peak on August 10. The eastern portion of the park contains many low mountains and grass-covered valleys which provide unlimited forage for the large herds of caribou and mountain sheep which range in this section. Grayling are to be found in nearly all the clear-water streams which head in the Alaska Range; however, they are small in size, as these streams are shallow and do not permit a good spawning ground for large fish. There is a small chain of lakes lying between the Clearwater and the McKinley Rivers which contain lake trout-averaging 5 to 6 pounds. Wild flowers are found in all sections of the park and bloom profusely from early spring until late fall. There has been cataloged 175 varieties of wild flowers and shrubs within the park boundaries. Park headquarters, consisting of employees' residences and service buildings, are 2 miles from the Alaska Railroad station. Park rangers are assigned to headquarters during the tourist season, June 10 to September 15, and distributed over various sections of the park during the hunting and winter season. A private tourist and transportation company provides adequately for the entertainment of visitors. NATIONAL MONUMENTS There are three national monuments in Alaska under control of the National Park Service-the Sitka National Monument, the Katmai National Monument, and the Glacier Bay National Monument, established in 1910, 1918, and 1925, respectively. The Sitka National Monument is situated at Sitka, Alaska, on the western shore of Baranoff Island, and contains 57 acres. It is a reservation of great beauty and of historical interest, and marks the scene of a massacre of Russians by the Indians in 1802; also contains the graves of a Russian midshipman and six sailors, who were killed in the Battle of Alaska in 1804. Among the principal objects of interest in this monument are 16 totem poles, relics of aboriginal life in that region. The old blockhouse which was used by the Russians in the Battle of Alaska has been restored to its original dimensions and appearance by the Department of the Interior. This restoration was made possible through the action of the Alaska Historical Association and the Sitka Commercial Club, through which the necessary funds were raised. The work was accomplished under the direction of the Alaska Road Commission in connection with related work in that vicinity, thus there has been no cost to the Park Service in establishing this monument. Katmai National Monument lies near the base of Mount Katmai, on the Alaska Peninsula, and extends along the shores of Shelikoff Straits. It contains 2,697,590 acres and includes the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, in which there are thousands of little volcanoes or fumeroles. Steam rises from these miniature volcanoes incessantly and gives the appearance of a smoking valley. In addition to the volcanic phenomena, the surrounding region contains some beautiful lakes and mountain scenery. Waterfowl and fish are abundant, as are the Alaska brown bears or "Kodiak" bears, as they are commonly called. This monument is practically inaccessible to any but the hardiest of mountaineers at present; however, when the harbor at Amalik Bay can be developed and a 30-mile trail constructed, explorers and tourists can then take advantage of this unusual scenery and phenomena. The top was blown off of Mount Katmai in 1912 and the country covered with fine ash to a depth of from 1 to 3 feet, killing all vegetation and trees in that vicinity; however, this fine pumice and ash have acted as a fertilizer to the soil, and now the country is covered with vegetation and a new growth of timber is started. Glacier Bay National Monument was erected upon the petition of the Ecological Society of America and the endorsement of the National Geographic Society. This monument is situated on the shores of Prince William Sound and contains approximately 1,820 square miles of glaciers and ice-covered peaks of the first rank, among which are Mount Fairweather, Lituya, La Perouse, and several others unnamed. This region, aside from being a brown-bear reserve, also contains a great variety of forest covering consisting of bodies of young trees which have been established since the retreat of the ice, and offers unusual opportunity for the scientific study of glacier behavior, of resulting movements, and the development of flora and fauna, and certain valuable relics of ancient interglacier forests. ALASKA FISHERIES Expanded operations and a general abundance of fish in practically all districts combined to make the 1934 fishery harvest the largest in the history of the Territory, notwithstanding curtailments in some branches of the industry as a result of the longshoremen's strike on the Pacific coast and fishermen's strikes in southeast Alaska and the Copper River area. The chief increase was in the output of canned salmon, although products of the herring, whale, crab, and other minor fisheries also showed a substantial gain as compared with the preceding year. In view of the generally satisfactory condition of the runs, comparatively few changes in the regulations were made during the 1934 season. With few exceptions, the modifications issued were relaxations of existing restrictions on commercial fishing. In the enforcement of the laws and regulations for the conservation of the fisheries 12 regular and 164 temporary employes were engaged, in addition to the crews of 12 vessels belonging to the Bureau, and 3 chartered vessels. Effective use was made also of chartered airplanes as an auxiliary patrol and for general supervisory work. Weirs for counting the escapement of spawning salmon were operated in 12 typical salmon streams as a means of determining the ratio of escape to catch and of supplying data needed in scientific investigations. Biological studies of the salmon and herring were continued, and a statistical analysis was made with respect to the clams of the Prince William Sound area. The removal of log jams and other obstructions that blocked the passage of salmon to the spawning grounds was given attention whenever possible in connection with the patrol of the fishing grounds. In some areas the development of the salmon runs was fostered by the destruction of predatory fishes that fed upon the salmon eggs and fingerlings. This was accomplished particularly in the important red-salmon area of Bristol Bay, where a bounty of 212 cents each was paid on predatory trout taken by bona fide residents of Alaska, under an appropriation for the purpose of the Territorial legislature and funds contributed by local packers. SALMON HATCHERIES Only one hatchery was engaged in the propagation of salmon in Alaska in 1934-that operated by the Pacific American Fisheries at Hugh Smith Lake. This hatchery collected 10,221,000 red-salmon eggs during the 1934 season, from which 9,860,000 fry were produced and liberated in Alaska waters. STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES The number of persons employed in the commercial fisheries of Alaska in 1934 was 26,190. Of these, 14,116 were whites, 6,054 natives, 3,011 Filipinos, 1,313 Japanese, 877 Chinese, 731 Mexicans, 25 Negroes, and 63 miscellaneous (Kanakas, Koreans, Puerto Ricans, etc.). The total number in 1933 was 21,695 or 4,495 less than in 1934. The total value of Alaska fishery products in 1934 was $41,963,293, an increase of $9,836,705 over the figures for the previous year. The quantity and value of the various products of the Alaska Fisheries in 1934 were as follows: These figures represent the value of the manufactured product. It is estimated that the value of the catch, exclusive of whales, to the fishermen was approximately $11,707,000. The round weight of the salmon catch landed by the fishermen was approximately |