View source for Forrester Island (Alaska)

[[File:Dall Island and Cordova Bay from space.JPG|thumb|[[Dall Island]] from space, with Forrester Island in the foreground left]]
'''Forrester Island''' ([[Haida language|Haida]]: ''Gasḵúu'') is an island in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Alaska]]. It is located off the coast of the [[Alaska Panhandle]], near its southernmost portion, {{convert|20|mi}} west of [[Dall Island]], in the [[Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska|Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area]]. The island is {{convert|5.2|mi}} long and covers an area of {{convert|10.29|km2|abbr=on|disp=flip}}.<ref name=gnis /><ref>{{cite web |title=GEOGRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS: 2010 Census Summary File 1: Block 3471, Block Group 3, Census Tract 1, Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 21, 2013 |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1000000US021980001003471|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212200938/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1000000US021980001003471|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite map |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |title=DC10BLK_C02198_027 |date=April 5, 2011 |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st02_ak/county/c02198_prince_of_wales-hyder/DC10BLK_C02198_027.pdf |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> It is wooded and mountainous, rising {{convert|814|ft|sp=us}} in elevation.<ref name=gnis /><ref>{{cite book|url=http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17420_BookletChart.pdf|title=BookletChart: Hecate Strait to Etolin Island: NOAA Chart 17420|publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|access-date=August 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222160400/http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17420_BookletChart.pdf|archive-date=22 February 2013}}</ref> In 1970, the area was designated the '''Forrester Island Wilderness''', with {{convert|2832|acre|ha}} in the [[National Wilderness Preservation System]].<ref>{{cite web |date=September 8, 2008 |title=Refuge Establishment |url=http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov/establishment.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624191258/http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov/establishment.htm |archive-date=June 24, 2013 |access-date=August 20, 2013 |publisher=[[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Forrester Island Wilderness |url=https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=189 |url-status=dead |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |publisher=[[Wilderness.net]]}}</ref> It is part of the Gulf of Alaska unit of the [[Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge]].
[[File:Forrester Island Wilderness.jpg|thumb|Forrester Island wilderness]]
Forrester Island was originally named "Santa Cristina" by [[Juan José Pérez Hernández|Juan Pérez]] in 1774. In 1775, [[Francisco Antonio Maurelle]] labeled the island "San Carlos", and in 1778 [[William Douglas (sea captain)|William Douglas]] named it "Douglas Island". Royal Navy officer [[George Dixon (Royal Navy officer)|George Dixon]] named the island "Forrester Island" in 1787, which was the name adopted by [[George Vancouver]] on the [[Vancouver Expedition]] in 1793.<ref name=gnis>{{cite gnis |id=1422006 |name=Forrester Island |accessdate=August 21, 2013}}</ref> In 1912, U.S. President [[William Howard Taft]] signed a law creating the Forrester Island Refuge, which included Forrester Island, [[Lowrie Island]] and Wolf Rock. The island hosts rookeries of [[Steller sea lion]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jemison |first=Lauri |title=Trip Report: Sightings of Branded Steller Sea Lions In Southeast Alaska and Northern British Columbia 10–25 July & 22–30 August, 2006 |publisher=[[Alaska Department of Fish and Game]] |year=2006 |url=http://www.nps.gov/glba/naturescience/upload/Jemison2006_ADFG_SSL_Jul-Aug_trip_report.pdf |access-date=August 20, 2013}}</ref> The longest recorded migration of a Steller sea lion was {{convert|1600|mi}} between Forrester Island and [[Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site|Cape Newenham]] in [[Bristol Bay]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Steller Sea Lion (''Eumetopias jubatus'') |publisher=[[Alaska Department of Fish and Game]] |url=http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=stellersealion.printerfriendly |access-date=August 20, 2013}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of islands of Alaska]]
==References==
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[[Category:Islands of Alaska]]
[[Category:Islands of Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Islands of Unorganized Borough, Alaska]]