Out of concern for the species' survival, two years ago The Wilderness Society and Trustees for Alaska contracted for a report on the rare and largely unknown yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii), now in the immediate path of oil development in northwestern Alaska. Today the organizations announce the release of the report: Status and Significance of Yellow-Billed Loon Populations in Alaska (December 2002). The report was researched and written by Jeff Fair, an independent wildlife biologist from Anchorage.

The yellow-billed loon is of small population size and delicate ecology. Much of its nesting habitat in Alaska, including key areas of higher densities, lies within the northern wetland portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Reserve), where oil exploration and development are ongoing.

Past environmental documents preceding decisions on oil and gas operations have given inaccurate and inadequate treatment to the yellow-billed loon. The Bureau of Land Management's recently released draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Reserve's Northwest planning area recognizes that the primary nesting area for the U.S. population of yellow billed loons lies between Teshekpuk Lake and Meade River, but the document does not offer adequate protections to ensure the viability of the species.

The purposes of the Status and Significance of Yellow-Billed Loon Populations in Alaska are to focus attention on the yellow-billed loon and its conservation, and to provide agency and industry biologists and the public with an information source to help facilitate conservation efforts. The report is not a refereed research monograph. It is a literature review and a summary of what is known, and unknown, about the yellow-billed loon's population status and the threats it faces. The report cites a number of secondary literature sources and contains certain opinions and speculative assessments not considered statistically significant, but which may be biologically significant.

While hard copies are no longer available, the Status and Significance of Yellow-Billed Loon Populations in Alaska report can be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat PDF format below:

Status and Significance of Yellow-Billed Loon Populations in Alaska PDF

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