Marine Management Plan

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve protects an area of 3.3 million acres, which encompasses over 600,000 acres of marine waters.

NPS Photo

---

Vision Statement

Daa Sáwé Tuwatéen Haa Léelk’U Hás, has du Éilʼi? (What Do We See in the Future for Our Grandparents’ Ocean)

Marine park waters—from the seafloor up to the high tide line—are a protected sanctuary, a living laboratory, and an awe-inspiring setting that invite and inspire people to explore and discover the dynamic and living natural and cultural heritage of the park.

---

 

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve protects a unique marine ecosystem. The nutrient-rich waters of Glacier Bay are home to stunning wildlife, centuries-old coral, fascinating geologic history, and more. In 2023, Glacier Bay will begin implementing a new Marine Management Plan that will guide management decisions in ~537,000 acres of Glacier Bay National Park marine waters. The Marine Management Plan gives Glacier Bay a vision for marine stewardship, providing diverse visitor experiences and balanced access, and an enduring commitment to Tlingit Homeland values.

 

Glacier Bay Purpose Statement

The purpose of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is to protect a dynamic tidewater glacial landscape and associated natural successional processes for science and discovery in a wilderness setting.

 

This plan guides management for ~537,000 acres of nonwilderness marine waters in Glacier Bay National Park and supports motorized vessel management for balanced access to Glacier Bay, including through targeted refinements to management frameworks first established in 1979 and comprehensively updated in 2003.

Specific components of the Marine Management Plan include:

• Marine Management Plan Part I (pdf download ~1mb)
• Marine Managment Plan Part II (pdf download ~7.5mb)
• Marine Management Plan Part III (pdf download ~3mb)
• Marine Management Plan Appendices (pdf download ~1.5mb)

For further information, or to be added to a mailing list to receive Marine Management Plan implementation updates and notices for tiered public input (as conceptual actions are more defined and refined) please e-mail us.

The full document and more information is available on the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment Website here. (go.nps.gov/GBWaters)

 

Commissioned by John Muir, this 1889 painting captures three marine management themes emphasized in this plan: balanced Tlingit Homeland, visitor access to the glacial environment, and the dynamic living laboratory of Glacier Bay. This artwork is property of the Anchorage Museum and may only be used with their express permission.

Muir Glacier by Thomas Hill, Anchorage Museum, 1976.50.1