In January 1995, the federal government purchased from the Eyak Corporation commercial timber rights on 2,052 acres of land in Orca Narrows. This parcel is near Cordova in Prince William Sound and contains anadromous fish streams, active bald eagle nests, and favorable habitat for marbled murrelet nesting. The Council authorized $3.45 million for this Imminent Threat Acquisition under the Opportunities for Habitat Protection component of the Habitat Program.
In July 1997, the Council authorized $45 million to purchase an additional 76,086 acres from the Eyak Corporation. The agreement included surface title to 55,184 acres of land in eastern Prince William Sound, conservation easements on an additional 8,315 acres, and timber easements on 12,587 acres. The cost of this package over a multiyear period was $45,126,704. The package protects habitat in the wooded shoreline areas of Nelson Bay, Eyak Lake and Hawkins Island, much of it visible from the City of Cordova. The package also includes Port Gravina, Sheep Bay, and Windy Bay, which are considered among the most valuable parcels in Prince William Sound for recovery of species injured by the spill. Most of the land is administered as part of the Chugach National Forest. One small tract is managed by the State within the legislatively designated Canoe Passage State Marine Park.
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