Editing St. Paul, Alaska

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = St. Paul
|native_name              = Tanax̂ Amix̂       
| native_name_lang        = ale
|settlement_type          = [[City (Alaska)|City]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = 
|image_skyline            = StPaulAlaska.jpg
|image_caption            = St. Paul, Alaska
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               = 
|pushpin_map              = USA Alaska
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in Alaska
|subdivision_type         = [[Countries of the World|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Census Area]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_name1        = [[Alaska]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska|Aleutians West]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Simeon Swetzof<ref>{{Cite book|title=2015 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=Juneau|publisher=Alaska Municipal League|year=2015|page=137}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = [[Alaska Senate|State senator]]
|leader_name1             = [[Lyman Hoffman]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
|leader_title2            = [[Alaska House of Representatives|State rep.]]
|leader_name2             = [[Bryce Edgmon]] ([[Independent politician|I]])
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = 1943
|established_title2       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2        = June 29, 1971<ref>{{cite book|title=1996 Alaska Municipal Officials Directory|location=[[Juneau]]|publisher=Alaska Municipal League/[[Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development|Alaska Department of Community and Regional Affairs]]|date=January 1996|page=131}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 295.46
|area_total_km2           = 765.25
|area_land_sq_mi          = 42.62
|area_land_km2            = 110.39
|area_water_sq_mi         = 252.84
|area_water_km2           = 654.86
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_km2           = 
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 413
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_metro         = 
|population_urban         = 
|population_density_km2   = 3.74
|population_density_sq_mi = 9.69
|timezone                 = Alaskan (AKST)
|utc_offset               = -9
|timezone_DST             = AKDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|57|7|30|N|170|17|3|W|region:US-AK|display=inline}}
|elevation_m              = 7
|elevation_ft             = 23 <!--usgs.gov-->
|website                  = 
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 99660
|area_code                = [[Area code 907|907]]
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 02-66470
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = {{GNIS 4|1419163}}  
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_02.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Saint_Paul_Island_figb0218.jpg|alt=Black and white hand drawn survey map and elevation profile for Saint Paul Island and two neighboring islets: Walrus Island and Otter Island|thumb|Survey map and elevation profile of Saint Paul Island, with surrounding ocean [[Depth sounding|soundings]]]]
'''St. Paul''' ({{langx|ale|Tanax̂ Amix̂}} or {{lang|ale|Sanpuulax̂}}, {{langx|ru|Сент-Пол|Sent-Pol}}) is a city in the [[Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska]], United States. It is the main settlement of '''Saint Paul Island''' in the [[Pribilof Islands|Pribilofs]], a small island group in the [[Bering Sea]]. The population was 413 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], down from 479 in 2010. Saint Paul Island is  known as a [[birdwatching]] haven.

The three closest islands to Saint Paul Island are [[Otter Island, Alaska|Otter Island]] to the southwest, [[St. George Island (Alaska)|Saint George]] slightly to the south, and [[Walrus Island, Pribilof Islands|Walrus Island]] to the east.

St. Paul Island's land area is {{cvt|43|sqmi|km2}}. St. Paul Island in 2008 had one school (K-12, 76 students), one post office, one bar, one small store, and one church (the Russian Orthodox [[Sts. Peter and Paul Church (St. Paul Island, Alaska)|Sts. Peter and Paul Church]]), which is listed on the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]].

The island was one of the last places where [[woolly mammoth]]s survived, until around 5,600 years ago.<ref name=":0" />

==Geography and geology==
St. Paul is located at {{Coord|57|7|30|N|170|17|3|W|type:city}} (57.133806, −170.266614).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

Saint Paul is the largest of the Pribilof Islands and lies the farthest north. With a width of {{cvt|7.66|mi|km}} at its widest point and a length of {{cvt|13.5|mi|km}} on its longest axis (which runs from northeast to southwest), it has a total area of {{cvt|43|mi2|km2}}. Volcanic in origin, Saint Paul features a number of [[cinder cone]]s and [[volcanic crater]]s in its interior. The highest of these, Rush Hill, rises to {{cvt|665|ft|m}} on the island's western shore, though most of the [[Highland (geography)|upland]] areas average less than {{cvt|150|ft|m}} in elevation. Most of the island is a low-lying mix of rocky plateaus and valleys, with some of the valleys holding freshwater ponds. Much of its {{cvt|45.5|mi|km}} of shoreline is rugged and rocky, rising to sheer cliffs at several headlands, though long sandy beaches backed by shifting sand dunes flank a number of shallow bays.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jordan |first=David Starr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-RILAAAAIAAJ |title=The Fur Seals and Fur-seal Islands of the North Pacific Ocean |publisher=U.S. Department of the Treasury: Government Printing Office |year=1898 |location=Washington, D.C. |page=31}}</ref>

Like the other Pribilof Islands, Saint Paul rises from a [[basalt]]ic base. Its hills are primarily brown or red [[tufa]] and cinder heaps, though some (like Polavina) are composed of red [[scoria]] and [[breccia]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Elliott |first=Henry W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OnIrAAAAYAAJ |title=A Monograph of the Seal Islands |publisher=Government Printing Office |year=1882 |location=Washington, D.C. |page=19 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330134132/http://books.google.com/books?id=onIRAAAAYAAJ |archive-date=March 30, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> The island sits on the southern edge of the [[Bering-Chukchi platform]], and may have been part of the [[Bering Land Bridge]]'s southern coastline when the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]]'s [[glacier]]s reached their maximum expansion. Sediment [[core sample]]s taken on Saint Paul show that [[tundra]] vegetation similar to that found on the island today has been present for at least 9,000&nbsp;years. The thick rough turf is dominated by [[umbellifer]]s (particularly ''[[Angelica]]'') and ''[[Artemisia (genus)|Artemisia]]'', though grasses and sedges are also abundant.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/beringlandbridge0000hopk |title=The Bering Land Bridge |publisher=Stanford University Press |year=1967 |isbn=978-0-8047-0272-0 |editor-last=Hopkins |editor-first=David Moody |location=Stanford, CA |pages=[https://archive.org/details/beringlandbridge0000hopk/page/224 224–226] |url-access=registration}}</ref>
[[File:Big_Lake,_Saint_Paul_Island,_Alaska.jpg|alt=Smooth, rounded hills and flatlands covered in golden-brown vegetation lie beyond a lake under heavy cloud.|center|thumb|700x700px|The generally low-lying island of Saint Paul is dotted with small cinder cones and vegetation-covered sand dunes.]]

== History and culture ==
{{See also|Siberian fur trade|Russian America|Maritime fur trade}}
[[File:NOAA_Saint_Paul_Island_elliott4.jpg|left|thumb|Map showing the village of [[Saint Paul, Alaska|Saint Paul]] and environs, circa 1890]]
The [[Aleut people]] knew of the Pribilofs long before Westerners discovered the islands. They called the islands ''Amiq'', [[Aleut language|Aleut]] for "land of mother's brother" or "related land". According to their [[oral tradition]], the son of an [[Unimak Island]] elder found them after paddling north in his boat in an attempt to survive a storm that caught him out at sea; when the winds finally died, he was lost in dense fog—until he heard the sounds of Saint Paul's vast [[Northern fur seal|seal]] colonies.<ref>Borneman 2003, pp. 113–114</ref><ref>Elliott 1886, pp. 193–194</ref>

The Pribilofs, named after the Russian navigator [[Gavriil Pribylov]], were discovered in 1786 by Russian fur traders; no Alaska Natives are known to have lived on the island prior to this point. They landed first on [[St. George, Alaska|St. George]] on St. Peter and St. Paul's Day, July 12, 1788, and named the larger island to the north St. Peter and St. Paul Island. Three years later the Russian merchant vessel ''John the Baptist'' was shipwrecked off the shore. The crew were listed as missing until 1793, when the survivors were rescued by [[Gerasim Izmailov]].

In the 18th century, the [[Russian-American Company]] forced Aleuts from the Aleutian chain (several hundred miles south of the Pribilofs) to hunt seal for them on the Pribilof Islands. Before this the Pribilofs were not regularly inhabited. The Aleuts were essentially slave labor for the Russians—hunting, cleaning, and preparing fur seal skins, which the Russians sold for a great deal of money. The Aleuts were not taken back to their home islands; they lived in inhumane conditions, they were beaten, and they were regulated by the Russians down to what they could eat and wear and whom they could marry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association |url=https://www.apiai.org/departments/cultural-heritage-department/culture-history/history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421000902/https://www.apiai.org/departments/cultural-heritage-department/culture-history/history/ |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |access-date=March 11, 2021}}</ref> Their descendants live on the two islands today.

In 1870, the now-American owned Alaska Commercial Company (formerly the Russian-American Company) was awarded a 20-year sealing lease by the U.S. government, and provided housing, food and medical care to the Aleuts in exchange for seal harvesting. In 1890, a second 20-year lease was awarded to the North American Commercial Company, however, the fur seals had been severely over-harvested and only an estimated 200,000 fur seals remained. The 1910 [[North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911|Fur Seal Treaty]] ended private sealing on the islands and placed the community and fur seals under the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Food and clothing were scarce, social and racial segregation were practiced, and working conditions were poor.

[[Sts. Peter and Paul Church (St. Paul Island, Alaska)|Saints Peter and Paul Church]], a [[Russian Orthodox]] church, was built on the island in 1907.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Register |url=http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204052104/http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html |archive-date=December 4, 2010 |access-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref>

During World War II, as the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] threatened the Aleutians; the 881 Aleuts on the Pribilof islands were forcibly removed, with no more than several hours' notice, to internment in abandoned salmon canneries and mines in Southeast Alaska until May 1944. The Aleut men were brought back to the islands temporarily in the summer of 1943 to conduct the fur seal harvest for the federal government, seal oil being used in the war effort.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Area History |url=http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov/historyculture/1900-1945.htm |access-date=December 20, 2008 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref> Most Aleuts from the Pribilofs were imprisoned at [[Funter Bay]] on [[Admiralty Island]] in Southeast Alaska. In 1979, the Aleut people from the Pribilof islands received $8.5 million in partial compensation for the unfair and unjust treatment they were subject to under federal administration between 1870 and 1946. In 1983, [[United States Congress|Congress]] passed the Fur Seal Act Amendments, which ended government control of the commercial seal harvest and most of the federal presence on the island. Responsibility for providing community services and management of the fur seals was left to local entities. [[USD]]$20 million was provided to help develop and diversify the Island economy&mdash;[[USD]]$12 million to St. Paul and [[USD]]$8 million to St. George. Commercial harvesting on St. Paul ceased in 1985. Ownership of fur seal pelts is now prohibited except for subsistence purposes.

== Demographics ==
{{update|section|date=April 2025|reason=Newer information is available from the 2010 and 2020 Census reports}}
{{US Census population
|1880= 298
|1890= 244
|1910= 201
|1920= 212
|1930= 247
|1940= 299
|1950= 359
|1960= 378
|1970= 450
|1980= 551
|1990= 763
|2000= 532
|2010= 479
|2020= 413
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
Saint Paul Island has the largest [[Aleut people|Aleut]] community in the United States, one of the [[United States|U.S. government's]] officially recognized [[Alaska Natives|Native American]] ''tribal entities'' of Alaska. Out of a total population of 480 people, 457 of them (86 percent) are Alaska Natives.<ref>[https://www.census.gov St. Paul Island: Blocks 1001 thru 1041, Census Tract 1, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/|date=December 27, 1996}} United States Census Bureau</ref>

Saint Paul first appeared on the 1880 U.S. Census as an unincorporated Aleut village. Of its 298 residents, 284 were Aleut and 14 were white.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of the Population of Alaska |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v1-17.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |date=1880}}</ref> In 1890, it reported with 244 residents. A plurality of 111 were [[creole peoples|creole]] (mixed Russian & Native), 108 were Native, 22 were white and 3 were Asian.<ref>{{cite web |title=Report on Population and Resources of Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890 |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1890a_v8-01.pdf |website=United States Census Bureau |publisher=Government Printing Office}}</ref> It did not report in 1900, but from 1910 to 1940, it reported as "Saint Paul Island." From 1950-onward, it has reported as Saint Paul. It formally incorporated in 1971.

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 532 people, 177 households, and 123 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|13.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 214 housing units at an average density of {{convert|5.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 85.90% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 12.97% [[Race (United States Census)|white]], 0.56% [[Pacific Islander American|Pacific Islander]], and 0.56% from two or more races.

There were 177 households, out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.44.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,750, and the median income for a family was $51,750. Males had a median income of $32,583 versus $29,792 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,408. About 6.4% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

==Nature and wildlife==
[[File:St._Paul_Island,_Sand_dune_habitat_Pribilof_Islands.jpg|left|thumb|St. Paul Island, sand dune habitat [[Pribilof Islands]]]]
Saint Paul Island, like all of the Pribilof Islands, is part of the [[Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge]]. Its seabird cliffs were purchased in 1982 for inclusion in the refuge.<ref name="NWR">{{cite web |title=Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge: Wildlife Viewing |url=http://www.fws.gov/alaska/nwr/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523184042/http://www.fws.gov/alaska/nwr/ |archive-date=May 23, 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2011 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref> The island has also been designated as an [[Important Bird Area]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cecil |first1=John |title=Important Bird Areas Americas - Priority sites for biodiversity conservation |last2=Sanchez |first2=Connie |last3=Stenhouse |first3=Iain |last4=Hartzler |first4=Ian |publisher=BirdLife International |year=2009 |isbn=978-9942-9959-0-2 |editor1=Devenish, C. |location=Quito, Ecuador |page=374 |chapter=United States of America |access-date=July 6, 2011 |editor2=Díaz Fernández, D. F. |editor3=Clay, R. P. |editor4=Davidson, I. |editor5=Yépez Zabala, I. |chapter-url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/IBAs/AmCntryPDFs/USA.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016034334/http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/IBAs/AmCntryPDFs/USA.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

It is the breeding grounds for more than 500,000 [[northern fur seal]]s and millions of [[seabird]]s, and is surrounded by one of the world's richest [[fishing]] grounds.

[[Woolly mammoth]]s survived on Saint Paul Island until around 5,600 years ago (~3,600 BC),<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Graham |first1=Russell W. |last2=Belmecheri |first2=Soumaya |last3=Choy |first3=Kyungcheol |last4=Culleton |first4=Brendan J. |last5=Davies |first5=Lauren J. |last6=Froese |first6=Duane |last7=Heintzman |first7=Peter D. |last8=Hritz |first8=Carrie |last9=Kapp |first9=Joshua D. |last10=Newsom |first10=Lee A. |last11=Rawcliffe |first11=Ruth |last12=Saulnier-Talbot |first12=Émilie |last13=Shapiro |first13=Beth |last14=Wang |first14=Yue |last15=Williams |first15=John W. |date=2016-08-16 |title=Timing and causes of mid-Holocene mammoth extinction on St. Paul Island, Alaska |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=113 |issue=33 |pages=9310–9314 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1604903113 |doi-access=free |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=4995940 |pmid=27482085|bibcode=2016PNAS..113.9310G }}</ref> which is the most recent survival of North American mammoth populations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schirber |first=Michael |title=Surviving Extinction: Where Woolly Mammoths Endured |url=http://www.livescience.com/animals/041019_Mammoth_Island.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927010903/http://www.livescience.com/animals/041019_Mammoth_Island.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |access-date=July 20, 2007 |work=Live Science |publisher=[[Imaginova|Imaginova Cororporation]]}}</ref><ref>Kristine J. Crossen, "5,700-Year-Old Mammoth Remains from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska: Last Outpost of North America Megafauna", Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Volume 37, Number 7, (Geological Society of America, 2005), 463.</ref><ref>David R. Yesner, Douglas W. Veltre, Kristine J. Crossen, and Russell W. Graham, "5,700-year-old Mammoth Remains from Qagnax Cave, Pribilof Islands, Alaska", Second World of Elephants Congress, (Hot Springs: Mammoth Site, 2005), 200–203</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Guthrie |first=R. Dale |date=June 17, 2004 |title=Radiocarbon evidence of mid-Holocene mammoths stranded on an Alaskan Bering Sea island |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |publisher=[[Nature Publishing Group]] |volume=429 |issue=6993 |pages=746–749 |bibcode=2004Natur.429..746D |doi=10.1038/nature02612 |pmid=15201907 |s2cid=186242235}}</ref> It is thought that this population died out as a result of diminishing fresh water, brought on by [[Climate change (general concept)|climate change]] making the island more arid, and exacerbated by the erosion of the few freshwater lakes present on the island that the mammoths used for drinking water as a result of mammoth activity.<ref name=":0" />

A mass die-off of [[puffin]]s at St. Paul Island between October 2016 and January 2017 has been attributed to ecosystem changes resulting from [[climate change]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shankman |first=Sabrina |date=May 29, 2019 |title=Mass Die-Off of Puffins Raises More Fears About Arctic's Warming Climate |url=https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29052019/puffin-deaths-arctic-climate-change-alaska-wildlife-biodiversity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730154355/https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29052019/puffin-deaths-arctic-climate-change-alaska-wildlife-biodiversity |archive-date=July 30, 2019 |access-date=August 3, 2019 |website=InsideClimate News |language=en-US}}</ref> Climate change has also made it warm enough for rats to survive St. Paul's cold winters, and so {{as of|2024|lc=yes}} the island's harbor is equipped with a number of traps to catch any rats carried in aboard ships.<ref>{{cite news |first=Amanda |last=Holpuch  |title=A Remote Alaskan Island Is on High Alert for a Rat |date=2024-09-25 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/rat-alaska-saint-paul-island.html |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Birds===
No fewer than 319 species of birds have been recorded on the island. In spring (May through mid-June) and fall (August through October), many rare birds, including Siberian vagrants, may be spotted on the island. The cliffs of Saint Paul, Saint George and Otter Island support large numbers of breeding seabirds, including critical nesting habitat for the very range-restricted [[red-legged kittiwake]]. The auk family is well represented here, with [[Horned puffin|horned]] and [[tufted puffin|tufted]] puffin, [[Thick-billed murre|thick-billed]] and [[common murre|common]] murre, [[parakeet]], [[Crested auklet|crested]] and [[Least auklet|least]] auklets and [[ancient murrelet]] occurring as breeders, and several other species occurring as vagrants or seasonal visitors. Breeding ducks include [[long-tailed duck]], [[northern pintail]], and [[green-winged teal]]. Breeding shorebirds include [[semipalmated plover]], the Pribilof subspecies of [[rock sandpiper]], [[least sandpiper]] and [[red-necked phalarope]]. Breeding landbirds are few, but include insular subspecies of [[grey-crowned rosy finch|gray-crowned rosy finch]] and [[Pacific wren]], [[snow bunting]], [[Lapland longspur]], and the occasional [[hoary redpoll|hoary]] or [[common redpoll|common]] redpoll, or [[common raven]]. Saint Paul Island Tours (part of the TDX Corp.) runs a natural history tourist program to the island of Saint Paul from May through early October, offering interested visitors the chance to explore the avifauna of the island.

===Northern fur seals===
[[File:St_Paul_Island,_Alaska_05s_Ak331.JPG|thumb|St Paul Island, seal rookeries in foreground, St Paul Village in distance.]]
One of the most notable sights on the island are the [[northern fur seal]] [[rookeries]]. The Pribilof Islands support about half of the global population, with some of the individual rookeries on Saint Paul Island containing over 100,000 seals. In late May, the male seals begin to arrive and stake out their territories in preparation for the arrival of the females, who typically arrive during the third week of June. The females give birth soon after making landfall, and by mid-July there will be hundreds of young pups around the island. On June 1, the rookeries are closed and remain off limits until mid-October. During the summer these marine mammals may be viewed, by permit, from blinds at two rookeries.

===Harbor seals, sea lions, walrus, whales===
[[Harbor seal]]s breed on Otter Island, several miles southwest of St. Paul Island, but nonetheless are often seen off St. Paul shores. Occasionally, [[Steller sea lion]]s haul out on St. Paul, but usually take refuge in the rookery at Walrus Island, some {{Convert | 10 | mi | 0}} northeast of St. Paul. On extremely rare occasions, [[grey whale]]s, [[orca]]s, and [[walrus]] are observed offshore.

===Blue fox===
The Blue fox is a subspecies of the [[Arctic fox]]. Endemic to the island, the fox can be found roaming the hills and climbing the cliffs as it scavenges for food. Though clearly able to capture the occasional gull, foxes near the town prefer to scavenge garbage and explore the fishing docks and Processing Plant. Kits hide under storage containers and gobble a fisherman's offered scraps. Some kits shed their dark color much faster than their siblings and adopt a fluffy white/grey coat by mid-September. Foxes inhabiting areas farther from the human dwellings boast a more aggressive and territorial manner. Edging the fur seal rookeries, the two species cohabit easily.

===Reindeer===
A large herd of [[reindeer]] roam the island.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} Of domesticated Russian stock, 25 reindeer were introduced to the island in the fall of 1911, but, after a peak of 2,046 organisms in 1938, the number decreased to 8.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Scheffer |first= Victor B. |title=The Rise and Fall of a Reindeer Herd|journal=The Scientific Monthly|volume=73 |number=6|date=December 1951|pages=356–62 |url=http://faculty.jsd.claremont.edu/dmcfarlane/bio146mcfarlane/papers/Reindeer%20_Pribilovs.pdf |access-date=May 1, 2012|bibcode= 1951SciMo..73..356S}}</ref>

===Wildflowers===
In spring, with the greening of the island, wildflowers begin to decorate the maritime tundra landscape. There are more than 100 species of wildflowers, from the Arctic [[lupin]]e, with its bluish-purple blossoms, to the glowing yellow [[Papaver radicatum|Alaska poppy]], that can be viewed.

==Climate==
[[File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - St Paul Island Area,AK (ThreadEx).svg|thumb|right|Climate chart for St. Paul±]]
The climate of St. Paul is Arctic maritime. The Bering Sea location results in cool weather year-round and a narrow range of mean temperatures varying from 19 to 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Average precipitation is {{Convert | 25 | in}} , with snowfall of {{Convert | 56 | in}}. Heavy fog is common during summer months. Lightning and thunder are virtually unheard of. The last time a thunderstorm occurred in St. Paul was on November 8, 1982, which was the first thunderstorm in 40 years.

Saint Paul's climate is strongly influenced by the cold waters of the surrounding Bering Sea, and is classified as [[Polar climate|polar]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''ET'') due to the raw chilliness of the summers. It experiences a relatively narrow range of temperatures, high wind, humidity and cloudiness levels, and persistent summer [[fog]]. There is high [[seasonal lag]]: February is the island's coldest month, while August is its warmest; the difference between the average low temperature in February and the average high temperature in August is only {{cvt|31.8|F-change}}. Although the mean average temperature for the year is above freezing, at {{cvt|35.9|°F|2}}, the monthly daily average temperature remains below freezing from December to April. Low temperatures at or below {{cvt|0|°F|0}} occur an average of 4.7 nights per year (mostly from January to March), and the island is part of [[Hardiness zone|USDA Hardiness Zone]] 6.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arbor Day Foundation - Buy trees, rain forest friendly coffee, greeting cards that plant trees, memorials and celebrations with trees, and more |url=http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/ZoneInfo.cfm?ZipCode=99660&submit=Look+it+up%21}}</ref> Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{cvt|−26|°F|0}} on January 27, 1919, up to {{cvt|66|°F|0}} on August 14, 2020, and August 25, 1987. Winds are strong and persistent year-round, averaging around {{cvt|15|mph|km/h}}. They are strongest from late autumn through winter, when they increase to an average of nearly {{cvt|20|mph|km/h}}, blowing mostly from the north. In the summer, they become weaker and blow primarily from the south.<ref name="AKclimate">{{cite book |last1=Shulski |first1=Martha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aUDWK8zDr50C&pg=PA160 |title=The Climate of Alaska |last2=Wendler |first2=Gerd |publisher=University of Alaska Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-60223-007-1 |location=Fairbanks, AK |page=160}}</ref>

The island's humidity level, which averages more than 80 percent year round, is highest during the summer. Cloud cover levels peak during the summer as well. Although high year-round, with an average of 88 percent, cloud cover levels rise to 95 percent in the summer. Fog too is more common in the summer, occurring on roughly one-third of the days. The island receives about {{cvt|23.8|in|0}} of [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] per year, with the highest monthly totals occurring between late summer and early winter, when Bering Sea storms batter the island. Snowfall levels are highest between December and March, averaging {{cvt|61.7|in|cm|0}} per year. Other than trace amounts, the period from June to September is generally snow-free. High winds and relatively warm temperatures combine to keep snow levels low, resulting in monthly mean snow depths of less than {{cvt|6|in|cm}}. Hours of daylight range from a low of 6.5&nbsp;hours in midwinter to a high of 18&nbsp;hours in midsummer.<ref name="AKclimate" />{{Weather box
|location = [[Saint Paul Island (Alaska)|St. Paul Island]], Alaska (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1892–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 48
|Feb record high F = 44
|Mar record high F = 50
|Apr record high F = 49
|May record high F = 59
|Jun record high F = 62
|Jul record high F = 65
|Aug record high F = 66
|Sep record high F = 62
|Oct record high F = 54
|Nov record high F = 50
|Dec record high F = 52
|Jan avg record high F = 38.3
|Feb avg record high F = 37.5
|Mar avg record high F = 38.2
|Apr avg record high F = 41.3
|May avg record high F = 49.0
|Jun avg record high F = 54.8
|Jul avg record high F = 58.6
|Aug avg record high F = 58.1
|Sep avg record high F = 54.4
|Oct avg record high F = 49.4
|Nov avg record high F = 44.0
|Dec avg record high F = 40.5
|year avg record high F = 60.4
|Jan high F = 29.2
|Feb high F = 29.4
|Mar high F = 29.5
|Apr high F = 34.1
|May high F = 40.8
|Jun high F = 47.5
|Jul high F = 51.6
|Aug high F = 53.0
|Sep high F = 50.1
|Oct high F = 43.6
|Nov high F = 37.7
|Dec high F = 33.1
|year high F = 40.0
|Jan mean F = 25.3
|Feb mean F = 25.3
|Mar mean F = 25.1
|Apr mean F = 30.1
|May mean F = 36.6
|Jun mean F = 43.1
|Jul mean F = 47.9
|Aug mean F = 49.5
|Sep mean F = 46.0
|Oct mean F = 39.5
|Nov mean F = 33.9
|Dec mean F = 28.9
|year mean F = 35.9
|Jan low F = 21.4
|Feb low F = 21.2
|Mar low F = 20.8
|Apr low F = 26.1
|May low F = 32.4
|Jun low F = 38.7
|Jul low F = 44.2
|Aug low F = 46.1
|Sep low F = 41.9
|Oct low F = 35.3
|Nov low F = 30.1
|Dec low F = 24.7
|year low F = 31.9
|Jan avg record low F = 4.7
|Feb avg record low F = 2.7
|Mar avg record low F = 4.7
|Apr avg record low F = 11.4
|May avg record low F = 23.3
|Jun avg record low F = 31.5
|Jul avg record low F = 37.6
|Aug avg record low F = 39.0
|Sep avg record low F = 31.2
|Oct avg record low F = 25.2
|Nov avg record low F = 17.6
|Dec avg record low F = 8.8
|year avg record low F = -2.2
|Jan record low F = -26
|Feb record low F = -16
|Mar record low F = -19
|Apr record low F = -8
|May record low F = 8
|Jun record low F = 16
|Jul record low F = 28
|Aug record low F = 29
|Sep record low F = 22
|Oct record low F = 12
|Nov record low F = 4
|Dec record low F = -5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.61
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.43
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.29
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.04
|May precipitation inch = 1.02
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.31
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.98
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.06
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.00
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.32
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.97
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.30
|year precipitation inch = 24.33
|Jan snow inch = 16.5
|Feb snow inch = 11.1
|Mar snow inch = 9.6
|Apr snow inch = 5.3
|May snow inch = 0.8
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 1.6
|Nov snow inch = 7.1
|Dec snow inch = 12.3
|year snow inch = 64.3
| Jan snow depth inch  = 10.6
| Feb snow depth inch  = 12.3
| Mar snow depth inch  = 10.6
| Apr snow depth inch  = 10.1
| May snow depth inch  = 3.4
| Jun snow depth inch  = 0.0
| Jul snow depth inch  = 0.0
| Aug snow depth inch  = 0.0
| Sep snow depth inch  = 0.0
| Oct snow depth inch  = 0.6
| Nov snow depth inch  = 3.2
| Dec snow depth inch  = 7.7
| year snow depth inch = 16.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 17.2
|Feb precipitation days = 16.3
|Mar precipitation days = 14.0
|Apr precipitation days = 12.2
|May precipitation days = 12.3
|Jun precipitation days = 11.4
|Jul precipitation days = 14.1 
|Aug precipitation days = 17.8
|Sep precipitation days = 19.5
|Oct precipitation days = 22.5
|Nov precipitation days = 23.0
|Dec precipitation days = 21.5
|year precipitation days = 201.8
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 14.9
|Feb snow days = 13.7
|Mar snow days = 13.4
|Apr snow days = 9.4
|May snow days = 2.2
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 3.3
|Nov snow days = 10.7
|Dec snow days = 15.3
|year snow days = 82.9
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 84.7
|Feb humidity = 85.0
|Mar humidity = 85.9
|Apr humidity = 85.5
|May humidity = 88.0
|Jun humidity = 90.0
|Jul humidity = 93.8
|Aug humidity = 93.7
|Sep humidity = 88.8
|Oct humidity = 82.7
|Nov humidity = 82.6
|Dec humidity = 83.2
|year humidity =
|Jan dew point C = -5.0
|Feb dew point C = -7.4
|Mar dew point C = -6.1
|Apr dew point C = -3.9
|May dew point C = -0.2
|Jun dew point C = 3.5
|Jul dew point C = 6.7
|Aug dew point C = 7.6
|Sep dew point C = 5.2
|Oct dew point C = 0.6
|Nov dew point C = -1.9
|Dec dew point C = -4.2
|source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1961–1990)<ref name=NCDC >
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=afc
|title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = February 17, 2022}}</ref><ref name="NOAA txt">
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00025713&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|publisher = National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = September 11, 2022
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231224102402/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00025713&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date = December 24, 2023}}</ref><ref name=WMO>{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70308.TXT
|title = WMO climate normals for ST PAUL ISLAND/ARPT AK 1961−1990
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = August 30, 2020
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231224102412/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP1/70308.TXT
|archive-date = December 24, 2023}}</ref>
}}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Saint Paul Island.tab
| title=St. Paul monthly weather statistics
}}

==Facilities and utilities==
[[File:Saint Paul Island Alaska aerial view.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of St. Paul.]]
Water is supplied by wells and an [[aquifer]] and is treated. There are two new wooden tanks; one 500,000 gallon and one 300,000 gallon. All 167 homes and facilities are connected to the piped water and sewer system and are fully plumbed. An ocean outfall line was recently added for seafood processing waste. The city collects refuse. The Tribe operates a recycling program which is currently on hold. A landfill, incinerator, sludge and oil disposal site have recently been completed. A new $3{{nbsp}}million power plant came online in 2000. A [[small wind turbine]] provides power and hot water to the village office, but it is not connected to the power grid. Electricity is provided by St. Paul Municipal Electric Utility.

[[TDX Power]]'s first energy-generation facility was built on St. Paul Island. Completed in 1999, the [[wind energy]]-based electric and thermal cogeneration facility was widely regarded as one of the more technologically advanced wind-energy power projects in America. The TDX Power wind/[[Diesel engine|diesel]] hybrid facility is known for its efficiency and reduction in [[diesel fuel]] consumption. The {{cvt|120|ft|m|adj=on}}-tall turbine is a major point of pride for the ecologically conscious Aleut community of Saint Paul.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Department of Energy's interview with Ron Philemonoff of Tanadgusix (TDX) Corporation |url=http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/filter_detail.asp?itemid=679 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305143702/http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/filter_detail.asp?itemid=679 |archive-date=March 5, 2005 |access-date=April 5, 2008}}</ref> Two additional units were installed in 2007. Each unit is rated at 225&nbsp;kW<ref>{{cite web |title=Commercial Projects |url=http://www.tdxpower.com/projects-commercial |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505215002/http://www.tdxpower.com/projects-commercial |archive-date=May 5, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |website=www.tdxpower.com}}</ref> and the blade lengths are 44.3&nbsp;ft (13.5 m).

==Health care==
Local hospitals or health clinics include St. Paul Health Clinic. The clinic is a qualified Emergency Care Center. St. Paul is classified as an isolated town/Sub-Regional Center. It is found in EMS Region 2H in the Aleutian/Pribilof Region. Currently the City of St. Paul's Department of Public Safety provides no emergency medical services to residents or visitors on island. Two advanced life support ambulances sit idle at the community clinic due to a lack of staffing and funding provided for by the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City of Saint Paul, Alaska |url=https://www.stpaulak.com/ |url-status=dead |access-date=December 30, 2022 |website=City of St. Paul Island, Alaska |language=en |archive-date=December 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230205111/https://stpaulak.com/ }}</ref>

==Education==
St. Paul is served by the [[Pribilof Island School District]], headquartered in the city. St. Paul School is attended by 73 students and covers grades K–12.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Paul School Profile |url=https://education.alaska.gov/compass/ParentPortal/SchoolProfile?SchoolID=400020 |website=education.alaska.gov |access-date=November 29, 2019}}</ref>

==Economy and transportation==
[[File:Sts_Peter_and_Paul_Church_Saint_Paul_Island,_Alaska.jpg|left|thumb|252x252px|Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church, built in 1907]]
Some of the island's residents stay only part of the year and work in the crab and boat yards. The large boats that have been fishing the [[Bering Sea]] offload their fish onto the island and workers prepare them for shipping around the world.

The federally controlled fur seal industry dominated the economy of the Pribilofs until 1985. St. Paul is a port for the Central Bering Sea fishing fleet, and major harbor improvements have fueled economic growth. [[Trident Seafoods]] and Icicle Seafoods process cod, crab, halibut and other seafoods in St. Paul. 30 residents hold commercial fishing permits for halibut. Several offshore processors are serviced out of St. Paul. The community is seeking funds to develop a halibut processing facility. Fur seal rookeries and more than 210 species of nesting seabirds attract almost 700 tourists annually. There is also a reindeer herd on the island from a previous commercial venture. Residents subsist on halibut, fur seals (1,645 may be taken each year), reindeer, marine invertebrates, plants and berries.

St. Paul is accessible by sea and air. Most supplies and freight arrive by ship. There is a breakwater, {{Convert | 700 | ft}} of dock space, and a barge off-loading area. A small boat harbor is under construction through 2005 by the Corps of Engineers.

The island has an airport, known as [[St. Paul Island Airport]].  [[RAVN Alaska]] provides regularly scheduled flights to [[Anchorage]] using [[de Havilland DHC-8-100]] turboprop aircraft. There is one asphalt north–south oriented runway that is {{Convert | 6500 | ft}} in length. Runway 36 has an ILS approach system, allowing for instrument approaches during times of fog and low ceilings.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.airnav.com/airport/PASN|title=PASN - St. Paul Island Airport|publisher=AirNav|access-date=April 12, 2010}}</ref>

==Media==
St. Paul is served by [[KUHB-FM]] 91.9, an [[NPR]] affiliate that broadcasts a wide variety of programming and music. St. Paul also has two low-power translators of the statewide [[Alaska Rural Communications Service]] on Channel 4 (K04HM)<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/fmq.php?facid=11560&jaws=0 | title = REC Broadcast Query | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090707234711/http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/fmq.php?facid=11560&jaws=0 | archive-date =  July 7, 2009}}</ref> and Channel 9 (K09RB-D).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/fmq.php?facid=62691&jaws=0 | title = REC Broadcast Query | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090707234730/http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/fmq.php?facid=62691&jaws=0 | archive-date=July 7, 2009 }}</ref>

Novastoshnah, the northeastern [[presque-isle]] of the island, and Lukannon, on the island's south peninsula (see survey map above) are settings of the [[Rudyard Kipling]] story "The White Seal" and poem "Lukannon" in ''[[The Jungle Book]]''. [[Walrus Island (Pribilof Islands)|Walrus Island]], visible on the same map off to the east, is also mentioned in the same story.

==Point of Interest==
* [[LORAN-C transmitter Saint Paul]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Alaska}}
* [[Alaskan king crab fishing]]
* ''[[Deadliest Catch]]''

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Borneman |first=Walter R |title=Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2003 |isbn=0-06-050306-8 |location=New York, NY}}
*{{cite book |last=Elliott |first=Henry Wood |url=https://archive.org/details/ourarcticprovin02elligoog |title=Our Arctic Province: Alaska and the Seal Islands |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |year=1886 |location=New York, NY}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* [http://akweathercams.faa.gov/imageloop.php?cameraID=10162 North facing Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website]
* [http://akweathercams.faa.gov/imageloop.php?cameraID=10165 South facing Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website]
* [http://akweathercams.faa.gov/imageloop.php?cameraID=10161 West facing Weather Cam from the Alaska FAA website]
* [http://www.cbsfa.com/ Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association]
* [http://www.pribilofs.k12.ak.us Pribilof School District]
* [http://www.tdxnet.com Tanadgusix Corporation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070402120839/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_CIS.htm Alaska Community Database Community Information Summaries]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061014211550/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/photos/comm_photos.cfm?comm=Saint%20Paul Community Photos from the Alaska Division of Community Advocacy Community Photo Library]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070707202209/http://www.beringsea.com/communities/Saint_Paul/history.php Timeline of Saint Paul History]
*{{HALS |survey=AK-1 |id=ak0532 |title=Saint Paul Island, Saint Paul Island, Aleutians West Census Area, AK}}
* {{cite gvp|vn=314010|name=St. Paul Island}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091006163818/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CIS.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Saint%20Paul Saint Paul Island info from the State of Alaska]
* [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pribilof+Islands/@56.8906877,-169.9383276,127534m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x570dcee2de6ff595:0x1e10a25f1170db4e!8m2!3d57.4!4d-170.2466667?hl=en Google Earth view]
{{Coord|display=title|57.133806|-170.266614}}

{{Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Paul, Alaska}}
[[Category:Cities in Alaska]]
[[Category:Cities in Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska]]
[[Category:Historic American Landscapes Survey in Alaska]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Alaska on the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Saint Paul Island (Alaska)]]