Point Baker, Alaska facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Point Baker, Alaska X̱aaséedák’u
CDP
Location of Point Baker, Alaska
Point Baker, Alaska Location in Alaska
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Area
• Total	0.88 sq mi (2.28 km2)
• Land	0.88 sq mi (2.28 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12
• Density	13.65/sq mi (5.27/km2)
Time zone	UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-8 (AKDT)
ZIP code	99927
Area code(s)	907
FIPS code	02-61190
GNIS feature ID	1424323

Point Baker is a small community in Alaska, United States. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area set up by the government for counting people. In the Tlingit language, its name is X̱aaséedák’u.

In 2020, only 12 people lived in Point Baker. This number has gone down over the years. In 2010, there were 15 people, and in 2000, there were 35.

Geography

Point Baker is located in a beautiful part of Alaska. You can find it at these coordinates: 56°21′9″N 133°37′43″W / 56.35250°N 133.62861°W / 56.35250; -133.62861.

The total area of Point Baker is about 2.28 square kilometers (0.88 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part (about 0.10 square kilometers or 0.04 square miles) being water.

Climate

Point Baker has a specific climate. Here's a look at the weather patterns:

The weather in Point Baker can vary a lot. Summers are generally mild, while winters can be cold with snow. It rains quite a bit throughout the year.

History

Point Baker has a history of its residents working to protect the natural environment.

In 1975, people from Point Baker and nearby Port Protection were part of an important lawsuit. This lawsuit, called Zieske v Butz, was against the US Forest Service. Residents like Charles Zieske, Alan Stein, and Herb Zieske wanted to stop "clearcutting" (cutting down all the trees in an area) on Prince of Wales Island. A judge agreed with them and stopped clearcutting on a large area of land. However, a law passed in 1976, the National Forest Management Act, later allowed some of this logging to continue.

Again in 1989, residents fought another important legal battle called Stein v Barton. They wanted to protect salmon streams by having "buffer strips" (areas of trees left untouched) along the streams. They also wanted to protect the Salmon Bay watershed, which is an area of land that drains water into a specific bay. In 1990, the Tongass Timber Reform Act was passed. This law helped protect salmon streams in the Tongass National Forest by requiring 100-foot (30-meter) wide buffer strips during logging.

More recently, in 2010 and 2011, there were discussions in the US Senate about land in Alaska. Senators Murkowski and Begich worked on bills that would change who owned certain parts of the National Forest land. Some of this land would go to SEALASKA, a corporation owned by Native Alaskans. These bills caused a lot of discussion and some towns in Alaska were against them because they worried about protecting wildlife like wolves and goshawks.

Demographics

Point Baker first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1940. It was counted again in 1950, and then became a census-designated place (CDP) in 1980.

Here's how the population has changed over the years:

In 2000, there were 35 people living in Point Baker, making up 13 households and 9 families. About 23% of the households had children under 18. Most households (61.5%) were married couples. The average household had about 2 to 3 people.

The people living in Point Baker in 2000 were mostly White (91.43%), with some Native American residents (2.86%) and people of two or more races (5.71%).

The age of the people in Point Baker in 2000 varied. About 25.7% were under 18, and 20% were 65 or older. The average age was 43 years old. There were slightly more males than females.

The median income for a household in Point Baker in 2000 was $28,000. This means half of the households earned more than this, and half earned less.

See also

In Spanish: Point Baker (Alaska) para niños