populations surveyed increased in abundance so the impacts on non-target species are likely to be temporary. In June 2009, the island was declared rat-free for the first time in 229 years, although the site was continually monitored for another two years for confirmation. The report found that the lead contractor which the FWS used, Island Conservation, had dropped more poisonous bait than they had proposed, including bait which was intended to be saved as a backup. The FWS asked the Ornithological Council to determine if Island Conservation had exceeded the limit of their poison quantities, but the council decided not to resolve any "legal questions". , the State of Alaska issued a Notice of Violation and FWS law enforcement is still investigating. Steve Delehanty, the manager of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (which includes the island) said that, "It was a learning experience, and we made mistakes together." However, he also stated, "...if you do the math this was a rip-roaring conservation success." Post eradication monitoring results have shown a strong positive response in terms of bird populations and the intertidal zone. See also Campbell Island, New Zealand, the largest successful rat eradication. References External links Island ConservationRat Island Invasive Rat Eradication Project Environmental Assessment Rat Island: Block 1140, Census Tract 1, Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska United States Census Bureau [http://www.seabirdrestoration.org/pdf/RatIslandReview.pdf The Rat Island Rat Eradication Project: A Critical Evaluation of Nontarget Mortality. Prepared for Island Conservation, the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Prepared by the Ornithological Council. Final report issued December 2010. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Report of Investigation #2009703127R001 Rat Islands Island restoration Uninhabited islands of Alaska Islands of Alaska Islands of Unorganized Borough, Alaska