Denali National Park Aircraft Overflights Advisory Council to meet this Friday in Anchorage – December 3, 2010

November 28, 2010

Campbell Creek Science Center located at 5500 Science Center Drive in Anchorage
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

DCC Members who find themselves in Anchorage this Friday should plan to drop in for all or part of this meeting. For directions or an agenda, email me at nancy@denalicitizens.org.  The meeting is open to the public and has time allocated for public testimony.  You may submit written and/or oral comments.   

Why the need for an Overflights Advisory Council During the planning process to complete the 2006 Denali National Park & Preserve Backcountry Management Plan, the public identified impacts from aircraft overflights and airplane landings as a critical issue.  While aircraft are an important means of visitor access to remote areas of the park, overflights and landings have resulted in substantial changes in the natural sound environment and have generated new conflicts with park users on the ground.  In order to identify efforts that should be made to reduce impacts from aircraft overflights, the Overflights Advisory Council was created. The council will advise the Secretary of the Interior on measures for achieving desired future resource conditions as outlined in the Backcountry Management Plan.  The Council will also develop voluntary measures for assuring the safety of passengers, pilots, and mountaineers.

The Council formed in 2007 and has already met 8 times, convening meetings in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali and Talkeetna.  Items of interest on the agenda usually include presentations by the soundscape specialists from Denali National Park.  The park is, at present, analyzing its entire soundscape and the council has identified certain “hotspots” or problem areas where non-natural sound may be a factor in resource integrity. The Council promotes education and awareness of this issue, and works together with commercial air service providers and park staff to develop solutions.

Additonal information on the Overflights Advisory Council is available at: http://www.nps.gov/dena/parkmgmt/aoac.htm If you have any questions about the meeting, contact Nancy Bale at 907-277-3825.  I am a member of the Council, representing local environmental interests. You may email me, too at nancy@denalicitizens.org.

DCC questions a new bridge over the Chulitna River

October 26, 2008

The Boy Scouts received some support from key public officials supporting this proposal for a bridge to access their property south of Denali State Park. The project eventually languished.

DCC comments on access to Boy Scout Lands near Denali State Park 10-26-2008

DCC argues that hotel development in Denali State Park premature

March 3, 2008

The future location of a major Visitor Center nearby promoted this small hotel development.  We argued that this particular proposal was not consistent with Denali State Park development guidelines.

DCC comments on a conditional use permit for a small hotel in Denali State Park 3-03-2008

DCC favors a Parks Highway location for South Denali Visitor Center

November 15, 2005

In the past, DCC had favored a visitor center at Tokositna overlook, accessed from Trapper Creek. Over time and with a consideration of the impacts to local residents, we changed our position and supported a new visitor center closer to the Parks Highway.

DCC comments on South Denali Visitor Center implementation 11-15-2005