Denali Overflights Advisory Council to meet Friday September 10, 2010

Posted: September 5, 2010

Overflights Agenda September 2010

The eighth meeting of the Denali National Park Aircraft Overflights Advisory Council will take place this Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Murie Science and Learning Center, Mile 1.5 of the park road. The meeting is open to the public with time allocated for public testimony.

The press release for this meeting can be read on the DCC website News Page, where there is an RSS feed to all NPS Press Releases, or at the following link –
http://www.nps.gov/dena/parknews/overflights-council-sept-10.htm

The Denali National Park Aircraft Overflights Advisory Council, envisioned in the Denali Backcountry Management Plan, is a federally chartered group responsible for advising the Superintendent, through the Secretary of the Interior, on mitigation efforts to reduce impacts from aircraft overflights on natural soundscape in the park, and to promote safety. The twelve members of the council represent a wide diversity of interest and expertise in the area of Denali and aviation.

This will be YOUR opportunity to learn how the national park service is working with stakeholders to address aviation safety and motorized sound mitigation. Download the agenda from the link above and, if you cannot attend the entire meeting, plan to attend for some portion. Public comment periods are provided throughout the meeting, and the public is encouraged to speak, including asking questions. Council members will be available for conversation with the public during breaks in the meeting.

More Information on the Advisory Council can be found at
http://www.nps.gov/dena/parkmgmt/currentprojects.htm

National Park Service and Doyon may trade lands in Kantishna

Posted: August 22, 2010

Federal legislation may soon be in the works to authorize a land trade in the Kantishna area.

Doyon Incorporated, which owns the Kantishna Roadhouse, has approached the National Park Service seeking to acquire approximately 3.2 acres of lands adjacent to Eureka Creek for placement of a weir and pipeline to support a 50 Kw Pelton wheel power plant located near the mouth of the creek. With normal stream flow and guest vitiation, Doyon predicts that the hydro plant will replace or supplement their diesel power plant. Doyon has also asked to acquire approximately 2.6 acres of parcels consolidating their Kantishna Roadhouse holdings.

In return, the National Park Service would acquire approximately 6 acres of the Galena Lode Claim, currently owned by Doyon. This acreage straddles an old mining road that provided access to historic mining claims, including at least two existing private inholdings. Doyon would retain ownership of the majority of the Galena Claim, which extends west approximately 10 acres toward Moose Creek.

Currently, we do not have a detailed map showing the land trade. We will post more details as they become available. We are supportive of this land trade, although we would like more information about exactly how Doyon and the Park Service came up with lands to be traded to NPS.

For the past two decades, the federal government’s policy has been to accommodate the owners of mining claims in Kantishna by buying out their inholdings at fair market value. Although this land trade provides no net gain for the National Park Service, it could still be productive for both the National Park and Doyon if it permitted the use of cleaner, quieter alternative energy and reduced the impact of fuel delivery on the park road.

We’d like to see this legislation include an appropriation to buy the rest of the Galena Claim from Doyon, thereby furthering the policy and intent of the federal government to acquire the remaining Kantishna inholdings at fair market value.

NPS News Release: EA for Improvements to Porcupine Forest Area of Denali Park Road

Posted: August 15, 2010

The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is considering a road rehabilitation project on the section of Park Road between milepost 50.8 – 52.4 (known as Porcupine Forest) in Denali National Park and Preserve.

This section of road has numerous structural problems and does not meet the park’s road design standards for intervisible passing pullouts.   Read more

Alaska Supreme Court decision on wildlife management has broad implications

Posted: August 8, 2010

We read with interest the decision by the Alaska Supreme Court on an appeal brought by Defenders of Wildlife and the Alaska Wildlife Alliance questioning the constitutionality of single species management (e.g. predator control programs).  The Supreme Court declined the appeal, ruling that the state constitution gives the Department of Fish and Game the authority to conduct predator control as part of its toolbox to manage for sustained yield.

This decision was interesting for DCC.  Although we do not always weigh in directly upon the decisions of the Board of Game, we recently, in February, appeared before the Board requesting that they retain and expand the no wolf hunting or trapping zones next to Denali National Park.  At that meeting we observed, first hand, the conflicts and detailed controversies over how best to manage Alaska’s wildlife.  These conflicts, strident enough on state lands, are even stronger when management at the boundaries between state and federal lands comes up.  Our proposal was not passed at that  Board of Game meeting, and in fact all buffer zones next to Denali were eliminated in a close vote. 

Some may say that there is nothing to be done about the State of Alaska’s seemingly single-minded push to control predators.  However, we still think that there are plenty of opportunities for education and participation at the local level to promote a more balanced approach.   For example, we sponsored a forum on wildlife management in June, where the issue was well explored with representatives from the state, the federal government and interested observers.

What do you think about the Supreme Court decision and its implications?  We invite your opinion. To read an article in the Anchorage Daily News on the Supreme Court’s decision, visit the link below:
http://www.adn.com/2010/08/06/1399199/court-oks-states-predator-control.html?pageNum=3&&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container

DCC’s request for reconsideration of Healy Gas Final Finding granted

Posted: July 31, 2010

We were pleased when Commissioner Tom Irwin of the Department of Natural Resources granted our request for reconsideration of the Healy Basin Gas Exploration Final Finding on July 28, 2010. We were one of 7 commenters whose concerns warranted reconsideration. To see the letter from the Commissioner granting our request, click here. Read more

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