May 24, 1996
Mr. Steve Martin
Denali National Park and Preserve
Post Office Box 9
Denali Park, Alaska 99755
Re: Revised Draft Development Concept Plan EIS
South Side Denali
Dear Mr. Martin:
The Resource Development Council (RDC) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Revised Draft Development Concept Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (DCP/EIS) for South Side Denali.
RDC is a statewide private economic development organization working on behalf of Alaska’s basic industries including tourism, oil and gas, fisheries, mining and timber. RDC’s membership also includes construction, labor, Native corporations, local communities and a wide variety of Alaska industries.
RDC has reviewed the revised draft CDP/EIS and believes the Proposed Action is a step in the right direction toward providing Alaska residents and visitors with improved access and new recreational opportunities in this majestic region. The Proposed Action, which includes expansion of the Petersville Road, the construction of visitor facilities at the Tokositna overlook and other projects in the Denali State Park central development zone, represents the type of infrastructure expansion necessary to accommodate a growing tourism industry. With steadily increasing visitor counts at Denali National Park and throughout the railbelt, Alaska must expand its transportation infrastructure, especially within its vast areas of inaccessible state and federal conservation system units. Otherwise, ever-increasing numbers of visitors will continue to be jammed into the few accessible, but crowded travel corridors, like the Denali National Park road on the north side of the Alaska Range.
By opening new recreational and visitor opportunities to the south of the national park, some of the growth in demand for the north side use may be curbed. Some of the bet views of Mt. McKinley are from the south. In addition, southern areas are more easily accessible to major population centers and weather conditions tend to allow for more frequent views.
RDC agrees with the Park Service approach to provide for a combination of developments and attractions on the south side. Development of campgrounds, trails, visitor centers, cabins and access corridors at several sites would disperse crowds, provide for a variety of visitor experiences and help accommodate future visitor demand in the Denali region. It would also meet the needs of the package tour industry and independent travelers.
While encouraged by the National Park Service’s plans for the area, RDC is concerned with the heavy emphasis the revised draft DCP/EIS places on limiting human activity and development beyond Denali State Park. Virtually no development – not even foot trails and public use cabins – is planned for adjacent Denali National Park.
Both the state and national parks were created for public use and enjoyment, but the revised plan for South Side Denali fosters a “Keep-off” philosophy for the national park and preserve. Why is there such a heavy emphasis on sitting facilities on private and state lands? Why not encourage an extensive trail network with year-round public use cabins in the backcountry of the state and national park? Because of the thick undergrowth and wet, rugged terrain, the backcountry in both the state and national park is basically inaccessible to the general public if there is no established trail.
In the revised draft DCP/EIS, the Park Service notes (page 28) that “lengthy backcountry trails and public use cabins in the national park and preserve have been dropped form consideration as an alternative due, in part, to adverse public comment on them in the 1992 draft DCP/EIS.” To the contrary, RDC, the visitor industry and many Alaskans have strongly supported improved access and public use of this area. Unfortunately, the arguments of a vocal few who demand solitude and untracked wilderness experiences seem to prevail in Park Service planning documents. This should not be the case since most state and federal conservation units in Alaska are already managed for the preservation of backcountry qualities. Lands that meet the most human settlements in the state, not to mention the huge blocks of federally-designated Wilderness which cover more that 56 million acres – an area large enough to cover the entire state of Utah.
With the exception of the existing park road and portion of the Dunkle Mine road, both the north and south sides of the national park are accessible only by aircraft. Only three of Alaska’s 13 national parks have any road access and Denali itself has less than 250 campsites in an area larger than the state of Massachusetts.
Yet some organizations and individuals will no doubt oppose the very modest recommendations of the revised draft DCP/EIS, even though there is plenty of room for those who insist on untracked wilderness experiences. Had the current “Keep-off” philosophy been in place decades ago, the Denali Park Road, along with its related visitor facilities would not exist today.
While the emphasis of the Tokositna proposal appears aimed at centralizing all development activities outside the national park, why not extend trails into the park and provide public use cabins inside its boundary? Are national parks evolving into zones where human footprints are forbidden? Were not national parks established in some part of the public’s enjoyment? Were access and public use concerns given equal weight to those who oppose infrastructure development and trails?
Proposed Action:
RDC supports the development proposed for the Tokositna River overlook. The visitor’s center at the end of the Petersville Road will draw many visitors and residents to this beautiful area. By upgrading the Petersville Road and building visitor attractions at the Tokositna overlook, the Park Service and State of Alaska will be taking a needed step forward in expanding transportation and tourism infrastructure on the national park’s southern flank. As noted earlier, improved access and new facilities will take the pressure off the national park travel corridor to the north and give park visitors more places to disperse. Currently, the national park’s only road, on the north side of the Alaska Range, is carrying about 250,000 visitors a summer.
RDC applauds the Park Service for establishing the Tokositna Visitor Center as a top priority for facility construction in its phase-development concept approach. Because of the distance (41 miles) of the visitor center from public services along the George Parks Highway, full food service should be provided at the Tokositna facility, as opposed to the very limited services allowed for in the plan.
RDC is pleased to see that Tokositna venue would include public use cabins. Cabins are very popular in other areas of Alaska and at prime tourism destinations in the mountains of Europe and New Zealand. Cabins are appreciated by those who do not care to sleep in a tent, especially during the winter season. Cabins are appropriate shelter in both summer and winter and would prove popular among those who desire a non-commercial experience, but caution should be taken not to compete with tourism providers in the local area.
With new and improved access to the Tokositna overlook, public demand for the cabins is likely to be high. The Park Service should consider building more than the four cabins planned for this area. The proposed 50-site campground may also be undersized once access improvements are made and Tokositna becomes a new and popular visitor and resident destination.
As for trails in the Tokositna vicinity, a network of foot paths leading into the national park should be built. Most Alaskans recreating in this area will demand access to the backcountry and experiencing the uniqueness of this are up close and personal.
Regarding improvements of the Petersville Road, ultimately the entire length should be paved and designed to accommodate a variety of vehicle types. This would encourage use of this are by visitors form outside the State, which in turn would help relieve pressure on the travel corridor within the national park to the north.
Other Visitor Facilities and Related Services:
The construction of a 3,000-square-foot visitor center in the Denali State Park central development corridor should not be used in later planning processes as a substitute for the Tokositna facility. Non-development interests will probably advocate that all development be confined to the development zone, thereby severely restricting access to the Tokositna area.
The proposed access improvements to the Dunkle Hills would provide new visitor and resident opportunities in the Dunkle Hills/Broad Pass area of Denali National Park for hiking, biking, and historical mining interpretation. RDC encourages the Park Service to resolve land status issues so access improvements can move forward.
Expansion of campgrounds at Byers Lake, as well as new campsites and trails at Chelatna Lake would be welcomed by residents and visitors.
In summary, RDC commends the Park Service for a combination of development proposals for the South Side of Denali that will help disperse crowds and relieve visitor pressure on the national park’s travel corridor on the north side of the Alaska Range. The Park Service’s concept for a wider array of visitor and recreational venues at a number of sites will help accommodate future visitor demand in the region.
The south side development proposals are fully appropriate for this area and should move forward immediately. Since most lands in the national park are managed with an emphasis on wilderness values, the land to the south should be managed more for recreation and tourism development opportunities. A management regime emphasizing wilderness values, as proposed by some non-development inters, would preclude greater public use and enjoyment of these lands to all but the most rugged wilderness recreationalist, not he typical visitor.
It is vital that the Park Service and the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation be more responsive to the needs and demands of the general public, tourists and local residents. Multiple uses should be provided for in the plan, including both non-mechanized and mechanized recreation.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the revised draft DCP/EIS. Both the Park Service and the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation are to be commended for their hard work on this issue. After decades of studies, planning and controversy, it’s time to move forward with this project to bring South Side Denali development into reality.
Sincerely,
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
For Alaska, Inc.
Carl Portman
Communications Director