Contact: Kris Fister, 907-683-9583
Superintendent Paul Anderson announced today that Denali National Park and Preserve is proposing to implement new fees for sled dog demonstrations and backcountry permits in 2008. The fees will pay for expenses specifically related to the kennels and backcountry operations. The new fees are being proposed because the current level of funding for park operations has not kept up with the cost of inflation. The monies generated from these fees would provide the supplemental funding needed to maintain the current level of operations in these two programs. The proposed fee for a sled dog demonstration is $10/adult. Fees would not be collected for children 15 and under. This fee would help pay the salaries of the park kennels employees, fund the food, supplies, veterinarian care, and equipment needed to care for the dogs, and provide the staff for the summer interpretive programs. The kennels operation includes approximately thirty sled dogs that are used to patrol the wilderness portion of the park during the winter and provide three daily sled dog demonstrations to park visitors from the end of May until mid-September. The proposed fee for a backcountry permit is $15 per permit. The new fee would allow the park to partially recover the costs of operating the Backcountry Information Center (BIC), which is open from mid-May to mid-September, and backcountry patrols. BIC staff orient backcountry users to the potential hazards and wildlife issues in Denali’s wilderness and issue permits so that backcountry use, and human impacts, remain within the limits allowed for each backcountry unit. “We are proposing these new fees so that we will be able to maintain our current level of service for these two programs in 2008 and beyond,” stated Superintendent Anderson. “The additional support provided to these operations by the visitors who participate in these two activities will greatly assist us in meeting our mission of preserving and protecting park resources.” The National Park Service is accepting public comment on the proposed fees through April 30, 2007. Written comments may be sent to: Superintendent Comments may be faxed to (907) 683-9612, or emailed to: Additional park information is available on the park website at www.nps.gov/dena or by calling park headquarters at (907) 683-2294 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. -NPS- |
Last updated: April 14, 2015