Proposed National Park Compendiums Open For Public Comment

Date: January 15, 2014
Contact: Albert Faria, 907-697-2230

Alaska's National Parks invite public comment on each park's compendium through February 15, 2014

National Park Service compendiums for Alaska are now open for a 30-day public comment period. A compendium – one for each NPS area in Alaska -- is a compilation of all designations, closures and restrictions imposed under the discretionary authority within the regulations covering national parks. This regulatory tool helps manage Alaska's national park areas for the public's enjoyment, use and protection. 

Only a handful of changes are proposed in this year's compendiums. These include:

• A 10-mile-per-hour speed limit in the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve.
• Several changes related to public use cabin management in Wrangell-St. Elias.
• Requiring pet owners to dispose of all pet waste in covered trash containers within the developed area of Glacier Bay NP. 

The NPS intends to make one procedural change. In previous years, the compendiums have listed temporary restrictions to taking wildlife for sport purposes in national preserves. These restrictions were in response to actions – generally liberalized predator seasons and means -- by the Alaska Board of Game. The NPS earlier this month requested that the Board of Game consider exempting preserves from those provisions which had led to federal restrictions, but that request was denied. The National Park Service anticipates following the federal statutory and regulatory requirements to provide notice and a public hearing later this winter in the affected vicinity of any wildlife restrictions. 

A written copy may be requested directly from the park or the National Park Service, 240 W. 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501, Attn: Compendium. Each park's proposed 2014 compendium is available at https://www.nps.gov/akso/management/proposed_compendiums.cfm 

Comments will be accepted by mail or e-mail between January 15 and February 15, 2014. Comments are welcome at any time in addition to this timeframe, but comments received after February 15 will be considered in future compendium revisions.