The Chilkat State Park cabin that houses the park’s host in the summer could soon become available for public use during the off-season.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee voted unanimously in June to ask the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation if the cabin could be rented nightly by Haines residents and visitors.
The assembly on Tuesday approved the resolution authorizing manager David Sosa to work with the committee in drafting a letter to the state parks department.
Committee member Daymond Hoffman said it makes sense to open the cabin to the public during the eight months of the year it has usually been left unoccupied. “Once the summer’s over, then the cabin just sits empty,” Hoffman said.
The log cabin, located along the park road, contains a wood stove, picnic table and several bunks.
Committee member Rich Chapell said though Haines doesn’t have any public use cabins right now, the Chilkat State Park cabin is a good place to start because it is already built.
“We just want to increase recreational opportunities for people in Haines, and getting some public use cabins established in the Haines area would be a great way to help people enjoy the outdoors and it would also attract visitors,” Chapell said.
Alaska State Parks has 66 cabins and eight ice huts for rent throughout the state. Users rent the cabins using an online reservation system and pay $35-$95 per night, depending on the area and size of the structure.
Though no formal movement has been made in the direction of creating a network of public use cabins in Haines, Chapell said he thinks that is the direction the advisory committee is headed.
“I think everyone on the committee thinks having more public use cabins in the area is a good idea, but as to where they would be sited, that’s a huge topic that we would likely seek some public input on before we made any motions in that direction,” he said.
State parks natural resource technician Jon Gellings said he has also been getting feedback from residents who want the state to create a cabin network in Haines. “There has been a lot of people within town that have been wanting to see a cabin or hut system start to be developed because they want to be able to go out in the backcountry and not necessarily carry a tent and whatnot,” Gellings said.
Though the committee said cabin users would be required to provide their own firewood, Gellings said that would be up to state parks. “Either way you look at it, we need to be able to have the possibility of getting firewood or fuel out there, and whether or not state parks would do that or the general public would when they rent it needs to be decided,” he said.
“There are a lot of ‘ifs,’ ‘ands’ or ‘buts,’” Gellings added.
The new park ranger, who Gellings said should be in Haines by mid-September, will be the one to decide the issue. “That’s kind of going to be one of their first projects,” he said.
The assembly resolution received little discussion Tuesday, though resident Marlena Saupe spoke against its transition to public use. “I don’t think it’s a good fit for a nightly rental,” Saupe said.
Saupe suggested state parks build a new cabin for public use instead.