The Alaska Department of Natural Resources this week officially assumed control of the mile-long Chilkoot River Road, paving the way for construction of riverside bear-viewing platforms that have been on hold for years.
The Alaska Department of Transportation transferred ownership of the road to DNR’s Division of Parks, a change Parks had initially balked at because of funding and maintenance concerns. But DOT would not let Parks move forward with the project if the proposed changes to the corridor didn’t meet highway standards.
Mike Eberhardt, regional supervisor for the state Division of Parks, estimated that construction work on the corridor could begin by fall or spring of 2017. Planned pull-outs and a bear-viewing platform at the site are intended to channel visitors to specific spots, reducing congestion as well as run-ins with brown bears that gather in late summer to feed on pink salmon.
At a Haines Borough Commerce Committee meeting on Tuesday, Great Bear Foundation executive director Shannon Donahue asked Eberhardt if construction of the platforms – and the probable increase in visitation – would result in increased staffing in the corridor.
“The staffing that was there last year is basically what you will see this year,” Eberhardt said, meaning there will be a park ranger and a couple of seasonal technicians, but no bear monitor.
Borough tourism director Leslie Ross said there are discussions under way to find funding for a bear monitor, either through borough assistance, donations by local organizations and tour operators, or a combination. “It’s in the discussion mode right now, so there hasn’t been a decision on where that funding would come from,” Ross said.
One concern that emerged from the assembly when it became clear DNR might take over the road was the issue of public access. Assembly member George Campbell was concerned DNR would gate the road in the event of budget shortfalls, and people wouldn’t be able to access Chilkoot Lake or riverside locations.
Eberhardt said DNR would close the road only if there were safety hazards. “I’m not afraid too much of it being closed because I ran out of money. That’s really not a safety concern,” he said. “I haven’t seen anything in my history that would have caused us to close that road at this stage of the game. It would have to be something new or different.”
Campbell asked if overcrowding in the corridor – a longtime gripe of many – would ever be considered a safety concern. Eberhardt said he didn’t know.
“Could I come up with a scenario where it was unsafe up there because of too many people? Yes: There’s 50,000 people on the road and there are 43 bears. I’d probably close it at that point and try to get people to leave,” Eberhardt said.
Management of the area won’t change for the time being, but construction of the new pullouts and platforms will probably bring management changes, he said.
“We’re into a little bit of a new ballgame where Parks is going to have a bigger hand in making sure that everyone plays nice on the road and that everyone is safe. How we do that…,” Eberhardt trailed off. “How we accomplish that is going to be interesting. Just closing it and saying, ‘It is unsafe. We’re not going to let anybody in there,’ isn’t really on anybody’s radar screens right now.”
Eberhardt said the project’s design work is done, but final engineering drawings need to be completed before the contract can be put out for construction. “It’s on their list and they are moving forward as fast as they can,” he said.
The Division of Parks has about $750,000 remaining from an Alaska Legislature appropriation to do remaining work.
Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation president Pam Randles said she would prefer to see construction occur in spring rather than in the fall, as bears and late-running salmon could be impacted by fall construction.
Alaska Mountain Guides tour operator Sean Gaffney was ambivalent. “As long as it is in place for the tourism season, whether it is fall or spring I don’t really think that that matters,” he said.