The Haines Borough Assembly voted 4-2 to develop a resolution placing a moratorium on issuing new tour permits on Chilkoot Lake and river corridor.

Overcrowding on the road has led to potentially dangerous encounters with bears over the past several years. An Alaska Department of Fish and Game technician quit his job last year after a crowd of bear viewers near the Chilkoot River weir ignored warning signs and ventured too close to a bear, pushing it toward him.

Assembly member Tom Morphet proposed the resolution and said it will send a clear message to the state that changes are needed. “State and borough efforts to reasonably control crowds there, in the form of unarmed ‘bear monitors’ have failed to meaningfully curb dangerous and unhealthy practices; and continued crowding and unsafe practices threaten to harm Haines’ reputation as a tourist destination and as a place to view bears,” Morphet’s proposed resolution says.

Assembly members Sean Maidy and Brenda Josephson said they wanted to hear from Alaska State Parks representatives who were scheduled to meet with the assembly Wednesday evening. “I may not be against a resolution for a moratorium, but I don’t know until I hear what they say tomorrow,” Josephson said. “I don’t like this taking a stance before another state agency comes before us to talk to us about their plans that they have.”

Morphet said if the state agency presents workable solutions they can drop the resolution, and that placing the resolution on a future agenda shows the assembly is serious about making changes. “This is an overture we’re making to the government unit that has the authority out there to say, ‘we want you to act in a meaningful way,’” Morphet said.

Assembly members Heather Lende, Tresham Gregg, Stephanie Scott and Morphet voted to develop the resolution and Maidy and Josephson were in opposition.

Several assembly members attended the meeting with Alaska State Parks. ASP Southeast area superintendent Preston Kroes said they were not there to resolve any specific issues, but to hear what the community wants the department to accomplish during the next several years.

The department has funding to improve and widen the road along the corridor, but won’t likely begin the project until next year, Kroes said.

Pam Randles is a volunteer monitor for the Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation. She asked if the state would fund additional monitors to help enforce the area’s rules.

“I know we don’t have funding to do anything this current summer other than our current staffing,” Kroes said.

Responding to a question about whether independent travelers or tours contributed more to the congestion, Kroes said everyone has a stake in the area’s recreational use. “If there’s an issue out there and somebody gets mauled, or something happens, that area is going to get shut down and all the tourism and economy that goes with it will just be shut down.”

Richard Buck said expanding parking and widening the road will just bring more people and will make the overcrowding worse. He wanted to see limits set on visitors. “You’re doing nothing for the bears,” Beck said. “The bears are the main concern, not the people.”

Kroes said there has been some discussion to set limits on vehicles when the parking areas are improved, and limiting commercial operators.

Alaska State Parks ranger Travis Russell said he’s heard from individuals and local tour operators that some individuals are running unpermitted tours. He implored residents to call him if they see such activity, and that he’s looking into the issue.

After the meeting, Brenda Josephson told the CVN she’s still against placing a moratorium on new tour permits. “I am not convinced the challenges are coming from the tour operators. It seems strange to me we’re targeting the tour operators when it’s really the other traffic that’s causing the challenges.”

Morphet said he was disappointed that the state is holding the status quo, but if there’s a safety incident they’d shut things down.

“To me it drove home that the moratorium still makes sense because the state hasn’t expressed that they’re making any meaningful changes to the current management.”