Thanks to all the supporters who turned out at our “Camp-In” to save camping at Portage Cove state campground. The State of Alaska again is prohibiting camping at this park, a favorite campground for at least 50 years. This site has served as our town’s only bicycle and walk-in camping area. Because of its proximity to downtown, it also has helped alleviate overflow crowds during the beer festival and state fair. Because of its location across the street from the Division of Parks maintenance shed, maintaining the park is convenient and not burdensome, according to former park workers.
The State of Alaska won’t sell this park to the Haines Borough and it is also unwilling to allow the borough to manage the park on reasonable terms.
So Friends of State Parks is circulating petitions around town in support of saving camping at Portage Cove. Please sign the petition. Also, please email your concerns to Division of Parks director Ricky Gease ([email protected]) or Department of Natural Resources Commissioner John Boyle ([email protected]). We’d like the state to engage in a meaningful discussion to keep this park open. Barring that, we’ll continue our campaign into the next administration, which we expect will be more committed to honoring the state’s obligations and to preserving Alaska’s most enduring and worthy assets.
Tom Morphet, for Friends of State Parks