Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

The Haines Borough Assembly voted 4-2 to stop issuing new tour permits in the Chilkoot corridor and prohibit permit-holders from transferring their permits for the duration of the moratorium.

Assembly member Tom Morphet proposed the idea last month, and said the ban on new tours would send a message to Alaska State Parks, the agency responsible for regulating the area where human and bear congestion has drawn the attention of concerned residents, Parks’ staff and travel blogs.

Alaska State Parks has plans to improve and widen the road and expand parking, but work won’t start this year, said Southeast area superintendent Preston Kroes at a meeting last week. Parks also plans to quit using volunteer bear monitors who encourage visitors to follow the rules and stay safe, citing a liability risk.

Morphet said the lack of an immediate plan and reduced monitoring necessitates the moratorium.

“More tours equal more people and more people equal more conflicts and potential conflicts,” Morphet said. “We may be able to handle more people and more tours on the Chikoot, but not under the current model. That’s why I’m asking for this moratorium as a temporary stop until we can meaningfully pursue management out there.”

Assembly member Brenda Josephson made an amendment to ban the transfer of existing permits to new operators during the moratorium. She said the existing permits will now become more valuable because they are a limited resource. “I think this is a motivating factor for the tour operators themselves to get together and figure out how to work together and solve their own problems so we can release this moratorium,” Josephson said. “I want everyone to play well together. I don’t want people to say, ‘we’ve got ours, we don’t want anyone else.’”

Assembly members Tresham Gregg and Heather Lende said they were concerned that the public didn’t have an opportunity to comment on the transfer prohibition. The assembly unanimously approved Josephson’s amendment.

Assembly member Sean Maidy took issue with the moratorium. He said the assembly should find a way to address the problem, such as hiring monitors or erecting more signage. He said the assembly needs to figure out how to manage independent tourists. “We’ve spent a lot of time discussing this issue rather than any of the issues that could solve our problem,” Maidy said.

The assembly approved the moratorium, with Maidy and Josephson opposed, effective May 9, which offered a loophole to tour permit applicant Tom Ganner.

Ganner applied for tour permit at the end of April. The tour offers educational photography outings and nature walks for up to three people in locations across the borough, including the Chilkoot corridor.

Lende made a motion to eliminate the Chilkoot area from his permit application, but the motion failed 4-2 with Lende and Morphet in favor.

The assembly was split 3-3 to approve Ganner’s permit, with Morphet, Lende and Maidy opposed. Mayor Jan Hill broke the tie and approved Ganner’s tour because he applied for the tour before the moratorium was enacted.

Dan Egolf, who operates tours in the area, supported the moratorium. He cited several unpermitted tours operating in the area during the public hearing.

Ganner said the moratorium won’t address the causes of the problem, but is a punitive measure.

While not a permanent solution, the moratorium will “hopefully push Parks to get their act together and make a management plan,” Tim McDonough said during public comment.

There are currently eight tours, including Ganner’s, permitted to operate in the Chilkoot corridor, according to borough clerk Alekka Fullerton.