|
|
|
On January 23rd, the Residents of the Wrangells (ROW) officers and advisory board (along with a few other members of the McCarthy community) traveled to the “other side of the mountains” for a meeting at the Slana School. The turn-out was phenomenal, with almost 60 people in attendance. |
|
Susan Smith, chairperson of ROW, began the meeting by introducing ROW’s mission statement and the group’s officers and advisory board. She related some problems that inholders in the McCarthy area have had with the National Park Service (NPS) and let everyone know about ROW’s recent efforts to compile testimonials of issues inholders have had with the NPS. |
|
Residents of the Wrangells |
|
Susan then introduced Ray Kreig of the Kantishna Inholders Association. He spoke on past and present ANILCA and NPS issues. A question and answer period followed. It was soon apparent that a major concern of the community includes the NPS’s interpretation of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and “reasonable regulation.” Ray gave some insight into ANILCA regulations and internal workings of the government. Several also questioned the state’s obligation to protect our rights as guaranteed by ANILCA. |
|
Doug Frederick, a resident of the Slana/Nabesna area who has had (and continues to have) extensive problems with the NPS regarding various issues (including access to inholdings), spoke about his situation. He also expressed sentiments of fear for the future of our communities in the shadow of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (WRST). Many others expressed serious concerns over growing NPS tensions and fear of a negative future for inholders’ rights. Ray Kreig spoke about the possible future of WRST with first-hand information about the way the community of Kantishna was treated by the NPS and the final outcome of the situation there. He stressed that the communities of WRST would be a stronger force if we could all work together when dealing with NPS issues. |
|
Other major concerns were trail closures in the Slana/Nabesna areas, threatened subsistence rights and impending snow-machine regulations. People gave accounts of NPS harassments (such as airplane flyovers) and expressed concern about the intimidation used to keep people from speaking out against NPS actions. It was again stressed that if we work as a group some of these harassments and intimidations may subside. |
|
Slana Alaskans Unite sponsored the meeting by reserving the school and providing refreshments. ROW would like to thank these wonderful folks for welcoming us into their community and for the chance to introduce ourselves. |
|
Publications of interest: The NPS has recently published a book titled Contested Ground: An Administrative History of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. This book documents and explains in full detail many of the problems inholders have encountered with the NPS since the formation of WRST. Most of these stories include rangers’ accounts of issues as well as names, dates and photographs of inholders and their properties. Copies of this publication are available at no charge from its author, park historian Geoffrey Bleakley via email at geoff_bleakley@nps.gov. |
|
Please feel free to contact ROW via mail or email:. |