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In a recent letter, WrangellSt. Elias National Park (WRST) Superintendent Gary Candelaria said that the “traditional and established pattern of access” to an inholding that lies on the north side of Long Lake is by boat across Long Lake. He went on to state that this boatonly access was “adequate and feasible,” thus satisfying the federal requirements of providing access to inholdings. |
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The letter was in response to an inquiry from a landowner who had contacted the National Park Service (NPS) about getting a permit to construct a twomile road along an old Department of Transportation survey line on the north side of the lake. |
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When Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) which created WRST, they said that inholders shall be given “such rights as |
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NPS says boatonly access to |
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may be necessary to assure adequate and feasible access for economic and other purposes to the concerned land.” |
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Until recently, most people thought that meant a ground route to inholdings where one was feasible. But recent statements by the WRST superintendent suggest that the Park Service is shifting away from traditional ground access. |
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The Long Lake situation is particularly troubling to some people, who view access by boat across the deep, often ice-covered lake as something less than “adequate and feasible.” In addition, the lake supports a unique red salmon population and is a critical spawning area. Surprisingly, the superintendent used that fact as a reason to oppose land access. “Construction of a road would pose threats to fish populations,” states Candelaria. Given the need to haul fuel and other hazardous materials to homesites, some people see being forced to use small boats—with or without motors—as a greater risk to fish populations than using a land route, as well as being hazardous to human life. |
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In a similar case, Candelaria used the presence of fish in a river as a reason to oppose vehicular traffic. When the Pilgrim family applied for a permit to traverse the old McCarthy-Green Butte Road, the superintendent sent a helicopter up McCarthy Creek laden with park rangers, fishing nets and stun guns. They found some Dolly Varden trout, and the Park Service says they may be threatened by vehicles fording the river. Although the Department of Natural Resources says the river is not an “anadromous” river, rangers say they found one trout that “may have come from the sea.” |
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The Long Lake landowner was further discouraged from proceeding with his plans by the superintendent. “Although we have not commenced our formal review of your application,” wrote Candelaria, “I want to take this opportunity to advise you that an Environmental Assessment will be required prior to granting a right-of-way.” |
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An Environmental Assessment, commonly called an “EA,” can cost the landowner hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Park Service can waive the cost of the EA if it chooses to do so, as they did in the case of the Pilgrims. |
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But, even if the cost of an EA is waived, there are other obstacles to obtaining a permit from NPS. |
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“In addition, park staff have raised significant environmental concerns regarding your proposed access and it is highly unlikely that we could assess or authorize your access as proposed,” continued Candelaria. “In order for us to fully conduct an environmental assessment of a road, we will require detailed engineering designs and plans.” |