Park proposal would destroy Denali’s natural experience

On Aug. 22, a public meeting took place in Denali National Park’s Murie Science and Learning Center, hosted by the National Park Service. The purpose of this meeting was a discussion of an extensive NPS development proposal for Kantishna and Wonder Lake that would fundamentally change the visitor experience in both locations.

The proposal proposes up to 80 miles of trails within Kantishna, expansion of Wonder Lake Campground, the establishment of backcountry and near-Kantishna-airport campgrounds, creation of a Kantishna/Wonder Lake shuttle bus system, maintenance facilities, driver housing, parking, Kantishna rustic lodging (lean-to or bunkhouse), and year-round NPS administration/housing.

Those who would primarily benefit from this infrastructure at taxpayer expense: a tiny segment of Denali visitors — the very wealthy who stay at the privately owned lodges in Kantishna.

Furthermore, it is my understanding that under the Alaska National Interest Land Claims Act, Kantishna inholders have primary access rights over concessionaire-operated tour and transit buses which transport the vast majority of park visitors. According to NPS, the current number of buses already exceed the NPS Vehicle Management Plan. When asked as to whether concession buses would be removed to be in compliance with the VMP as Kantishna inholder buses are added, they didn’t answer.

I also asked about NPS’s current maintenance backlog and Chief of Science Dave Schirokauer responded that it currently stands at $50 million dollars. One has to wonder, if you cannot maintain your current level of infrastructure, how does it make any sense to create even more?

No environmental or short/long term health impact studies to visitors have been completed of the naturally occurring (according to NPS, in high amounts) of arsenic and antimony in the streams, soil and dust of Kantishna.

And like a guillotine hanging over the park’s access is the melting permafrost of Pretty Rocks at Mile 45. According to NPS geologist Denny Caps, Pretty Rocks is moving eight-tenths of an inch each day and moved 24–25 feet between Sept. 2018 and April 2019. This summer Denny told me that if it doubles again to 50 feet of movement by next April, we will be in serious trouble.

Regarding public comments, NPS stated that they want specific comments on specific aspects of the proposal and that general comments as to whether someone likes or dislikes the project aren’t good enough. While specifics are important, making this type of requirement increases the complexity of the comments and is significantly time consuming — which will most likely discourage and reduce public participation.

Denali Superintendent Don Striker (who is now NPS Interim Regional Director) is solely responsible for this proposal and he was absent from the meeting. He never heard any of the concerns or questions from the public or defend his proposal to the public.

Is there a conflict of interest as to NPS Interim Regional Director Striker having influence over his own proposal when he made it as superintendent?

More public meetings are needed and should be held in a variety of communities, with Superintendent/Interim Regional Director Striker attending each one.

In my 33 years in Denali, I have not witnessed a more destructive proposal from NPS to the natural ambiance, quiet, wilderness qualities, access, visitor experience, and the NPS mandates of preservation and visitor enjoyment.

Public comments can be submitted online until October 31, 2019.

Bill Watkins has worked in Denali National Park for the past 33 years (30.5 years as a driver/naturalist) for the park concessionaire and currently works as a Tundra Wilderness Tour driver.

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.