FIELD REPORT REGION Spring 2008 Vol. 6, No. 1

Denali National Park © Scott Kirkwood/NPCA Denali Council to Address Impacts from Aircraft Imagine you’re in Denali National Park diminishing. The number one complaint of the recently formed Denali Aircraft hiking across the . In the nearby Denali’s park managers receive from Overflights Advisory Council. NPCA willows a varied thrush hums its song. backcountry users is there’s too much is fortunate that staff member Joan The babble of water over stones gets noise from aircraft, which has increased Frankevich was selected as one of the louder as you approach a small creek. Up tremendously in the last 20 years. council’s 12 members. ahead a marmot calls, announcing your presence. Hearing the sounds of nature Of course, seeing the park from the air To learn more about the Advisory is a fundamental part of a national park provides visitors with an awe-inspiring Council’s charter and purpose and for experience and “soundscape” is one of experience of peaks and glaciers not information on when meetings are held many values our parks are managed to readily seen from the ground. Deciding and who else is on the council, check protect. But our ability to hear the sounds how to best balance these differing the NPS website: www.nps.gov/dena/ of nature even in places like Denali, is experiences is the primary purpose parkmgmt/currentprojects.htm. Wondering about those Wilderness Winds… It’s hard to believe that the average median levels of mercury concentrations in significant levels of pollutants that were mercury concentration in fish found in lake trout among all the parks studied. likely generated on the other side of the Noatak exceeds the globe, largely by consuming plants and health threshold for human consumption, “Contrary to the other fish. According to the report, the given the site’s remote location in conventional wisdom source is airborne mercury emissions from northwest Alaska. But that’s exactly the that remoteness means overseas power plants, particularly China case, according to a Park Service report less pollution... many of and Asia, which travel along global air released in March. The federal Western the parks—particularly currents and re-enter the atmosphere at Airborne Contaminants Assessment those at higher elevations higher elevations. Project (WACAP) measured the presence and colder climates—are of airborne contaminants (and their actually at higher risk.” “Contrary to the conventional wisdom biological effects) in 20 national parks – report, that remoteness means less pollution... across the Western March 2008 many of the parks—particularly those at U.S. from 2002 higher elevations and colder climates—are through 2007. actually at higher risk.” – National Park Shockingly, tests Mercury is a naturally occurring element, Service report, March 2008 at Burial Lake in but it is also emitted from the burning of Noatak National hazardous waste and fossil fuels, like coal. The report also reveals the results of site Preserve recorded is America’s investigations in Denali, Gates of the the highest northernmost national park unit. No roads, Arctic, Wrangell-St. Elias, Katmai, and no communities, and no public facilities Glacier Bay, plus 14 more national parks exist within its 6.7 million acres, nearly across the West. Check out the findings 90% of which are designated wilderness. on-line at: www.nature.nps.gov/air/ © NPS Yet Noatak’s fish are accumulating Studies/air_toxics/wacap.cfm A Message from Regional Director Jim Stratton

Alaska is blessed with some of the grandest national parks in America. Alaska Region Not only are they large (I love bragging that Wrangell-St. Elias is as big as six FIELD REPORT Yellowstones), but, they are also home Spring 2008 NPS Regional Director, Marcia Blaszak and NPCA’s to so many wolves and bears that most Jim Stratton © NPCA www.npca.org biologists consider these parks the Alaska Region Office most intact functioning ecosystems 750 West Second Ave., Suite 205 left in all of the United States. The connected park cluster of Kobuk Valley, Gates of Anchorage, Alaska 99501 the Arctic, and Noatak, for example, provides 16 million acres where nature can really 907.277.6722 run wild. So it was a bit of a surprise when the long arm of air pollution blowing in 907.277.6723 fax from Asia raised mercury levels in this part of the to levels that exceed the health threshold for human consumption. Our story in this issue about the Western Jim Stratton Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project (WACAP) details this surprise. Regional Director [email protected] Solutions to this problem, or any park-management problem, are much more easily Joan Frankevich reached when you are working with smart and dedicated partners. The chemistry Program Director [email protected] created by multiple minds working to solve a common problem is very powerful. It was 907.344.4544 with this synergy in mind that NPCA’s Alaskan Regional Office gathered a group of Melissa Blair committed and dedicated Alaskans to form the Alaska Regional Council. Meeting over Field Representative dinner recently, this group of Alaskans – Wally & Jerri Cole, Fran Ulmer, John Schoen, [email protected] Deb Liggett, Ron Peck, Tom Meacham, John Shively, Lowell & Tay Thomas Jr., Kathy Jeanette Hanneman Hart, and Bob Kauffman – envisioned what Alaska’s national parks should and could be Office Coordinator like as we approach the National Park Centennial in 2016. [email protected] Dave Patton Nationally, NPCA has charted the Second Century Commission to look at this very Regional Director of Development same issue – what do we want our park system to look like for its 100th birthday. [email protected] 206.903.1444 Again, when it comes to partners, we are pleased that former Governor Tony Knowles is one of the group’s 25 commissioners. Chaired by former senators Bennett Johnston Lindsay Bartsh (D-LA) and Howard Baker (R-TN), the commission hopes to have its recommenda- Media Relations Manager [email protected] tions completed by fall 2009. 415.989.9921

Newsletter production by Unfortunately, one person who won’t be around to implement those recommendations DonnaClaireDesign is the Park Service’s Alaska Regional Director Marcia Blaszak, who retired in early May. [email protected] Marcia has been wonderful to work with. She is passionate about parks, pragmatic about solving problems, yet fearless in the face of those who would diminish the health NPCA Membership Services Team of the natural and cultural resources that make Alaska’s parks so special. Our thanks to 1.800.628.7275 Marcia, for a job well done. We will miss her. [email protected] © Reality Shot Photography/Garrett Crispell The best way to stay informed about the latest in park protection is to sign up for our online network. You’ll have an opportunity to help protect parks in Alaska and beyond, learn about NPCA’s work in the parks and more. To sign up, visit us online at www.npca.org/takeaction.

Valley of 10,000 Smokes, Katmai © NPCA 2 Wrangell-St. Elias and Denali Update Access Improved in Alaska’s Parks Two years ago, NPCA and its partners The Wilderness Society and Alaska Center for the Environment, challenged the illegal use of ATVs off the Nabesna Road in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, with the help of legal representation from Trustees for Alaska. The Park Service’s own rules say that issuing permits for recreational ATV riding on “existing trails” can occur only after an evaluation to determine if such use is compatible with the park’s purposes, but no such analysis existed. Our lawsuit was settled when Hey Park Service! Thanks for the new rest stops along the McCarthy Road – what a relief! the Park Service agreed to undertake © Melissa Blair/NPCA an environmental review and, if even minimal environmental impacts were secure recognized access, like a driveway, At Denali National Park & Preserve, a revealed, would also explore whether or to their property across Park Service small trail system outside of Cantwell has not the activity was compatible with the lands. NPCA was active in developing been reviewed and approved for subsistence park’s creation. That process has started the Interim User’s Guide to Accessing ATV use. This process began more this spring with scoping meetings in Inholdings in National Park System Units than three years ago when local hunters the Copper Valley at Slana, Tok, and in Alaska (www.nps.gov/akso), which set provided information to park managers Glennallen and also in Fairbanks and up this new process. In January, the Park detailing historic, multi-generational use Anchorage. The Park Service expects Service released a draft Environmental of motorized vehicles for moose hunting to have a range of trail management Assessment that evaluated a set of near Cantwell. NPCA has supported this alternatives identified by summer and a standards for approving up to 60 existing effort and is satisfied that the restrictions draft Environmental Impact Statement access routes that are “established and and rules for this trail system will protect out for public review by fall 2009. maintainable.” In support of recogniz- the park while allowing for subsistence ing legitimate access routes in a manner activities. The final step in this process is Wrangell-St. Elias is also implement- that protects park resources, NPCA to adopt regulations for implementing the ing the Alaska Region’s first batch of commented favorably on the process program. NPS hopes to issue a final Record “right-of-way certificates of access” – the while making several suggestions to of Decision in late July, just in time for this new mechanism for private inholders to improve the clarity of the standards. year’s hunting season.

Alaska Parks Budget Receives a Boost It didn’t happen last fall as originally due to “budget erosion.” According to through the work of regional offices scheduled, but Congress finally passed Park Service budget documents, this like ours, we hope to see another the 2008 appropriations bill and it means more backcountry rangers in budget increase in 2009. The President’s included significant new funds for Denali, more interpretive rangers in proposed budget calls for a $161 Alaska’s national parks. Thanks in Glacier Bay and Sitka, increased aircraft million increase for general operations large part to NPCA’s work, 123 new operations in Lake Clark for research of the National Park Service. This seasonal positions will be created to and support of backcountry patrols, translates into more than $2 million for fill maintenance, interpretation, and and funds to operate the new visitor targeted increases in the base budget of resource-protection needs in 14 of center due to open in Kotzebue later 11 Alaska parks, as well as additional Alaska’s 15 parks. In addition, six this year. funding to cover increases in fixed parks saw an increase in their base costs and maintenance. Senator Lisa operations budget beyond the new Full funding for national park Murkowski recently signed onto a letter seasonal staff positions. These increases operations remains the top legislative with 34 of her colleagues supporting will help restore staff over the years priority for NPCA nationally, and these funding increases. 3 Photos Alaska Wildlife Welcome We always welcome Management photos from members Mismanagement has emerged as one enjoying Alaska’s of the biggest threats to the ecological National Parks. If you integrity of Alaska’s national parks, have pictures to share right alongside climate change. In please send them to us. 2005, NPCA worked closely with They may be included the National Park Service to remove in future NPCA portions of Lake Clark National Park publications. Digital & Preserve from a state Predator images can be emailed to: Control Area and rewrite state On the ridgeline—Grizzly. Denali National Park [email protected]. regulations to prevent the Board of © Ron Harden, Loveland, CO Game from imposing predator-control measures (such as shooting wolves from airplanes) on park lands unless the Park NPCA’s Alaska National Parks Service concurs.

Discovery Series – Success! But in their ongoing war against This winter, NPCA’s Discovery Series wolves and bears, the state of Alaska shined the spotlight on Katmai’s brown continues to alter bag limits and bears, Lake Clark’s historical trails, lengthen the sport hunting season in observations of a changing climate in Alaska’s national preserves. All this in Central Arctic parks, and a production spite of the fact that the Park Service team determined to capture Gates of the has the authority to reject actions by Arctic in high-definition. Special thanks the state Board of Game that conflict to our generous presenters for sharing with park purposes. NPCA is pushing their stunning photos and tales inspired the Park Service to use this authority, by adventures in our national parks: which is detailed in a comprehensive Ken and Chris Day, Dan Oberlatz, John discussion written by University of Branson, Craig Coray, Brad Meiklejohn, Alaska Fairbanks Associate Professor Daniel Zatz, and Richard Nelson. for Natural Resources Law and Policy Julie Lurman and Park Service NPCA’s Discovery Series will return next Regional Subsistence Manager Sandy winter! For information about upcoming Rabinowitch. The article is available in Travels Through a Troubled Arctic events, please visit: http://www.npca.org/ the latest Alaska Law Review at © Melissa Blair/NPCA alaska/regional_events.html www.law.duke.edu/journals/alr. 4