BLM Seeks Public Input on White Mountains Rules and Policies
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FAIRBANKS, AK – Due to increasing visitor use and methods of recreation, the Bureau of Land Management is holding several open houses in April soliciting input on rules and policies regarding cabin stays and camping in the White Mountains National Recreation Area (NRA).
Visitor use has increased and evolved in the White Mountains NRA since the BLM last addressed camping and cabin stays. In recent years, the recreation user base has expanded beyond Interior Alaska residents to include recreationists from outside Alaska. Visitors now explore the area in winter by bike, ski, snowmobile, and dogsled, and in summer by all-terrain vehicle, boat, and foot. The high-use periods including holidays, spring break and hunting season now see the recreation facilities at full capacity.
With greater use has come more competition for the public use cabins and other recreational facilities. Due in part to this increased competition, users have expressed a desire to revisit the cabin reservation system to better accommodate trip planning. Rules and policies to be discussed at the open houses include: stay limits for popular public use cabins; cabin reservation system; and campground fees. In many cases, the White Mountains NRA’s rules and policies were put into place more than 30 years ago and do not account for changes in the types and amount of visitation the area now receives.
“The goal of these open houses is to learn from the public what the BLM needs to consider when we evaluate changing any of our current rules and policies,” said Eastern Interior Field Manager Lenore Heppler.
Meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, April 13 from 4 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 16 from 2 to 6 p.m. Both open houses will be held at the BLM’s Fairbanks District Office, 222 University Avenue, in Fairbanks.
Those who are unable to attend one of the open houses will be able to provide input by using BLM’s ePlanning website (http://1.usa.gov/1SGi2lr) or by visiting the BLM’s booth at the Fairbanks Outdoor Show, April 22–24 at the Carlson Center.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.