Please Read the Following and write to the people below.
As part of my US Forest Service permit renewal program a couple of years ago I was asked by my permit administrator to teach our clientele about ANCSA and the Wilderness Act and to develop a "leave no trace" policy. Something easy for me as we’ve always had one in place as part of our policy. I’ve always thought when entering any wilderness area the only thing left behind should be footprints.
Last July I wrote a letter to Governor Palin of Alaska addressing several serious concerns I had a small eco tour operator in Alaska for the last 30 years. Among the issues that concerned me the most was the ever increasing cruise ship traffic in the Tracy Arm Fords Terror Wilderness area and the potential development of Hobart Bay as a cruise ship destination resort in the middle of the Humpback whales summer feeding ground. Also of grave concern was House Bill 3560 which is an attempted land settlement with the Alaska Native Corps of Southeast, Alaska that identifies land settlements as enterprise zones with no limitations on commercial development. One of these days they’ll be a destination gambling casino in the middle of one of the most pristine wilderness areas in the world.
As a result a group of like minded and concerned small eco tour operators got together and formed an association. Hoping that as a group we would have a larger voice to address these concerns.
Why are cruise ships allowed in a wilderness area to begin with? In reading the Wilderness Act, wilderness areas were suppose to be protected from groups larger than 12 people to minimize the impact we do have as visitors. The Cruise Ships are literally destroying the very wilderness they enter. Not only do the smoke trails take all day to disperse the wakes literally wash bears off the beach. Why can’t we preserve an area intact for future generations as intended by the Wilderness Act. If it means modifying the boundaries to include the waters?
Unfortunately as a small group we don’t have the financial or legal resources to fight these battles, however if we fail to take up the cause we will loose the treasured wilderness we love.
John Swanson
We can make a difference!!!
" During the next month or two, NOAA will chart Endicott Arm in greater
detail than is currently available. The improved charts, which will be
available soon, will lead to increased traffic in Endicott Arm. In
particular, we project that cruise ship traffic will increase
substantially. Already, as some of you have shared, we
have noted an increase in cruise ship traffic in Endicott Arm. This
changes opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation and may
affect experiences aboard small and mid-sized boats. Another potential
concern is the harbor seal population, which seeks refuge in the upper
arms, especially during the sensitive pupping and molting seasons. As
demonstrated by work in Glacier Bay and
Disenchantment Bay, large ships can disturb harbor seals from more than
500 meters. Auxiliary boats and kayaks also have the potential to create
disturbances. Along with humpback whales and other marine mammals,
harbor seals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As many
of you have indicated, this time of increased traffic is a good time to
communicate your concerns to the Forest Service, National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), ADFG and others with responsibilities in the
area.
During the last ten years, cruise ship visitation to Tracy Arm has gone
from roughly 20 per year to close to 200 per year. As many of you have
noted, this has altered the character of the arm and the surrounding
wilderness lands. The increase has led more small and mid-sized
operators to use Endicott Arm. This has lead to lost opportunities for
solitude and primitive recreation in both arms.
Crowding, safety, air quality, noise and disturbance to
marine mammals are some concerns. Additionally, as numbers continue to
increase, the risk exists that one industry could dominate the area at
the expense of others. As many of you have indicated, perhaps the Forest
Service would continue or increase its efforts to preserve wilderness character
in the area if the agency received input to that effect from small and mid-sized ship operators
who have a stake in preserving such opportunities in southeast Alaska.
The most informative reports about these changes have come from
the personal stories and experiences of vessel operators in Tracy Arm. I
encourage you to share the same stories in your letters as you have
shared in recent months.
Goldbelt plans to construct a large cruise ship destination resort in
Hobart Bay called Wilderness Alaska. It will include cruise ship docks,
shops, restaurants, jeep tours, whitewater rafting, whale watching in
Frederick Sound, flightseeing tours over Tracy Arm-Fords Terror
Wilderness. Many of the proposed activities could affect the character
of the adjacent Chuck River Wilderness and the nearby Tracy Arm-Fords
Terror Wilderness, as well as other parts of Frederick Sound and
southern Stephens Passage. For instance, the number of whale watching
boats dispatched into Frederick Sound on a daily basis from the resort
could change the experience in Frederick Sound and potentially lead to
crowding of whales. Increased flightseeing and day-trips to the glaciers
in Tracy/Endicott Arms could cause similar changes. The resort would
also likely lead to a concentration of cruise ships in the area, which
might lead to additional impacts. It would benefit operators of
small and mid-sized tour vessels, as well as other visitors to the area,
if various state and federal agencies took a proactive and leadership
role in helping shape a development that will not drastically transform
Frederick Sound and southern Stephens Passage.
In recent months, several operators have inquired about recent attempts by
the Forest Service to discuss some concerns with the cruise ships that use
Tracy and Endicott Arms. The attempts show how the agency is trying to
address some of the issues in the area. Perhaps with encouragement from business
people operating small and mid-sized ships, the leadership in the Forest
Service and other state and federal agencies would have the confidence to
pursue such talks further. Some specific areas of concern:
keep respectful distances from seals in the upper arms;
limit visual emissions;
avoid outside announcements that may disturb kayakers, campers,
wildlife, and other boaters;
institute a voluntary daily cap on large cruise ships in Tracy Arm and a
voluntary agreement by large cruise ships to avoid Endicott Arm
completely. Such voluntary agreements by large cruise ships could help
preserve opportunities for solitude, primitive recreation, kayaking,
camping, wildlife, and small/mid-sized eco-tourism activities.
in these federally designated wilderness areas
surrounding the arms. They might help operators of small and mid-size
boats preserve the quiet atmosphere their clients seek and that is
increasingly hard to find, even in Alaska.
This fall, perhaps as early as the next few weeks, the Forest Service may
continue talks with the cruise industry on these and other points. The
agency may also approach small and mid-sized ships about the same topics
later in the winter. It makes this an important time for smaller operators
to express in writing their feelings about these issues.
Again, personal accounts of specific experiences in the area are an effective way to convey
messages about how increasing and changing traffic in the arms impacts
certain businesses and visitors to the Tongass.
In recent discussions, some small and mid-sized ship operators have
requested copies of studies done by the University of Alaska Anchorage
regarding the impact of nature-based tourism in southeast Alaska. By
profiling the nature-based tourism economy of southeast Alaska, the studies
reveal how different segments of the industry contribute to the overall
local economy. Specifically, pages 48-63 of the Regional Economy of
Southeast Alaska Final Report (attached in a separate email due to its
large file size) show important differences between the contributions of
large cruise ships and small and mid-sized boats. The document shows that
while small and mid-sized boats bring a smaller number of visitors, they
are nevertheless essential because of the local revenue they generate. For
instance, passengers aboard such boats are unique because they usually
spend time in local hotels and restaurants and the boats themselves provide
millions of dollars locally through their provisioning and other
activities. These dollars are spread widely throughout the southeast Alaska
economy and often remain in the region, which is unique.
Perhaps because the small/mid-sized boats do not bring as many visitors as
the cruise ships, their contribution to the local economy is often
over-shadowed or even underappreciated. As some of you have pointed out, it
could be useful for various state and federal agencies to hear from the
small/mid-sized operators about your contributions to the local economy. By
highlighting the meaningful contributions of such vessels to the local
economy, operators might be able to exert more influence while
communicating to state and federal entities their expectations for places
like Tracy and Endicott Arms.
Several operators have approached the Forest Service and others with many
of the thoughts reviewed above. In one case, an operator wrote a letter to
the governor that was widely circulated and drew considerable attention. I
encourage others with similar concerns to do the same. Endicott Arm and
other areas are poised to undergo changes in the near future. By responding
to those changes before they fully occur, operators can help create
solutions to certain concerns.
Many of you have expressed the desire to share concerns about the area but
have been unsure where to direct letters. In response, I recommend
contacting the following parties:"
Denny Bschor (USFS, Regional Forester for Alaska Region national forests)
U.S. Forest Service
Juneau Regional Office
POB 21628
Juneau, AK, 999802-1628
Pete Griffin (USFS, District Ranger for Juneau Ranger District--manages
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror and Chuck River Wilderness Areas)
U.S. Forest Service
8510 Mendenhall Loop Road
Juneau, AK, 99801
Kathy Rodriguez (USFS, District Ranger for Admiralty National
Monument--works closely with Juneau Ranger District)
U.S. Forest Service
8510 Mendenhall Loop Road
Juneau, AK, 99801
Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska (represents cruise lines visiting Alaska)
POB 21507
Juneau, AK, 99802
Governor Sarah Palin;
POB 110001
Juneau, AK, 99811-0001
If your concerns include safety issues related to crowding in the arms,
cruise ships, etc, a copy should be addressed to:
USCG Sector Juneau
Sector Commander
2760 Sherwood Land, Suite 2A
Juneau, AK, 99801
If your concerns include air quality, cruise ship emissions, etc, a copy
should be addressed to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation,
which partners with USFS rangers to monitor cruise ship emissions in Tracy
Arm. The agency is very receptive to public feedback:
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Cruise Ship Program
Albert Faure
410 Willoughby Ave
Juneau, Ak 99801
If your concerns include marine wildlife (including harbor seals in Tracy
and Endicott Arms and whales in Holkham Bay, Frederick Sound, etc), address
a copy to NMFS and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (humpback whales and
Stellar sea lions are protected by the Endangered Species Act and the
Marine Mammal Protection Act, which also protects harbor seals. USFS
rangers work with NOAA and ADFG to monitor the harbor seal population in
Tracy and Endicott Arms).
National Marine Fisheries Service
Protected Resources Division
Kaja Brix
POB 21668
Juneau, AK, 99802-1668
Alaska Department Fish and Game
Wildlife Division
Gail Blundell
POB 110024
Juneau, AK 99811-0024
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