July & August 2006
The National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA), Alaska Center for the Environment, and The Wilderness Society filed a lawsuit on June 29, asking the court to “Enter a judgment enjoining the Defendants [NPS] from issuing further recreational ORV permits for Wrangell-St. Elias...”
Even though the National Park Service (NPS) requires permits for recreational ATV riding, the green groups are calling it “unregulated.”
“ATV enjoyment is appropriate in many places in Alaska, however, unregulated recreational riding is not compatible with most people’s view of a national park. The damage being done in Wrangells could cause nine trails in the park to be closed to all users, including local subsistence users,” said Randy Virgin, executive director of Alaska Center for the Environment.
After the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST) was declared a park area in 1980, the NPS inventoried approximately 600 to 800 miles of existing ATV trails. They pared that down to just 13 routes, and declared them to be “authorized” or “recreational” ATV trails.
Recreational users need to obtain a permit from the NPS before riding on the designated trails.
The lawsuit contends that the NPS should have gone through a lengthy environmental evaluation process before allowing these trails, all of which predate the park, to be used.
Not so, says the NPS.
“[We] believe we have sufficient grounds to support the decisions WRST has made regarding recognizing established routes that are consistent with park purposes and values, and implementing a permit system that the regulations require,” said Will Tipton, acting superintendent at the park.
The lawsuit does not seek to restrict access to the park by the local subsistence users living in resident zone communities around Wrangells, only access by those who do not live near the park.
The NPCA declared WRST to be one of America’s “10 most endangered parks” several years ago, based on damage to ATV trails in the park — all of which are on the north side, near Slana and Nabesna. WSEN readers will remember that Doug Fredericks was cited and fined by the NPS when he and several other locals attempted to repair one of the trails. Alaskans came to Fredericks’ aid and paid the fine.
There was also criticism of the NPS from locals when a grant from the NPS Trails Program was used outside the park, on BLM land, rather than to repair trails identified by NPCA as being damaged.
Enviro groups sue to stop recreational ATV access in WRST
July & August 2006
