KATMAI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE ALASKA BROOKS RIVER AREA ALTERNATIVES WORKBOOK INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THIS WORKBOOK The purpose of this workbook is to present the conceptual Brooks River area draft alternatives to the public for review and comment before proceeding with a detailed plan and environmental assessment which will describe impacts and costs. The public is invited to submit comments to the National Park Service (NPS) using the self-addressed response sheet at the end of this document. PLANNING CONCERNS The 1986 General Management Plan (GMP) for Katmai National Park and Preserve (NP&P) committed the National Park Service to carrying out a Development Concept Plan (DCP) for the Brooks River area. A major concern for this plan is to decide to what extent and where the expected increases in visitor demand can be accommodated without overwhelming the natural and cultural resources by overuse or allowing the visitor experience to deteriorate because of overcrowding. In 1980, Katmai NP&P registered approximately 11,000 visits. By 1990, visitation had increased to approximately 43,000. Visitation to Katmai NP&P is growing at an average of 15% per year, making it one of the fastest growing park visitations in Alaska. Brooks Camp, particularly during July, may have more than 200 people per day using a relatively restricted area. The DCP needs to address several concerns regarding brown bears including: human intrusion into prime bear habitat, potentially dangerous interactions between humans and bears, and disruption of normal bear feeding and behavior patterns. In regard to increasing interactions between growing numbers of visitors and bears, the issue is how to reduce this potentially hazardous situation and impacts on bears while still providing for visitor activities in the Brooks River area. Currently, park rangers are obliged to drive bears from a scattered developed area. This includes the occasional use of shotguns with cracker shell loads to condition the bears. A no bear zone at Brooks Camp is specifically defined as 50 yards from buildings except along the lakeshore. Enforcement is sporadic, resulting in an inconsistent message both to the bears and visitors. "It is clear to NPS managers that the increasing number of people and the seasonal concentrations of bears presents a serious conflict. It is also clear that if visitor use of Brooks Camp continues to increase, the potential for a tragic incident and for irreparable impact on the bear population also increases." (GMP p.32). Another concern identified by the GMP is the protection of cultural resources. The Brooks River archeological district contains 22 sites with 750 house depressions, making it one of the greatest known concentrations of prehistoric houses in Alaska. The Brooks River Archeological District is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been nominated as a National Historical Landmark. In a wider perspective the Brooks Camp experience is inextricably tied to the road and trail system linking the lower part of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes with the Brooks River developed area. Park visitors are transported via concession operated bus and vans 23 miles to the valley and can hike approximately one mile down a narrow foot trail to reach the ash filled floor and Ukak River cascades. Numerous visitors have expressed dissatisfaction with the cost, |