Bears frequent the Chilkoot River in Haines to feast on spawning salmon. (Abbey Collins)

Overcrowding on the Chilkoot Corridor remains a major concern for Haines residents. That’s one of the takeaways from a meeting about state parks issues in the Chilkat Valley. And, the local government may put a moratorium on new tours in the area.

The road to Chilkoot Lake, following alongside the river, is a popular thoroughfare during the summer months.

Spawning salmon attract bears, which in turn attract visitors with cameras.

Professional guides operate tours in the area, while independent travelers explore on their own.

Concerns over the combination of congestion and wildlife are not new. But they were reiterated at a town hall meeting in Haines last week, led by local park ranger Travis Russell and Southeast Superintendent Preston Kroes.

“I remember one time at a meeting saying, if there’s an issue out there –someone accidentally gets mauled or something happens, that area is just going to get shut down,” said Kroes. “And all of the tourism and economy that comes with it is just going to be shut down with it.”

Pam Randles is the Board President of the Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation.

“There’s so many people out there,” said Randles. “One person can only be so many places at once. In order to monitor people abiding by permits or not. And independents and all the rest of it, there really needs to be more staff out there.”

Shannon Donahue is the Executive Director of the Great Bear Foundation.

“Not just staffing, but professional-level staffing that’s there to cover peak visitor hours and as much as possible,” said Donahue. “Especially if you wind up building platforms or any kind of infrastructure. Those are a tool but those are also giving the public the impression that this is a sanctioned, managed bear viewing site.”

Other residents suggested implementing time restrictions on the corridor, and brought up concerns over the weir the Alaska Department of Fish and Game uses to monitor salmon stocks on the river.

Assemblyman Tom Morphet asked if Parks has considered limiting the number of people that can be on the road at once.

“Is there any discussion of a limit, a cap, of people you can have out there before you start degrading everyone’s experience? It seems like there are quite a few people in the community that believe we’ve already passed that level,” said Morphet. “Where we’ve started to diminish the value of what we have up there.”

In the past, the borough and Chilkoot Bear Foundation have contributed funds for a bear monitor on the corridor.

“We had enough funding to fund that position for two years,” said Haines Park Ranger Travis Russell. “We’ve used one of those years. As far as our staffing levels out there, our goal is going to be the same as what we achieved last year, basically dawn to dust coverage.”

Tim McDonough chairs the Upper Lynn Canal Fish and Game Advisory Committee.

“I would certainly encourage the state to get on board and make a management plan for Chilkoot,” said McDonough.

At a recent assembly meeting, Morphet proposed placing a moratorium on permits for new tours along the Chilkoot.

The assembly voted 4-2 in favor of developing a resolution to that affect.

If passed, it would not affect current tours.

Superintendent Kroes said they will consider creating a citizen council to advise on parks issues. In terms of staffing, he said Parks is aware of the issues, but doesn’t have the budget to make changes right now.