Image courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is considering several options for managing their land in the region. The Haines Borough assembly voted to recommend the agency adopt the most ecologically conservative management option for the Upper Lynn Canal.
The Bureau of Land Management oversees more than 320,000 acres of land the Upper lynn Canal. They have been taking public input on what is called the “Haines Amendment” of their regional land management plan. Essentially, this is a contract with the public on how the land will be managed. It will guide land use decisions over the next 15-20 years. The BLM crafted several plans that represent different ways to balance conservation and recreation uses of the land. They presented those options at a Committee of the Whole meeting earlier this week.
The assembly’s vote on Thursday night was a last minute change from recommending the agency’s preferred plan, Alternative G. But after hearing several community members comment in favor of Alternative E, Assembly member Stephanie Scott made a motion to change the borough’s recommendation. She cited public opinion and the importance of wildlife monitoring in the region.
“We have heard from the public consistently that they want a wintertime managed heliski industry and they want it managed conservatively,” said Assembly member Tom Morphet. He was among the four assembly members who voted in favor of the change.
“I think Option E brings us closest to that goal.”
Alternative E is the only option presented by BLM that offers an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, or ACEC. The ACEC recognizes an area is of cultural significance to federally recognized tribes. In this case, that’s the Tlingit use of mountain goat wool for weaving. Land previously considered for ACEC designation would be managed for recreational use under the agency’s preferred plan. Helicopters will not be permitted in this area in either alternative.
The comment period for the management plan closed Thursday night.
