A bear swims through the river after fishing at the weir. (KHNS/Abbey Collins)
Haines borough will reconsider a moratorium on new commercial tour permits at the Chilkoot Lake Recreation area, a celebration of life is planned for 2020 landslide victim David Simmons, rebuilding roads from the deadly landslide is under way, and a group of student diplomats visits Haines. KHNS’ Mike Swasey talked with Max Graham from the Chilkat Valley News for a look at what’s in the latest issue of the paper.
Swasey – Max, thanks so much for joining us. Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of what’s happening in Haines.
Graham – Well, thanks for having me, Mike. So our lead story in the paper this week is about the Tourism Advisory Board here. Last week (they) recommended lifting a four-year-old moratorium on new commercial tour permits out at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation site. And that’s been an issue that the borough has debated for years, sort of how best to manage visitors out along that narrow section of the Chilkoot River between the lake and Lutak Inlet. It’s notorious for overcrowding.
I mean, mainly because it’s like one of the best places to view brown bears fishing for salmon on the road system. So this issue now will move to the assembly and the assembly will review a moratorium that they had placed on new commercial tours out there in 2018.
Swasey – How many tours are grandfathered in, on that road?
Graham – So right now, there are about 10. 10 companies have permits to run tours out there from the borough, the state also permits tours out there. And actually, borough code only requires companies that run single-day tours are tours, like less than 24 hours to be permitted by the borough. So any company that has a multi-day tour, only need a permit from the state out there, and I’m still waiting for a number to see how many are permitted by the state.
Swasey – All right, what else is going to be in the latest issue of the Chilkat Valley News?
Graham – We also have a preview for a celebration of life that will be had for David Simmons, the weekend of July 15 to 17, so next weekend. David tragically died in the December 2020, Beach Road landslide. There’s a full schedule of events on Facebook and on bulletin boards around town,
Swasey – And then you’re also covering road repairs in the Haines borough.
Graham – Yeah, that’s right. So there’s another story that’s an update on some of the repairs that the borough is working on for roads damaged by flooding and landslides during that December 2020 event. And the three main ones that are expected to happen this summer are repairs on Young Road, Porcupine Trail Road and Totem Street. And then several more slated for next summer, and construction will begin on several more next summer.
Swasey – And are these going to be funded by the borough?
Graham – These are FEMA-funded projects so they’re to repair roads back up to where they were before the disaster occurred.
Swasey – And then finally, some international students are coming to Haines, what’s happening with this group?
Graham – Yeah, so this program called the Student Diplomacy Core is having 10 high-achieving high school students from around the country and even one from Uzbekistan, and one from Bolivia, come to Haines. They’ll be here for a week starting on Sunday. They’ll be staying at the Halsingland Hotel for two nights, they’re going to camp out at Chilkoot Lake, they’re going to Klukwan, a backpacking trip around Mount Rapinski.
And it’s one-stop on a bigger program through Alaska. This is actually the first time the program has done a trip for what they call student diplomats within the US. Normally they go overseas, but it’s chosen Alaska is their decision this summer and they’ll be in Haines next week.
Swasey – Reporter Max Graham, thank you so much for giving us a preview of the latest issue of the Chilkat Valley News. I appreciate it.
Graham – Thanks, Mike.
