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• If there is a particular item you would like to see addressed at the next Katmai Service Providers meeting, please e-mail your comments and suggestions to info@katmaipark.org

• There will be a discussion of the Katmai National Park Service Proposed 2012 Compendium. The comment period for compendium changes has a very small window. This will be only our chance to get together as a group to unite our ideas to submit them to the KNPS before the comment period is up.

• New Election of Officers & Board of Directors. We are as always interested in active participation from our members. If you would like to serve as an officer or a director, please attend the meeting and volunteer, or if you know a member you think would be good, please nominate them to the position. We need your support to be effectitive.

• We will be inviting Lisa Fox,  concessions specialist for the Katmai National Park Service for the afternoon segment of the meeting, so if there are any items you would like brought to their attention, e-mail them to info@katmaipark.org
  
  
  Emergency Response Questionnaire Link

• We are currently compiling another list of equipment & expertise to make an emergency response plan in the event of potential emergencies in Katmai Park. We want to keep this list as current as possible, so Please click here to be included.

• Also in the afternoon we will have some time to hear about latest news on Pebble Mine and how we can help avoid the destruction of watersheds as a result of the proposed mine.

Previous topics of discussion were

• Thanks to all who attended the Katmai Service Providers annual meeting Wednesday, Jan. 26, in Anchorage. We reviewed the budget and re-elected Pete Raynor and John Trautner to the Board. Three new members attended: John P Hohl of Alaska Fly Anglers, Kimberly Riedel-Byler of Alaskan Leader Tours, and Brad Waitman of Igiugig Lodge.
  

• Pete Raynor carefully reads the Park Superintendents Compendium each year and alerts us to any changes - this year there are no significant changes.
  

• KSP's Emergency Response Survey was discussed. We all recognize the best First Responders are our fellow commercial operators on our standard operating frequencies. The information we are compiling can be useful to the Coast Guard, State Troopers, National Park Service, and individual Operators in their training programs.
  

• It was pointed out several times at the meeting that KSP is a place for operators to meet, discuss issues of common interest, and to resolve potential conflicts among ourselves before going to Park Management. When dealing with difficult issues we can be more constructive and effective as an organized voice
  

• In the past several years KSP has developed a positive working relationship with Katmai Park management. We can build on this good start by increasing the involvement of our current members and by attracting new membership. To this end we have changed the associate membership. Associates will now be voting members, still do not have to be IBP holders, and the cost for this class of membership is now $100.00 annually.

• Lisa Fox and Stacey Walker, Concessions management staff from the Park Service, attended after lunch. Lisa asks everyone to look for debris at the Cape Douglas crash site when in the area. No big changes are foreseen in Katmai Park this season. For budget reasons, there will be staff reductions at Brooks, the Brooks bridge replacement is delayed until at least 2016, and the spring mandatory CUA meetings will not be conducted this year. As a way to improve visitor traffic management at Brooks during this season of reduced staffing, Lisa is working to allow commercial operators to provide the orientation briefing to their clients. There was some discussion about the benefit of landing bear-viewing clients (briefed by the operator) on the Brooks Lake side to relieve congestion and bridge delays from Brooks Camp to the Falls.
  

• The Pebble Mine was discussed. Attending members felt as a group we should state our opposition to destroying watersheds. One of the reasons KSP was started was for resource protection. We would like to do this in a positive way. There is no doubt the leech pond will sterilize the area. Members felt compensation for loss of revenue for traditional business's in the area needs to be discussed from the beginning. If you want more information on the pebble mine, check out www.bristolbayalliance.com Brian Kraft is very informed on this issue. His e-mail address is bkraft@alaskasportsmanslodge.com
  

• Brian gave us an update on the Pebble Mine issue. He's been working with Trout Unlimited, local lodges, and Bristol Bay communities to inform the public about the potential risks to the fisheries from the proposed mine development, and asks everyone to consider writing letters to the EPA and calling legislators. Nellie Williams from Trout Unlimited also attended our meeting - her email below lists resources and a sample letter. Please take time to read the material and write letters if you are concerned.
  

• Nelli Williams of Trout Unlimited
  Thanks again for the invite to the KSP annual meeting. It was nice to get face time with folks again….seems like many are, for the most part interested in helping. I was glad to see we got seven new signees to the Sportsmen’s EPA letter. I thought there would be a couple things that might be of interest (as follow up) for the KSP members that were (or were not) at the meeting.
  1. The TNC Risk Assessment SummaryT
  2. The Sportsmen’s Letter to the EPA. We currently have 66 AK guiding operations, lodges and other businesses signed on. If anyone else wants to sign on they can email me their Name/Title, Business, City/RiverSample letter (for talking points on letters to EPA/Begich/Murkowski) 
  3. Sample letter (for talking points on letters to EPA/Begich/Murkowski)
  4. If anyone wants to receive monthly sportsmen updates on Pebble again have them send me their Name and Email and we’ll get them on the list.
  Email:nwilliams@tu.org
  
  TNC Risk Assessment Summary (download PDF)
  Bristol Bay Lisa Jackson (download .doc)
  SampleSportgroup (download .doc)
  

• Brian Kraft requested that, in instances of field violations of Park rules, initial enforcement actions and citations be directed toward individual guides, and then if a repeat pattern of violations develops, toward the CUA holder. That will focus some responsibility for daily conduct on the guides and not unfairly penalize the CUA holder for the actions of careless employees. Lisa said that although that concept is not written into Park policy, that is currently the approach that Chief Ranger Neil Labrie employs.
  

• Brad Garasky Of Hallo Bay Lodge attended our meeting. Brad reported on a meeting organized in Homer last spring among commercial operators who guide bear viewing tours to Hallo Bay. The meeting was a constructive effort to coordinate commercial activity and reduce impacts at this busy site, with the intention of avoiding future regulatory actions by the Park Service. Brad said some voluntary changes in field operations were agreed to at the meeting and were generally followed through the season. Lisa Fox encouraged the operators to keep working together to resolve issues as a much better approach than asking the Park Service to regulate activity.
  

• If you have not completed your emergency response survey, please do so as soon as you can. We will be condensing this info and making it available to members, the National Park Service, Alaska State Troopers and US Coast Guard in the next month or so.
  

• If you would like to comment on the type of Superintendent you would like to see in Katmai Park, stop in to the park service and see the Regional Director, Marsha Blasic, or her assistant Vic Knox. Make sure you call before you stop in to the Anchorage Office, as you will need someone to let you in the door with the heightened security at the Park Service. We are trying to keep all our comments in a positive nature.
  
  

All major issues will be voted on by the general membership.

Please send your vote via email at info@katamipark.org or attend the next meeting.

To request a copy of the minutes of the last KSP meeting, please e-mail your request to info@katmaipark.org

An Organization dedicated to:

• Resource Protection through stewardship.
• Promoting public access to Katmai National Park.
• Provide conduit for communication between the Katmai Service Providers   and government agencies.
• Partcicipating in planning future development of Park use.
• Enhancing Katmai National Park recreational activities for personal   enjoyment.
• Promoting safety and education.
• Foster cooperation among users.

Membership dues:

• General Membership (IBP holders, voting) $100 annually.
• Supporting Membership (non-voting)        $  50 annually.