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Next
Annual Katmai Service Providers
Meeting, scheduled for
9:00
a.m. Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at the Quality Inn & Suites
East
Boardroom, (formerly the Best Western Barratt) located at 4615 Spenard
Road, Anchorage
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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Pete
Raynor carefully reads the Park
Superintendents Compendium each year and alerts us to any changes -
this year there are no significant changes.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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)
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
At the meeting on January 20, 2003
the membership discussed and created a Mission Statement it is as
follows;
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.
Katmai Service Providers,
Incorporated
P.O. Box 2502•
Kodiak•
Alaska • 99615
Email: info@katmaipark.org
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