Chugach State Park Master Plan Revisions
Alaska State Parks is in the process of reviewing and updating the current management plan. Please join us in our efforts to ensure that Chugach State Park continues to provide wild places that support clean water, healthy wildlife populations and a place for visitors to find peace and presence of mind.
Some important points to consider:
1. Wild- Chugach State Park is our backyard wilderness. Alaskans appreciate and value the opportunity to enjoy clean air, clean water, wide open spaces, beautiful scenery, and solitude. The park provides a relief from the rush of city living. Poor planning could shrink our wilderness boundaries, and inappropriate activities and development could degrade the park experience. ACE supports maintaining our current park management and the possibility of expanding the wilderness sections of Chugach State Park.
2. Access- Easy and equal access to Chugach State Park provides the residents of Southcentral Alaska with a sense of freedom and independence, a feeling that only a community with a backyard wilderness can appreciate. As a growing city, development around Anchorage is pushing ever closer to Chugach State Park and ways of accessing the park are becoming more difficult to secure. ACE advocates for maintaining access and providing for additional access points in the future.
3. Recreation- The inspiration, physical and mental challenge, and opportunities for outdoor recreation in a wild Chugach State Park is unique for a city like Anchorage. There is potential that careless park planning could diminish the tranquility and peace of mind that our families enjoy in our state park. ACE encourages more opportunities for appropriate no impact recreation, and wilderness activities.
4. Wildlife- Chugach State Park’s wildlife is an essential and rewarding part of our backyard wilderness. It is a thrilling and satisfying experience for residents and visitors to experience animals in the wild. Irresponsible trapping and fragmentation of the park habitat puts people and our park resources at risk. ACE is promoting a park plan that uses sound science and responsible decision making when addressing the management of wildlife in the park.
5. Protection- In order to protect Chugach State Park’s integrity, legacy, and wild characteristics, it is necessary to have a park plan that upholds our wilderness values. This includes respecting the delicate balance of maintaining a wilderness area so close to urban life. ACE believes that the current park management is sound and consistent with the needs of Alaska’s most treasured state park.
For more information please contact Eric Uhde at eric@akcenter.org or call (907)-274-3639.
