Amid an explosion in popularity, access points to the Chugach State Park are overwhelmed and underdeveloped, leading to a push for a new mechanism to handle chronic underfunding.
But the expanding interest in the trails and wilderness crisscrossing the Chugach Range is exacerbating longstanding problems with access points into the park. A newin the weeks ahead of the April 4 election aims to solve the issue by creating a new taxing authority to pay for future improvements.
“There’s no parking, and it raises public safety issues and traffic issues for the residents,” she added. “We need to have a different way of addressing these issues.”She and fellow District 6 member Randy Sulte introduced the ballot measure. If approved, it would create the Chugach State Park Access Service Area, or CASA, a new entity that would have the ability to bond for money to handle infrastructure supporting Chugach visitors.
“Chugach State Park is the most visited public lands in the state of Alaska,” Ricky Gease, Division Director for State Parks, during an AssemblyThe state looks at cellphone location data to track visits to parks and where those visitors are from. Compared to 2019, before the pandemic upended recreational norms and, by 2021 “overall use in the state for public lands has gone up by 50%,” Gease said.
“It’s already overloading the infrastructure and access roads,” said Chris Beck, a retired consultant and self-described “enthusiastic citizen advocate” who spoke to Assembly members about the service area proposal. “The issue is not whether it’s gonna grow or not, it’s how we manage that growth.” “In particular, young adults are leaving,” Beck said. “Outdoor recreation can be an antidote to those problems.”If Proposition 6 passes in April and the Chugach State Park Access Service Area is created, nothing happens — at least not yet.states, “The service area would not levy taxes upon approval of this proposition; taxes may only be levied if voters subsequently approve a proposition that authorizes levying and spending generally or for a particular project.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Yosemite National Park closed till March 1 due to severe stormPark officials say travel on all park roads is restricted to administrative traffic only.
Read more »
Fierce winter storm forces Yosemite to close until MarchYosemite National Park is closed due to severe winter conditions, the National Park Service announced Saturday.
Read more »
Live Bay Area weather updates: Yosemite National Park closed due to severe winter conditionsYosemite National Park is closed due to severe winter conditions, the National Park Service announced Saturday.
Read more »
Road closures at Mt. Diablo State Park keep out visitors eager to see snowThe lure of a winter wonderland was irresistible as people drove to Mt. Diablo State Park only to find the roads closed due to hazardous conditions.
Read more »
Trump works state-by-state to improve chances at Republican conventionIn an early start, Donald Trump’s team invited state party officials to Mar-a-Lago, arranged private meet-and-greets, endorsed some state officials and met with senior GOP officials in Washington to discuss how the delegate selection process will unfold.
Read more »
Ohio State Hockey Tabbed a 3-Seed in Conference Tournament, Set to Host Penn StateAfter dropping a pair of games at Minnesota this weekend, Ohio State's men's ice hockey team will be a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament set to begin next weekend.
Read more »