Plans and Projects Underway
Revision of Kennecott Operations Plan
On December 13th, 2010, the Superintendent of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve announced the start-up of a revision to the 2001 Kennicott Interim Operations Management Plan. Created with significant community input, the 2001 Interim Plan is the primary guiding document for management of Kennecott following acquisition in 1998.
Friends of Kennicott is actively engaging with the NPS and the local community in the revision process leading to a new Kennecott Operations Plan, currently estimated to be completed December 31, 2012.
The Draft Kennecott Operations Plan and Environmental Assessment is available for public review through April 30, 2013.
Click on the following link for the document and the March 13, 2013 cover letter from Superintendent Rick Obernesser:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=21&projectID=34130&documentID=52162
After seeking comments from the public, the Park will publish a final Kennecott Operations Plan designed to guide Park Service activities in the next 10-15 years.
More information about the current revision of the Kennecott Operations Plan is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/wrst under “Kennecott Operations Plan and EA.” Or contact Park Planner Bruce Rogers at (907) 822-7276 or Bruce_Rogers@nps.gov.
See the Friends of Kennicott Documents page to view key planning documents and recent comments submitted seperately by Friends of Kennicott and the McCarthy Area Council’s Kennicott Committee.
"Light Touch" Community Workshop
On June 5-6, 2012, NPS hosted a community workshop at the Kennecott Recreation Hall to expand an awareness and understanding of the “light touch” management approach underlying the original acquisition of the Kennecott Landmark by the NPS. The “light touch” approach is reflected in the opening “Management Concepts” in the 2001 Interim Operations Plan, and carried forward with minor updates in the current revision effort. For more about “light touch” see link on the Who We Are page
Kennecott Water Project
On March 13 and 14, 2012, the NPS held a Valuation Workshop on a proposed project to develop a water system or potable drinking water and fire safety. Friends of Kennicott facilitated the involvement of professional Hydrologist Barry Hecht, with over 40 years of field experience in the Wrangells. Barry and other locally-based participants with years of experience were instrumental in expanding consideration of new alternatives, such as ground water. The original alternatives analyzed were too costly, so the NPS is currently re-thinking the range of alternatives for future public review.