I assume that most people have heard that BLM is asking for comment on a proposal by a local company to allow helicopter tours and increase the numbers for its snowmachine tours in the White Mountains National Recreation Area. If you don’t know about the proposal, see the links at the bottom of this post.
Not Currently Opposed
When I first heard about it, my knee-jerk reaction was “No!” But after looking carefully at what is being proposed and thinking about it, I have decided that I am not opposed. (At least, so far.) Borealis Basecamp already runs snowmachine tours in the White Mountains NRA. Under the proposal the numbers for those tours would increase. The helicopters tours would be new, but they seem well thought out.
My reasoning is below. If you disagree with it, feel free to let me know and why.
In any case, if you care, make sure you comment. Read the press release (first link) to find out how.
Helicopter Tours
The helicopter tour proposal made me pause. I opposed the earlier proposal by Borealis Basecamp for helicopter tours to Tolovana Hot Springs. I’m glad that wasn’t approved. But these tours seem better thought out. The flight path height and route seem to minimize impacts to other users. I’m not a pilot, so I can’t quite envision how high 1,500 feet is, but it seems like a long way up. (Much higher than the pipeline security helicopters.) I occasionally see and hear planes when out in the Whites. I usually don’t mind them. (Rarely, planes are excessively loud for reasons I don’t fully understand. I don’t like that, but it is rare.)
Snowmachine Increase
The increase from 14 to 28 snowmachines per day also gave me pause. I am a non-motorized user – usually biking or skiing in the Whites. Passing or getting passed by 14 snowmachines at a time (group sizes are limited to 14) seems like a lot. A lot of exhaust smell and noise. Borealis is already allowed a group of up to 14 per day in the Whites (which I didn’t know). I think my wife and I have run across at least one of the groups. They were already stopped. I certainly have encountered other large snowmachine groups a few times. But these are public lands, and they should be shared. While 14 snowmachines is a lot of noise and exhaust, I can deal with that without a huge negative impact.
I would like to say that I have frequently interacted with snowmachines in the Whites. I don’t think I have ever had any negative encounters. If I have, they have been overshadowed by all the positive or neutral encounters.
An Impact I Can Live With
I use the White Mountains NRA quite a bit – mostly in winter but in other seasons, too. If the proposal is allowed, I expect that both changes would have some impact on my experience. The impact could be slightly negative, but I don’t believe it will be excessive.
The rec area is public land. I am glad people are using it. Some may feel differently about guided tours, but I don’t. As long as they are regulated. I am glad people from outside of Interior Alaska get to experience this wonderful recreation area. We locals are damn lucky to have it in our backyard. I have occasionally taken guided tours in other places. I was happy to have the chance to have someone show me the area, especially if I didn’t have the gear necessary for the experience.
I am also happy that people can make a living by, in part, using our public lands and trails. We need a diverse economy and outdoor recreation should be a part of it. We locals can benefit from a healthy outdoor recreation economy because there is more incentive to invest in the infrastructure, like trails, trailheads, and trail signs.
Of course, that must be balanced with reasonable regulation so that we are not crowded out of the public lands and trails nearest to us. Compared to many other places, we are blessed with miles and miles of trails, acres and acres of public land, and only a few users. Some popular places around Fairbanks do get a bit crowded at popular times when the weather is great, but that isn’t a constant occurrence.
Overall, I believe BLM and Borealis Basecamp have come up with a decent proposal that helps our local economy, allows visitors from outside to experience the Whites, and limits the impacts so that locals can still enjoy what the White Mountains National Recreation Area has to offer.
Other Viewpoints
Disagree with my reasoning? Let me know and tell me why. You may change my mind. The comment period runs through August 28. I’ll hold off submitting my comments until just a couple of days before the deadline.
I think that the proposed increase group sizes are much too large for the snowmachine tours. I guided commercial backpack and river trips in much less accessible public lands managed by NPS and USFWS for 25 summers. On backpacks, we were limited to party sizes of 6 including a guide in Gates of the Arctic and 6 plus a guide in the Arctic Refuge. River trips were limited to 10 including guides in the Gates and 12 including guides in the Refuge. These areas are buoyh much larger and have many more access points than the Whites. I have done many private trips by ski, skijor, bikejor, and snowmachine in the Whites over the last 4 decades. I think that doubling the daily motorized traffic, especially during peak season in the spring is excessive. Sanitary facilities are limited to outhouses at trailheads and cabins. Twice in recent years members of my small (2-4 person) groups have contracted Norovirus during stays at remote cabins in the whites. I agree that some commercial tourism in the White mountains is appropriate; however, I think that Borealis’s current level is appropriate. I have had positive experiences with sharing trails with snowmachiners on trails, but passing or following large groups with dogs can be challenging. On cold, still days, 2 stroke exhaust often lingers on the trail for a long period after groups pass. There are 1000’s of miles of multiuse trails in the interior that are not part of the White Mountains Recreation area that are better suited to spread out this level of commercial use.
Thanks, John. You’ve given me thoughts to ponder.
Been training distance dog teams out there for a long long time and I shudder to imagine the chaos and potential danger with even more inexperienced snow machine drivers out in the middle of nowhere. The noise, the smell, the traffic, the congestion…I am totally against it and sad about the whole thing.
That you are an active user who has a historical understanding of the area, I appreciate that you took the time to share your developed thoughts. I do like the idea of people making a living with the beauty that surrounds – lots of snow machines can be disorienting. Then again, if the trail gets too torn-up the company would find it useful to groom.
Thanks for sharing your comments. I agree on the benefits of having alternative ways for people to enjoy public lands. An encounter with a guided group of 14 is better than 14 random encounters. The only problem I see is setting precedents for the future. There need to be reasonable limits to control future growth.
Thanks Gail. It’s my understanding that any growth would require another permit, which would require more study by BLM staff and another public comment period. In a democratic society, that seems to be a good way to help control future growth.
Thanks, as always, for your thoughts Eric. But I’m afraid that you are looking at this far too narrowly, focused on your own experience and enjoyment of the White Mountains. There are far greater impacts here beyond that. The biggest one that I’m concerned about is the effect on wildlife.
As you well know, the White Mountains National Recreation Area is home to many animals active during the winter, including Dall sheep, caribou, wolves, and moose. Humans have already hugely impacted these stressed animals, and I don’t think we should add to those stresses. They have enough to deal with from climate change and other human-induced impacts.
I’m sure that BLM has studies and surveys that document the impact of such motorized activity on wildlife in remote areas. But our wildlife is so dispersed already, and heavily impacted by the several recent heavy snow and ice winters, that I can’t bear the thought of stressing them further with additional motorized traffic. Nor of decreased chances of seeing them out on the trail.
All that said, the rec area is a beautifully quiet landscape. As Robert Service put it, “And the icy mountains hemmed you in with a silence you most could hear….” I strongly dislike the White Mountains getting noisier for commercial purposes, impacting those of us who cherish the quiet, without any discernable public benefit. Yes, the guests of Borealis Basecamp are getting to experience the area in a way they probably wouldn’t otherwise have available to them, exposing the glory of Alaska to more people. And as a tour guide, I love sharing Alaska with people from other places. But I think the cost and impacts in this case are just too great.
Another concern is that despite the neat and tidy flight path drawn on a map, I’m sure that they will deviate from it regularly, largely because of weather but often to take a closer look at something interesting spotted along the way. Our Interior weather is highly variable during the winter, so I can’t imagine there won’t be frequent deviations from that flight path. And once their foot is figuratively in the door, will the next step be to double the number of flights or destinations within the rec area? They are already looking to double the number of their snow machine tours.
Good thoughts, Don. I hadn’t thought about the fact that the flight paths might be diverted. I wonder if there is a way for BLM to monitor that? Should be able to with GPS tracking.
I am extremely cautious about the effects on wildlife argument. I prefer arguments about that based on data rather than feeling. I’m sure some people would prefer no motorized use in the White Mountains NRA based on their beliefs of how motorized vehicles impact animals. But that’s not something I would consider unless there is a mound of data showing that it’s true. And even then, I would have to weigh the impacts on the benefits to our human society.
As to the slippery slope argument. That’s true of all sorts of things, but not a reason to say no, in my opinion. We shouldn’t say no to things just because someone might ask for more in the future. The important part is that they would have to ask for more in the future. They wouldn’t just be given that right.
I appreciate your perspective Eric. As others have mentioned, you’ve pounded a lot of ground around here and seen and done a lot that warrants our respect. However, I’m not feeling as benevolant towards the proposed activity as you are. Sometimes maybe I can lean in that direction, but I’m just not feeling it right now 🙂
I think what disturbs me most is the helicopter flights. As a former aviator I think maybe I’m very attuned to the aircraft up there, always paying attention, and I easily hear helicopters way, way up (or out) there. Just a few weeks ago I was doing the Healy Overlook, well above the official trail, enjoying the utter peace, and then the choppers started taking off down from that facility on the south end of Glitter Gulch, next to the river. I’m guessing that was 2-3 miles away, and that stuff was loud, and I contemplated the idea that I’m out here in utter peace, enjoying what Denali has to offer, and yet I’m forced to accept all that noise. In that case, being an old fart tired of stress, I just accept it as “it is what it is.” Kind of like hiking around Tangle Lakes or Eagle Summit these days and frequently hearing the F-35’s.
In the case of the White Mountains, my God, in my mind that was one of the last best escapes around here, and I love the winter time just hiking up the main trail towards the Dome, or skiing the Wickersham Creek Trail, accepting that there will be snowmachines now and then, and it’s nice to have the packed trails. At least in my tolerance level, it’s a decent balance.
In the case of choppers, I can’t imagine the disappointment of heading up the trail towards the Dome on a peaceful winter day, and hearing the thuds of those blades long for a good part of their transit – we all know how much better the sound carries on certain winter days.
Maybe my greatest concern is my feeling through years of hiking that these kinds of “progress” never revert. Once you let them in, they’re there forever, and they just serve as a foundation for increased activity in the future.
Finally, I’m not sure I wholeheartedly share the idea of “being good neighbors” and supporting the needs of a local business on public land in this way. Moncho (Man Cho) comes to mind in that realm. I’m sure they’re good people with good aspirations, but I’m not feeling charitable in that regard.
I’ll write some kind of comment before the deadline, and I very much appreciate you bringing this to our attention.
All the best,
Don Morton
Thanks Don. I appreciate your thoughts. I would love to know more about the impact of the helicopters, especially as to how they compare to airplanes. I’ve heard choppers plenty of times, but I really have no idea how far they were away. It’s hard to form an opinion without sufficient information.
I have been pondering this issue for a few days now. I respect Eric for his open mindedness and tolerance for others. But I am still opposed to allowing Borealis Basecamp to increase their snow machine tours and add helicopter tours to the White Mountains.
Over the decades, I have skied, hiked, mushed and camps in the Whites. I have appreciated that the Whites are one the few places close to Fairbanks where folks can enjoy some quiet and solitude while recreating. More large groups of snow machines and the sound and sight of helicopters will detract from that experience. Quiet is a valuable and under-appreciated resource on our increasingly crowded planet.
As our planet struggles with climate change, I am becoming increasingly opposed to motorized recreation. While snow machines are useful for travel in winter, to just take tourists for rides in a semi-wilderness seems pointless to me and a waste of fossil fuels. I suspect tourists would be totally unaware of their negative impact due to their noise, smell and burning of gas on others they encounter on the trails. Likewise, helicopters are an extremely extravagant mode of transport, using so much fuel while disrupting the quiet of the wilderness.
If Borealis wants their visitors to see the tundra, why not drive them to Eagle Summit or Murphy Dome and let them walk around there? Or encourage them to get out on skis or go mushing?
It is important to protect our remaining areas of wilderness and to preserve the quiet for human visitors and the animals who live there. Proposals like this one slowly chip away at these areas and people start to forget what a real wilderness and true quiet is.
Thanks Pam. I have thought of some of your same concerns, including how much fuel helicopters use. Thanks for your thoughts. I am considering everyone’s comments before I make my final decision on how to comment.
Thank you Eric for creating such a thoughtful forum for these discussions and I appreciate the previous comments. Likewise, I started as a knee-jerk “NO” but as I read about the proposal and considered my reaction I think my negatives center around the commercialization of the resource.
If a commercial enterprise will be depending on the resource to make a profit, will the corporation pay-back to maintain (or improve) the resource? The trails and cabins will be used harder and more frequently and require more maintenance. Does a for-profit corporate user bear a greater responsibility to support the resource? Perhaps the for-profit corporations could afford a license/permit fee to use the resource, similar to that paid by commercial vehicles on highways. The fee (in addition to the cabin rental fee) would support maintenance and improvements.
Thanks Bill. I hadn’t considered what a business might pay for upkeep of the resource. I have no idea what the permit costs. I assume it costs something, but is that just to cover the administrative costs? Other businesses also run tours in the Whites, such as dogsledding tours. Do they also pay for upkeep? A good point to make in the comments. Then again, the average citizen doesn’t pay anything to use the resource, other than our taxes. And businesses pay taxes, too. Hmmm. I’ll have to ponder some more.
As a former trail user, I have enjoyed your articles and trail tales. I agree with many replies that the submitted proposal for increased number of snow machines for daily touring is WAY TOO MUCH. People come to get away from the maddening crowds and want to experience quiet beauty. More isn’t always better.
Please continue to not only keep us informed but do continue the swell articles about the adventures you two have had as it is fun to tag along.
Thanks Myra. I realized not everyone would agree with my opinion on this one (though I am moderating it based on comments received and will do a post on that soon). And glad you enjoy the writing!