The Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board has approved a tentative plan to revisit the issue of Kenai River guide limitations in a more thorough and comprehensive public process than has ever been undertaken.
The board last week unanimously approved a draft proposal to undertake a "working group process," a nine-step plan designed to again tackle an issue that has been discussed in a number of forums for more than a decade.
The key difference between the plan recommended Thursday and previous efforts to limit guides on the Kenai is that this time, the state of Alaska appears to be on board.
According to Alaska State Parks Director Gary Morrison, the proposal came about after Rep. Kelly Wolf, R-Kenai, sent a letter to state Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin. At Wolf's recommendation, Irwin suggested to Alaska State Parks the working group plan, which includes a lengthy process for the public and user groups to comment on any proposed changes to Kenai River management.
Morrison said Thursday that it's intended that a member of the Alaska Department of Law will be involved in the working group, as well, in order to make sure any recommendations that come out of the group process will hold up to any court challenges.
"A member of this working group will be an attorney with the Department of Law," Morrison said.
A plan forwarded to the state last year by the KRSMA board that would have placed a moratorium on Kenai River guide numbers failed under pressure from lawsuits filed by several guides and lodge owners.
The draft approved Thursday consists of a nine-step process that begins with the KRSMA board identifying specific issues they want addressed and a suggested makeup of the board. The board then will forward its suggestions to Irwin, who will appoint the working group.
Morrison said he believes the working group will be formalized. He said the two things needed for it to go forward ‹ a mandate from the governor and approval from Wolf that the plan is in keeping with his suggestions ‹ are there.
The governor, he said, already has listed Kenai River crowding issues as a priority for the state.
"I believe that mandate is there both to (Irwin) and to me," he said.
As for Wolf, a representative from his office attended the meeting and told the group Wolf was aware of the plan and would be supportive.
"He's in favor of a working group," Neal DuPerron, Wolf's legislative aide, told the group.
Board members indicated they would rather have the group focus on a couple crowding issues rather than take on every aspect of Kenai River management.
"We ought to have two or three of the more contentious issues we haven't been able to solve," board member Ted Wellman said.
The board will hold a special meeting in the near future to hammer out details of what they believe the working group needs to focus on. In the meantime, board member Chris Degernes, who also is the Kenai area Alaska State Parks superintendent, said she'd like to hear from the public as to what the community feels the group should work on.
"I'd be glad to collect comments," Degernes said.
Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed working group can e-mail Degernes at chrisd@dnr.state. ak.us.
Once recommendations are made to Commissioner Morrison, he'll decide the exact makeup of the group. As for funding the project, it's unclear how much the whole process will take, but Irwin said it's possible the state will foot the bill.
"I'm hoping we're going to be able to squeeze some dollars out of the Department of Natural Resources to make this happen," he said.
Once the working group is formed and issues laid out, a public process designed to gather information will begin, consisting of public meetings run by a professional facilitator. The working group will then report back to the KRSMA board, which will in turn report to Irwin.
At that point ‹ if all goes according to plan ‹ Morrison said the working group's recommendations will be formalized either through department action or proposed legislation at the state level.
