Kenai Fjords National Park Seeks Public Input into the Development of a Frontcountry Management Plan

Date:
January 18, 2022
Contact: Laura Sturtz, 907-422-0528

Kenai Fjords National Park is seeking public input into the development of a frontcountry management plan. The frontcountry area of Kenai Fjords National Park, located around 10 miles northwest of Seward, Alaska, is the most frequently visited and only road-accessible area in the park.

Since the park's establishment in 1980, this area had offered a rare opportunity for visitors to experience a glacier up close. Today, many visitors still come to this destination with longstanding expectations of touching the glacier known as Exit Glacier. However, Exit Glacier has experienced substantial melting due to climate change and has retreated more than 710 meters (about 776 yards) in the last 13 years, such that the glacier is no longer easily accessible.

The National Park Service is seeking public input to guide the development of a new frontcountry management plan that will address management issues triggered by glacial retreat, protect park resources, and expand opportunities for visitors to enjoy an array of features and resources near Exit Glacier. The planning effort is in early development stages and the National Park Service is providing opportunities for the public and local community members to help identify key issues and opportunities, envision what the area might look like in the future, and provide input on a range of potential management strategies. The information gathered in this process will help park planners and managers define a vision for the future of this special place and prioritize potential strategies to guide management in the next 10 to 20 years.

How to Participate
January 18 to February 18, 2022: The public is invited to view a storymap, and to submit comments through either links in the storymap or by visiting the plan's website directly.

February 2: The public is invited to attend a virtual public information session from 4 to 6 p.m. where Kenai Fjords National Park staff will discuss the need for the plan, key issues the plan will address, and potential management strategies. The same 20-minute presentation will be given at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. with time for questions and answers after each presentation. To join the virtual public meeting please go to the plan's website, parkplanning.nps.gov/KenaiFMP and click Meeting Notices.

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