NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON ALASKA STATE PARKS
IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The Department of Natural Resources proposes to change regulations on the use of Alaska State Parks.

The Department of Natural Resources proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 11 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with recreational uses of Alaska State Parks, including changes to 11 AAC 12, 11 AAC 18, 11 AAC 20, and 11 AAC 21 as follows:

1. 11 AAC 12.020 Vehicle control is to be amended to allow use of vehicles for emergency response.
2. 11 AAC 12.030 Snowmobiles is to be adopted and 11 AAC 20.780 is to be amended to provide clear, consistent procedures for opening state parks to use of snowmobiles. Park specific snowmobile regulations in 11 AAC 20.040, 11 AAC 20.260, 11 AAC 20.390, 11 AAC 20.425, 11 AAC 20.480, 11 AAC 20.555, 11 AAC 20.625, 11 AAC 20.857, and 11 AAC 20.935 are to be repealed.
3. 11 AAC 12.115 Bicycles, Fat Tire Bicycles, and Electric Bicycles is to be adopted to provide statewide requirements for use of bicycles, including electric bicycles and fat tire bicycles in state parks. Park specific bicycle regulations in 11 AAC 20.050, 11 AAC 20.437, 11 AAC 20.490, 11 AAC 20.720, 11 AAC 20.958, and 11 AAC 20.971 are to be repealed.
4. 11 AAC 12.190 Firearms and other weapons is to be amended to provide statewide requirements for discharge of weapons in state parks. Park specific regulations on weapons discharge found in 11 AAC 20.010, 11 AAC 20.100, 11 AAC 20.200, 11 AAC 20.250, 11 AAC 20.370, 11 AAC 20.400, 11 AAC 20.440, 11 AAC 20.460, 11 AAC 20.500, 11 AAC 20.540, 11 AAC 20.600, 11 AAC 20.650, 11 AAC 20.700, 11 AAC 20.750, 11 AAC 20.800, 11 AAC 20.850, 11 AAC 20.940, 11 AAC 20.950, 11 AAC 20.970, and 11 AAC 20.980 are to be repealed. 11 AAC 21.015 is to be amended, consistent with 11 AAC 12.190.
5. 11 AAC 12.230 (l) is proposed to be amended to clarify the definition of a day of camping in backcountry areas.
6. 11 AAC 12.340, 11 AAC 18.200, and 11 AAC 20.990 are to be repealed and readopted to provide clear definitions for various terms used and to eliminate redundant and overlapping definitions.
7. 11 AAC 20.030 is to be amended to clarify which trails in Chugach State Park are open to use of horses and the close the new Hemlock Burn trail to use of horses.
8. 11 AAC 20.070 Seasonal Closures is to be adopted to provide a streamlined process for closures in Chugach State Park due to avalanche mitigation work and high bear activity.
9. 11 AAC 20.385 Campfires is to be amended to clarify the definition of where campfires are allowed in Wood-Tikchik State Park.
10. 11 AAC 20.465. Off-road vehicles is to be amended to clarify use of Off-Road Vehicles in the Chena River State Recreation Area.
11. 11 AAC 20.550 is to be amended to allow use of trolling motors on Tanaina Lake in Nancy Lake State Recreation Area.
12. 11 AAC 20.862 is to be amended to clarify use of mooring buoys in the Kenai River Special Management Area.
13. 11 AAC 20.885 is to be amended to remove a reference to a repealed statute.
14. 11 AAC 20.905 is to be amended by adding Chena River State Recreation Site to the list of areas where possession or consumption of alcohol is prohibited.
15. 11 AAC 20.914. Old Kasilof Landing boat launching and retrieval is to be adopted to restrict the use of Old Kasilof Landing State Recreation Site to retrieval of non-motorized boats.

You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Dan Beutel, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, 550 W 7th Ave, Suite 1380, Anchorage AK 99501. Additionally, the Department of Natural Resources will accept comments by facsimile at 269-8907 and by electronic mail at dpor.regulations@alaska.gov. The comments must be received not later than 5:00 PM on July 29, 2021.

You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Dan Beutel at dpor.regulations@alaska.gov or by mail to Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, 550 W 7th Ave, Suite 1380, Anchorage AK 99501. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Natural Resources will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation website at http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/asp/curevnts.htm.

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Dan Beutel at dpor.regulations@alaska.gov or 907-269-8692 not later than July 19, 2021 to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System, at http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/asp/curevnts.htm, and by contacting Dan Beutel at dpor.regulations@alaska.gov or 907-269-8692.

After the public comment period ends, the Department of Natural Resources will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.

Statutory authority: AS 41.21.020; AS 41.21.022; 41.21.112, 41.21.123, 41.21.132, 41.21.165, 41.21.174, 41.21.176, 41.21.183, 41.21.187, 41.21.188, 41.21.193, 41.21.302, 41.21.306, 41.21.420, 41.21.440, 41.21.490, 41.21.494, 41.21.506, 41.21.616, 41.21.950, 41.21.955, 41.21.960

Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 41.21.022

Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.

The Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation keeps a list of individuals and organizations interested in its regulations. Those on the list will automatically be sent a copy of all of the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation notices of proposed regulation changes. To be added to or removed from the list, send a request to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation at dpor.regulations@alaska.gov, giving your name, and either your e-mail address or mailing address, as you prefer for receiving notices.

June 28, 2021             Ricky Gease, Director, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation