NPCA Opposes North Access Route at Denali National Park and Preserve

Over the past several years, a proposal to build a massive resort in the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve, and a related road or railroad to reach the resort, has been pushed by a private developer and supported by the Alaska congressional delegation.

If this fiscally and environmentally irresponsible project moves forward, it will forever alter the wilderness character the park was established to protect. 

Background

Denali National Park and Preserve was established in 1917 to protect the area’s spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife.

The National Park Service's management plan for Denali specifies that the northern portion of the park be undeveloped and the Wonder Lake area be used for camping and low-impact day use recreation. Three nearby wilderness lodges provide additional accommodations.

This approach has worked well, and the Park Service says that the current plan can meet expected visitation increases for 15 to 20 years.

The Issue

Development interests have insisted on promoting either a railroad or a north access road into the park, and a 40-acre resort complex at Wonder Lake.

A 1997 park service report shows it would be extremely costly to build a road or railroad through northern Denali:

• Building a 90-mile rail line is estimated to cost $136-$214 million.
• Construction of a road is projected to cost $87-$100 million. These figures do not include annual maintenance costs or the value of any right-of-way transferred to a private developer.
• The cost of the related 40-acre resort complex is unknown, as are the details of its financing.

The proposed 40-acre resort complex includes a railroad depot, 300-room hotel, and unspecified commercial facilities to be located several hundred feet from Wonder Lake, one of the most pristine and magnificent natural settings in the park. These facilities would require the construction of power, water, and wastewater utility infrastructure.

The projected cost of a road or railroad entering the northern portion of the park exceeds the estimated cost of the park service’s 10-year visitor access development program for all National Park units in Alaska. In other words, for the cost of the road/railroad, the park service could pay for all high-priority construction projects at every Alaska park it manages.

NPCA's Position

• NPCA supports improved and expanded visitor opportunities at Denali, provided that visitor uses are well-planned and designed to protect the park’s wildlife, wilderness character, and other resources unimpaired for future generations. Public opinion surveys show that the American public wants the resources and values of the National Parks protected for future generations, not paved over. 
  
  
• NPCA opposes the commercial development of the Wonder Lake area and any new road or railroad into the northern region of the park.
  
  
• If a road or railroad were to be built, there would be heavy pressure to link it with the existing park road, thereby creating a loop road through Denali. This would significantly increase traffic through key wildlife habitat.
  
  
• Existing buses into the park are not operating at full capacity, and more runs can be added. Additionally, two major visitor use plans for the park have recently been completed. These plans call for an expansion of facilities and trails at the park entrance area and construction of new visitor center, campsites, public use cabins, and trails on the park’s south side. The south side plan alone would accommodate 260,000 visitors annually. Implementation of these plans is underway and congressional appropriations have been requested.

Current Status

NPCA expects that efforts will again be made to obtain congressional funding to move the North Access project forward. It is uncertain at this time what form these efforts could take (i.e. a rider on an emergency supplemental bill, language in the Transportation or Interior appropriations bill).