Community members, park visitors, and commercial operators are invited to comment on how Katmai interacts with its nearly 100 commercial service operators.
Katmai National Park and Preserve is seeking public input for its commercial services strategy.
Unlike many National Parks, visitors to Katmai rely on air taxis, fishing guides, lodges, and other private services to get around. The Park doesn’t currently have an overarching strategy for how it interacts with the nearly 100 commercial operators.
Caroline Gimillaro is a Harvard graduate student hired by the Park Service to develop that strategy.
She says a public meeting will be held next week.
"We’re hoping to get their feedback on commercial services they’ve used, suggestions for services that should be offered, and recommendations for improving existing services... so we’re looking forward to talking to people face-to-face."
The meeting will be next Wednesday, July 15, at the Katmai National Park and Preserve headquarters in King Salmon.
The public is also invited to submit comments online: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=59496
Contact the author at hannah@kdlg.org.