Borough, state to keep Hatcher Pass gate open

MAT-SU — With a little help from the Mat-Su Borough, the state is set to reverse course on a plan to reduce access to Independence Mine State Historical Park.

“I think this is when government kind of works best, when we can kind of cooperate,” said Borough Manager John Moosey. “We think this is important for people who come to the borough to see the historic sites.”

In June, the state Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation announced that this summer the road up to the mine would be open two fewer days each week. The plan was to close the access road on Mondays and Tuesdays. People could still access the site, but visitors would have to hike in rather than drive.

The director of Mat-Su parks for the state, Wayne Biessel, said at the time that the closure was due entirely to reduced staffing after the division’s budget remained flat this year over last, while costs continue to increase.

Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Ron Arvin said that in the wake of the announcement, he received a call from a constituent with a tourism business that takes visitors to the mine.

“They had some tours booked with clients throughout the summer and they were just informed that Hatcher Pass was going to be closed by the state on Mondays and Tuesdays and asked if I could help. So I did,” Arvin said.

Moosey said that the solution arrived at — and the specifics haven’t yet been hammered out — is to have the borough provide some manpower to keep the park open on those days.

“We’re looking at bringing on a couple of part-time staff members that will pretty much be working with the parks service to provide those services on Mondays and Tuesday,” Moosey said.

He said that the people will be staffed out of the budget for his office and should be able to cover costs to keep the gate open for the balance of the tourist season.

“Nobody has as much money as they need, ourselves included, but we really value our tourist opportunities,” the manager said.

Asked how the wheels of government in this case were able to turn so swiftly — the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau started raising the alarm about the closure about a week ago — Arvin said that sometimes it’s best to start at the bottom rather than at the top. Instead of launching some kind of campaign and calling meetings with major parks division managers, he said he worked on a local level.

“In this example and in most times, I think that things can get solved when you look at it in a boots-on-the-ground level,” Arvin said. “The borough is contributing some cost and some people some boots on the ground to make that happen.”

The MSCVB was certainly happy to hear it. Bureau president Craig Saunders sent out a letter Monday thanking Arvin, Moosey, Sen. Mike Dunleavy, Rep. Shelley Hughes and the division of state parks as well as the MSCVB’s own membership.

“This shows the power of our membership when we work together for the betterment of our industry. A strong tourism industry benefits not only our personal businesses, but also the entire Mat-Su Borough. Thank you for being a positive force in our community and great ambassadors for our industry,” Saunders wrote.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.