Cutbacks dig into mine site

HATCHER PASS — The road to the Independence Mine State Historical Park will be open two fewer days each week this summer than last and, it seems, nobody’s happy about it.

“We’re into public service and we want to showcase this,” said Mat-Su Parks Superintendent Wayne Biessel with Alaska State Parks, who had the displeasure of announcing the closures earlier this summer. “We’re not proud when we can’t do the best job possible.”

This summer, the open hours for the road to the mine site are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays. The road will be closed at all other times.

The Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau sent out a letter to members saying it would work against the changes.

“In the wake of budget cuts, tough decisions have to be made, and we understand not all of these decisions will be popular. Alaska State Parks is in a difficult situation, to be sure, but restricting access to Independence Mine State Historical Park is not the answer, nor is this decision accommodating to those with mobility issues,” wrote MSCVB President Craig Saunders.

Biessel said that the closures are due solely to state budgeting. The cost of doing business has gone up but the budget stayed static this year over last, meaning that the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation this summer has lost nearly all of its janitorial staff, temporary summer staff referred to as the Alaska Conservation Corps.

Biessel said a lot of those duties — keeping the parks and facilities tidy — will now fall to his permanent staff, his park ranger and park specialists.

“They will have to carry that burden as well so that’s just another workload that we’re adding on,” he said.

In Mat-Su, that has meant three positions cut. Sure, there are volunteers up there, caretakers who will likely be on scene. But, Biessel said, he doesn’t have people seven days a week who he can task with securing the Independence Mine area.

“When that gate is open, especially in the evening, we get a lot of what we call deviant use. People (who) are there to enjoy themselves and not the facility,” Biessel said.

And there are some pretty valuable facilities up there.

“The state and the borough has invested millions of dollars into making it what it is today,” Biessel said.

Folks there to enjoy “what they can do to the facility” rather than the facility itself, Biessel said, have committed some vandalism, like doors kicked in and windows busted out.

“Unfortunately, we have folks who think there’s gold in every room,” he said.

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