Independence Mine imposes higher entrance fees

PALMER — Starting this summer visitors to the Independence Mine State Park will be paying $3 for each passenger in their vehicle in addition to the regular $5 a day use price. The extra fee per person also applies to yearly pass holders.

This fee increase, which has gone into effect at two other parks around Alaska, is due to tightening funds within the state budget. Wayne Biessel, superintendent of Parks and Recreation in the Mat-Su Valley, said that just like any other business, the state parks have to make ends meet.

“We’ve been mandated to become more self-sufficient as the general funds and the budgets decrease with the state of Alaska,” said Biessel, “It’s hitting all the departments pretty hard.”

An attendant has been hired to man the gate at the entrance of Independence Mine to take money and make sure people do not go through the gate without paying the proper fee.

“There is a cost to staffing the booth…however we project that the revenues that we generate will far exceed those costs,” said Biessel.

The public response so far has been fairly mild according to Ben Waddell, interpretative ranger for at the park, but sometimes people who have many passengers in their car deem the cumulative cost not worth the trip to the top.

Waddell, himself, sees the need for the price increase, but wishes it did not have to happen.

I really think this park is awesome; it should be open to everyone, whether or not people will be willing to pay.,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’m not the one making the rules. But it is a really cool place, and Hatcher Pass is probably one of my favorite places on earth.”

Although the yearly parking pass has not raised in price, the previous buy-one-get-one half off deal is no longer available, which raises the total of two passes to $100. This was done to avoid a higher day parking fee.

For now, these heightened costs are permanent unless and until oil prices change for the better, according to Biessel.

“My basic answer to it is: we either raise our fees or we close the parks,” he said.