Upgrades will be made to the Anan Wildlife Observatory between now and mid-June. Improvements at the trailhead (top drawing) include: safer access to the trail from the beach landing area, replacement of the trailhead outhouse, replacement of an elevated boardwalk overlooking the Anan Lagoon, and gravel surfacing of walkways and gathering areas. Improvements at the observatory deck (lower drawing) include: the relocation and replacement of the observatory deck outhouse to provide access for visitors without having to leave the relative safety of the deck, along with other necessary maintenance to lengthen the life of the facility. Drawings courtesy of USDA
For visitors this summer to Anan Wildlife Observatory, trips to the restroom will become a bit less hectic.
Up to the present, the oft-visited outdoor attraction's outhouse is sited apart from the main observation area – and its protective barriers – making run-ins with Anan's bears en route to the toilet an occasional risk. At least a few people have had to wait out a passing bear from inside, which can be unpleasant in addition to an unnerving experience.
The Forest Service (USFS) Wrangell Ranger District, which manages Anan, will make the problem a thing of the past, and work slated for this spring will rearrange the existing facility.
"The whole point is to bring it closer to the observation area," explained Dee Galla, the district's outdoor recreation planner.
The new facility will become accessible from within the observatory's railed-off confines. As part of the work, the entrance to the deck will also be readjusted, allowing visitors immediate access to the upper area by graded pathway instead of navigating a set of stairs.
Design of the commode itself will also be improved upon, with the units more self-contained using a vault unit system. This should help limit the number of curious brown bears, which can be drawn in by the scent of trayed waste during the season. "Once they do, it becomes a problem that year," said Galla.
She explained the vaults will be changed out more frequently through the season, with waste transported down the pathway toward the tidal area for proper disposal. The facilities located at the creek's trailhead can be pumped out by boat, so these will also be redesigned, but with a larger volume in mind.
The project coincides with work on the trailhead itself, set to start later this month. The privy at the trailhead will be expanded to a double outhouse, with access improved and surrounding area given a gravel pad. The toilets there will not quite meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) levels of accessibility, but will nonetheless be barrier-free.
Work will see a widened welcome area with gravel padding added, which will remain obscured from view by boats and floatplanes coming into Anan Bay. Other gravel work will improve access by visitors during the disembarkation process.
Petersburg-based firm Rainforest Contracting has been assigned the contract, and will be starting the project as soon as the weather permits. Inspecting the site last month, conditions had been deceptively springlike and work was scheduled to start this week. The subsequent return of snow and rough water the past couple of weeks has since delayed them.
"They're eager to get going," Galla commented.
The project has a targeted deadline of June 15, before the summer season begins to pick up. Any work remaining by that time will be put off till the fall. The contractors will complete their work in two phases, laying gravel first and finishing with improvements to facilities and decking.
Funding for the project comes from the district's capital improvement budget. Its design began two years ago during a site master planning session, which identified various needs at Anan. The detached outhouse has been a problem for years, Galla explained, and improvements to the trail network have been a work in progress.
In the next five years, one of two priorities will be reassessment of the trail design itself. Further boardwalk portions may be replaced with graded gravel, with the latter's easier navigability proving popular with visitors.
"Where the terrain allows it, we will be doing gravel replacement," said Galla.
The other aim will be to replace the observatory's decking itself. Engineers looking at the site last year observed the wooden structure only has about five or so year's worth of life left to it anyway. "The long-term plan is to redesign it," Galla pointed out.
The structure's layout can be improved on, such as moving the current deck shelter further inland to allow more viewing space and other measures to better visitors' experiences. A newly designed site would likely maintain the same scale, which currently accommodates up to 40 visitors.
The work will at points require closure of parts of the Anan Creek trail leading up to the observatory. The observatory deck itself will also be closed later on in the project when construction occurs there. Warning and closure signs will be posted when necessary.
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