The public can now provide comments on more than 50 cabin projects proposed by the U.S. Forest Service in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. The comment period is open until Oct. 31.
A page on the Forest Service website found at bit.ly/3Cc8PPr allows visitors to review options where new cabins could be built, existing cabins fixed up and sites where existing cabins could be moved.
“We want to hear from the public about what they want to see,” said James King, Alaska Region director of recreation, lands and minerals, in a statement. “Knowing which locations people prefer and what kinds of cabin features we can add to ensure a more enjoyable stay will help us make this effort a success.”
Commenters have the ability to review the information on each proposed site through the use of an interactive map, leaving their feedback for each one. Seven sites in the area around Wrangell are being proposed, including sites on Etolin and Zarembo islands and in Berg Bay.
Three new cabins are being proposed on Wrangell Island. The Turn Island cabin would be built near the Nemo Saltwater Access trailhead in Wrangell, offering year-round access to users. If approved, construction would be scheduled to start in 2024. The Little Lake cabin would be built near the trailhead for Long Lake and would begin construction in 2025. The Fools Inlet cabin would be built off the road system above Fools Inlet at the southern end of the island. It would begin construction in 2026.
Repairs are being proposed to the Middle Ridge cabin, which was built in 2009 as part of a log cabin construction training course. According to the website, the logs in the north-facing wall of the structure have started to rot and the wall needs to be reconstructed. If approved, that project would begin in 2023.
Although there is an existing cabin at Berg Bay, the Forest Service is proposing to replace the current cabin with a new, larger cabin reflecting requests from the public for a larger-capacity cabin.
The proposed project on Etolin Island would relocate the Anan Bay cabin, built in 1965, to Burnett Inlet on Etolin. According to the Forest Service website, “This project will deconstruct the historic cabin and deck and reconstruct it on an existing hardened site at Burnett Inlet. Here, users will be able to access the cabin by road and by boat. The cabin could also offer overnight refuge to long-distance paddlers. Relocating Anan Lake cabin would bring a less utilized cabin in a remote location to a more accessible location.” That project would begin in 2026, if approved.
On Zarembo, the project being proposed is to relocate one of two Deep Bay cabins to Mustang Lakes. Since the cabins at Deep Bay can accommodate larger parties yet are barely used, the Forest Service has proposed moving one of those cabins to Mustang Lakes, which has closer road access and is closer to Wrangell. That project would start in 2026.
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