While it’s uncertain if the state could transfer funds to the borough for maintenance work at Petroglyph Beach, the more immediate concern is that neither the borough nor the state have any idea how many visitors commercial tour operators bring to the site each year.
The state this year is requiring tour operators to buy a license and pay a per-visitor fee, which had been required under state law for more than 20 years. But the fee was never enforced for Petroglyph Beach because the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation essentially lost track of the Wrangell attraction and the borough and local tour operators were not aware of the fee requirement.
Though the state discovered the non-payment issue last year, the division decided to wait until this year to start enforcing the rule so that tour operators would have time to build the fee into their customer charges.
The state has sent reminders to all the tour operators it could find online, reminding them of the requirement to get a license and collect the fee, said Preston Kroes, Southeast Region superintendent for Alaska State Parks.
No one had registered for their license as of last week, he said.
Some Wrangell operators are pushing back against the fee, Kate Thomas, the borough’s economic development director, said last week.
Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site was designated in 2000; it is one of the town’s most popular visitor attractions.
The Division of Parks collected close to $5 million statewide last year from commercial operators that bring people to historic sites, plus cabin rentals, campsites and parking fees. The money goes into the division’s budget for spending across the state.
The lack of any visitor counts for commercial use of Petroglyph Beach makes it harder to justify maintenance spending when there is so much competition across the state for the limited pot of money, Kroes explained.
The borough and state have a management agreement that goes back to 1998, with the borough responsible for trash pickup and light maintenance and the state taking on major projects. The state owns the six-acre waterfront parcel about a mile north of the ferry terminal.
The borough is interested in revising the agreement with the state, Thomas said.
In addition, the borough is interested in including the Wrangell Cooperative Association in any new joint-management agreement with the state, Interim Borough Manager Mason Villarma said at the Feb. 27 assembly meeting.
The borough also would like the state to hand over to the borough whatever money the division collects from commercial tour operators, though Kroes that may not be allowed under state law.
The Legislature, however, can appropriate state funds for specific community projects, though there is a long list of cities, boroughs, schools and nonprofit organizations always lined up for money.
Kroes said he was in Wrangell a few years and it was evident that the decking on the observation platform at the beach needs replacement.
The borough sees the same need, Thomas said. The underlying steel frame is in good shape, but the wooden decking and railing needs replacement, she said.
The commercial operator one-time application fee is $100, with an annual license fee of $350. In addition to the license, commercial operators are required to pay the state $6 per person for guided tours or $2 per person if they simply drop off customers at the site for an unguided tour.
Permits are available on the state Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation website at dnr.alaska.gov/parks/permit/.
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