The U.S. Forest Service is now saying mining interests played an important role in its decision to cancel a recreational cabin project near Juneau’s Herbert Glacier, after denying it months ago.
The public-use cabin was a popular idea among locals and would have been part of the Alaska Cabins Project, the Forest Service’s biggest public-use cabin expansion plan in 50 years.
It would have been built on top of a mining claim, across the river from the proposed New Amalga gold mine owned by Grande Portage Resources, Ltd. The Forest Service approved exploratory drilling at New Amalga last April.
Ian Klassen, CEO of Grande Portage Resources, submitted a public comment to the agency requesting that, in the future, “recreation infrastructure will not be sited, expanded or operated in a manner that restricts lawful mineral activities.”
The Forest Service originally said it was scrapping the project because it’s a complex location to build a cabin and staff capacity is limited. In February, a spokesperson said mining was unrelated.
But in its final decision published last week, the Forest Service said “cabin construction would not be prudent at this time due to heightened interest in mining claims in the area and potential for creating conflicting uses.”
The decision noted that infrastructure built by the agency must not interfere with safe and reasonable access to mining claims under the General Mining Law.
Laura Buchheit is the deputy district ranger in Juneau for the Tongass National Forest. She said the agency’s apparent flip-flopping was a result of a misunderstanding between staff.
“That was a miscommunication between myself and the communications team that led to the incorrect statements be(ing) made after the release of the draft decision,” Buccheit said.
The Forest Service received 20 public comments about the decision to cancel the cabin. Most commenters were opposed, like Karl Ashenbrenner.
“The idea to not have a Herbert Glacier cabin in order to appease a foreign mining company is abhorrent,” Ashenbrenner wrote.
Neil MacKinnon commented that it was wise to cancel the cabin because of the potential for conflict.
“Economic mineral deposits are extremely rare, cabin sites are not,” MacKinnon wrote.
In its decision, the Forest Service leaves the door open to approving a cabin at that site in the future, without going through another lengthy environmental review process.
Buccheit said although mining exploration isn’t compatible with building a cabin at the site right now, that could change in the future.
“It could be that the cabin is authorized at a later time when conditions change again,” Buccheit said.
The Forest Service plans to move forward with a reroute of Herbert Glacier Trail around mile 4.4 to bypass an eroding section and go over a stone outcrop with a scenic overlook of Herbert Glacier.
