The forest service is in the middle of a lengthy process that may lead to significant changes at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area in Juneau. This month it released a document detailing the possible environmental impacts of different expansion options. The public has a chance to weigh in on those right now.
The original visitor center was built in the 1960s, but the glacier won’t be visible from there at all in a few decades. There’s also been a significant uptick in visitors since then. So the Forest Service has proposed expanded trails, a new welcome center and remote glacier facilities — plus motorized boat tours on the lake to get people closer to the receding ice.
A lengthy draft of the project’s environmental impact statement is available online, at Juneau public libraries and at the Mendenhall Visitor Center. A video summarizing the potential changes is available online.
The Forest Service will accept public comment until April 18. There’s also a chance to learn more and ask questions about the proposed work at an evening webinar on March 31.
Comments can be submitted online, via fax at 907-586-8808, or hand-delivered to 8510 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau, Alaska, 99801.