Wrangell-St. Elias News

The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission will meet at the park’s Visitor Center in Copper Center, Alaska, and by teleconference on Tuesday, February 25, and Wednesday, February 26, 2025, to consider a range of issues related to subsistence hunting and fishing in the park.

A federal registration permit is required to participate in the winter moose hunt. Permits are available at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Headquarters Administrative Building in Copper Center during regular business hours (M-F, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding federal holidays). Due to weather and road conditions as well as staff schedules, please call Barbara Cellarius at 907-822-7236 or email WRST_subsistence@nps.gov before coming to the office to ensure that someone will be available to issue a permit. Please do not wait until the last minute; same-day pick-up may not be available.

The public hearing will be in Tolsona, Alaska, on October 22nd from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tolsona Fire Hall.

The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Subsistence Resource Commission will meet at the park’s Visitor Center in Copper Center and by teleconference on Friday, October 4, and Saturday, October 5, to consider a range of issues related to subsistence hunting and fishing in the park. This is the alternate meeting date announced in the Federal Register notice.

COPPER CENTER, AK –Approximately five to seven cords of dead and downed wood generated from hazard tree removal and wildland fuels reduction at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is available for general use. The wood will be given away to members of the public by lottery. Each lottery winner will be allowed one cord per household. This wood is intended to be used by members of the public for home heating.

The National Park Service (NPS) released a prospectus on September 3, 2024, soliciting proposals to award a ten (10) year concession contract to provide guided tours of historic buildings within the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark.

This August, researchers in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve will begin a multi-year study on emergency management in the McCarthy Road Corridor. Researchers will schedule interviews with some residents to learn about local communities and issues related to emergency management scenarios. The researchers are selecting interviewees based on their background, emergency management experience, and local knowledge.

Permits available for pick up in McCarthy on August 22 and in Chitina on August 24.

In the morning of July 25th, local observers noted that the level of Hidden Creek Lake has begun to fall. This is consistent with conditions that often precede the release of water into the Kennicott River. Residents and visitors in the area should use caution if or when high water results. These conditions can be dangerous for anyone that may be on the Kennicott River or downstream rivers and streams, such as the Chitina and Copper Rivers.

The National Park Service (NPS) is requesting public input on the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark (NHL) Management Strategy for NPS Managed Lands (strategic plan). The strategic plan provides a vision for management of NPS lands within the Kennecott Mines NHL over the next 15-20 years.