Eagle Preserve advisory council meets May 13 on user conflicts

The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Council will meet May 13 at 10 a.m. to address user conflicts and recreational opportunities at the 43,921-acre preserve near Haines.

The council has not met since November 2022, marking a three-year gap in oversight of the preserve. State statute requires the council to meet at least quarterly, and lawmakers considered eliminating it in 2024 before public testimony helped save it. The preserve hosts thousands of eagles during fall salmon runs.

The 12-member council recommends to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation on planning and management of the preserve. Members include representatives from the Chilkoot Indian Association, Chilkat Indian Village, Klukwan Inc., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, business and industry, conservation organizations, and local government, along with the Haines mayor's office, assembly board, and Upper Lynn Canal fish and game advisory committee.

The meeting agenda includes a lease application, a 24-mile boat launch project involving the Department of Fish and Game, and a 25-mile Brownsfield Grant involving the Department of Environmental Conservation.

The meeting is open to the public via Microsoft Teams or by phone at 907-202-7104, conference ID 475 169 024. The meeting will also be held in person at the Haines Borough Assembly Chambers.

For the agenda or questions, contact Brad Garasky, Southeast Region Park Superintendent, at 907-465-2483 or [email protected]. The preserve was established in 1982 to protect bald eagle habitat while allowing subsistence and recreational uses including hunting, fishing, and trapping.