National Park Service plans to restrict access to Alaska's Denali National Park

AOPA is opposing government plans to restrict general aviation access to Alaska's Denali National Park and is calling on pilots to do the same. The deadline for submitting comments is May 31, 2003.

"How can the National Park Service do something so outrageous?" commented Andy Cebula, senior vice president of government and technical affairs. "There is a definite need to preserve aircraft landing access to the part of the park known as the "Old Park," as well as Wonder Lake."

The National Park Service has drafted a new plan for managing park resources. Under most of the alternatives put forward, including the one preferred by the Park Service, GA aircraft would be banned from landing, except in an emergency, in the one-and-a-half million acre area that makes up the Old Park.

AOPA is urging pilots to file comments on the plan. Comments may be e-mailed to [email protected], or sent by regular mail to: Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755.

02-3-146x