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FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Eastern Interior Field Office issued a decision approving a special recreation permit for Borealis Basecamp, LLC to provide trail and helicopter tours in the White Mountains National Recreation Area. The final permit addresses concerns identified by the public during scoping and includes features to reduce potential impacts to recreation, wildlife and other resources.  

“Public input was valuable to understanding impacts and making a decision that provides for a wide range of user experiences in the area,” said BLM Eastern Interior Field Office Manager Tim Hammond. 

 

Borealis Basecamp is a local resort company currently permitted to offer snowmachine and side-by-side tours in the White Mountains. The new permit authorizes continued use of the Wickersham Dome Trailhead and five miles of the Wickersham Creek Trail, where Borealis Basecamp has a warming tent. The permit has expanded to allow for one additional snowmachine tour per day from October 15 to April 10, with no more than 14 machines per trip and no more than 20 machines daily, except from March 1 to April 10, when only one trip with no more than 14 machines is authorized on weekends, holidays and during spring break.  

Under this permit, Borealis Basecamp will perform regular winter trail grooming of their route to reduce trail degradation. The permit does not authorize summer side-by-side use because it was not included in the applicant’s new proposal. Fall side-by-side use from August 21 to October 14 was kept at the same use level as the existing authorization to address concerns about trail degradation. 

The permit also authorizes Borealis Basecamp to provide up to three daily helicopter tours from September 16 to April 9, except for March 1 to April 9, when only one helicopter tour is authorized during the weekends, holidays, and spring break to reduce impacts during increased public recreation times. The proposed flight path and landing location were chosen to provide a scenic flight while minimizing wildlife and public disturbance. 

The BLM conducts oversight of permits through field compliance, inspections, and post-use reporting. Helicopter flight tracks will be used to ensure compliance with flight path requirements.  

The permit may be modified by the BLM at any time, including modifying or limiting the amount of use. In addition, the BLM may suspend or terminate the permit if necessary to protect public resources, health, safety, the environment, or because of non-compliance with permit stipulations. 

To inform decision-making, the BLM completed an environmental assessment using issues identified during a public scoping period from July 29 to August 28, 2024. The BLM received 266 comments addressing several topics of concern, such as helicopter noise, OHV pollution (air and noise), wildlife disturbance, trail maintenance, public health and safety, user conflict, and quietness related to Recreation Management Zones. As a result, the proposed activities were modified to reduce identified impacts. 

For more information, please contact Garrett Jones, Outdoor Recreation Planner, at gjones@blm.gov or (907) 474-2200. 

-BLM-