Katmai Tourism in Katmai Country

¹NPS, "Wien Air Alaska, Inc., KATM, Contract No. CC-9100-1-0001," September 25, 1981, 2; Raymond I. Petersen to Dave Morris, October 27, 1982; both in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC.

²Pan Abode Cedar Homes, "Tuckerville" construction drawings, KATM, November 1982, ARO-ODM; Chief, ARO-RCR to Supt. KATM, November 10, 1982 [re: Clearance No. 002-82-KATM], in "KATM - New Employee Housing" file, at KATM.

³Palakia Melgenak, a Native from the Bristol Bay area, filed a claim which included both sides of the Brooks River near its mouth and all of the Brooks Camp development near Naknek Lake. Ms. Melgenak claimed occupancy since 1877. She filed the claim in 1972, but the concessioner was not apprised of the progress of the claim until 1983. Thereafter, the NPS held an extensive investigation in an attempt to ascertain the validity of the claim. Raymond F. Petersen to Roger Contor, May 2, 1986; Michael V. Finley [Acting RD, ARO] to Raymond F. Petersen, June 3, 1986; both in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC; BLM, "Historical Index for T19S, R39W, Seward Meridian," in BLM State Office, Anchorage.

⁴David K. Morris [Supt. KATM] to Ray Petersen [Sr. and Jr.], February 21, 1984; NPS, Drawing No. 127-80,504, March 1984 and Drawing No. 127-80,505, October 25, 1983, both in ARO-ODM; NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1984," 2, 3; Ibid., 1985, 2; Raymond I. Petersen, Testimony in Palakia Melgenak Transcripts, II/126; Petersen interview, April 17, 1991.

⁵David K. Morris to Raymond F. Petersen, June 17, 1983; David K. Morris to Ray Petersen (Sr. and Jr.), February 21, 1984; both in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC; NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1984," 2, 3; Ibid., 1985, 2.

⁶NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1985," 2; Ibid., 1986, 1; Robert E. Wemple [Civil Engineer, ARO-ODM], interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1990; NPS, General Management Plan, Wilderness Suitability Review, and Land Protection Plan, KATM, October 1986, 43.

⁷NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1983," 1, 12; Robert E. Wemple interview, December 19, 1990; NPS, Drawing 127/80,522, ARO-ODM; David Nemeth, review notes to Frank Norris, January 5, 1992.

⁸Dave Morris [former Supt. KATM], interview by William Hanable, November 2, 1989, 18; NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1983," 9.

⁹David K. Morris to Raymond Petersen (Sr. and Jr.), February 21, 1984.

¹⁰The bus carried 28 paying passengers plus the driver. NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1986," 1; Ibid., 1987, 9; Loren Casebeer [Chief Ranger, KATM] to Supt. DENA, November 21, 1986, in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC.

¹¹NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1985," 3.

¹²NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1986," 2; Ibid., 1987, 9; Janis Meldrum, review comments to Frank Norris, January 15, 1992. Raymond F. Petersen to Dave Morris, March 18, 1987; David K. Morris [Supt. KATM] to files, March 27, 1987; Loren Casebeer [Chief Ranger, KATM] to RD, ARO, June 8, 1987; Jim Pepper to Ray Petersen (Sr. and Jr.), August 15, 1987; all in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC.

¹³Raymond F. Petersen to Roger Contor, May 2, 1986; NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1986," 4. NPS staff may have encouraged Petersen to complain about the matter to a wide range of officials both in and out of the Service, in hopes that funding for the bus tours might be restored.

¹⁴David K. Morris [Supt. KATM] to files, March 27, 1987; G. Ray Bane [Supt. KATM] to Raymond F. Petersen, November 23, 1987; Dave Nemeth [Concessions Management Officer], interview by Frank Norris, March 29, 1991.

¹⁵Raymond F. Petersen to John E. Cook, October 25, 1982, in Kulik Airport Lease file.

¹⁶Ronald H. Bussey [Attorney for Burr, Pease & Kurtz] to Joe Alston [NPS], November 12, 1982, in Kulik Airport Lease file, ARO-OL. The Petersens apparently felt that eliminating the lease clause would have implied that KatmaiLand was willing to allow public use of the airstrip. Sonny Peterson, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

¹⁷Lee Svoboda [pilot for U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Aircraft Services, Anchorage], interview by Frank Norris, March 29, 1991.

¹⁸Petersen remembers the situation differently. He remembers that Riehle, who was arranging the logistics for his field crew, asked him if he could use the Argosy as a base for the delivery of fuel. Because of the Argosy's weight, which was likely to gouge divots in the runway's surface, Petersen urged him to use a Skyvan or another lighter plane; he does not remember telling Riehle he could not use the strip. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

¹⁹Loren B. Casebeer [Chief Ranger, KATM] to Supt. KATM, April 22, 1986; Supt. KATM to Files, March 27, 1987; both in "Katmai Concession Contract History" binder, ARO-OC.

²⁰John A. Davis to David Morris, September 16, 1986; Jim Pepper to Raymond Petersen (Sr. and Jr.), August 15, 1987; both in "Katmai Concession Contract History" binder, ARO-OC; David K. Morris, interview by Frank Norris, April 29, 1991.

²¹Geoffrey L. Haskett [Acting Chief, ARO-OL] to File, July 29, 1987; Haskett to Supt. KATM, August 25, 1987; Jim Pepper to Raymond Petersen (Sr. and Jr.), August 15, 1987.

²²G. Ray Bane to Chief, ARO-OL, November 9, 1987; KATM, "Superintendent's Annual Report for 1987," 8.

²³Supt. KATM to Files, March 27, 1987; Airport Master Record, July 28, 1988, in Airports Division files, FAA Anchorage; U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Ocean Service, Supplement, Alaska, November 16, 1989.

²⁴Jim Pepper to Raymond Petersen (Sr. and Jr.), August 15, 1987.

²⁵P. Dennis Maloney [Attorney for Maloney & Haggart] to C.J. Zane [Administrative Assistant, Office of Rep. Don Young], June 15, 1988, in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL.

²⁶P. Dennis Maloney to C.J. Zane, June 15, 1988; Memorandum of Telephone Call, Catherine Sheppard to Ray Bane, June 30, 1988, in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL.

²⁷Ray Bane, review comments to Frank Norris, January 15, 1992; David Funk, interview by Frank Norris, February 12, 1992.

²⁸"Memorandum of Telephone Call," Catherine Sheppard to Ray Bane, June 30, 1988; Ray Bane to Raymond F. Petersen, September 2, 1988; Garey Coatney, Minutes of August 10, 1989 meeting; all in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL.

²⁹"Notes of Telephone Conversation," Rebecca Hallgarth to Ray Bane, 8/30/89; "Notes of Meeting, 11/15/89;" both in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL. According to Ray Petersen (interview of December 19, 1991), the NPS was far more willing than the concessioner to enter into a cooperative agreement on maintaining the airstrip. At any rate, such an agreement was never signed.

³⁰"Notes of Telephone Conversation," Rebecca Hallgarth to Ray Bane, August 30, 1989; "Notes of Telephone Conversation," Ray Bane to Rebecca Hallgarth, September 25, 1989, both in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL.

³¹"Notes of Meeting," 11/15/89; Garey E. Coatney [Chief, ARO-OL] to P. Dennis Maloney [Attorney, Maloney & Haggart], February 1, 1990; both in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL; Raymond F. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

³²Janis Meldrum, interview by Frank Norris, April 9, 1991; Raymond F. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

³³Garey E. Coatney to P. Dennis Maloney, 2/1/90, in Petersen Land Exchange file, ARO-OL; Janis Meldrum [former KATM RMS], interview by Frank Norris, April 9, 1991.

³⁴G. Ray Bane [former Supt. KATM], interview by Frank Norris, February 7, 1991.

³⁵Wien's Concessioners Annual Financial Report to the NPS for 1970 through 1974 indicates that the camp opened during the second week of May, several weeks earlier than usual. It does not appear, however, that the earlier opening brought many new visitors.

³⁶John E. Cook [RD, ARO] to Ralph Stemp [VP, Industrial Marketing, WAA], May 29, 1981, in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC; Ogden Williams, "Katmai and its Future," National Parks and Conservation 52 (March 1978), 5.

³⁷NPS, General Management Plan, Wilderness Suitability Review, and Land Protection Plan, KATM, October 1986, iv-vi, 127.

³⁸Ibid., iii, v, vi, 32, 43.

³⁹NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1984," 6.

⁴⁰Ray Bane, interview by Frank Norris, June 13, 1991.

⁴¹David K. Morris to Raymond F. Petersen, April 3, 1985; David Manski [Acting RMS, KATM] to Supt. KATM/ANIA, December 24, 1987; G. Ray Bane to Raymond F. Petersen, December 30, 1987; G. Ray Bane to RD, ARO, January 19, 1989; Ray Bane, interview by Frank Norris, June 13, 1991.

⁴²Raymond I. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, August 9, 1990; NPS, General Management Plan, Wilderness Suitability Review, and Land Protection Plan, KATM, October 1986, 119. One of the first advertisements for a fly-in vacation to a destination anywhere within the state appeared in the January 1971 issue of Alaska Magazine [p. 68].

⁴³Compilation of statistics from CUL folders, ARO-OC.

⁴⁴G. Ray Bane [Supt. KATM] to Raymond F. Petersen, October 9, 1987; Sonny Petersen to Ray Bane, October 30, 1987.

⁴⁵In 1988, the first year in which the tour package was offered, a side-trip was offered to Naknek as well as Brooks Camp. The Katmai trip proved more successful, however, so the Naknek excursion was eliminated after the 1988 season. Janis Meldrum [former RMS, KATM], interview by Frank Norris, December 20, 1990.

⁴⁶Raymond F. Petersen to Ray Bane, October 30, 1987; Petersen to Bane, October 31, 1988; Janis Meldrum interview, December 20, 1990.

⁴⁷Petersen interview, April 17, 1991; Meldrum interview, April 9, 1991.

⁴⁸According to CUL statistics, Peninsula Air made 190 trips into the park in 1988, almost all of which were to Brooks Camp. In 1989 and 1990, however, the company flew few if any clients into the park. Mark Air, a second competitor to Katmai Air, began serving Brooks Camp in 1988. It carried only a few passengers its first year, but by 1991, its King Salmon-Brooks Camp flights hauled approximately half of the Katmai visitors who were not staying in one of the Katmailand lodges. "Peninsula Air" CUL file, ARO-OC; Raymond F. Petersen to Ray Bane, October 31, 1988; Raymond F. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

⁴⁹Raymond F. Petersen to Ray Bane, October 30, 1987; Meldrum interview, December 20, 1990; Nemeth interview, March 28, 1991.

⁵⁰Gil Blinn, interview by William Hanable, August 26, 1988, 23-24.

⁵¹[NPS], "Katmai National Park and Preserve, Resources Management Plan," April 15, 1982, 68-69.

⁵²David K. Morris to Richard Mathews [sic], April 2, 1985, in American Creek Permit file, ARO-OC.

⁵³"Commercial Use License Superintendent's Directions, Aircraft Operations in the Vicinity of Brooks Camp, KATM" [pilot's map], May 12, 1990; Ray Bane, interview by Frank Norris, February 7, 1991; NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1987-88 Fiscal Year," 2, 8.

⁵⁴David K. Morris, interview by William Hanable, November 2, 1989, 11; NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1987," 10; Ray Bane, interview by Frank Norris, February 7, 1991.

⁵⁵[NPS], Katmai National Park and Preserve, Brooks River Area Development Concept Plan, Alternatives Workbook, Summer 1991, 19, 29, 39, 51.