Katmai Tourism in Katmai Country

¹Raymond F. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991. The availability of charter flights is shown in the following publications: Enos Bradner, "Anglers' Eldorado," Alaska Sportsman 18 (April 1952), 17; Frank Dufresne, "Too Many Mackinaws," Field and Stream 57 (May 1952), 40; "Alaska's Land of Steaming Volcanoes," Sunset 118 (April 1957), 32; Alaska Travel Publications, Exploring Katmai National Monument and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, 29.

²Alaska Travel Publications, Exploring Katmai National Monument and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, 39-41.

³Ray Loesche to Frank Norris, December 28, 1991; Ted Gerken (Iliaska Lodge) to Alaska Regional Director, NPS, May 8, 1986; Raymond F. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

⁴Ted Gerken, Gamble at Iliamna; the Story of What Happened When Two Alaskans Put Their Entire Life Savings in a Frontier Fly Fishing Lodge (Homer, Anchor Publishing, 1988) 120, 125, 131, 201; Ted Gerken to RD-ARO, May 8, 1986, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC; Bo Bennett [Manager, Kulik Lodge], interview by Frank Norris, April 17, 1991.

⁵Joseph Klutsch, interview by Frank Norris, January 16, 1992; CUL files, ARO-OC.

⁶Ray Loesche to Frank Norris, December 28, 1991; Ralph Stemp, interview by Frank Norris, February 4, 1992; Joe Klutsch, interview by Frank Norris, January 16, 1992.

⁷Rebecca Kaiser [Chief, ARO-OC], interview by Frank Norris, February 4, 1991. A typical 1979 letter is Robert L. Peterson [Acting Area Director, AAO] to Sourdough Outfitters [Bettles, Alaska], February 9, 1979.

⁸Acting Associate Solicitor, Conservation and Wildlife, NPS to Director, NPS, April 4, 1980; Acting Associate Solicitor, Conservation and Wildlife to RD, AAO, April 10, 1980; both in "Commercial Use License" file, ARO-OC.

⁹Memo from Acting Associate Solicitor, Conservation and Wildlife, NPS, May 2, 1980, in "Commercial Use License" file, ARO-OC.

¹⁰Director, NPS to All RDs/Manager DSC/Director AAO, January 9, 1981; Director NPS to All RDs and Manager DSC, June 7, 1983; "NPS, Alaska Region, Concession Management" (Information Sheet provided to current and prospective concessioners), July 20, 1989; all in "Commercial Use License" folder, ARO-OC. The fee for Commercial Use Licenses in Alaska was originally established at $50; before the 1987 season it was raised to $75, a figure still applicable through the 1991 season. In 1992, a sliding scale was adopted, which was based on the number of parks in which a licensee intended to operate. The CUL cost $75, plus $25 for each park. Rebecca L. Kaiser to Licensee, December 22, 1986, in CUL files, ARO-OC.

¹¹Rebecca Kaiser [Chief, ARO-OC], interview by Frank Norris, February 4, 1991; David Morris [former Supt. KATM], interview by Frank Norris, April 29, 1991. Oliver G. Taylor, the NPS Chief of Public Services, clarified the policy in 1950 to an individual who had hoped to establish a competing fish camp. Taylor stated that "The permit under which this concessioner is authorized to operate camps does not give it a preferential or exclusive right to provide this service. However, under the existing policy of the Department of the Interior, we would not permit the installation of similar camps in the same general areas assigned to the concessioner." Taylor to Bernard R. Martin, June 16, 1950, in "C38 - Concessions Contracts and Permits, KNM, 1949-1966," ARO-OC.

¹²Robert A. Peterson [Acting Area Director, AAO] to Arcticsport: Expeditions North, April 5, 1979, and John E. Cook to Edwin W. Seiler, Enchanted Lake Lodge, July 16, 1979; both in CUL file, ARO-OC. While Enchanted Lake Lodge was interested only in using Katmai lands, Arcticsport was also provided an authorization to operate in eight other Alaskan park units. Because no new permits or contracts were issued within Alaska's parks between December 1978 and December 1980, the only vehicle open to the NPS for registering the commercial use of its lands was the letter of authorization. These letters were issued on an interim basis to all companies that applied for them.

¹³CUL files for Arcticsport: Expeditions North and Alaska Campout Adventures, ARO-OC.

¹⁴CUL file for Sevy Guide Service, ARO-OC.

¹⁵CUL files, ARO-OC. Nonvianuk River, which is a branch of the Alagnak River, is often referred to as either the Alagnak River or the Branch River. American Creek is also called the American River.

¹⁶Rebecca Kaiser (Chief, ARO-OC), interview by Frank Norris, February 4, 1991.

¹⁷Some of the companies which first became CULs in 1981 or 1982 may have been active at Katmai for years beforehand. The Park Service, not wanting to alienate the guiding community, used gentle persuasion to get companies to become CULs. Predictably, some guiding companies joined immediately; others took five years or more.

¹⁸Fly-in trips did not take place before that time because of the proximity of nearby lodges.

¹⁹Because Katmailand did not begin providing statistics to the National Park Service until 1988, it is probable that Kulik River was far more popular in 1985 than statistics indicate. David K. Morris [KATM Supt.] to Raymond Petersen, Jr., April 25, 1986; David K. Morris to Raymond F. Petersen, May 9, 1986; both in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

²⁰[NPS], "Environmental Assessment, Management of Visitor Use at American Creek, KATM," n.d. [c. late 1985], 1, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

²¹"Environmental Assessment," 2; Katherine L. Jope, "Monitoring Resource Conditions Related to Commercial Use on American Creek, Progress Report, 1986," February 1987, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

²²"Application for Business License," n.d., in "Alaska's Enchanted Lake Lodge" CUL file, ARO-OC. Raymond F. Petersen, interview by Frank Norris, December 19, 1991.

²³Raymond F. Petersen to Roger Contor, [RD-ARO], May 2, 1986, in "Katmai Concessions Contract History" binders, ARO-OC; Ted Gerken to RD, ARO, May 8, 1986, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC; CUL files.

²⁴"Environmental Assessment," 2; David Manski, "Summary of Data Collected on Visitor Use Activities at American Creek, Summer 1985", 1.

²⁵NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1984," 1; "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

²⁶Rebecca L. Kaiser [Chief, ARO-OC], interview by Frank Norris, June 22, 1990; David Morris, interview by William Hanable, November 2, 1989, 7. Ted Gerken to David Morris, April 5, 1985; "Meeting of American Creek Guides - May 29, 1985;" both in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

²⁷The original appointee was Lyndi Denlinger; she was soon replaced by David Manski, a Natural Resource Specialist Trainee.

²⁸"Meeting of American Creek Guides," May 29, 1985, 3-4; David Manski, "Summary of Data Collected on Visitor Use Activities at American Creek, Summer 1985;" NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1985," 2.

²⁹Those responsible for choosing six permits as the permissible number were the resource management staff at Katmai. Dave Morris, Katmai superintendent, recognized that the number was arbitrary, though based on professional judgment. Therefore, he reserved the right to raise or lower that figure in future years, depending upon resource impacts. Rebecca L. Kaiser, interview by Frank Norris, June 22, 1990; David K. Morris to Mr. and Mrs. Ron Hayes, May 13, 1986; Ron Antaya and Colleen Matt, "American Creek Final Report 1986," 1, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

³⁰Loren Casebeer [Chief Ranger, KATM] to Acting Chief of Concessions, ARO, January 31, 1986, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

³¹Limited Concession Permit files for American Creek, ARO-OC; David K. Morris to Mike Cusack, June 4, 1986, in "Mike Cusack's King Salmon Lodge" Limited Commercial Permit file, ARO-OC; Katherine L. Jope, "Monitoring Resource Conditions Related to Commercial Use on American Creek, KATM, Progress Report, 1986," February 1987, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

³²Loren Casebeer [Chief Ranger, KATM] to Superintendent, KATM, April 2, 1986; Ron Antaya and Colleen Matt, "American Creek Final Report 1986," 5; both in "KATM American Creek" file, ARO-OC.

³³Limited Concession Permit files for American Creek, ARO-OC.

³⁴David Morris to Mr. and Mrs. Ron Hayes, May 13, 1986; Marcia D. Babcock [Attorney, Bogle and Gates] to Undersecretary Ann Dore McLaughlin, Dept. of the Interior, May 14, 1986; David K. Morris to Kenneth D. Owsichek [Lodge Owner], May 22, 1986; Ted Gerken to RD, ARO, May 8, 1986; Boyd Evison [RD-ARO] to Sen. Ted Stevens, October 9, 1986, all in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

³⁵David K. Morris to Raymond F. Petersen, April 25, 1986; Raymond F. Petersen to David K. Morris, April 30, 1986; Raymond F. Petersen to Roger Contor, May 2, 1986; David K. Morris to Raymond F. Petersen, 5/9/86; all in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

³⁶Because Katmailand's boat did not fall under the Limited Commercial Permit guidelines, it chose to use a 20-foot jet boat along American Creek. Katmailand justified the need for a larger boat because it conveyed fishermen from Grosvenor Camp across Lake Coville. Clients, however, were disturbed by the noise and large wake it created. Katmailand responded to the criticism by leaving a small boat (less than 16 feet long) near the river's mouth; it told the NPS that it would transfer its guests to that boat once the trip across Lake Coville had been completed. But the small boat has been largely neglected. The 20-foot boat continues to be used, and has been a lingering sore point over the last several years. Ron Antaya and Colleen Matt, "American Creek Final Report 1986," in "American River LCP" folder, ARO-OC; Janis Meldrum, telephone interview by Frank Norris, February 18, 1992.

³⁷Michael V. Finley [Acting RD, ARO] to Raymond F. Petersen, June 3, 1986; David K. Morris to Mike Cusack, June 4, 1986, in "Mike Cusack's King Salmon Lodge" Limited Commercial Permit file, ARO-OC; Kaiser interview, June 22, 1990; David Morris, interview by Frank Norris, April 29, 1991. Because Katmailand has a concessions contract with the NPS, guests at the concessions camps (i.e., Brooks and Grosvenor) can use the American Creek boats; guests at Kulik should not be able to do so. When Superintendent Bane began to enforce the regulation, Katmailand personnel skirted the regulation by listing Kulik guests as Grosvenor guests on the day in which they fished. Janis Meldrum, interview, February 18, 1992.

³⁸G. Ray Bane to Jack Hession [Alaska Representative, Sierra Club], November 5, 1987; Kaiser interview, June 22, 1990.

³⁹Rebecca L. Kaiser, "Comments on 1989 Staffing, American Creek Ranger," February 3, 1989, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

⁴⁰Ron Antaya and Colleen Matt, "American Creek Final Report 1986," 1.

⁴¹Antaya and Matt, "American Creek Final Report 1986," 1; Jope, "Monitoring Resource Conditions Related to Commercial Use on American Creek," February 1987; Limited Concession Permit files, American Creek, ARO-OC. As noted in footnote 36 of this chapter, Katmailand's use of a boat intended for Kulik Lodge guests is not permitted under the terms of its concessions contract.

⁴²Antaya and Matt, "American Creek Final Report, 1986;" Compilation of statistics from CUL folders, ARO-OC.

⁴³Leigh Selig, "1987 American Creek Report," in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

⁴⁴Limited Concessions Permit files, American Creek, ARO-OC; Rosalie Chilcoat and David Ames [American Creek Rating Panel] to Supt. KATM, May 27, 1988, in "PR #KATM88AC" file, ARO-OC.

⁴⁵Chilcoat and Ames to Supt. KATM, May 27, 1988; Stephen Hurd to Dick Matthews, May 27, 1988.

⁴⁶Dave Nemeth, interview by Frank Norris, March 28, 1991.

⁴⁷Rebecca L. Kaiser, "Comments on Katmai 1989 Staffing, American Creek Ranger," February 3, 1989; G. Ray Bane to Deputy RD, ARO and ARD [Administration], ARO, January 30, 1989, in "KATM General Correspondence, 1989- " file, ARO-OC; Kaiser interview, June 22, 1990.

⁴⁸Limited Concession Permit files, American Creek, ARO-OC.

⁴⁹All six received satisfactory ratings during the summer of 1990. Nemeth interview, March 28, 1991.

⁵⁰Concessions Management Specialist, KATM to File, June 8, 1989, in "KATM General Correspondence 1989- " file, ARO-OC; "Notes to June 2, 1987 Guides Meeting," in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

⁵¹NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1984," 4. Kashvik Bay, at the southeastern end of the park, may have been erroneously placed in the report instead of Kamishak Bay, at the mouth of the Kamishak River.

⁵²[Notes, Meeting Between Guides and the NPS, Brooks Camp], August 30, 1984, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

⁵³David K. Morris to Richard Mathews [sic], April 2, 1985; David Morris, interview by William Hanable, November 2, 1989.

⁵⁴"Meeting of American Creek Guides, May 29, 1985," in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

⁵⁵Activity Summary statistics, located in the CUL files [ARO-OC] suggest that between 1984 and 1989, the following increases took place: Big River, from 66 to 230 (248%), Brooks River, from 854 to 1871 (119%), and Kulik River, from 48 to 900 (1775%). In reality, the increases were not as dramatic as the statistics show because Katmailand, the park's major concessionaire, did not provide CUL data until 1988.

⁵⁶"Meeting of American Creek Guides, May 29, 1985."

⁵⁷Bane also recommended that sport fishing be prohibited along the lower Brooks River during July. His recommendation, not yet been acted upon, is being considered as part of the Brooks Camp DCP. Morris interview, November 2, 1989, 13; G. Ray Bane, interview by Frank Norris, February 7, 1991; Nemeth interview, March 28, 1991.

⁵⁸Compilation of activity summary statistics, ARO-OC; [Notes, Meeting Between Guides and the NPS, Brooks Camp], August 30, 1984, in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC; David Morris, interview by William Hanable, November 2, 1989, 14-15; David Morris, interview by Frank Norris, April 29, 1991.

⁵⁹NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1984," 9; Ibid., 1985, 6.

⁶⁰NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1986," 5; Ibid., 1987-88, 3.

⁶¹Problems include fish and game violations, and at least one example of an illegally stored boat. To monitor such violations, rangers were stationed along the Big and Kamishak rivers in August of 1988 and 1989. Bane interview, February 7, 1991; "Notes to June 2, 1987 Guides Meeting," in "PR #KATM88AC" file, ARO-OC; review notes by Janis Meldrum, February 2, 1992.

⁶²"Meeting of American Creek Guides - May 29, 1985," in "KATM American River" file, ARO-OC.

⁶³David K. Morris to Richard Mathews [sic], April 2, 1985; David Morris, interview by Frank Norris, April 29, 1991.

⁶⁴Compilation of statistics from CUL files, in ARO-OC.

⁶⁵NPS, "Superintendent's Annual Report, KATM, 1987-88," 3; Bane interview, February 7, 1991.

⁶⁶Williss, "Do Things Right the First Time", 217-18, 224.

⁶⁷Williss, "Do Things Right the First Time", 240; NPS, The National Parks: Index 1989, 18.

⁶⁸M. Edward King to Don Hodel, December 23, 1987, in "King Flying Service" CUL file, ARO-OC.

⁶⁹Ray Loesche to Frank Norris, December 28, 1991.

⁷⁰Advertisement, Alaska Magazine, March 1971, 64.

⁷¹See the following Alaska Magazine ads: January 1973, 67; February 1974, 57; March 1975, 60; January 1977, 56; June 1977, 71.

⁷²Alaska Travel Publications, Exploring Katmai National Monument and the Valley of the Ten Thousand Smokes, 41; Kaiser interview, June 22, 1990; "Far North Guide and Outfitters" and "Rainbow River" CUL files, ARO-OC.

⁷³Joe Klutsch, interview by Frank Norris, January 16, 1992; "Wildlife" section in RG 79, Accession 83D, Box 13 (KATM/ANIA Keyman Data), FRC/Anchorage.

⁷⁴Rebecca L. Kaiser to Chris F. Goll, December 30, 1988; "Briefing Statement, Hunting Guides, October 1988;" both in Alaska Commercial Hunting Guides, Briefing Statements, ARO-NPS, October 27, 1988, in ARO-OC. The Guide Licensing and Control Board was part of the Division of Occupational Licensing which, in turn, was part of the Department of Commerce and Economic Development.

⁷⁵"Far North Guide and Outfitters" CUL File, ARO-OC.

⁷⁶"King Flying Service" CUL and Commercial Permit files, ARO-OC.

⁷⁷"Katmai Guide Service" and "Rainbow River Lodge" CUL and Commercial Permit files, ARO-OC. A fifth company which advertised hunting for its guests was Alaska's Battle River Wilderness Retreat, which opened in 1988. This company, which operated at Battle Lake Camp under an arrangement with Katmailand, offered moose and caribou hunting for its patrons. Neither of its managers, however, were licensed guides; therefore, they offered "fully outfitted hunts for those sportsmen who choose to be their own guide." "Alaska's Battle River Wilderness Retreat" [brochure], 1988.

⁷⁸"Briefing Statement, Hunting Guides, October 1988," in Alaska Commercial Hunting Guides, Briefing Statements, ARO-NPS, October 27, 1989, in ARO-OC.

⁷⁹Acting RD, ARO to Director, NPS, November 14, 1988; Acting Director, NPS to RD, ARO, December 15, 1988; Rebecca L. Kaiser to Chris F. Goll, December 30, 1988; all in Alaska Commercial Hunting Guides, Briefing Statements, ARO-NPS, October 27, 1989; Rebecca L. Kaiser, interview by Frank Norris, April 1, 1991.

⁸⁰Rebecca L. Kaiser to Chris Goll, December 30, 1988; Rebecca L. Kaiser to King Flying Service, February 7, 1989; both in Alaska Commercial Hunting Guides, Briefing Statements, ARO-NPS, October 27, 1989.

⁸¹Rebecca L. Kaiser to Chris Goll, December 30, 1988; Rebecca L. Kaiser to King Flying Service, February 7, 1989; "Rainbow River Lodge" CUL file, ARO-OC.

⁸²Ironically, one of the guides who tried to obtain such a permit was Kenneth Owsichek, who was responsible for the unravelling of the state-regulated system of guide areas. Rebecca L. Kaiser to Ken Owsichek, June 21, 1990, in "Fishing Unlimited" CUL file, ARO-OC.

⁸³"Rainbow River Lodge" and "King Flying Service" CUL and Commercial Permit files.