Chapter 16.12
DEWEY LAKES RECREATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Sections:
16.12.010 Statement of intent and goals.
16.12.020 Description of area.
16.12.030 Allowed/prohibited uses.
16.12.010 Statement of intent and goals.
A. The Municipality of Skagway recognizes that the Dewey Lakes Recreation Area is an area of local, State and regional significance. An area of historic importance and scenic beauty, the Dewey Lakes is valued highly by Skagway residents and visitors for its recreational and scenic values and for the opportunity it provides for nature and wilderness experiences. Public testimony and responses to opinion surveys from the Comprehensive Plan and the Comprehensive Trails Plan consistently indicate overwhelming support for continued public ownership of the area by the Municipality of Skagway and for the protection of its significant natural, scenic and recreational uses and values. It is the Municipality of Skagway’s intent to preserve the historic and traditional uses and intrinsic values of the Dewey Lakes Recreational Area and to be a responsible steward of its resources in perpetuity.
B. The municipality believes that Skagway residents’ traditional uses of the Dewey Lakes Recreational Area for recreation, quiet and solitude is an extremely important local "public use" that should receive full consideration along with State and regional interests in decisions regarding ownership and management of the area.
C. It is the municipality’s goal to preserve the Dewey Lakes Recreational Area, to maintain its public ownership and to preserve the traditional and historic recreational uses of the area. To this end, the Municipality of Skagway shall implement this Land Management Plan, in cooperation with the State of Alaska, other adjoining property owners and the public.
(Ord. 12-03, Amended, 03/01/2013; Ord. 04-18, Added, 10/07/2004)
16.12.020 Description of the area.
All municipal property east of the railroad right of way within Township 28SR59E and Township 28SR60E and Township 27SR60E, Copper River Meridian, except those lands designated Industrial in the 1999 Skagway Comprehensive Plan.
(Ord. 12-03, Amended, 03/01/2012; Ord. 04-18, Added, 10/07/2004)
16.12.030 Allowed/prohibited uses.
In order to protect the scenic, ecological and archaeological resources of the Dewey Lakes Recreation Area, the following allowed and prohibited uses are adopted.
A. Allowed Recreational Uses (non-commercial)
1. Walking, skiing, bicycling, horseback riding.
2. Off-leash dog walking.
3. Fishing, hunting & trapping (in compliance with State/Federal Regulations).
4. Plant gathering.
5. Use of off-road all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on designated areas.
6. Campfires in provided campfire rings.
7. Other traditional uses.
B. Allowed Recreational Uses with Permit:
1. Camping under Municipal Code Section 9.02.050.
2. Rental of Upper Lake Cabins.
3. Research and inventory related to historic and biological resources.
4. Uses of the Dewey Lakes Recreational Area for low impact special events, particularly those that benefit non-profit groups.
C. Allowed Utility Uses:
1. Watershed and municipal facilities for emergency services water supply.
2. Watershed and facilities for hydroelectric power generation.
3. Access for the above uses.
D. Prohibited Uses:
1. Commercial activities including tours, rentals, retail sales or any other uses where compensation is made or offered.
2. Use of motor vehicles in undesignated areas.
3. Camping without a municipal permit.
4. Campfires outside of designated areas without a municipal permit.
5. Subdivision and/or sale of public lands.
6. Residential, industrial and commercial structures and other intensive developments.
(Ord. 12-03, Amended, 03/01/2012; Ord. 04-18, Added, 10/07/2004)
16.12.040 Permits and fees.
A. Permits – The borough manager may establish a system for the permitting of uses requiring such permits as identified in Subsection 16.12.030(B)1-4.
B. Fees – The borough assembly may establish by resolution a schedule of fees when and if such fees are determined necessary.
(Ord. 12-03, Amended, 03/01/2012; Ord. 04-18, Added, 10/07/2004)
16.12.050 Penalties.
Any violation of this code is a non-criminal infraction, punishable by a civil penalty up to three hundred dollars ($300) per violation. Each act or violation and every day upon which a violation occurs or continues constitutes a separate offense.
(Ord. 04-18, Added, 10/07/2004)