+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+
| National Park Service      | Alaska Regional  |   | 240 West Fifth    |
|                            | Office           |   | Avenue            |
| U.S. Department of the     |                  |   |                   |
| Interior                   | Use the complete |   | Anchorage, AK     |
|                            | site name here   |   | 99501             |
|                            | (e.g. Palo Alto  |   |                   |
|                            | Battlefield      |   | 907-644-3512      |
|                            | Historic Site).  |   |                   |
|                            |                  |   | 907-644-3513      |
|                            |                  |   |                   |
|                            |                  |   | 907-644-3816 fax  |
+----------------------------+------------------+---+-------------------+

![](media/image1.png){width="0.5597222222222222in"
height="0.7201388888888889in"}

**Alaska National Parks** News Release

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Use a "short-hand" version of the site name here (e.g. Palo Alto
  Battlefield not Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Site).

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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Public Information Office**

**October 17, 2005 Contacts: Jane Ahern, Public Information Officer**

**Chuck Young, Chief Ranger, GLBA 907-697-2230**

**Increased Visitor Opportunities in Glacier Bay**

**National Park and Preserve in 2006 and 2007**

Superintendent Tomie Lee announced that more visitors would be able to
experience Glacier Bay thanks to the utilization of larger ships in 2006
and an increase of 14 cruise ship entries in 2007. This will potentially
increase the numbers of passengers on ships by 23% over the course of
the next two years. "We look forward to having more guests enjoy the
incredible beauty of Glacier Bay," stated Lee. "This decision is based
on the best available science and on the outstanding work of the Glacier
Bay Science Advisory Board." Visitors to the park on cruise ships
numbered 341,356 in 2005, an increase of about 1 percent from 2004.

In October 2005, the Glacier Bay Science Advisory Board provided
Superintendent Lee with a review of completed studies, on-going research
and monitoring regarding the effects of vessel traffic on the
environment and visitor experience. The board worked over the past year
to conduct literature reviews, consult with peer scientists on selected
topics, and contributed their professional knowledge to analyze research
findings.

"I feel confident continuing to work with the board this coming year so
that we can have a sound focused framework for future research and
monitoring," stated Superintendent Lee. "Our guidance in cases where
there may be uncertainty of the impacts of certain activities on park
resources is to work to reduce that uncertainty by using a science-based
approach to decision making," she added.

In the coming year, the park will further define the decision criteria
and implement studies to establish the specific indicators and benchmark
levels by which these criteria will be evaluated. The board will review
historic datasets; collect new baseline data; evaluate other air, water,
and sound level standards; and investigate use of paired comparisons
with unaffected control sites. Park staff will use this data to begin an
adaptive management program. Adaptive management treats management
decisions as experiments to be implemented, monitored, evaluated, and
adjusted for continuous improvement.

A lengthy legal history surrounds the potential revision of cruise ship
numbers in Glacier Bay. The National Park Service was sued in 1997 by
the National Parks Conservation Association, which asserted that
allowing an increased number of ships based on a 1996 environmental
assessment and finding of no significant impact was improper. The
federal courts agreed and a new environmental impact statement was
conducted.

A final EIS was completed in October 2003, followed by a Record of
Decision (ROD). The ROD called for park managers to seek the assistance
of a Science Advisory Board and a research framework to assess whether
sufficient information exists to provide an informed decision as to
whether an increase in seasonal day use would impact physical,
biological and socio-cultural resource values of the park.

To comply with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, invitations to serve
on the board were sent only to recognized tribal, state or federal
government entities. However, the board could also solicit expert
opinions or advice from others to aid in the board's recommendations.
The board is comprised of state and federal employees from the National
Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Navy, Alaska Department of
Fish and Game, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation,
N.O.A.A. Fisheries, and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service.

"The effort the Science Advisory Board put forth in their work is
outstanding and essential to better understanding the resource
management concerns associated with increased cruise ship traffic,"
stated Superintendent Lee. The additional allocations of cruise ships in
2007 will be selected through an existing concessions contract process.

The Record of Decision from 2003 is available on the web at:

http://www.nps.gov/glba/InDepth/learn/preserve/issues/vessels/VQOR/rod.html

The Science Advisory Report will be made available to the public on the
park's website at [www.glba.nps.gov/glba](http://www.glba.nps.gov/glba)
in a few days.

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