2014 Wilderness Best Management Practices 

for Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness

(Including all of Holkham Bay, Tracy Arm, Endicott Arm, and Fords Terror)

Agreements Regarding Vessel Operators

This program is a cooperative effort between vessel operators and the Tongass National Forest. 

Initiated in 2008, Wilderness Best Management Practices are intended to minimize the impacts 

of tourism and vessel operations in the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness (which includes 

Endicott Arm) in a manner that addresses both concerns for our natural resources and operators’ 

concerns for safety and passenger service. By actively participating in this voluntary program, 

operators demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable use of wilderness resources. 

The following agreements will advance wilderness values but are not intended to compromise vessel safety. 

PRESERVING QUIET: All operators recognize the importance of quiet and solitude and will minimize vessel 

announcements and signals while in the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. While interpretation of wilderness 

values and marine ecology for passengers is important, operators agree to limit their outside announcements to 

preserve wilderness values of others in the vicinity (see Exhibit A). Operators agree to avoid announcements prior 

to 8:00am whenever possible, to limit the duration of announcements to about 5 minutes, to limit the number of 

announcements, and to lower the volume of announcements on outside decks to the minimum required for 

communication and safety. Operators agree to follow the Forest Service’s recommended locations for these 

interpretive announcements (see Exhibit B map). The Forest Service will also attempt to provide alternative methods 

of interpretation such as brochures, maps, and podcasts. Certain signals and announcements are necessary and 

required by the US Coast Guard for navigational and safety reasons.

MAINTAINING CLEAN AIR: All vessel operators agree to comply with the Marine Vessel Visible Emissions 

Standards (18 AAC 50-.070) and take all available and reasonable steps to minimize visible stack emissions while in 

Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. Recognizing that the unusually cold, still air of these glacial fjords can trap 

persistent haze, operators agree to take proactive steps to manage visible emissions, such as seeking engineered 

solutions and improvements to emissions monitoring. Visible stack emissions are regulated by the Alaska 

Department of Environmental Conservation and monitored by the US Forest Service in cooperation with Alaska 

Department of Environmental Conservation. Forest Service rangers will provide timely feedback to vessel operators 

resulting from their observations. 

PROTECTING WILDLIFE: All operators agree to conduct their business in a manner which, whenever possible, 

avoids changing the natural behavior of wildlife in their vicinity including bears, whales, and nesting birds such as 

terns and oystercatchers.

All operators agree to follow the Humpback Whale Approach Regulation and familiarize their crews with the 

NOAA Code of Conduct for viewing marine mammals. Both documents are described on the NOAA website: 

http://www.fakr.noaa.gov/protectedresources/mmv/guide.htm. 

Harbor seals, sea lions and whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits causing 

injury or disturbance or disrupting behavioral patterns (i.e., breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering). 

All operators agree to remain a minimum of 100 yards away from seals on icebergs whenever possible. 

All vessel operators, including those operating auxiliary boats and kayaks, agree to reduce speed when approaching 

hauled out seals, and to gradually increase speed when leaving the site in order to minimize wake. Sudden changes 
2014 WILDERNESS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES pg 2

in speed are more likely to startle seals and wakes can rock or tip icebergs, causing seals to slip off, separating 

mother-pup pairs. 

PRESERVING SOLITUDE: All operators recognize the importance of an authentic Alaskan experience of 

wilderness and agree to help preserve solitude through the following measures:

SCHEDULES: Operators of vessels with more than 250 passengers agree to avoid scheduling visits to 

Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness in a way that, due to vessel traffic, necessitates use of Endicott Arm. 

Each season, a small number of cruise ships may schedule visits to Endicott Arm due to unavoidable 

scheduling conflicts in Tracy Arm. Dates will be provided in the spring. 

ENDICOTT ARM: While vessels with more than 250 passengers agree to avoid scheduling operations in 

Endicott Arm, it is recognized that some visits to Endicott Arm may occur when ice, tidal conditions, 

vessel traffic, fog, or other vessel and passenger safety concerns limit operations elsewhere. In the event 

that vessels with more than 250 passengers transit Endicott Arm, operators will do their utmost to minimize 

the impact of wakes on paddlers, smaller boats, and wildlife, including bears, nesting birds, and hauled-out 

seals.

FORDS TERROR: Vessels with more than 250 passengers agree not to enter Fords Terror, including the 

portion that opens from the north shore of Endicott Arm. All operators of motorized vessels agree to 

minimize their speed and wake around paddlers and to avoid them whenever possible, maintaining a safe 

and respectful distance. Paddlers acknowledge that use of the marine radio to announce their presence will 

assist motorized vessel operators in achieving these goals.

COMMUNICATION: All operators acknowledge the importance of communication to the success of this 

agreement and pledge the following commitments: 

to engage over the course of the winter, in annual discussions about previous summer’s implementation of 

the agreement and possible changes for the upcoming summer.

to use the marine radio to share information which is imperative to navigation such as vessel traffic and ice 

flows. Operators agree to keep such communications short and to avoid unnecessary conversations. 

to use the Forest Service sponsored blog to share schedule changes, ice conditions, provide feedback, or 

other information and concerns about Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. 

http://wildernessbmp.pbworks.com/w/page/14933240/FrontPage

Operators of vessels with over 250 passengers agree to use the blog to keep other operators informed of any 

schedule changes , which may involve diverting from Tracy Arm to Endicott Arm, cancelling calls 

altogether, or making significant timing changes, and will do so in a manner that provides as much notice 

as possible. 

to recognize the role of the Forest Service in sharing information and observations about the Wilderness 

Best Management Practices implementation in the field.

KEEPING IT ALIVE: All vessel operators agree to include these guidelines in annual training and respective 

policies and procedures documentation. Operators will provide feedback about compliance with the above

guidelines to other operators and the appropriate agency. 

Send emails to:

kehood@fs.fed.us

sjensen@fs.fed.us
2014 WILDERNESS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES pg 3

EXHIBIT A

RECOMMENDED AREAS FOR INTERPRETIVE ANNOUNCEMENTS 

The following is a summary of locations where outside announcements would affect the fewest visitors: (see map)

1) Stephens Passage before entering Holkham Bay would be a good place to introduce Tracy Arm. Since the 

waterway is wide, announcements would not impact campers, kayakers, fishermen on shore, beach-walkers, 

hunters and other users of the wilderness area. 

2) There is an approximate five-mile stretch beginning one mile east of the Tracy Arm elbow and ending one 

mile west of the first large U-shaped valley on the north shore. This would be a good area for short (5 minute) 

interpretive announcements to be made to guests (between N57.922776/W133.563637 and 

N57.915954/W133.452213).

3) There is another approximate four-mile stretch within the Tracy Arm S turns. It begins one mile north of the 

third U-shaped valley on the south shore, approximately eleven miles east of the elbow. It ends 1.5 miles west 

of Sawyer Island. This would be a good area for short interpretive announcements to be made to guests

(between N57.887659/W133.307565 and N57.884008/W133.213526). 

4) At the end of Tracy Arm, a few miles from South Sawyer Glacier is another area where there is an opportunity 

to present a short (5 minute) interpretive announcement (between N57.860754/W133.131673 and the face of 

the S. Sawyer Glacier). It would be preferable to leave a “quiet zone” within a few miles of Sawyer Island, to 

ensure a more peaceful environment for those people who may be camping on the island. 

5) P.A. announcements are more likely to disturb visitors and wildlife in Endicott Arm due to the greater amount 

of islands, bays and anchorages. The recommended location for announcements in Endicott Arm is between 

one mile southeast of the entrance to Fords Terror and one mile northwest of the entrance to North Dawes Inlet 

(between N57.585560/W133.163017 and N57.515926/W133.053845)

Recommended language for PA announcement in Stephens Passage or just prior to entering 

Tracy/Endicott Arm, and/or for printing in ship’s daily program onboard which explains the 

intentions of this joint effort between all vessel operators and the USFS:

We’re about to enter one of the most pristine Alaskan environments that we’ll see on our voyage. Tracy Arm is a 

thirty-mile glacial fiord that reaches deep into the Coast Mountains and deep into our glacial past. With old-growth 

temperate rain forest here at its beginning and active tidewater glaciers at its upper reaches, our visit to Tracy Arm is 

a trip in time back to the Pleistocene ice age.

Tracy Arm is a special place. Recognizing its extraordinary biological, scenic, and recreational values, Congress 

protected the surrounding land as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The designation provides 

permanent protection for this part of the Tongass National Forest, ensuring that it remains a place of wild nature. 

It’s a land for wildlife, timeless forests, and the enjoyment of the American public. 

To help preserve Tracy Arm’s wild character, tour companies and the Tongass National Forest created a set of 

guidelines for visiting the area. Our cruise company helped develop the guidelines and proudly supports their goals, 

which include special considerations for wildlife, air quality, and other natural systems. In accordance with the 

agreement, we will limit our outside announcements within the fiord, helping preserve a quiet environment both for 

wildlife and for other visitors. During the next few hours, our naturalists will make a few announcements about the 

area, but otherwise we invite you to sit back and enjoy this spectacular part of our rich national heritage.