State Park rule changes could affect where people can do many things, including discharge guns

Changes to Alaska State Park regulations could mean that some activities would be permissible in larger areas, including discharging firearms and riding e-bikes.

The stated goal of many of the revisions is to provide statewide consistency in how rules are enforced for various activities.

Some of the proposed regulations have to do with newer technologies, like allowing motorized pedal-assist bikes in more areas.  Dan Beutel with Alaska State Parks says the idea is to get more people onto the trails who might not otherwise go.

“It should make it legal for people to ride e-bikes in state parks, subject to certain restrictions. And we think that’ll encourage a lot of people who maybe aren’t as comfortable on a bicycle or can’t pedal as well to get out on a bicycle and ride.”

Those e-bikers might have to share the trail more closely with hunters than normal, however.  According to the proposed regulations, hunters cannot discharge a firearm within a quarter-mile of a “developed facility” within parks.  That definition includes things like trailheads, campgrounds, and picnic areas, but does not include trails and public latrines. Current regulations don’t specifically define developed facilities. 

A quarter-mile is 440 yards.  While that is a significant distance, hunting publications often speak of the ability for a rifle to kill a moose at 500 or more yards.  Beutel says the responsibility is on individual hunters to practice safe shooting.

“Anyone shooting has an obligation, generally, to do so in a safe manner and to know what’s downrange of whatever they’re shooting, so this doesn’t change that or remove that.”

While the regulation changes are designed to make the rules more universal, there are exceptions.  For example, there is a quarter-mile buffer along the east side of the Parks Highway through Denali State Park and a half-mile buffer around Byers Lake trail.

The deadline for comments on the proposed regulations is 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 29th.