Advisory board to draft concise tourism 'best practices' for Daee Flats, citing noise, access and cultural protections

The Daee Community Advisory Board on Feb. 12 agreed to produce a short, bullet-style recommendation for a tourism best management practices document covering the Daee Flats, saying the guidance should prioritize quiet, safety, environmental sensitivity and respect for traditional use.

The board’s move followed an extended public comment from Jerry Quarrington, who asked the board to add language about noise, water access and protections for estuaries and intertidal areas. “We have a responsibility as relative newcomers to this area to be respectful to the land,” Quarrington said during the public-comment portion of the meeting.

Why it matters: Board members said the Flats function as a community space with ecological and historical values and that clear, short guidance for tour operators could reduce conflicts and protect sensitive areas without creating lengthy new regulation. Several members said a brief list of actions or values would be more likely to be read and followed by tour companies than a long code-like document.

Board discussion and proposed content: Members sketched a draft outline that would open with a one-sentence values statement (recognizing the Flats’ historical, cultural and ecological importance) and follow with concise bullet points. Suggested bullets recorded in the meeting included: limit noise and respect quietude; keep groups contained and on established routes; protect marsh and estuary vegetation; avoid landing or offloading on private or municipal intertidal areas; require tour operators to carry and show insurance and emergency contact information; follow traffic and safety protocols on Flats Road; respect historic artifacts (do not remove or burn); and incorporate ADA access considerations where feasible.

Jamie Bricker, who previously presented an earlier version of the tourism materials, was cited repeatedly as the staff contact who assembled the existing package; board members said the tourism office can incorporate the advisory board’s short list into the next revision of the tourism best-practices document. Board members agreed the recommended language should be short, clearly visible to operators, and tested with the Skagway Traditional Council before final transmission to the tourism advisory and assembly.

Next steps: Board members asked that a concise draft – formatted as a single-paragraph values statement plus a short bullet list – be prepared for the next board meeting so the board can forward it for inclusion in the tourism best-practices packet. The board also agreed to ask that tourism staff and the Skagway Traditional Council review any language invoking “sacred” or traditional-use protections before the board submits a formal recommendation to the assembly or tourism advisory group.

Votes and formal actions: There was no formal motion to adopt the draft during the Feb. 12 meeting; the board instead directed members and staff to prepare a concise draft to consider at the next meeting.