The owner of one of Anchorage’s most popular outdoor recreation areas is asking trail users to keep their pets on a leash or risk getting caught. a $130 bill.
Bureau of Land Management officials say the agency has received more complaints about pets running loose as visitor numbers have soared in the Campbell Tract Special Recreation Management Area, d ‘an area of 730 acres, in the Abbott Loop area.
They said it had always been against regulations to allow pets to roam freely in the wooded, trail-lined area, accessible primarily from Elmore Road near East 68th Avenue and also from Campbell Airstrip Road.
But that rule is often ignored, BLM officials said.
“What we observed was that this was not taken seriously,” said Scott Claggett, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management. “For this, we installed new signs to make it more visible. We’re not trying to blind people. We are trying to make people aware that there are consequences for not following the posted rules.
The agency noted the rules in a post on Facebook this week, emphasizing that Campbell Tract “is NOT an off-leash dog park,” while other off-leash dog parks exist in Anchorage.
The message stated that a violation could lead to a citation. It is stated that e-collars can be used in place of leashes.
“Dogs and pets must be leashed at all times while breeding on Campbell Tract,” the agency said. “It’s about your safety, the safety of other visitors, the safety of wildlife and the safety of your pets.”
“BLM Law Enforcement Rangers are enforcing this noteworthy offense. Please put your pet on a leash,” the message reads.
Attendance has “exploded” on the field, Claggett said. It welcomed more than 500,000 visitors per year last year.
Like other outdoor spaces nationwide, more people have started going outside during the pandemic, he said.
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Off-leash dogs raise safety concerns because people and animals could be injured by a lunging or angry dog, Claggett said, and the agency wants to make sure every visitor can experience a good experience.
“It only takes one off-leash dog to cause a problem, even if dozens of other dogs are on leash,” he said.
E-collar use is consistent with the adjacent 4,000-acre Far North Bicentennial Park area that is owned by the Municipality of Anchorage and is home to Hilltop Ski Area, BLM said in its Facebook post.
At the busy Smokejumper trailhead near Elmore Road Friday afternoon, some visitors were coming and going from the woods with dogs on leashes.
But many others let their pets roam free, apparently unaware of the agency’s new approach.
Some users said they would prefer to let their dogs run off-leash, at least a little.
Luba Berki emerged from the trailhead with a blue leash tied around her waist. His “special village” husky mix ran alongside him.
Berki said she didn’t notice the new sign among all the other signs at the trailhead.
She said she understands the regulations in the summer, when bears are out and moose are giving birth. But in winter, it seems owners should be able to temporarily release their pets, as was the case with Buffy, by putting the animal back on a leash when people approach, she said.
Curtis Racker, a BLM ranger, arrived shortly after.
He said he has not issued tickets for loose dogs in the past and has many areas to enforce, including illegal burning and tree felling.
But he said he will issue warnings to people with off-leash animals and will now write them a citation if necessary.
“I’m not here to ruin people’s experience,” he said. “I know some people don’t like it. But we want to keep it enjoyable for everyone.
Ruth Van Hout, who was getting ready to snow bike the trails with friends, had her Australian shepherd on a leash. Two moose near the trailhead had just left the trail.
She sometimes prefers to let K2 run alone, she said. “It’s going to be a challenge, because dogs get their stimulation from being free,” she said of the leash law.
But she understands the reason. Other dogs may be aggressive with K2, since he is docile, she said.
Still, keeping your dog on a leash while cycling won’t be easy, she says.
“I think e-collars will be the best way to go” in the future, she said.
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