Glacier Jet Alaska Community Support

Posted by Whatsupwiththat

Posted: April 23, 2008 - 3:10 pm

Dear Editor:

Glacier Jet Alaska provides jet boat tours of the Twentymile and Knik Rivers using customized boats specifically designed to operate on local waterways. Glacier Jet Alaska has been providing public and community access to nearby waterways since 2005. We have always sought to give back to the community in a variety of ways, including donations of trips to groups such as Challenge Alaska, United Way, Make A Wish, and various local schools and emergency services fundraisers.

Unfortunately, new Forest Service directives will now bar us from providing donated boat trips. The Forest Service’s Girdwood Glacier Ranger District has recently notified us that its policies preclude us from donating trips as we have in the past. This precludes future donations and bars us from honoring trips we donated to various local charitable and non-profit organizations this past fall and winter.

The new federal policy applies only to waterways managed by the federal government. Rivers managed by the State of Alaska have no such restrictions and, in fact, the State encourages donations of trips on its waterways.

If you received one of our certificates for a complimentary trip this past winter please contact our offices at 868-7669 and allow us to make arrangements including rescheduling your trip to a different watershed or refunding any monies you may have donated or expenses you incurred based on receiving a donated trip. We want to assure the public that we will do everything we can to mitigate any impact on our customers from the Forest Service’s new interpretation of its rules.

Glacier Jet is dedicated to community service, and is determined to implement a new program of community support for this coming season that will allow us to give back to the community without violating the new federal constraints. Glacier Jet greatly appreciates the support of the State of Alaska, which remains committed to fostering community improvement by encouraging and facilitating our donations of trips on state-managed waterways.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this abrupt change in federal rules. We wish to reassure those of you who have helped us support goodwill organizations that we will continue to support local community needs and important charitable works.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely, Terry Akerson

Glacier Jet Alaska Community Support

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