(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The U.S. Forest Service Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District and Allen Marine Tours partnered to provide the annual Outfitter and Guide and Tour Operator Training. The St. Nona took 60 tour operator and guides serving Ketchikan-area visitors to the Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness.

Lorelei Haukness (Recreation Planner) and Melissa Cady (Wildlife Biologist) identified Misty Fiords birds on the deck of Allen Marine Tours St. Nona
Photo Courtesy U.S. Forest Service

Forest Service specialists shared their expertise and answered questions. Lorelei Haukness gave an overview of the Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness. Sheila Spores provided tips for identifying common trees and understanding forest ecology. Ron Medel discussed salmon and the Tongass National Forest. Jim Baichtal spoke on the geology and glaciology of Misty Fiords. Melissa Cady covered Southeast Alaska bird identification and gave tips on conducting bird walks.

“This training is an important part of our annual education outreach because most people that visit the Tongass National Forest do so with a guide,” said Lorelei Haukness, Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District Recreation Planner. “The Forest Service considers tour operators our partners in helping us share information about the amazing cultural and natural resources on the Tongass National Forest. This type of information enriches visitor experiences and increases awareness of, and appreciation of, these resources.”

“This training excursion offers a wonderful opportunity for a private company and a public agency to collaborate on a comprehensive program to educate and enlighten our local interpretive guides to our spectacular southern southeast region” said Amanda Painter, Captain/Ops Manager for Allen Marine Tours Ketchikan Division.

Painter said, “By providing a catamaran tour of Misty Fjords Allen Marine offers a ‘platform in the field’ for the Forest Service professionals to arm our Ketchikan ‘ambassadors’ with accurate, reliable and incredibly interesting information for our visitors. As a native Alaskan company, this is one more way Allen Marine is able to serve our local communities and contribute to the local economies by ensuring the sustainability of our tourism industry. We thank the Forest Service for working with us and especially Lorelei Haukness for planning such a terrific agenda.”

This is the second year the Forest Service and Allen Marine Tours have partnered to provide a site visit to Misty Fiords National Monument Wilderness. Allen Marine Tours also provided warm drinks and a chili or clam chowder lunch to participants.

Source of News: 

Tongass National Forest
www.fs.usda.gov/tongass/

 

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Ketchikan, Alaska

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