JASON BURKE: I'M THE STATE ADA COORDINATOR FOR ALASKA.
PHILIP PEARCE [BOARD MEMBER]: WELCOME.
JASON BURKE: I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING THIS MORNING AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AND HAVE USED YOUR INFORMATION EXTENSIVELY TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALASKA THROUGHOUT THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I RECENTLY TOOK OVER FROM A GENTLEMAN WHO HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN PROMOTING ACCESSIBILITY IN ALASKA, HIS NAME IS DON BRANDON AND HE MOVED TO THE DBTAC NORTHWEST OFFICE, HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN PROMOTING THE USE OF TRAILS AND PUBLIC FACILITIES, PUBLIC RECREATION AREAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, WE ENGAGED IN A STATEWIDE SURVEY OF OUR PUBLIC PARKS AND WE ARE GETTING READY TO DO THAT AGAIN AND THESE GUIDELINES ARE GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL TO FOLLOW THAT ENDEAVOR, THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT COME TO MIND RIGHT NOW. I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE MORE SPECIFIC COMMENT A LITTLE LATER ON, BUT JUST IN A REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENT, AND WITH RESPECT TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE EARLIER TODAY, ALASKA, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, HAS MUCH MORE EXTREMES, BUT WE ALSO RECEIVE A LOT OF VISITORS FROM OUT OF STATE, AND SO WE DO TRY TO MAKE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE, AND THERE SAY LARGE DISABILITY COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT ALASKA IN SOME OF THE MORE WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER REMOTE AREAS AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN PROMOTING ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS. SO A LOT OF OUR TRAILS AND A LOT OF OUR SHELTERS, AND A LOT OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE CONTINUALLY PROVIDING AND PROMOTING THAT ACCESSISIBILITY, AND SO PEOPLE ARE REALLY GETTING OUT THERE IN ALL MANNERS.
ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE, IS THAT SOME OF THIS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BEACH, IN THE MEAN TIDE ON A BEACH CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM 8 TO 28 FEET, AND DEPENDING UPON WHAT AREA OF THE STATE YOU ARE AT AND THERE IS 40,000 MILES OF COAST LINE AND THERE IS VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC LANDS ALONG THAT COAST LINE, AND WE HAVE CABINS AND SHELTERS ON THE COAST LINE AND ON LAKES AND A LOT OF THAT CAN BE MADE ACCESSIBLE, AND WITH SOME RESPECT, AND ONE OF THE YOU KNOW, THE THINKING THAT I HAVE YOU COULD TIE-IN THE USE OF BOAT RAMPS FOR SOME OF THESE AREAS THAT HAVE CABINS ALONG THE COAST LINE, OR FLOAT PLANES LAND ALONG THESE PLACES AS WELL SO THE ACCESSIBLE ROUTE FROM THAT COAST LINE TO A CABIN NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THIS GUIDANCE AS WELL. I'M ALSO THINKING THAT THAT IS AN ACCESSIBLE ROUTE BUT THERE ARE INACCESSIBLE ROUTES THAT COULD BE GIVEN ACCESS IN THE WINTERTIME SO WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER REMOTE OR BACK COUNTRY REALLY BECOMES ACCESSIBLE IN THE WINTER SO THERE MAY BE SOME WAY TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY COUPLE OF COMMENTS THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSES FROM EVERYONE ELSE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOU HAVE, THANKS.