Federal staffers slated to return to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center could soon see an increase in staff, according to a city official in Juneau.

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) said Wednesday that members of the U.S. Forest Service were told last week that some laid-off employees at the visitor center could receive offers to get their jobs back.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told Alaska’s News Source she was also made aware that people were offered their jobs back, though she is unsure how many people might accept those offers.

“There was at least one person who said that, since the time of her termination and the present, she had accepted another position,” Murkowski said in an interview on Wednesday. “So, she was not going to be going back. There was another woman who said, ‘I’m absolutely going back, everything that I ever wanted in my position, was what I had in this. I had worked for it. Even though it may be temporary, I want to go back’ ... but there were a couple that said, ‘I don’t know, ‘cause I am fearful.‘”

This comes after the CBJ said that Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center staff numbers were slashed from 28 people to one because of federal layoffs that happened in February.

CBJ Visitor Industry Director Alexandra Pierce previously told Alaska’s News Source that the center would need to rely on a skeleton crew — in addition to cutting the visitor center’s hours and relying on teaming up with other local organizations, such as Discovery SE in order to be operational this summer.

“We’re concerned about crowding and congestion downtown,” Pierce said. “We’re concerned about how that volume will affect both visitors and the resident experience here.”

“We’re planning for a full season of 1.6 million people, with our major attraction operating at half capacity, and we’re going to do our best to make that work,” she added.

The news of re-hiring terminated employees comes just a few weeks before Juneau is expecting its first cruise ship of the season, which is scheduled to dock in the city on April 14.

Murkowski said that ensuring that tourism industry positions are filled is a vital part of the Alaska economy, and a key part of ensuring visitors return to the state.

“It’s not only important for the Forest Service to know that they have more than just a skeletal crew, but it’s also important to those in the visitor industry,” Murkowski said. “Everyone was hoping that we would get to a place where, again, we would be able to offer not only a solid visitor experience, but be able to provide for that public safety and management, and really to allow for the forest service to do the job they do out at the Mendenhall Glacier.”

It is still unclear what impact the new additions could have on the visitor center. Murkowski said that she heard from past workers that they have questions about what re-hirings will mean for backpay, and whether or not the return of staffers could just be temporary.

Murkowski also said that she’s received word that the National Park Service will also be able to bring back some employees. However, she said she still does not know how many jobs that might mean for the agency.

“I wish that I had better numbers because I need them,” Murkowski said. “We need to work that into our budget process, and so we need a little more clarity from the departments.”

Alaska’s News Source reached out to the U.S. Forest Service for comment but had not heard back as of the time of publication.

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