Forest Service scraps Herbert Glacier cabin for mining claim

A social media post Saturday alleged the U.S. Forest Service canceled a planned public-use cabin near Herbert Glacier to accommodate mining interests, claiming the agency admitted the cancellation was due to mining interests after previously denying it. The Forest Service has not publicly confirmed the cancellation or the reason.

The cabin would have given overnight access to Tongass National Forest land about one mile from the glacier terminus, reachable by helicopter or hiking from the Herbert Glacier Trailhead.

The Forest Service analyzed the Herbert Glacier Cabin Project in a 2023 environmental assessment. The cabin site sits within a federal mining claim block across the river from the New Amalga gold project, held by Grande Portage Resources Ltd.

Federal mining claims in the area are governed by the U.S. General Mining Law. Claimants like Grande Portage have rights to explore and develop minerals, subject to federal and state permits.

The Tongass operates under a multiple-use mandate that balances recreation, mineral development, timber, and habitat. Conflicts between public cabins and mining claims are a recurring tension on the forest.

The Alaska Miners Association filed formal comments on the cabin project in February 2024. The group raised concerns about how the cabin might affect mineral exploration under federal claims.

The cabin project is subject to the Forest Service's pre-decisional review process under 36 CFR 218. Objections must be filed within 45 days of the legal notice and submitted to Tongass National Forest Supervisor Monique Nelson in Juneau.

Reservations for Tongass public-use cabins, including any future Herbert Glacier cabin if authorized, go through Recreation.gov. Many Alaskans use the system to book remote cabins across Southeast Alaska.