Commercial Recreation Land Use Permits

COMMERCIAL RECREATIONAL LAND USE PERMITS

The City and Borough of Sitka’s policy on the commercial recreational use of municipal lands prioritizes the preservation and maintenance of public spaces—such as parks, trails, and boardwalks—ensuring they remain safe and accessible for their primary public purpose. To balance commercial activity with public interest, the city enforces uniform regulations designed to minimize environmental damage, mitigate impacts on neighboring properties, and protect the unique recreational experience of each area. Additionally, the policy requires commercial users to pay fair fees that offset the costs of administration, infrastructure improvements, and ongoing maintenance of these municipal assets, both within and beyond the local road system.

Sitka General Code Chapter 14.10

This title applies to all municipal lands and facilities related to commercial recreational use, including Baranof Warm Springs and other locations beyond the Sitka road system. This title also applies to all trails owned by and easements held by the city and borough of Sitka for parks and recreation purposes. This title also applies to trails for which the city and borough holds joint jurisdiction with an agency of the state of Alaska or the United States government.

The full COMMERCIAL RECREATIONAL USE OF MUNICIPAL LANDS AND FACILITIES Chapter (14.10) can be found HERE

Land Use Plans

The Parks and Recreation Committee is tasked with creating and maintaining a commercial land use plan that identifies which municipal lands allow for-profit activity and under what specific restrictions, such as operating hours and group sizes. The plan must be formally adopted by the City and Borough Assembly. Additionally, the Committee is responsible for periodically reviewing the plan and recommending any necessary updates or modifications to the Assembly for final approval.

2026 Adopted Land Use Plan

Application Process

The municipality is required to publish an annual schedule that outlines key dates for the permit process, including application windows, public comment periods, and final determinations. To ensure fairness, the application window must remain open for at least 30 days. Once applications are submitted, they are released for public review within 10 days, initiating a mandatory comment period of at least 20 days.

The process concludes with the municipality publishing its final permit determinations. To maintain transparency, any individual who submitted a public comment will receive a direct notification of the decision via email, provided their contact information was shared during the review phase.

2026 Application and public review period dates:

November 19 - Applications Open
January 4 - Applications close
January 9 - Public Review and Comment period opens on 2026 applications
February 1 - Public comment period ends
February 2 - 10 Final determinations and notice for 2026 applications

Certificate of Insurance Requirements

A. General Liability Insurance. Each permittee receiving a permit under SGC 14.10.030 shall at all times during the period of operations maintain a current commercial general liability insurance policy in the amount of not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit, which policy shall name the city and borough and its officers and employees as additional insureds. The policy shall not contain any self-insured retention or deductible in excess of $1,000, and shall include a provision requiring written notification to be given to the city and borough by the insurance company not less than 30 days before the policy is canceled, modified or terminated for any reason. Permittees shall submit a copy of the policy, or, at the option of the city and borough, a certificate of the policy, to the city and borough prior to beginning any operations or setting up of operations under the permit.

B. Vehicle Liability Insurance. No permit issued under SGC 14.10.030 shall be issued or continued in effect unless there is in full force and effect a liability insurance policy for each vehicle used to transport persons or materials to, from or within the permit area. The policy shall be issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in the state of Alaska. The limits of coverage provided shall be not less than $1,000,000 for each occurrence (combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage). The policy shall contain a provision for notification to the city and borough of cancellation 30 days prior to such cancellation.

Certificate of Insurance FAQ

Approved Permit Operators - Current Season

List of approved operators for the 2026 season is as follows (includes area and proposed number of annual clients for each area).