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Alcatraz Perimeter Trail May Be Opened Outside the Resident Birds' Breeding Season

 

The perimeter trail at Alcatraz, now fallen into disrepair, was once a vital part of the island.  Now, at least during portions of the year, it may soon be a highlight of any visit.

During Alcatraz' time as a military post and military prison, the rocks below the trail were hewed and cracked to make the shoreline steeper, more slippery and hard to climb by attackers or would-be rescuers.

During the three decades when Alcatraz served as a Federal prison, the Perimeter Trail was patrolled by guards, alert to any prisoners in the pre-triathlon era who might try to escape by swimming to the mainland.

In recent years the nesting birds on the island have taken over the trail, and thoughts of repairing and reopening the pathway have collided with the goal of making the island a safe haven for nesting seabirds.  As a result it has remained closed to public access.

The National Park Service has now revealed that as part of their draft new GGNRA management plan (which covers a range of Bay Area parks, including Alcatraz) they're considering splitting the difference, and giving visitors to the park the chance to walk the Perimeter Trail during the months when no nesting activity will be disturbed.

The gateway to the online pages for the draft general plan is here.

Copyright (c) 2010, OurAlcatraz.com.  All Rights Reserved.

Alcatraz Starting Transition to Solar Power

 

When the Federal stimulus dollars were handed out for last year, the National Park Service got almost $750 million in funds to maintain and repair the budget-battered parks across the country.

Unbelievably, when the projects were finished they found that many bids had come in under budget, and they had over $100 million left over.

In the case of Alcatraz, this launched the phased retirement of two old and inefficient diesel generators -- you'll recognize the truck-stop smell they produce, not to mention the particulates in the exhaust.  They cost Alcatraz $700,000 a year in fuel and maintenance.

The National Park Service has announced they'll use some of that leftover money to fund the addition of about 1,360 solar panels to the main prison and laundry building on Alcatraz this spring. That's enough panels to provide 40 to 60 percent of the island's electricity, and launch the process of phasing out the smelly generators.

In addition to more solar panels, the Park Service is considering re-installing a power cable under the Bay to serve the island from the mainland power grid.  This would lead to the immediate decommissioning of the diesel generators.

Of course, if you're a fan of smelly diesel generators you need to plan your visit now.  Once they're gone, a piece of The Rock's history is gone forever!

Copyright (c) 2010, OurAlcatraz.com.  All Rights Reserved.