JBER iSportsman recreation pass policy to change April 1

  • Published
  • By Public affairs staff report
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will institute a recreational permit fee for activities covered by the iSportsman program beginning April 1.

The annual fee is $10 for active duty, military-affiliated and civilian personnel. Senior citizens 60 years of age and older, and those disabled 50 percent or more as documented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, will see a $5 rate per year.
Establishing the fee is necessary to sustain JBER's recreational program, according to Brent Koenen, 673d Civil Engineer Squadron, chief of the natural and cultural resource program at JBER.

"Programs such as this are required, by DoD and Air Force instructions, to be self-sustaining - essentially meaning, they must pay for themselves," Koenen said. "We will use all revenue collected from recreational fees exclusively to support the Natural Resource, Conservation and Enforcement programs at JBER."

All persons wishing to recreate on JBER must have a permit, as has formerly been the case. After March 31 all current-year permits will become invalid and a new permit must be purchased through the JBER iSportsman web site at: www.jber.iSportman.net.

The iSportsman recreational permit is not an installation access permit. Recreational users not affiliated with the Department of Defense are still required to obtain an installation pass from Security Forces at the JBER-Richardson Visitor Center located on Arctic Valley Road. Those recreating on JBER are required to have an iSportsman recreational permit and a government issued form of identification on them at all times.

Not every recreational activity on JBER requires an iSportsman permit. Some activities - such as camping, picnicking, cross country skiing,  boat or pavilion rentals, for example - fall under the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program. The iSportsman web page has further details on the applicable policies and when a permit is required.

All recreational users are required to sign in and sign out using the iSportsman system.  The system can be accessed using computers, kiosks at the JBER-Richardson Visitor Center and the JBER-Elmendorf Visitor Center at the Boniface Gate, and by phone. Koenen said this requirement is essential for accountability of persons, to avoid disrupting military training and to ensure public safety.

Questions regarding this policy may be directed to 552-2439 or 384-6224.