Regular visitors surprised at new fee at Independence Mine

Hatcher Pass visitors now have to shell out more money to visit the Independence Mine State Historical Park.
Beginning this year, Alaska State Parks implemented a $3 fee to see the site.
Mat-Su Parks Superintendent Wayne Biessel said preserving the past comes at a price. It takes thousands of dollars to keep up with the aging infrastructure.
“A lot of folks don’t know we don’t have grid power to Independence Mine, so, we rely on diesel generators to keep that park open and viab