Kenai Peninsula
ACE's View
People from all over the world flock to the Kenai Peninsula for sport and commericial fishing, hunting, and outdoor recreation activities.
The Kenai Peninsula has experienced rapid growth and development including logging, mining, oil and gas development, tourism, and subdivisions, which have fragmented fish and wildlife habitat.
The Chugach National Forest serves as an important refuge for at-risk populations of brown bears and wolves and even the weekend camper or hiker from nearby cities such as Anchorage or Seward. The Kenai Peninsula grants the opportunity to land a 50 lb. king salmon, sight your first 300 lb. brown bear, and hike Alaska's most popular hiking trail- Resurrection Pass Trail- all in one day.
Current Issues
Public Hearing on Winter Access at Resurrection Pass
Dates and Location:
April 6 4:00-5:00 PM 5:00-6:00 PM Cooper Landing Community Hall
April 7 1:00-2:00 PM 2:00-3:00 PM Hope School
April 14 1:00-2:00 PM 2:00-3:00 PM Soldotna Aspen Hotel
The USDA Forest Service will host three public meetings and hearings concerning the Resurrection National Recreation Trail of the Kenai Winter Access plan, focusing on management considerations under ANILCA Section 1110(a).
Current management of the Resurrection Pass National Recreation Trail allows motorized access from December 1 through February 15 annually, after which it is managed as a nonmotorized unit (split season). The modified preferred alternative for the Kenai Winter Access plan proposes a change to current management by proposing an annual swap between motorized and nonmotorized use. In other words, the Resurrection and West Resurrection units would alternate between motorized and nonmotorized use annually (one year open, one year closed). In order to prohibit the use of snowmachines for traditional activities or travel to and from villages and homesites, such use must be found to be detrimental to the resource values of the unit or area. The Forest Service is seeking comment and testimony to determine whether such use is detrimental to resource values and whether other actions may be taken to protect the natural and other values of the unit or area.
The public is invited to review and discuss management considerations for the proposed routes. Forest Service staff will be available to answer questions and explain items from the INHT Environmental Assessment.
Immediately following the open house, a hearing will be held to collect public testimony related to the proposed access restrictions and possible prohibition of snowmobile use, and whether such use for traditional activities is detrimental to resource values. Testimony will be recorded and will be considered by the Forest Service to issue a decision on the project.
Written testimony, including e-mail, is also invited. All testimony must be received by 5:00 PM, April 19, 2007. Written testimony will be accepted at the meetings or it can be sent to:
Chugach National Forest
ATTN: Sharon Randall
3301 C Street, Suite 300
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Information about the Kenai Winter Access plan is available on the Chugach National Forest webpage located at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach
For additional information regarding this project, contact one of the following individuals:
Sharon Randall
Chugach National Forest
907-743-9500
e-mail: srandall@fs.fed.us
Karen Kromrey
Seward Ranger District
907-288-2138
e-mail: kkromrey@fs.fed.us
Jim Thomas
Chugach National Forest
907-743-9500
e-mail: jthomas03@fs.fed.us
Please be sure to check our website http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach or call (907) 743-9500 to confirm meeting times and locations.
Archive
Kenai Winter Access Plan
Seeking a Fair Balance...The Citizens' Alternative Map
ACE is seeking a balance between areas open to motorized recreation and those set aside for quiet recreation. Unfortunately, the current proposal dedicates over 70% of the planning area is to snowmachine use, and we are working to achieve a balance closer to 50-50.
Of all the options proposed by the Forest Service, ACE supported Alternative 1 in the last comment round. Now, a hybrid “preferred alternative” has been released, which has a few glaring shortcomings. ACE Conservation GIS Center has produced a “citizen’s alternative” map that makes these key adjustments to the Forest Service map:
- The Carter-Crescent unit should be on a seasonal schedule to alternate with the Resurrection Pass unit- so that skiers and snowmachiners each have one of these units each year. (The current proposal designates Carter as open to motors all the time, and Resurrection as seasonal- leaving skiers with significantly reduced terrain in the years that Resurrection is motorized.)
- The Snow River drainage is the most popular ski trail in the Snow River unit- yet that trail is set aside for motorized use, contrary to the rest of the Snow River unit. The Snow River drainage should be for non-motorized recreation.
- The watershed of the North Fork of the Snow River should be included in the non-motorized zone (in the southern area of the Ptarmigan/Grant unit).
- North from Summit Lake to the Hope cut-off, slopes and drainages east and west are set aside for non-motorized recreation, except for a motorized corridor on either side of the highway. This corridor of motorized use bisects a popular skiing area, both eliminating the potential for quiet recreation and creating a conflict-prone access zone. All land adjacent to the highway from Summit Lake to Frenchy Creek should be included in the non-motorized zone.
The Forest Service needs to preserve natural quiet and wilderness quality recreational opportunities, and to protect the extraordinary natural habitats of the Kenai by designating large areas as permanently non-motorized.
The Citizen’s Alternative proposes the most-balanced management scenario of winter recreation for all users. It offers the best mix of terrain and cabin availability, and ensures that there will always be an opportunity for high-quality quiet recreational experiences.
The Forest Service has failed to analyze the cumulative impacts of motorized uses to quiet recreation opportunities, communities, and other social values, as well as wildlife.
Additional Resources
Supplemental EIS and Related Documents
Forest Supervisor's letter (90kb PDF)
Key Points from the collaborative meetings (82 kb PDF)
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