12/18 Deadline to comment on Kenai Winter Access

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The deadline to comment on the preferred alternative for the Kenai Winter Access management plan is Monday (12/18)! In collaboration with quiet recreationists and the conservation community, a map that captures a collective vision for the non-motorized community—a Citizen’s Alternative (or “Alternative 1 with improvements”) has been made. A high resolution copy of the map is available at http://akcenter.org/GIS/pickup/KWA/ (the two maps are identical, just the titles are different). Thank you to the passionate and knowledgeable folks who have volunteered considerable time and effort on this issue, especially Tony Doyle, Page Spencer, Mark Luttrell, Rick Smeriglio, Charlie Crangle, and many others!

 

Please urge the Forest Service to adopt this citizen’s alternative for the final plan!

 

Email comments to: comments-alaska-chugach@fs.fed.us

 

 

What's Happening?

 

The Forest Service is accepting comments on the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Kenai Winter Access Project until December 18, 2006.

 

This plan will affect recreation opportunities on the Kenai, including Resurrection Pass, Carter-Crescent Lakes, north and south forks of Snow River, Russian River and Summit/Manitoba.

 

If you're in a hurry, you can simply click the email link below and urge the Forest Service to adopt the changes presented in the Citizen’s Alternative map (shown below). Want more info? Keep reading.

 

Email comments to: comments-alaska-chugach@fs.fed.us

 

The Details:

We're 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, we had supported Alternative 1 in the last comment round. Now, a hybrid "preferred alternative" has been released, which has a few glaring shortcomings. So we’ve produced a "citizen's alternative" map that makes those 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.

 

Supplemental EIS and Related Documents

The purpose of this comment period is to provide an opportunity for public comments on the draft SEIS prior to the completion of the Final EIS and Record of Decision. The Responsible Official for this decision is Joe Meade, Chugach National Forest Supervisor.

 

Comments are due by December 18, 2006

 

Additional Talking points for your consideration:

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.