Current Conservation Issues
Fairbanks Paddlers
Last Updated: Sunday, 17 October 2004

One of the primary missions of Fairbanks Paddlers is to conserve and protect Interior Alaska's waterways for the enjoyment of all and to provide viable habitat for Alaska's rich flora and fauna. These are the current issues that the club is working on or monitoring, along with links to resources. Please contact the current Conservation chair, Don Kiely, with updates and questions.

Nenana River Protection

Alison Carter is overseeing this effort to protect portions of the Nenana River from adverse development. This is in the preliminary research phase now, but with the current no-development-project-is-too-heinous administration in Juneau, this may be a lost cause. For now.

Eureka Creek/Tangle Lakes/Delta River Exploration and Mining

Recent geologic surveys have found that there is a high potential in the area for nickel, copper, platinum, and palladium in an area approximately 10 miles long by 2 miles wide. The state has recently taken possession of a huge area north of the Denali Highway west of the Richardson, over the objections of enlightened BLM employees who are concerned for the aesthetic, wildlife, archeological, and other irreplaceable assets in the area.

This issue is getting scarier and scarier all the time. I met with Mara Bacsujlaky at the Northern Alaska Environmental Center about this issue, and the prognosis is not good. Nevada Star is going to have an exploration-fest in two units this summer (2003) to find out just how lucrative the area is for hard rock mining. That sounds innocuous, but exploration can do an amazing job of tearing up the landscape, particularly as they hone in on promising deposits of whatever they are looking for. This is shaping up to be one of the most important issues that we as paddlers and Alaskans should oppose.

Resources:

• Nevada Star Resources Corporation Web site, the Vancouver, B.C., company that now controls the mining rights to the area after they acquired MAN Resources.  See the projects page for information and status, and the news page for updates, including some late 2002 updates after the latest exploration season.
• In late 2003, Anglo American PLC entered into an agreement with Nevada Star to start full-scale exploration work of the MAN project. Anglo is a major international mining company with operations around the world.
• Juneau Empire September 2002 story, Miners want access to Alaska Range. Written two months before Nevada Star released the promising results of its 2002 fieldwork.
• Alaska State Sites
  • Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral, Land & Water's Denali to Wrangell – St. Elias study from July 1982. The Division has a public notices page that I monitor regularly for paddling issues.
• Bureau of Land Management Sites
  • Alaska Resource Advisory Council (RAC) site. We'll need to monitor their hearings so that we can participate in any public comments.
  • Trail Map and Guide to the Tangle Lakes National Register District
  • Delta National Wild and Scenic River. Also see the River Management Plan.
• Save Tangle Lakes site sponsored by the Northern Alaska Environmental Center and the Copper Country Alliance.

Gulkana River Management Plan

Since 1998, BLM has been working on an update of its 1983 management plan for the river and surrounding area, developing a new version of the Gulkana River Management Plan through its Glenallen office.

December 2003 update: The Glenallen office of BLM has published its Draft Gulkana River Environmental Assessment in preparation for updating its 20-year-old management plan for the river. It's a rather large document that you can find at http://www.glennallen.ak.blm.gov/gulkana/gulkana_ea.html, but so far in my reading it seems to follow the preliminary report written by Bruce Rogers and published about a year ago.

My impression so far is that the plan will improve the wilderness and boating experience on both the upper and lower Gulkana, but that it is going to change how we approach the river. In particular, it is likely that we'll see

• More requirements to limit the effect of camping, such as using fire pans in camp and a few more outhouses
• More BLM patrols (only marginally)
• Fewer campers (mostly outside of King salmon season)
• Fewer powerboats in some areas and potentially more in others
• Less litter
• A permitting system for portions of the river
• Some restrictions when the kings are running

The changes will vary depending on the portion of the river and on the various forks of the Gulkana.

If you want to provide input into the assessment or the eventual management plan, now's the time. The 67-page main body of the assessment is a lot to slog through, but a lot of it is interesting reading if you know are interested in this incredible Alaskan river.

You need to provide comments by February 15, 2004 via e-mail or written to: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Bruce Rogers, P.O. Box 147, Glennallen, AK, 99588. I've found Bruce to be extremely responsive to both inquiries and comments, so please feel comfortable approaching him with questions and comments.

From his email about the EA:

"You will see lots of reference to the State Special Use Land Designation (SULD), which will be the State's component to the revised management plan. I have been assured by the State that they will have their draft SULD out for public review by the 5th of January. Once it is there, you will be able to access it by going to: http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/mlw and looking for the link."

Act now, or forever hold your tongue!

March 2003 update: During an unrelated Glennallen BLM meeting in Fairbanks, I met with Bruce Rogers, the author of the proposed visitor management plan for the Gulkana River. The plan was developed partly in response to an on-river survey in 1999 along with public comment last spring. He had been hoping to have enough of a plan done in time to implement some changes by this summer, but it is not to be. He has to coordinate with the state Department of Natural Resources, which has dragged their feet internally. He now expects the plan to be in final form in June or so, too late for changes.

If you haven’t looked at the proposed plan, there is plenty in it that can affect paddlers. Mostly good stuff because it will help keep the river clean and keep it from being overwhelmed by filthy campsites. But there also could be some form of permitting, at least during fishing season. It is probably too late to get your comments in, but if you have anything to say it probably wouldn’t hurt to try.

Resources:

• Bureau of Land Management Sites
  • Gulkana River Studies Home page
  • River Management Plan for the Gulkana National Wild River. This is the current plan, finalized in December 1983. And here is the 1985 memorandum of understanding between BLM and Alaska concerning management of the river. There is also a Proposed Action for Gulkana River Visitor Management, written by Bruce Rogers of BLM in October 2002 (this is a Microsoft Word document).
  • Gulkana National Wild River information page

Susitna Dam

This is just a glimmer in Governor Frank Murkowski's eye right now, but would be a horrible travesty if built, ruining a huge chunk of beautiful Alaskan wilderness and affecting flow downriver (including the rarely run Devil's Canyon). This is just as bad an idea as the Rampart Dam was 40 years ago, and the idea should be abandoned just like that earlier dam was.

Summer 2003 update: Don Young managed to briefly get wording in a bill this summer that could have caused some exploratory work that could have led to a dam, but thankfully it didn't last long. But no doubt our wonderful Representative got some campaign contributions out of it. Aargh.

We'll monitor this as time goes on. Please let the Conservation chair, Don Kiely, know of anything you hear.

Circle Hot Springs to Central Hot Springs Road

This project is in the early conceptual stages. The most recent action is a resolution in the state legislature that expresses support for various roads, including the "Hot Springs Road." You can track the Senate version here and the House version here, although those links may go away as the legislative silly season progresses. These resolutions merely express support without allocating money to even study the routes. As they have wound their way through the legislature, our legislators have added several other roads around the state to the list, in a form of indulging fantasies.

Fairbanks Paddlers is going on record to oppose the road. Here is the text of the email that I am sending to each committee as they prepare to consider this resolution:

I am writing on behalf of Fairbanks Paddlers, the Interior Alaska canoe and kayaking organization, regarding HCR 3, "Relating to economic development generated by new road construction and to the design and construction of the Hot Springs Loop Road to connect Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs."

As paddlers and outdoors enthusiasts, we are concerned that a road linking Chena and Circle Hot Springs would have to cross Birch Creek, a federally-designated wild and scenic river. This would destroy the natural beauty of at least one stretch of river and possibly far more.

As Alaskans, we are deeply concerned about the wisdom of building a road that neither hot springs owner supports at a time when the state doesn't have enough money to maintain the roads it has. Only a few months ago, the state threatened to stop winter maintenance of the Steese Highway during the winter. The Denali Highway is falling into disrepair year round. And the road between Circle and Central is in serious need of repair.

Please do not pass this bill with the Hot Springs Loop Road included. Please do not destroy this beautiful wilderness for a road that we cannot afford.

Thank you,
Don Kiely
Fairbanks Paddlers Conservation Chair

As of now, we're not aware of aware of any impacts on waterways, although it is hard to imagine a route that wouldn't cross Birch Creek, a wild and scenic waterway. If you know of any other concerns that we should have, please contact the current Conservation chair, Don Kiely.

Road from the Elliott Highway to Rampart

Another project that seems to be moving forward. It will follow an existing trail, and we know of no waterway impacts.