Please take one minute, right now, to send a message of support for the extension of the Coastal Trail along the coast from Kincaid to Potter Marsh. A small band of opponents are trying to get politicians to kill the coastal trail extension. The public comment period (for the draft Environmental Impact Statement) ends March 7. Silence is deadly: trail users, you need to voice your opinion!
Stand up for your quality of life and the character of this community!
We suggest that your main message be:
I support extending the Coastal Trail along the coast from Kincaid to Potter Marsh, away from traffic. This trail will provide safe recreation, transportation, and access to public lands along the coast for generations to come. The Modified Orange Route along the coast is a good start: refine it, design it, and build it!
Copy this message into an e-mail and send it to:
southtrailcomment@hdrinc.com
Write your message of support now---don't put it off.
If you have more than one minute, write a message of support in your own words. Some information you can use to help you is below. More information is available on our website: http://home.gci.net/~bjarne/trail
This trail has been on Municipal plans for over 20 years. There is 91 percent federal funding that is already allocated to trails (and doesn't divert money from roads or other services). The Modified Orange Route along the coast is a good start, and can be refined to be much better.
We all want this project to be built at a reasonable cost, to minimize impacts to adjoining properties, and to respect wildlife. Friends of the Coastal Trail have made detailed suggestions that would reduce the cost below $20 million, add about 150 acres of Municipal land to the Wildlife Refuge, and greatly reduce the impacts to adjoining properties so that only 25 residential properties are affected along 13 miles of trail (see Daily News article on February 28; a copy is attached).
By year 2020, the population of the Anchorage Bowl is predicted to add 80,000 residents, according to the Municipal Comprehensive plan. Our generation, and especially our childrens' generation, need this trail for access to open space and to reduce traffic.
Your comments might also mention some of these benefits of extending the Coastal Trail along the coast.
• Wise financial investment. The cost of this 13-mile trail is about the same as one major highway interchange, such as Minnesota and International interchange. With 91 percent federal funding, it is a healthy boost to the local economy. Our local or state share of $2 to 3 million will be less than the Little League ballfields. The trail wil be built in phases and the cost will be spread over several years so that it will not use all the trail money in any one year for this project. The trail will repay many times its construction cost through:
• Increased property values and local tax base
• Attracting people to live and invest in Anchorage
• Tourism stimulation
• Neighborhood cohesion and civic participation
• Physical and mental health benefits to residents
• Quality of life. People measure quality life in their day-to-day experiences. Thousands-more residents would have every-day access to Anchorage's coastal setting. Two-thirds (64 percent) of Anchorage residents think the trail system "contributes a great deal to the quality of life" (MOA-commissioned survey, 1999) in Anchorage.
• Future generations. The trail will be there for a hundred years. The discord of current homeowners is temporary. Wildlife have shown great adaptability to the urban setting. Along the existing trail, harsh opponents have become enthusiastic users and supporters. This trail serves the long-term needs of the community.
• Public access. The public should have to access public lands all along the south coast. There are 32,000 acres of Coastal Wildlife Refuge and numerous Municipal parcels along the coast, with great scenery and wildlife-viewing, but the public has no easy access.
• Public health: exercise that is cheap, free, easy, universal. Anchorage residents struggle with the nationwide problems of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. A south Coastal Trail along the coast will be an irresistible exercise opportunity: safe, accessible from dozens of neighborhoods, to all ages and fitness levels, aesthetic, free to use, open 365 days a year. Anchorage surveys show that people with a neighborhood trail use it or other trails, (81.6 percent) while people with no neighborhood trail are non-users (72 percent). (MOA-commissioned survey, 1999)
• Better access and management of the Coastal Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge Management Plan for this Refuge (ADF&G, 1991) acknowledges the potential for a Coastal Trail and says the greatest value of the refuge lands is for public education. A trail will provide safe, well-managed access to these public lands that will result in increased support for the Refuge and the opportunity for environmental education. Trail users will help prevent the impacts that are now occurring from random trail development, unsupervised pets, and illegal snowmachine use.
The above information was prepared by Friends of the Coastal Trail. For further information or to volunteer, contact TrailFriends@gci.net Note that your coastal trail comments need to be sent to a different E-mail listed above.