Anchorage has had a love affair with the Coastal Trail ever since it was built back in the mid-80's, and for good reason. The trail is a community treasure that is touted by locals and visitors alike as one of the more defining elements of our city. So it only makes sense to extend it to the southern part of our city, providing access to yet another relatively undiscovered and attractive part of our coastline.
A critical decision looms! During the next few months the decision-makers will either approve the trail extension along the coast, or kill the project altogether. The do-or-die decision will be based largely on the public comments received before the March 7 deadline. This is your chance to support the best, and most needed, link in Anchorage's trail system. To understand how you can submit comments, please look to the end of this article.
The municipal/state team that sponsored the project, along with the federal highway group that provides 91% of the funding, both support the Orange Modified route as their preferred alternative. It is described in what is known as the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). You can read the DEIS at any municipal library. Alternatively, you can call 646-6015 to obtain a free CD copy of the document.
Lots of smart people worked hard for over five years to thread the needle between numerous conflicting interests to come up with this route. The Orange Modified route is a good solution. It is a continuous, free-flowing trail, located in natural coastal areas away from roads, with stunning views of the Cook Inlet coast and mountains. With moderate grades of less than 5% and very few road crossings, it will serve a broad spectrum of users, including skiers. Most of the other nine routes considered in the DEIS followed roads, crossed numerous driveways, and were not suitable for skiing.
As Alaskans, we can resolve at least some of the lingering concerns expressed by homeowners at the recent public hearings by doing what good Alaskans do best &endash; cooperating with our neighbors and applying a little common sense to find workable solutions. The Orange Modified route recommended by the DEIS is clearly a good option. Perhaps minor adjustments can turn it into a great option, relieve many homeowner concerns, and still allow access to the area without significantly impacting the wildlife.
Here are a few ideas worthy of consideration before we finalize a coastal route for the trail:
Revisit wildlife impact criteria • The wildlife impact criteria that guided the DEIS is admittedly very conservative. It was done that way to avoid criticism later on, but the end result is that it has driven the trail route closer to homeowners, raised costs, and eliminated reasonable sections of the trail. Finding the balance is not an easy task and is a very personal issue for many. In the grand scheme of things, the measurable impact to wildlife will be small, even when the trail is moved further away from the bluff. Taking a second look at the wildlife impact criteria may help alleviate homeowner concerns, reduce private property impacts, and result in very little added affect on wildlife.
Investigate land trades • The Orange Modified route has been carefully aligned to avoid crossing into any part of the wildlife refuge. To steer clear of the refuge the trail traverses private property on the mid-slope of the bluff and passes through tunnels under isolated corners of the refuge in four different places. There appear to be opportunities where swapping state and municipal land could move the refuge boundary and eliminate the need for some of the tunnels or private property easements. Land exchanges with the municipality might even result in a net gain of valuable habitat for the refuge. Land exchanges are always complicated, but Friends of the Coastal Trail will encourage examination of the feasibility of land exchanges, which could lower construction costs and reduce impacts to private property.
Consider trail closures • Certain sensitive birds, like migrating snow geese, only appear along the trail in early spring for 2-3 weeks, according to ADF&G. During these times the trail use is at its lowest because Anchorage is in the middle of breakup. Closing a portion of the trail during this time could all but eliminate impacts to snow geese, allow reduced construction costs, and further minimize impacts to homeowners.
Maintain current uses • Hunters, rifle range users and motocrossers all continue to think the trail will preclude their current uses in the refuge. Nothing could be further from the truth. All of the trail routes being considered have taken steps to avoid impacts to these users. This approach should be maintained and these users should be informed that no changes to current uses would occur.
Emphasize economic benefits • Extending the trail southward has always been popular because of the obvious enhancements to quality of life, the expanded sense of community we all realize, and improved access to a very attractive wild and scenic area of Anchorage. What are often overlooked are the economic benefits that accrue to the entire city. Local contractors will perform the design and construction work, creating jobs and income for local residents. In addition, spending by tourists and locals alike on equipment, travel, and subsistence stimulates many aspects of the Anchorage economy. Finally, the mere existence of the trail makes Anchorage a more attractive destination for employers and employees, adding to the local economy in unseen ways.
Given the extent of the opposition, your support of the Orange Modified route is imperative to make the trail happen along the coast. Your written comments to the trail planners count just as much as any of the testimony you may have heard at the recent public hearings. Please take a few minutes to lend your support to the Orange Modified route as it stands. If you think any of the above ideas have merit and can help improve the route, make those comments known also. But above all, please send in your comments.
You have until March 7 to make your thoughts known to the trail planners. You can e-mail your comments to them at southtrailcomment@hdrinc.com or you can snail-mail them to Jim Childers c/o HDR Alaska, 2525 C Street, Suite 305, Anchorage, AK, 99503-2632. If you want to know more about the trail planning process check out the web site at: http://home.gci.net/~southtrail or contact Friends of the Coastal Trail at TrailFriends@gci.net. And if you want to get more involved in helping make the trail a reality or help to find solutions to some of the objections that have been raised, contact Friends of the Coastal Trail.