Agencies work together to get borough projects off the ground

MAT-SU -- Stream crossing projects across the nation used to be done with an 'it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission' attitude. Not so here, says Matanuska-Susitna Borough Public Works Department project manager Chuck Kaucic.

"Our attitude is tell us, teach us, we want to do it right," Kaucic said.

And hey, if you want to throw a little money their way to get the project done, that's pretty good, too.

"We can't afford to do this [type of work] on our own, financially or technically," Kaucic said.

The culvert placed at Settlement Avenue is a prime example of the borough starting to work with different agencies to get the job done right -- for the road system and the wildlife system it's running through.

"The key is that everybody is participating in this," Kaucic said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Department of Agriculture NRCS, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, even the local Soil and Water Conservation District, all played a part in the new stream crossing, which allows juvenile salmon to swim upstream into a better wintering area.

"By identifying projects and getting local shares, it enables me to go out and get others involved," Kaucic said.

It seems that if the borough is willing to put down a little cash for a project, some of these national and state agencies are willing to put down a bit, too. Not only that, some are willing to train you to do the job right, he said.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent me to a geomorphology class last year," Kaucic said. "That's pretty amazing, a national agency sending a guy from our borough to learn how to do this."

Kaucic said how the agencies and the borough interact has really changed in the last five years, and that he is excited that so many great people are willing to work together.

"They are team oriented, call them and they will react," he said.

Alaska Department of Natural Resources Office of Habitat Management and Permitting habitat biologist Matt LaCroix agreed.

"The idea is to bring all of our resources together. The only way we addressed [stream crossings] was through enforcement, until now," LaCroix said. "The borough has been aggressive in pursuing matching funds. They are bringing other people to the table."

The different agencies had a natural resource project meeting last month, and the borough has caught the interest of another player: The National Marine Fisheries Service is concerned with coastal zone tributaries, and has shown an interest in the Valley.

"We are seizing the opportunity to work with the agencies that are relating to our needs," Kaucic said.