Assembly poised to consider

Mat-Su coastal management plan

February 19, 2006

DARRELL L. BREESE\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - There are countless miles of coastline along the countless lakes, rivers and streams in the Mat-Su Borough. After a vote in 2003 by the Alaska Legislature, every mile of those shorelines was no longer covered by the existing borough management plan.

That is all about to change, as an amendment to the Alaska state management program is ready for approval by the borough assembly Tuesday, but getting to this point wasn't easy. &#8220After the state vote, the borough's coastal plan no longer conformed to the new requirements,” said Susan Lee, coastal program coordinator for the borough. &#8220It wasn't simply a matter of updating the plan originally adopted back in 1984, it was a complete rewrite,” she said.

The new state requirements regarding coastal management policies, development and access are now limited to saltwater coasts. Most, if not all, river, lakes and streams inside the borough's coastal zone were no longer considered coastal water. Under the state law, the borough's coastal management plan may no longer include policies that address the management of uses and activities located immediately adjacent to rivers, lakes, and streams, unless these water bodies are inside a special designation area. The state allows the districts to create the following designations: recreation, tourism, major energy facilities, natural hazards, commercial fishing and seafood processing, and history and archaeology.

Under the borough's draft, the areas adjacent to rivers and lakes, located within the boundary of the plan, will be designated as a recreation and tourism use area, allowing for development to be considered in the coastal zone just as it is under the current program.

This designation is not a &#8220zone” and does not limit uses to strictly recreation or tourism. With this designation, the borough has input on development actions that require state or federal permits. The coastal zone covered by the plan begins at the eastern tip of Knik Glacier

and travels west, encompassing the Knik River drainage, including the north shores of Knik Arm and Cook Inlet. At the other end of the boundary are the southern slopes of Mount Yenco and Montana Creek.

&#8220In order for the borough to remain actively involved with coastal management, we had to make the special designation,” Lee said. &#8220Otherwise, we would not have input on development actions that require state or federal permits along rivers and lakes.” By including the lake and river shorelines in the recreation and tourism designation, the borough will be able to regulate shoreline development, establish waterline setback requirements, manage sand and gravel extraction and protect historic and natural resources. &#8220Simply put, this plan keeps us involved,” Borough Manager John Duffy said. &#8220Without it, we would be powerless and without a voice in regards to any development in the 4,000 square miles of coastal area within the borough.”