Borough, Palmer negotiate avigation easement

PALMER — The City of Palmer and Mat-Su Borough are in preliminary negotiations for an avigation easement on the airspace of the Mat-Su River Park, potentially concerning the height of 206 trees. City of Palmer Manager John Moosey wrote on July 30 that a study would be required to satisfy applicable Federal regulations prior to any agreement between the Borough and city of Palmer.

At the August 3 meeting of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly, Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board Vice-Chair Chris Wilson presented to the Assembly, stating that he felt the objection from the PRTAB had not been acted upon.

“The board feels that our 19-06 resolution has been disregarded or ignored throughout the current avigation easement process. It is important to note as described in the 19-06 resolution that the Mat-Su River Park is a positive revenue generator for the borough,” said Wilson. “We would request funds to study collateral impact to the forests and habitat by a professional forester and arborist if tree removal or other mitigation options are implemented. We question what will be the impacts to users of the sport fields on the west side of the park boundary.”

The Mat-Su River Park generated $53,000 in revenue in 2019 as the only revenue generating facility that the Mat-Su Recreation division. An avigation easement is a property right acquired which protects the use of airspace over certain heights, with limitations on the use of land subject to the easement.

“The city of Palmer has sufficient land to expand the runway on City of Palmer property without impacting the use, enjoyment, atmosphere or revenue stream of the Matanuska River Park campground,” reads PRTAB resolution 19-06.

Moosey wrote that a website would be developed with the sole purpose of disseminating information for public consumption and input on the proposed avigation easement, and that Palmer was in the process of obtaining a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to fund the study.

“The City of Palmer and the Mat-Su Borough have cooperatively restarted discussions regarding aviation safety at the Palmer Municipal Airport and how it is impacted by some of the taller trees in the Matanuska River Park. One alternative includes an expanded avigation easement that would give Palmer the right to selectively remove trees that are a hazard to aviation over a larger area of the park in order to make the park and the air transportation corridor above the park safer,” wrote Moosey. “The study will include an evaluation of options to offset impacts to the park, which will need to be acceptable not only to the Borough, but also Alaska State Parks, the National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration. Palmer’s desire is to partner with the Borough to manage penetrations of the airspace while preserving the park and utilizing the full capabilities of the airport.”

Wilson presented to the Assembly that the PRTAB questioned the ability for the Palmer airport to handle jets as large as MD 80’s, 737’s and C-17’s as proposed. Wilson questioned the move from a 600 foot north threshold to the 2,200 foot southern expansion currently proposed.

“It is the board’s understanding that this action would be in direct violation of the Land Water Conservation Fund Grant that was used to construct variable elements of the Mat-Su River Park. The gross alteration of the landscape by removing such a large number of mature trees would cause an obvious conversion of use of the park facilities and the current master plan, potentially rendering this park unusual or undesirable to present and future park users. This conversion of use would be in direct violation 4F and 6F of the land water conservation fund and would initiate a state and Federal involvement,” said Wilson.