Borough to retain land

MAT-SU -- Approximately 200 acres that is crossed by a trail linking the Crevasse-Moraine Trail system with Long Lake and the Kepler-Bradley Lakes system will stay in Mat-Su Borough hands.

After the public comments flowed in, advocating the borough keep the 200 acres, recently assessed at $264,000, a press release issued by borough land management officer Steve Cypra noted that the application for exchange had been withdrawn.

The swap would have exchanged the 200 acres located south of the Crevasse-Moraine trail system and adjacent to University of Alaska land for just more than 20 acres near Matanuska River -- between Matanuska River Park and the river, and extending across the Glenn Highway to cover approximately 15 acres on the south side of the road.

The Matanuska River-area land is assessed at $73,500, although a 1995 appraisal listed it at nearly $340,000. The exchange was proposed several years ago by the owners of the Matanuska River land -- Leif, Noel, Ross and Karl Kopperud.

"As far as we're concerned, that ship has sailed and we don't have any further interest in it," Ross Kopperud said Wednesday.

When the family first began discussing the possibility of purchasing the land, Kopperud said, the 200 acres were unclassified. But after public comments began pouring in stating that the best use of the land was for it to remain in public hands, Kopperud said he met with staff from the borough's land management office who said the land was no longer available.

"They … indicated that they were still interested in acquiring our land," Kopperud said, "but that the Crevasse-Moraine land was not available for sale or trade."

Cypra said the land in question was in the process of being designated as land for public recreation, and it was no longer up for sale. If an offer was made, Cypra said, "We wouldn't accept [it]."

Kopperud said borough staff has asked for a list of parameters that would help narrow down the list of land that would be acceptable for trade or purchase. They gave the parameters, Kopperud said, and are awaiting a list of possible properties.

"We're in no hurry," Kopperud said.

Meanwhile, borough staff is in the process of writing up documents for the classification of the land, Cypra said, and once the documents are completed, they will be reviewed by several borough boards and commissions and, finally, the borough assembly.

Although that portion of land is presently in the process of being reserved for public recreational use only, there is still some negotiating to be done before the public use it. Only a small portion of the linking trail crosses the 200 acres the Kopperuds discussed, Cypra said. Much of it actually crosses University of Alaska-owned land.

When the issue of the trail came up recently, university staff objected to the trail crossing university land. The objection resulted in a review of the use of the land -- and the borough is now in negotiations with the university to reserve trail access.

The land the trail crosses involves the approximately 400 acres donated by Fred and Sara Machentanz. That land was passed through the borough to the university and, Cypra said, the university may ask for a change in the stipulations that came with the donated land. One stipulation, Cypra said, was that no development would occur on the land for 75 years. University staff may ask for that stipulation to be changed.

"They would like a removal [of that stipulation]," Cypra said, "or to see it substantially diluted."

Staff from the University of Alaska's land management office in Fairbanks, and from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Parks and Recreation Mat-Su Area Headquarters could not be reached for comment on the issue, as both offices were closed.