DNR meeting now public, comment period extended

MAT-SU -- The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has agreed to make public a group of inter-agency meetings geared to prepare for the upcoming public workshops related to the Mat-Su Coalbed Methane project.

DNR took the project on as a way to develop guidelines for coal-bed methane production and alleviate public concerns about issues surrounding development. Pat Galvin at DNR said the inter-agency meetings scheduled to take place before a round of public workshops were originally going to involve only the agencies involved, but demands from the public to open the doors changed the plan.

"We're dealing with an unexpected level of public interest," Galvin said. "It was a surprise to us -- we hold meetings with other agencies all the time. It was a surprise to us that these meetings generated so much public interest."

Galvin said it's not unusual for DNR to collaborate with representatives from other agencies in informal meetings to work on upcoming or pertinent issues.

"Originally, this was simply a discussion for getting ready for the public workshops," Galvin said. "It was just an opportunity to talk with folks from other respective agencies and to stay on the same page in preparing for the public workshops."

The meeting, scheduled for Monday at 1:30 p.m. in Anchorage at the Atwood building, may or may not include a time for public comments, Galvin said. The meetings weren't designed for public comments, but they may allow audience participation at the end of the meeting, if time allows.

The turn of events extends beyond the organizational meeting, however. Galvin said DNR has extended the comment period for 13 shallow-gas leases peppering the Valley, which total about 64,000 acres. The acreage amount, he said, can be deceiving because not all of that acreage may be available through the state for extraction. The deadline extension was announced last week, but no new time limit has been set.

"It's not date-specific," Galvin said. "It's designed to coincide with the final comment period for the guidelines."

Galvin said there isn't an end-date for developing the guidelines, but it's likely the process will continue through the end of the year and well into next year. More organizational meetings will be scheduled Monday, he said, and work sessions with the public are scheduled to begin in December or January. While Mat-Su guidelines are being developed, he said, DNR will be working with communities on the Kenai Peninsula to educate residents about shallow-gas leases in their area. A meeting is scheduled for Nov. 10 in Homer, Galvin said, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough asked DNR representatives to speak to residents in their area as well.