Don’t cater to a ‘select few’

To the editor:

It has been my experience for more than 35 years in Alaska that when the Mat-Su Borough or state wants a public opinion, many times it’s nothing but a warning of what the current administration is going to do — whether the public wants it or not.

So here we go again.

This Government Peak/Bald Mountain/Hatcher Pass concern is nothing but an agenda to appease a select few. For 35 years, I have been living on Edgerton Peak Road, and there has never been any serious upset, anger or hostilities between neighbors or the community until the “good ol’ boys” decided to revise (for their own agendas) the Hatcher Pass Amendment Plan, which was finalized October 1986.

The old management plan states on page 247: “A variety of motorized and nonmotorized trails will be established in most of the unit.” Section 6.c deals with hunting access: “Traditional motorized access for hunting will continue unless an area is closed for a nonmotorized trail system. In that event, equal or better access will be provided.”

There is more to demonstrate the multi-recreational 1986 HPAP that was provided for all the community, but the first thing that was done was to make it non-motorized. How convenient for the select few. The use of horseback riding has been severely slighted, and snowmachine use has been eliminated — along with the use of ATVs — to take out game for spring bear and traditional fall hunts.

Will the land swap be for the whole of the community or, once again, for a select few? Many demonstrations of public opinion at meetings have been asking for at least north/south and east/west motorized corridors for spring and fall hunts along the south face of Government Peak. Even skiers themselves have admitted that a designated route for motorized would be more advantageous than going just anywhere in the cross-country section. The Alyeska community and resort areas, so close to Anchorage, have acknowledged the need for multi-recreational uses for personal business, especially for financial gain.

What makes the Hatcher Pass area so different? The road and proposed parking lot going to Edgerton Peak Road for the proposed ski lodge should be multi-recreational as well. But once again, it’s only for a select few. In the meantime, the access of Waldo Reed Road going right to borough land from Edgerton Peak Road still stands ignored (it may interfere with the homes of the select few).

Selfishness and greed has been spewed across the community by a couple of newcomers in the past few years. Their desire has been to change multi-use recreation to cross-country skiing only. This scenario has overlooked or hidden part of what has made Hatcher Pass what it is today. Because of the sacrifice of many people and finances, the Carle Wagon Trail was made more than 100 years ago. Instead of the administration upholding its history, it has, with the select few, swept it under the pile of hoidy-toidy, snobbish ignorance. What are we teaching our youth?

The present and future population compared to the vastness of available land doesn’t need to exclude any type of recreational use for the next 20 years. Growing? Yes. Noises from dogs barking, chainsaws, traffic sounds from Hatcher Pass, both Palmer Fishhook and Wasilla Fishhook roads, overhead flight patterns from military and commercial use, and the Alaska Railroad going through Wasilla can all be heard on a quiet day. All of this growth noise does not justify the cross-country crowd’s reasoning for wanting this particular area for their own use. Folks need to understand that when this area is cut off, we — the local homeowners of the Fishhook community — will be deprived of our multi-use recreational rights.

All the more reason we should come together and share what God has given us instead of trying to manipulate for just a select few. Whatever land you exchange, please do it for all of us.

Al Plisousky

Palmer