Good work of students compromised by a few vandals

For the past four years the Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District has partnered with students, teachers and youth groups for various field projects. These projects benefit our natural resources and bring science principles from the classroom into the real world. This program promotes healthy local ecosystems. It introduces students to the real work of maintaining streams, wetlands and popular recreation areas in the Mat-Su.

More than 1,000 area youth have participated in stream bank revegetation, tree planting, building a rain garden, trail hardening, ATV bridge building and conducting stream clean-ups. These are real-life experiences for youngsters helping to ensure healthy habitats are maintained for fishing, hunting, birding and enjoying Alaska’s great outdoors.

Last month seventh-grade students from Teeland Middle School conducted a revegetation project along the Little Susitna River, upstream of the Sushana Road Bridge. This was on state land, owned by all Alaskans. It was formally permitted to ensure the work met official standards. To begin our efforts we had to clean up the work area. Students hauled out an oven, a torched double wide recliner, an engine block, truckloads of discarded camping gear, garbage, bullet casings and plastic bags. Much of this “haul” came out of the river. Once trash removal was completed the revegetation project began in earnest. A heavily rutted river bank surface (from motorized traffic over the bank and into the river) had to be leveled and smoothed. Wild flower and grass seed was distributed. Fabric mat was spread to help the seed get started. Willows that students had harvested in March were planted. Spruce and other native plants were transplanted to help stabilize the stream bank. A hand made sign, designed and painted at Teeland, was put up to identify the project.

Here’s where the story takes an ugly turn. During the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend there was significant vandalism of the site. Logs cabled in to stabilize the area were ripped out of place and used as part of a “campfire” in a nearby parking area. Newly planted spruce were dug up and used in the same fire. The hand-made sign was destroyed, and its mounting post was broken off at ground level. Several days of hard work by Mat-Su youngsters was damaged by what I imagine was a small number of vandals.

Over Memorial Day weekend another restoration project was damaged in the Palmer Moose Range east of Palmer Fishhook Road. One or more big-wheel trucks ripped up much of an 880-foot hardened trail. The same vehicle or vehicles drove repeatedly through the headwaters of Wasilla Creek, prime salmon spawning and rearing habitat, which had been part of a multi-year rehabilitation project. The damage was extensive.

Alaska land use and regulatory laws are often lenient and are not always enforced unless damages are extensive, ongoing and somehow a threat to us directly. As a growing community we have the responsibility to step up and protect our resources from senseless damage. If you see abuses taking place, call the troopers. If someone you know is driving his truck or ATV through salmon streams take a stand, and let him know this is destructive to important wetland habitat. If you know people who blatantly disregard and trash our public resources do what you can to encourage them to correct those behaviors. More than 1,000 area students have participated in resource protection and restoration here in the Mat-Su. Let’s show our appreciation by using our natural resources in a respectful manner, and encouraging others to do the same.

George Taylor is with the Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District.