Outdoor briefs

Advisory meeting scheduled

The Matanuska Valley Advisory Committee is meeting March 24 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Wasilla City Chambers.

Organizers said this is likely the last meeting until fall. Most of the meeting will be devoted to discussing and drafting fin fish proposals. Alaska Department of Fish and Game fisheries biologist Dave Rutz will be on hand. The public is invited to attend.

For more information, interested people can call Wayne Kubat at 376-9567.

Emergency order for Eklutna Tailrace announced

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has ordered the Eklutna Tailrace open for king salmon fishing. The order covers the tailrace upstream to a marker 100 feet downstream of the Old Glenn Highway, including all waters within a half-mile radius of its confluence with the Knik River. The order begins at 12:01 a.m. on April 15 and runs through Dec. 13.

New grooming contract on Petersville Road

The Alaska State Parks Mat-Su Area Office has begun contract grooming of the unplowed portion of the Petersville Road from the Kroto Creek Trailhead at Milepost 13.9 to approximately Milepost 30. The grooming is funded by snowmobile registration fees. It is expected to continue for the next four or five weeks. Trail users, particularly snowmobilers, are cautioned to watch for the snowcat and towed grooming equipment on weekdays.

Snowmobilers should observe the "rules of the road" like staying to the right, keeping their speed to 35 mph or less and yielding to dog teams, skiers and other slower trail users.

For more information, contact the Mat-Su Area Office at 745-3975.

Curry and Kesugi Ridges snowmobile opening update

The Curry and Kesugi Ridge snowmachine closure in Denali State Parks has been lifted. With another seven inches of new snow reported at Byers Lake, the staff has determined that there is enough snow on the ground to protect the underlying vegetation. Areas above 1,500 feet are now open to snowmobiles. State Parks asks that any areas that are bare of snow be avoided to protect the underlying vegetation.

For more information, contact the Mat-Su Area Office at 745-3975.

Hillside, Upper Huffman reopen

The Anchorage Hillside/Upper Huffman and Bird Creek Valley areas of Chugach State Park have received sufficient snowfall to protect the underlying vegetation and will reopen to the use of snowmobiles, state parks officials said.

Eagle River Green Belt, Big Peters Creek and Ptarmigan Valley remain closed. When snow conditions improve to allow snow vehicle use, these areas will be reopened.

The Eklutna Lake area remains open to the use of snowmobiles.

For further information, call 269-8400.