Plan could mean happy trails for Willow area

WILLOW — Willow nurse Nina Davidson knew there was a critical need for summer trails in her area when she first spotted an elderly gentleman in a hospital gown pushing his walker down Long Lake Road.

“There was nowhere else for him to go,” Davidson said. “I saw him year after year. Last summer, he was walking over five miles, but he was at least wearing a reflective vest and a sweatsuit.”

Seeing mothers with baby strollers and folks walking their dogs on the roads also concerned Davidson.

So she not only helped start the Willow Health Organization, but teamed up with people like recreational dog musher Steve Charles to task the Willow Area Community Organization with coming up with a summer trails plan for the future.

In existence for the past 15 years, the Willow Area Community Organization (WACO) had in the past concentrated on winter trails. Over the last couple of years, however, the Willow Health Organization (WHO) and WACO pushed to form a Willow Summer Trails Subcommittee (WSTS) in December 2009.

That fall, the groups had received a $25,000 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation for the development of a Willow Summer Trails Master Plan. With those funds, the WSTS commissioned a land design and engineering firm to provide research, design and public outreach expertise to help create the master plan.

Last month, Boutet Company Inc. released that study, which has been posted online for public viewing at www.waco-ak.org or in hard copy at the Willow Public Library.

The public is invited to comment on the first draft of the Willow Summer Trails Master Plan through Jan. 16. Comments can be sent to the Willow Trails Committee at P.O. Box 845, Willow, 99688, or online at trails@waco-ak-org.

The study area for the first phase of the planning process runs from Mile 61 to Mile 84 of the Parks Highway. The study area was reduced to areas between the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and the Willow Creek State Recreation Area, totaling about 98 square miles or 63,134 acres, according to the draft document.

“This would allow more focus on the town center where businesses, public facilities and neighborhoods are concentrated,” the report states.

The area includes lands primarily owned and managed by the state, the Mat-Su Borough, and the private sector. The borough owns about 30,400 acres of land within the WACO boundary area and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources manages three large tracts adjacent to the study area comprising 21,400 acres.

The three DNR tracts include the Willow Creek State Recreation Area, Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and Hatcher Pass Management Area. As expected, the study area has substantial environmental constraints because of wetlands, lakes and ponds that cover about 34 square miles, the report states.

There also are more than 90 cultural and historic sites identified by the Alaska Heritage Resource Survey. These sites are mostly located in the mining area along Willow-Fishhook Road and around Hatcher Pass.

Over the past year, the WSTS conducted a community outreach survey to measure public support for summer trails.

“The data also indicates that there is a very high demand for maintained trails in the study area with 95 percent of the respondents indicating they would utilize trails if there were accessible,” the Boutet report states, adding that most respondents indicated they’d use the trails for walking, but many would also use them for mountain biking, ATVs and running. “Of particular note is the high level of interest expressed by the community respondents for the development of the ‘40 Acre Parcel’ on the Willow Creek Parkway.”

The report goes on the say that a management agreement is being negotiated with the borough for community use of that parcel. “A trailhead, picnic amenities and trail development were all identified as preferred development features,” the report states.

Other priorities voiced by community members include:

• Paved or multi-use trail along the Parks Highway.

• Paved or multi-use trail along Willow-Fishhook Road.

• Trail connection to the Susitna River from the Parks Highway.

• Trail along Willow Creek.

• Trail around Kashwitna Lake.

• Trails along existing roadways in the “Lakes Area” with connections to the Willow Town Center.

• Trail connection to Nancy Lake State Recreation Area.

• Preservation of Lucky Shot Trail due to its historical significance.

Charles said recently he’s hoping that anyone who frequents the Willow area — even those in Anchorage and elsewhere in the state — will take time to review the master plan and submit comments.

“This is a 20-year plan and will be done in phases,” the retired music teacher said. “Right now it’s more like a smorgasbord of ideas. We just want everyone to be aware that they can have input in this.”

Contact K.T. McKee at Kate.McKee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.