Sled dogs and skiers dominate the current landscape of Beach Lake Regional Park, but what the park will look like and who will be its biggest users in the future remains unknown. The Eagle River-Chugiak Parks and Recreation department is attempting to clarify the future use of the park as it works to rewrite the 37-year-old park master plan.

Officials with Land Design North, the company hired to facilitate the project, held a meeting Feb. 8 to submit alternatives for future park use. The meeting drew representatives from the skiing, sled dog, equestrian and cycling communities. Many residents living near the park attended, too.

"What we are attempting to do is to preserve and protect the historic uses of the park," said planner Dewayne Adams with Land Design North. "But we can't keep our heads in the sand and not recognize that there will be future growth in the area and a change in user groups for the park."

Adams pointed out that the original master plan, created in 1973, had a greater emphasis on developing snowmachine trails than mushing trails, yet the use shifted away from motorized recreation and is now dominated by sled dog trails.

Similar changes in the community could change park-users needs 20 years from now, yet again, Adams explained, while encouraging the community to look forward in the process of crafting a new master plan. "Who knew 20 years ago that mountain biking and disc golf would become so popular?" he asked.

Current park users pushed back, resisting the idea of change.

"Once we permit additional uses of the park, we're promoting it," said Ron Adler, a recreational dog musher. "I believe Beach Lake should remain as exclusive as possible."

Adler's reaction came in response to one suggestion to include multiuse trails for mountain biking, hiking and horses in the park.

"We need to recognize that we can't make this park the one stop for every user group," Adler said. "It works for sled dogs and skiers. Why do we need to change it?"

Bobbi Wells, president of the Birchwood Community Council, also wants to see little change in the landscape of the 1,750-acre park, but for different reasons.

"This is a beautiful place," she said. "What I would like to see included in the master plan is a minimization of the human footprint in the park. We need to leave it as natural as possible."

The alternatives presented during the meeting represent minimal changes and drastic changes to how the park could be utilized.

Alternative 1 recognizes sled dogs and skiers as the highest, best use for the park and honors the 40-plus years of volunteer and community work to develop the existing trails.

"Minimal changes are recommended," said Sarah Wilson-Doyle, planner with Land Design North. "A multiuse trail is suggested along the side of Beach Lake Road and some minor improvements are made to the public-use area at the lake."

The plan also designates the sled dog trails for mushing only during the winter months and as shared trails in the summer.

Alternative 2B anticipates increased public use of the road and the area surrounding Beach Lake. The multiuse trail along the road is extended around Beach Lake, the public day-use area at the lake is expanded and a fenced dog run area would be developed near the ski trails.

The multiuse trail and shared use of the dog trails troubled musher Val Jokela.

My biggest worry with all the proposed multiuse trails is not just about the impact to the dog teams, but about the safety of all the users of the trails," she said. "By having shared, or multi use, we could have people hiking on the dog trails and that is a potential disaster waiting to happen."

Missing from both alternatives are any dedicated equestrian trails.

"I've got calls from three people this week asking about horse trails in the park," said parks and recreation director John Rodda. "Since people are asking about them, there is some desire to have them somewhere locally."

An unknown attendee at the meeting responded that the park should be made into a golf course. "There are only 100 or so people involved in the dog mushing club," the unknown voice called out. "I'm sure there are more golfers in the area."

A golf course is not a part of one of the alternatives presented during the open house.

Comments and suggestion are still possible online at www.muni.org/Departments/ERparks/Pages/BeachLakeMP.aspx, and will be used to develop a preliminary draft version of the park's master plan.

"We hope to have it posted online for review by (Monday)," Adams said. "That will give the community a chance to review it and prepare comments for our next open house, which will be March 2. That will be the last chance for public comment before the plan is presented to the park and rec board for review."

The process doesn't end there. Once approved by the local parks and rec board, the plan will need approval by the Anchorage Planning Commission and then the Anchorage Assembly before it becomes the final guide.

"There are some suggestions I don't support 100 percent at this point," said Tom Henry. "But without it we only have the original plan to guide the growth and future of the park. Like it or not, once we have the plan adopted, user groups will be able to plan for the next 20 or 30 years."

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese.@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, February 18, 2010.