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Chugach State Park planner Monica Alvarez asks those attending a public scoping workshop Wednesday, April 9 what they would like to see offered within the boundaries of Chugach State Park. The input will be used to develop a new master plan and trail plan for the park.
Star Photo By DARRELL L. BREESE
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Locals had a variety of ideas for how to design Chugach State Park to provide the maximum access and the widest variety of uses. Residents offered comments during a public scoping meeting held Wednesday, April 9, in Eagle River.
“No idea is off limits,” said Monica Alvarez, Chugach State Park planner. “We wanted to hear all potential ideas from the people who use the park, and the that's what we got.”
The responses included such ideas as hunting and trapping, as well as increasing the number of public access points.
“After listening to all the responses, it's obvious that the people out here (Chugiak-Eagle River) use the park,” Alvarez said after the meeting. “We got some good insight into how people use the park today and what future uses they'd like to see be offered.”
Occupying 490,000 acres, or 40 percent of the municipality of Anchorage, Chugach State Park plays a vital role in the recreation choices residents make.
However, the limited official public access points in the local area seemed to be the biggest concern among those attending the meeting. There are five state park-owned access points to the park in the Chugiak-Eagle River area, including Eagle River Campground, Eklutna Lake Campground, Ptarmigan Valley trailhead, Briggs Bridge area, Mile 7.4 and Thunderbird Falls.
“There are some other access points existing on public or private property, such as the Eagle River Nature Center and the access to Mount Baldy the municipality of Anchorage is developing,” Alvarez said. “But what we heard tonight is that more access is needed to some of the more popular trails.”
The most recent trail inventory for the local areas of the park indicate that there are 43 recognized trails, with the majority accessed by crossing private property, such as the popular Ram Valley trail network, located in the Eagle River Valley.
“Over the years this has become a popular area, but there is no access,” said Douglas Gibson of Eagle River. “There are some excellent trails in the area, but to get to them you have to park on the street and cross private property.”
Accessing trails in the area via makeshift parking lots at the end of roads has been problematic over the years and is a point of contention for residents of the streets that turn into parking lots on summer weekends and during berry season.
“The property owners where people access Ram Valley have been cooperative, and we've reached an agreement with them for access,” said John Rodda, director of the Eagle River-Chugiak Parks, Recreation and Community Development. “They've done everything but sign the agreement because there is some animosity among their neighbors.”
According to Alvarez, such agreements Ñ brokered by local parks and rec officials Ñ are part of the joint access plan with the municipality. State parks officials want to include these in the development of a new master plan for the park.
“Ram Valley is just one of many popular trails along the park's boundaries that we don't have an official access to,” she said. “So hearing from the park users in meetings like this is how we can identify which areas we need to address.”
Ros Singleton, president of the Eagle River Nordic Ski Club, said she wants to see a new network of trails developed to connect Eagle River High School and Gruening Middle School with the land around Eagle River.
“If a trail system is put in from the schools, it would open a new door for people to access the park,” she said. “Plus, there is already available parking at both the schools. It would be great for both summer hiking and mountain biking. It would also give the ski and cross-country running teams from the schools somewhere to train that is not on the neighboring roads.”
Singleton also presented written comments from Ja Doris, Eagle River High School cross country skiing coach, and others who support the idea to develop the trail network near the schools on a Heritage Land Bank parcel adjacent to Eagle River Campground and then up the river.
Several people spoke of the need to improve existing trails throughout the park to eliminate erosion, which forces trail users to blaze new trails across vegetation.
Former Chugach State Park Manager Pete Panarese addressed the importance of planning for the future when looking at new trailheads to provide access into the park.
“When it comes to trailhead development, I would think when discussing new trailheads and parking areas that we should plan for the future, and do something radical and develop trails for future trail use,” he said. “Take, for instance, Flat Top Mountain (in Anchorage). That trail should be paved so it is clear for users where they should step as they're going up the trail. Instead, high up on that peak, everything has been eroded because of overuse.”
Dan McDonough, who manages Eklutna Lake and Eagle River campgrounds for the park, said trails should be developed to include multiple uses.
“I'd like to see trails somewhere in the park for dedicated uses,” he said. “For horses and mountain bikers, which would be a very popular thing almost instantly. I believe that dedicated access trails would be very popular and there would be groups that would step forward and support such trails.”
More public use cabins, snowmachine trails, wildlife viewing areas and planning for alternative uses such as paragliding were also among the topics raised during the meeting.
“This is just the kind of input we are looking for,” Alvarez said. “Any idea is a basic idea at this stage of where to go in the planning process. It will help provide us the direction we need to move ahead in developing a master plan.”
Alvarez said those who missed the meeting can still submit written comments for the initial scoping of the project.
The deadline is June 2 and comments may be sent in by e-mailing monica.alvarez@alaska.gov or sent in by fax to 269-8915. Mailed comments can be sent to Chugach State Park Planning, 550 W. Seventh Ave., Suite 1050, Anchorage, AK 99501
Reach the reporter at darrell.breese@alaskastar.com.
