After the cold snap of early February, it suddenly feels like dreamy late winter weather. The sun has been shining, the temperature warm, and the trail systems in fantastic shape. People and critters of the watershed are out enjoying the weather. We are supposed to get another round of snow next week, which will create a great opportunity to send in comment letters, enjoy our speaker events, or learn how to engage with the Board of Fish in between shoveling. This is an especially busy time of year for the Susitna River Coalition, so take a look below to learn about the issues affecting our home.
Still Time...To Show Your Watershed Love!
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If you have appreciated these newsletters, attended any of our events, or found our tips for testimony helpful, please consider supporting our work.
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We work for the Su and we work for you.
Update: Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan
Executive Order 134: Repealing the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory Board
In January, Governor Dunleavy issued a series of Executive Orders to disband a number of public Advisory Boards seeking to "streamline processes." But the phrase streamlining processes is synonymous with taking power away from the people and eliminating opportunities for public input.
One of these Executive Orders, EO134, seeks to disband the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory Board.
For Context:
The Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan is a forward thinking and valuable management plan that was passed into law in 1991 following a robust public process. This management plan mitigates user groups on six waterways within the Susitna Basin. The concerns and opinions of the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory board play an important role in informing any plan changes and keeping this comprehensive plan relevant to All waterway users.
The Governor has been targeting our local ability to manage these important waterways and the opportunities for citizens to engage in this process since 2021. The Susitna River Coalition has been heavily involved with this management plan and advisory board since the potential repeal of the plan during the 2021 legislative session. As a refresher, Senate Bill 97 was introduced to the Alaska state legislature in spring of 2021. This bill, if it had passed, would have repealed the “establishment of recreational rivers and recreation river corridors.” There was strong opposition to this repeal. The bill was not passed in the 2021 legislative session.
In 2022, House Bill 120, a parallel bill to Senate Bill 97, was introduced in the State Legislature. Due again to strong public opposition to the repeal, the language concerning Recreation Rivers was later removed, removing the threat of Recreation Rivers designations being removed. While the bills did not pass, the state was directed to form the Advisory Board.
In November 2021 the Governor appointed 13 members representing a diverse range of stakeholder groups that utilize these waterways. These advisory board members provide a crucial role as the informed consultant for the Commissioner while preparing, adopting, and revising the Recreation River Management Plan and regulations affecting use and management of the Recreation Rivers.
In July of 2023, Dunleavy unceremoniously fired two members of the Advisory Board after making recommendations to the Department of Natural Resources regarding plan amendments. In a letter to the two individuals, Dunleavy cited that their viewpoints were not beneficial to the future of Alaska.
Why Our Community Cares:
Currently, the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management plan is undergoing revision after 30 years in use. The Advisory Board is integral to this process. We disagree with the Governor’s statement that disbanding this valuable advisory board midway through revision of this plan is beneficial, and believe that its continued existence and involvement is in fact beneficial to the state. The insights of the user groups represented by the Advisory Board are invaluable to adequately inform the interests of those that utilize these high use waterways in our state. Removing the input hard won from the public and their experiences, insights, and areas of expertise goes contrary to the well-thought through intentions of the plan. The concerns and opinions of this board play an important role in informing any plan changes keeping the plan relevant into the future.
A significant amount of time, energy, and expense has been put into this plan by the state, and keeping the plan strong is important to the future of these six rivers represented in the plan: the Talkeetna, Deshka, Lake Creek, Alexander Creek, the Talachulitna and the Little Susitna. An attempt to remove the Advisory Board appears to be another way to attempt to lessen the effectiveness of the plan and removes local voices from the process.
The Susitna River Coalition urges the legislature to keep the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Advisory Board in place.
Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan: Draft Review Still Underway
The Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan has been undergoing a review and revision over the past few years.
During the first week of 2024, the Department of Natural resources released the draft plan. The draft plan is available on the project webpage.
The comment period closes March 5, 2024.
We are currently reviewing the document as a team, and will have talking points and changes shared with ample time prior to the comment deadline.
Why Our Community Cares:
This robust and ambitious plan manages six high use waterways (Talkeetna, Little Susitna, Deshka, Alexander Creek, Lake Creek and the Talachulitna) within our watershed. If the plan is to be revised, protections should be maintained and thoughtfully modified for the current era.
Action:
DNR did not provide a redlined or comparison copy of the changes, review is a very tedious process. We need more time for a comprehensive review... and you may too!Ask the Department of Natural Resources to extend the comment period for the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan Review.
You can submit a request for a 60 day extension here and see our letter for an example of your request.
Watch for Tips for Comment on the plan in your inbox next week.
Alaska Board of Fisheries Public Workshop
February 19th, 2024 at 6PM
MSB Assembly Chambers
The Mat Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission is hosting an evening of conversation and education surrounding how fisheries are managed in our state before the upcoming Board of fish meeting.
"The FWC, along with MSB staff, would like to invite residents to attend a public workshop next Monday evening in the Assembly Chambers. You will learn about the BOF process, what to expect when attending the meetings, and ways to provide public testimony. We anticipate time for a Q&A session with our FWC members, who have years of experience in all facets of the Board process. We hope to see you there!"
Dena'ina Athabascan History in the Upper Cook Inlet and Susitna Watershed
with Kevin Toothaker from Knik Tribe
February 20th, 2024 at 6PM
Zoom and Facebook Live
Join the SRC on February 20 at 6PM as we welcome Kevin Toothaker from Knik Tribe to talk about the rich history of the Dena'ina Athabascan in the Upper Cook Inlet and Susitna Drainage.
In late 2019, Knik Tribe was awarded a Cultural Exchange Grant from the Administration of Native Americans to do a Youth Cultural Exchange Program with other Cook Inlet Tribes, but the COVID 19 Pandemic prevented travel and made us think of alternative ways to share the Culture and history of the Dena’ina in the Upper Inlet.
This pivot made us realize that many of our neighbors, coworkers, and colleagues truly did not have any idea of the rich history and culture of the Dena’ina in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Known for Caribou? Ice Skating across the inlet from Knik to Eklutna? A village on every salmon bearing stream? A 7’ tall Chief?
This presentation is an effort to share the rich history of the Dena’ina Athabascans of the Upper Inlet with slides about the Dena’ina way of life and the history around Susitna Station, Red Shirt Lake, Kroto Creek Villages.
“The Dena’ina reside here in the Upper Inlet of the Mat-Su Valley, we drive on their old trails, fish in the same streams, hunt where they hunted, and live in the beauty they preserved… Tikatnu”
Kevin Toothaker works for Knik Tribe’s Cultural Preservation Department as a Cultural Exchange Coordinator. He is both a Palmer High School and Mat-Su College Graduate who has raised his family in the Mat-Su Valley.
Register for this event Here and Learn more on the Facebook Event Page.
Want to watch this event with your friends?
Denali Education Center is hosting a watch party on Tuesday! Head on down to Denali Education Center Talkeetna Campus to enjoy the lecture.
Susitna Watershed Energy Landscape:
MEA Candidates Announced
Do you pay a Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) electric bill? If you do and live in either of the two districts with seats available in the 2024 MEA board elections, you can vote! MEA board directors help make decisions that impact the affordability, reliability and resilience of our energy grid. The candidates for the two districts have been announced on the MEA website.
For the Susitna West District Board Seat, which includes part of KGB west of S. Vine Rd, Big Lake, Mead Lakes, Houston, Willow, Caswell, Talkeetna, Trapper Creek up to Denali State Park, the candidates are Henrik Wessel (our top choice), Bill Kendig (the incumbent) and Darren Kessler. For the Susitna East District Seat which covers part of KGB to S Vine Rd, from N Church Rd over to Seward Meridian Pkwy up North to W Schrock and up part of N Wasilla-Fishhook Rd, the candidates are Daniel Baldwin (our top choice) and Maxwell Sumner (the incumbent).
The Susitna River Coalition will be organizing around these elections, and if you would like to be involved or learn more about what we do please contact the SRC Energy Coordinator, June Okada, at june@susitnarivercoalition.org. You can make a big difference by donating to this work or volunteering even just for a few hours! We will have more information released in the next few weeks.
Why Our Community Cares:
The MEA board of directors make decisions that impact electricity rates, and the reliability and resilience of our energy grid. It is important to vote for responsible community leaders who can transition MEA to an equitable, sustainable and effective energy future and will speak out against damaging wasteful projects like the Susitna Watana Hydro Project.
In the News
The Bad Idea that Keeps Returning
Anonymous OpEd Promotes Outdated Su Dam Agenda
The Su Dam seems to be popping back up as a consideration for long-term energy security on the Railbelt electric grid as utility staff and legislators struggle to find solutions to our Cook Inlet natural gas supply crisis. As the state legislative session continues, the Su Dam keeps getting mentioned and has been inaccurately promoted as a sustainable opportunity for a clean energy future. A recent opinion piecepublished by the Daily News-Miner requests federal funding as the project will no doubt cost double or triple the amount that AEA claims. The anonymous author writes that “restarting the Susitna-Watana project becomes not just a choice but a responsibility.”
Why our Community Cares:
There is little that is responsible about spending billions of dollars ($7 billion 2023 value according to AEA’s presentation to the Alaska Energy Security Task Force last year) on a massive 705-ft tall 42-mile long dam that will cause detrimental impacts to our wild salmon populations, flood 40,000 acres of wildlife habitat and ultimately destroy one of Alaska’s most valued river based communities and economies. Taking steps towards a carbon-neutral, safe and reliable energy future means choosing to say No to the Su Dam and say Yes to investing into smaller, less damaging, renewable, and sustainable projects that would diversify our energy generation.
West Susitna Industrial Corridor Update:
On January 19th, the Alaska DOT sent out the 2024-2027 draft STIP plan to Federal Highways for approval. In addition to the document itself, all public comments made during the July to September comment period were sent to Federal Highways.
Federal Highways reviewed the DOT draft STIP plan and has tentatively rejected the plan in its entirety, including Project 32406, West Susitna Access, due to a significant failure of DOT to adhere to and adequately follow the application process.
A 24-page document was released highlighting the many issues with the submitted plan that failed to follow the clear application guidelines from the Federal Government.
While we have seen carelessness by AIDEA time and time again with their unpopular pursuit of the West Susitna Industrail Corridor, it was shocking to see the thoughtlessness with which the state pursued a laundry list of other projects within the state. This fumble has the potential to cheat Alaska out of over $5 billion in Federal funding and consequently lose the state thousands of jobs by potentially squandering an entire season of construction and improvements.
Read more about the response to the draft STIP plan in ADN, Alaska Public Media, and from Dermot Cole.
Where does West Susitna Access go from here?
West Susitna Access had some significant notes in the 24 page document issued by Federal Highways in response to Alaska's STIP plan.
1. pg 12 - 34206, West Susitna Access Road; no bridgework was identified in scope. Not eligible for BFP. (BFP means Bridge Funding Program)
2. pg 23 - 34206, West Susitna Access Road; When is AC (Advance Construction) funding going to be converted? How is the project going to advance to construction in 18 months? No work has begun.
While there were many criticisms of West Susitna Access and the plan as a whole that led to the rejection of the proposal, this does not mean that the plan is totally shut down. The State of Alaska has until March 1st to address the concerns of Federal Highways and attempt to salvage the plan. If the plan is later approved, we anticipate opportunities during the legislative session to advocate for the future of the Susitna Drainage and against the ill-conceived and unpopular project that would inflict irreparable change in the West Susitna region.
Want to Learn more about the West Susitna Industrial Corridor?
If your organization would like to learn more about the West Susitna Industrial Corridor, please contact us.
We are happy to travel throughout the Mat-Su and beyond to share the story of this mega project that would forever alter the face of the Susitna drainage, the currently thriving sustainable economies, and the area's unique Alaskan recreation opportunities.
Contact margaret@susitnarivercoalition.org to schedule a time for us to present to your group and discuss the future of the wild West Susitna drainage.