Bob Perkins is organizing public comments against a corridor in the FNSB Comprehensive Road Plan. But if you care about trails near Skyline Ridge Park, you may want to be involved.
The corridor is 251, the Moose Trail Extension. While the current issue is about a road corridor on a planning document, if the corridor is kept in the plan it could affect trails to the west of Skyline Ridge Park.
The trails within the park are protected, but several trails extend to the west of the park’s boundaries. The park extends roughly from Noel Drive to the radio towers at the top of Ski Boot Hill Road. Trails extending to the west — including the Skyline Ridge Connector, Deep Secret, and the bottom part of Heart of Darkness — run across land owned by a Native Corporation. Of those trails, only Skyline Ridge Connector is protected by the FNSB Comprehensive Recreational Trails Plan. If the land is developed, the other two trails could be lost. The land is more likely to be developed if a road is put in along Corridor 251.
Besides trails, residents along Moose Trail and connecting roads have concerns about the increased traffic if a road were to be built along Corridor 251. Bob Perkins is organizing public comments opposing that corridor. The FNSB Assembly will consider whether to keep that corridor in the plan at a special meeting on May 30.
Bob also hopes in the future to organize an effort to preserve the land to the west of Skyline Ridge Park for recreation and green space.
I am not opposed to the Native corporation developing the land. After all, I live in a subdivision that was once undeveloped green space. But like many others, I have come to love the trails involved in this issue. I would love for Bob to be able to find an equitable solution that saves those trails and that area, or at least some of it, for green space.
If you want to be involved in the current roads plan effort, send an email to Bob at raperkins (at) alaska.edu.
Unfortunately, there is no single map that ties all these aspect together. However, you can get an idea of what’s happening from these.
Borough map of Skyline Ridge Park
Trails in the area on Trail Forks
Screenshot from the Boro Trails Plan showing just the Skyline Ridge Connector on the plan
Screenshot from the current draft of the Boro Roads Plan showing Corridor 251, the Moose Trail Extension
Screenshot from Boro GIS showing the block of land owned by a Native corporation
I live right in this area and use these trails every day, all year long. I have no concerns about future or current neighbors accessing their properties. I presume Bob is the individual who distributed fliers to our mailboxes without postage. Most of this land is owned by CIRI Corp. If Bob needs to control it he should offer to purchase or lease the land from them.