State Forest Plan Revision Offers Opportunity to Advocate for Trails

Trail advocates have a chance to help expand our trail opportunities, but we don’t have much time to act. The comment deadline is November 19 at 5 p.m. UPDATE: Comment period has been extended until December 20.

Tanana Forest Plan Revision Offers Opportunity

The Tanana Valley State Forest is going through its management plan revision. (See the management revision page HERE.) This is a good time to advocate for connections between forestry roads that would expand our winter and summer trail opportunities for both motorized and non-motorized users.

Alaska Trails has submitted a letter to the state Division of Forestry asking for the connections, which would be a positive additions for interior Alaska trails in their own right and would also be a step closer to completion of the Alaska Long Trail. You can see Alaska Trails letter HERE. (See the map of proposed connections and a potential new trail at the end of this post.)

The connections would increase opportunities for recreation between Fairbanks and Nenana. Summer users would be able to go farther without having to connect forestry roads via the Parks Highway. The same goes for winter users, who would also be able create some interesting loops by combining the winter trail on the Tanana River. Packrafters, especially those on bikes, would also be able to create loops by floating down the river and coming back using the forestry roads and trail connections. These connections would all be on state forestry lands.

If these connections are made, we would be much closer to having a continuous trail/forestry road connection between Nenana and the Rosie Creek area, just outside of Fairbanks. (To complete the final part near Nenana will require some negotiations with private landowners, so that will have to involve negotiations and advocacy beyond the state Division of Forestry.)

Part of the Mission of Forestry

Part of the mission of the state Division of Forestry is to provide for recreational use of the state forest. Besides recreation, such connections would also improve access for hunting and harvesting of other wild resources, such as berries and mushrooms. They would also help improve the prospects for winter and summer tourism, such as tours by ATV, mountain bike, dogsled, and snowmachine. Such connections would not inhibit the use and sale of forestry products.

Possibility for Funding Sources Outside of Alaska

The proposal by Alaska Trails would cost just over $2.6 million, but not all that would have to be borne by the state. There are grant programs that could be tapped, especially if the Division of Forestry is willing to partner with nonprofit groups, such as Alaska Trails and the Interior Alaska Trails and Parks Foundation, or the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

Please Comment by November 19

If you support these connections, please submit your comments by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 19. (You can see the comments I submitted HERE. And here’s a LETTER submitted by the Fairbanks Cycle Club.)

By email: dnr.for.tvsfrevision@alaska.gov

By letter:
Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection
ATTN: TVSF Revision
550 W. 7th Ave. Suite 1450
Anchorage, AK 99501

Your comments can be simple. You can support the letter submitted by Alaska Trails (make sure to provide a copy of the letter or add a link), or you can simply say that you support the concept of building trails to connect forestry roads between Fairbanks and Nenana. Please include how you and the Fairbanks community would benefit.

Map of proposed trail connections and new trail from Alaska Trails.