Deb Ryan of “Save Our Domes” had a recent post about plans by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office to lease 440 acres of land on Cleary Summit to the Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc. The land would be used to store rock waste.
To view the public notice referred to by Deb, see HERE.
I have done some research and am concerned that an important section of trail may be in danger of being lost if the lease takes place. I have submitted the comment below. If you have concerns, please submit your comments.
You can comment by sending letters to the Alaska Mental Health Trust Lands Office at: 2600 Cordova Street, Suite 201, Anchorage, AK 99503, or by fax (907) 269-8905 or email mhtlo@alaska.gov. Comments are due by July 18 at 5pm.
(Apologies for the late notice. For a variety of reasons, I have had a hard time keeping up on this.)
My Comment
While I support the ability of the Alaska Mental Health Trust to use its lands to raise funds for its mission, I have strong concerns about one aspect of the Trust Land Office to lease a 440-acre plot of MHT land to Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc.
One important trail may be lost to public use if this lease is completed. The trail (see attached graphic, trail highlighted in red) connects the northern end of the Gilmore-Cleary Summit Trail to Fish Creek Road. It bypasses a section of Fort Knox Road. I believe that section of road has been signed as being off limits to the public. In any case, it is plowed in winter and is busy with truck traffic. If the highlighted trail is marked as off limits or is buried by mine waste, it will not be accessible by trail users. Without use of that section of trail, the Gilmore-Cleary Summit Trail would deadend at the Fort Knox Road. That would be a great loss to trail users.
I urge you to provide protections for that trail before leasing the land to Fairbanks Gold Mining, Inc.
While trails are not an official mental health facility, many studies show that being active and being outdoors greatly help mental and physical health. There are many anecdotes of trail users — such as runners, cyclists, cross-country skiers, snowmachiners, and mushers – who say that having access to trails is essential to their mental health.
I hope you will recognize that this trail is an important part of that unofficial mental health facility and provide protections for it before leasing the land.
Thank you,
Eric Troyer
Editor and Publisher
Interior Alaska Trails Newsletter
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