Trail advocates have an opportunity to comment on several trail-related issues coming before the Fairbanks Borough Assembly at its November 13 meeting.
You can see the full meeting agenda HERE.
Go to the end of this post to see how you can advocate.
Here are the items:
Birch Hill Rec Area Improvements and Chena Flood Plain Bike Path
This is the borough’s priority list for the upcoming State Legislative session. The borough will lobby the Alaska Legislature for items that get included on the list. These items may remain on the list, but they could also get pulled. That’s why it’s good to speak up for anything you support. See the resolution, which includes the full list of items, HERE.
Birch Hill Items
Currently, the list includes two items that would improve the facilities at Birch Hill Recreation Area.
- Birch Hill Rec Area Multipurpose Building Construction Project $10,500,000 FNSB request: $10,100,000 Construction Phase
- Birch Hill Ski Building Generator $400,000 FNSB request: $350,000 Construction Phase (To power the red ski building during GVEA power outages, including if it is used for emergency operations.)
Bike Path
Also on the list is support for bike path across Chena Flood Plain just southeast of North Pole “to provide a safe, user-friendly way to connect Eielson Air Force Base/Salcha areas with the North Pole and Fairbanks.”
Chena Lake Recreation Area Plack Road Entrance
This ordinance would appropriate $35,500 as match funding for a larger grant for the project to create a Plack Road entrance to Chena Lake Recreation Area. The borough is working with the state Department of Transportation on this project. Find out more about this project HERE.
The above items will have a public hearings sometime after 7 p.m.
Standards for Use of Commercial Vehicles on Recreational Trails
This item is on the consent agenda. The consent agenda is voted on at the beginning of the meeting and includes several non-controversial items. All items on the consent agenda are approved at the same time.
However, items can be pulled from the consent agenda. That might happen with this one, since it might become controversial. Right now, it’s simply asking the Trails Advisory Commission to “recommend standards for the use of commercial motorized vehicles on recreational trails.”
In recent years, more tour operators using trails have been active or planning to start. Most recently are two that have become controversial: a snowmachine tour group wanting to start tours near the top of Spinach Creek Road and a Fat Truck tour group wanting to start operations in the Two Rivers area.
Having the Trails Advisory Commission come up with recommendation is not particularly controversial, but what the TAC finally recommends might be controversial.
If this item remains on the consent agenda, it won’t have a public hearing, but you can still submit comments to Assembly members.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner has a story that covers his issue. Read it HERE.
How to Advocate to the Borough Assembly
Testify at the meeting
You can speak at the meeting. You have to wait until the ordinance has its public hearing, which depends on where it is in the agenda. You can speak in person or by telephone. You have three minutes. People who sign up to testify are allowed to testify first. For more information on testifying see HERE.
Call or email the Assembly
To contact the full Assembly you may either send an email to the Assembly at Assembly@fnsb.gov, or use the Contact Form HERE.
You can also call or email individual Assembly members. Find their contact information HERE.
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