Trout Unlimited On Keeping Susitna River Free Of Proposed Road

From Trout Unlimited, a proposed road system that would skirt the salmon- and trout-rich Susitna River is being disputed by TU’s Alsska chapter. Here’s the text from a Facebook post:

Alaskans! Do you know? A proposed industrial road through west Susitna’s wild waterways is advancing along with the review of the management plans for the six recreational rivers in the Susitna area. Big changes are on the table for the Susitna River basin – now is the time to make your voice heard!

And a little more from TU:

A new proposal for an industrial access road draws into question the future of this region. The West Susitna Access road, proposed by Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority (AIDEA), is a 100+ mile road designed with the intention to access  mineral, agriculture, timber and oil resources in the area. If built, the road would traverse the basin, crossing thousands of acres of wetlands habitat and requiring at least 90 known fish passage crossings. The selected route would require 24 bridges and an estimated 440 culverts. View the proposed route of the West Susitna Access road here.

Construction of the proposed West Susitna Access road would fragment a large amount of fish and wildlife habitat, and likely cause significant degradation. It has been planned as “road to resources” raising significant questions about future use and impacts. As the West Susitna Access Road is being quietly ushered through the permitting process, it is hardly known among the public, and many of the anglers, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and businesses who will be directly affected by its construction have not been made aware of the proposal. This is particularly troublesome because the road would be funded with public dollars and is slated to cost Alaskans over $350 million.

The proposed road will directly impact public lands, local businesses, individual anglers and Alaskans, but a substantial effort has yet to be made to educate or engage the public. Phase II of the West Susitna Access road required AIDEA to conduct “public outreach,” which was limited to a virtual open house on the project, which few people knew about. When we consider projects with the potential to have broad ramifications to local communities and an area that so many people recreate, a robust public engagement is critical. Despite the minimal public outreach conducted by AIDEA, and overwhelming outcry of concern by its omission during Assembly meetings, on 12/21/21 the Matanuska Susitna Borough Assembly voted in favor of the project advancing the project to Phase III.