At its June 16th meeting, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly approved the West Susitna Access Phase 2 – Memorandum of Understanding between the Mat-Su Borough, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), and Alaska Operations, LLC.
The MOU provides a partnership framework to study the feasibility of an all season industrial access road. The proposed road would begin near Port MacKenzie, cross the Susitna River, travel through the Yentna watershed and end at the Estelle Gold Claim near Rainy Pass.
AIDEA is an organization established in 1967 by the Alaska Legislature to promote statewide economic growth. In the MOU, AIDEA agrees to hire consultants to produce preliminary engineering studies, conduct wetland mapping, and produce preliminary financial cost studies.
The Mat-Su Borough agrees to communicate with Mat-Su Borough constituents and to lead the designation process of proposed transportation corridors.
Alaska Operations LLC, a company with mining interests in the area, agrees to provide personnel and aircraft assistance, as well as potential financial partners.
While the MOU does provide for wetland mapping, it does not call for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Requiring an EIS would mean documenting further attributes of the land, such as fish habitat, wildlife corridors, and cultural sites.
Assembly Member, Tim Hale, acknowledged that the MOU is just an information gathering agreement, and he expressed his opinion that more economic diversity is important for the area. “We have fish, we have tourism, we need more. Our tax base is not providing enough income.”
Approximately twenty people testified in opposition to moving forward with the MOU, citing poor transparency in Phase One of the project, questions about whether the road would be public or private, and concerns about the impact to fish habitat. There were also questions about the Borough’s capacity to maintain the road.
Since the MOU for phase 2 is limited to information gathering, it’s still possible the Borough could require a full EIS before any future road construction commences. The Assembly verbalized its commitment to inform citizens through upcoming public meetings. Assembly Member, Tam Boeve, emphasized the need to improve communication with the public by venturing beyond internet postings, and providing direct mailings to Borough residents and landowners.
