Agencies meet with Talkeetna community on land plans

Three different agencies spoke at a public event Wednesday night at the Talkeetna Elementary school about future land planning in the Susitna Valley.

Over 20 members of the community attended and had an opportunity to ask questions and comment on the Susitna Forestry Guidelines, Susitna Matanuska Area Plan and the borough’s forest management guidelines, all due to be revised this year.

Each plan has a variable end date, but they are considering updates and revisions to the areas north of Talkeetna, areas around Petersville north to the Denali Park boundary as well as areas around Sutton and up to the Denali Borough boundary.

Ron Swanson, independent planner for the Mat Su Borough, said that his timeline for the Borough forestry management plan is May 15^th for final comments, a draft in November with another comment period and then the plan will work its way through the different commissions and boards at the Borough, ending with final approval from the Borough Assembly in spring or summer of 2010.

Ray Burger, with the state DNR, said the Susitna-Matanuska Area Plan comment deadline is June 1^st. Of the 11 million acres in the planning area, the state owns 9 million and is revising land status and management plans.  A draft plan will be out at the end of the year to comment on, with the final plan due out in 2010. Maps are available at the library and on DNR’s website.

The Susitna Forestry Guidelines were last revised in 1991 and are outdated.  The Division of mining land and water deadline is June 1^st for initial comment with another comment period after a draft document is printed.