Mat-Su Borough first in the nation with sled dog district

The Mat Su Borough has become the first area in the nation to have an area with a Special-Use District (SPUD) dedicated to sled dog trails and recreation.

The Borough Assembly approved the establishment of the “Knik Sled Dog and Recreation Special Land Use District.”

The SPUD encompasses the old town of Knik and the many recreational trails that connect to the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Preservation and protection of the community and lifestyle of the Knik area is the purpose for creating the new district. Standards established in the SPUD are buffers between different land uses and protecting views of the night sky. Protecting and encouraging the establishment of trails to create an interconnected trail system is a primary reason for development of the SPUD.

Assembly member Cindy Bettine asked that funding for acquistion of trail easements in the district could be included in the next Borough budget.