Friends of Mat-Su

To keep your neighbors safe from shooting-related accidents, please consider writing to your Assembly representative, or coming to a Boro Assembly meeting tomorrow night,  Tuesday, at 6:00 pm at 501 N. Gulkana street in Palmer.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly is poised to lift the no-shooting restrictions on Jim Creek, since it is likely that the Borough will not have the resources to fund their enforcement.

However this would endanger Butte residents since, unlike on State-owned lands,  the Jim Creek Motorized parcel has no buffers to  protect private properties.

Gunfire has been a longtime issue in the Jim Creek area; residents have heard shooting at all hours of the day, and sometimes felt their safety at risk. Further damages to government land, private property, and crime will be a public tax burden.

Please make your voice heard!

Got moves?

Envision Mat-Su is sponsoring the community contra dances, the first of a series, to be held February 21 and 28 at 209 West Evergreen Avenue.

There will be live music and dance lessons- remember your dancing shoes!

Please consider attending the Borough Assembly meeting tonight in person or send a message asking for the protection of the Jim Creek parcel.

Fishing in Jim Creek Creek parcel.

Jim Creek represents an irreplaceable natural and scenic recreational asset, adjoining the Knik river Special Use Area.

Attend the meeting in person:

Mat-Su Borough Assembly Meeting
501 N. Gulkana St.
Palmer, AK. 99645
Time: 7-9PM

The Jim Creek parcel is part of the existing Asset Management plan for Borough owned lands in the Butte area. The Management plan states: “Asset Management Plans articulate community values and long-term goals and in this way ensure that land and resource development, use, and management decisions occur in a way that will benefit those they most affect – the local community and its residents.”

By statute, it is required to developed for mixed-use recreation and forestry. However, the majority of the Borough Assembly is poised to have motorized interests dominate other priorities, allowing a motorized attraction park to support mud bog, rock crawler, competitive and timed events. Nearly half of the Butte’s residents have come out in strong opposition against increasing motorized development, and many of them are coming to the Borough meeting tonight to press for mixed-use recreation.

A Public Appeal From Butte Homeowners:

“Tuesday evening at 7:00pm is our last chance to defend Jim Creek Parcel from outsiders.

Jim Creek Parcel is our crown jewel. By statute it is to be developed for the benefit of the community. Its primary use is mandated as recreation – motorized and non-motorized – including a community park and consideration for wildlife habitat; the secondary use is mandated to be forestry.

During the public process, support for/against was close to 50/50 from residents who responded. But, the Assembly shows no respect to residents, and caters to the might of statewide and national motorized recreation industry and organizations instead. They brag that they’re over 14,000 strong. It’s them against us. That’s wrong.
Jim Creek Parcel is the wrong place for a “motorized attraction park” for mud bog, rock crawler, competitive and timed events.

Such venues and associated infrastructure opportunities should not be taken away from the private sector.

Please, don’t let the Assembly give away our most our most valuable local recreation asset.
After all, Jim Creek Parcel will continue to be the primary motorized access to the adjoining Knik River Public Use Area’s 208,000 acres.

Please, remind the Assembly that they should do what’s best for Butte.
Please, fight for local control and balanced recreation at Jim Creek.

If you don’t have time to testify during Audience Participation, please send the above message, or use your own words, to members of the Assembly:”

Warren Keogh
District 1
Phone: 745-1161
warrenkeohgh.district1@gmail.co

Noel Woods
District 2
Phone: 745-3027
noelwoods@mtaonline.net

Ron Arvin
District 3
Phone 745-9845
ronarvin@mtaonline.net

Steve Colligan
District 4
Phone: 373-1502
stevecolligan@mtaonline.net

Darcie K. Salmon
Distric 5
Phone: 232-8080
darciesalmon@mtaonline.net

Jim Colver
District 6
Phone: 746-5300
jimcolver@mtaonline.net

Vern Halter
District 7
Phone: 355-1328
vernhalter@mtaonline.net

Mayor Larry DeVilbisslarry.devilbiss@matsugov.us

Thank you for taking the time to help shape the future of our community.Envision Mat-Su

This afternoon, Santa put coal in the stockings of Coal companies Riversdale, Usibelli, and Ranger Alaska.

Why are they on the ‘Naughty’ list? Big Coal has been a bad neighbor in the Valley. They have polluted our water and our politics, lied to the public, laid off workers right before the holidsays and harmed propoerty values for families.

Nearly 7,000 people have said ‘NO’ to coal in the Mat-Su. We are asking Governor Parnell, the Department of Natural Resources, and Alaska Mental Health Trust to step up and protect our families and our future so they don’t end up on the Naughty List, too.

More than 20,000 acres and thousands of families would be impacted by coal strip mining in our community.

It is time for Alaska State leaders to protect families’ health, property values, and keep Alaska a special place to live.

This clip was aired on Chanel 2 KTUU this evening, and Chanel 13 ABC.

In the meantime, you can help by writing to the Department of Natural resources: sign the petition here

Happy Holidays!

Businessweek released its top 50 places to raise kids on December 18th citing Palmer for its Great Schools score (9 out of 10), employment, median family income, and housing costs, among others.  Our work in Envision Mat-Su, with the Livable Communities program work, is focused on developing innovative solutions to make Mat-Su communities a great place to work, play, and raise a family. Here is their description of Palmer: “Palmer, in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley, fosters world-record-size veggies such as giant cabbages thanks to long summer days. When not digging up turnips the size of boulders, children attend school in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough District alongside friends from other towns. Only Palmer, though, can lay claim to the annual early-December Colony Christmas celebration, featuring actual reindeer.” 

View the article here:  The Best Places to Raise Kids 2013 Finding the Best in Small Towns

Photo courtesy of the Alaska Dispatch

On Friday the 28th there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, to celebrate our new classic skiing trails at Government Peak Recreation Area!

Ed Strabel has lightly groomed two tracks, and 10km of trails overall. If you are skiing, please be aware of some rocks in the stadium area near the parking lot.

The official ribbon cutting for the new 3 miles of Nordic Trails will be Dec. 28 at 11 am along with the Solstice Sprints, a high school race that is open to the public. See the map and more at the website:  http://www.hatcherpass.com

See the Alaska Dispatch article, here! Government Peak Rec Area Opens to Skiers

Recently KSKA Alaska Public radio reporter Ellen Lockyer interviewed Envision Mat-Su Conservation Director Tim Leach, to learn about our efforts to combat coal development in the Valley.  Her radio program ‘The Coal Rush” was broadcast today at 1:00 p.m! Tune in to her show, available on KSKA’s site, to hear citizen perspectives on coal in the Valley and discover how national and international corporations’ interests are on the brink of changing our way of life in the Matanuska Valley.

For additional information about the coal mines proposed for the Valley please visit MatValley.org

The Division of Forestry would like to hear from you about a proposal for a new state forest in Susitna. They are hosting two community meetings and two webinars (live-streaming web presentations).  The community meetings are on Monday December 11^th and Thursday December 13^th.

There will be a short presentation about the proposed Susitna State Forest, with maps and handouts. The public is encouraged to ask questions or provide comments!

Community Meetings

Dec. 11:   Willow Community Center in Willow. Located at Mile Post 69.7 of the Parks Highway.
Dec. 13:  Trapper Creek School Gym at 6742 Petersville Road, Trapper Creek

Webinar Meetings

Dec. 10:  2-3 p.m., and the second from 7-8 p.m. The webinars will include a presentation about the proposed state forest and a question-and-answer period.

Register here: Registration Webinar form 
You will receive a confirmation email, with instructions about webinar participation.

Please contact the Division of Forestry at 907-761-8389, or visit the Division of Forestry webpage at http://forestry.alaska.gov/whatsnew.htm for more information!