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Assembly accepts 309-acre gift to expand Iceberg Recreation Area
Summary
The Assembly voted to accept a gift of roughly 309 acres from the Interior Alaska Land Trust to expand the Iceberg Recreation Area; staff said the parcels are mostly wetlands, will remain conserved under grant and easement terms, and the borough plans passive management and trail connectivity.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly voted on Sept. 11 to accept a donation of approximately 309 acres adjoining the Iceberg Recreation Area from the Interior Alaska Land Trust.
Natural Resources staff described the acquisition as a gift that nearly doubles the size of the Iceberg Recreation Area and said it includes two tracts — a 219-acre parcel and a 90-acre parcel — that are primarily wetlands and used as winter trails. The parcels were acquired in part with a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant and the donation includes a conservation easement and grant conditions that limit development and generally permit trails and passive recreational uses.
Owen Guthrie, board president of the Interior Alaska Land Trust, told the Assembly the donation makes adjacent public lands contiguous, eases trail management and avoids the need for users to cross private property. Residents who spoke during the public hearing praised long-term recreational use of the trails and urged Assembly support.
Assemblymembers asked staff to clarify zoning, access and future management. Natural Resources staff said the borough intends passive management with no additional staffing or immediate capital commitments; rezoning to an outdoor-recreation designation would require a separate ordinance and planning process and could take several months.
The Assembly adopted the ordinance authorizing acceptance of the gift (ordinance 2025-23) by roll-call vote during the meeting. The ordinance will allow the borough to retain the land for public recreation and trail connectivity while the conservation easement and the Fish and Wildlife grant conditions limit nonrecreational development.
Next steps: staff said they will return with any necessary rezoning proposals and coordinate trail management and signage with the Land Trust and trail-user groups.
