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Assembly staff present ordinance to accept 309-acre land donation to expand Iceberg Recreation Area
Summary
Borough staff introduced an ordinance to accept roughly 309 acres donated by the Interior Alaska Land Trust to expand the Iceberg Recreation Area. Staff described parcel sizes, zoning implications, conservation-easement terms and reliance on volunteers for trail maintenance; no vote was taken at the work session.
A borough staff member told the Assembly Committee of the Whole on Sept. 4 that the Interior Alaska Land Trust has offered to donate two parcels totaling approximately 309 acres to expand the Iceberg Recreation Area, and that the draft ordinance would authorize the mayor to accept the gift.
The staff member said the proposal ‘‘came to us as an idea from the Interior Alaska Land Trust’’ and that trust representatives will attend the next public meeting to answer detailed questions. ‘‘This is their offer as a gift with a couple of contingencies,’’ Danny Welch, Land Management, told the Assembly, specifying a larger tract of about 219 acres and a smaller tract of about 90 acres.
Why it matters: Borough staff said accepting the gift would nearly double the size of the Iceberg Recreation Area, protect existing trails and improve connectivity between several trail systems. Welch said the parcels would be retained as parkland as a condition of acceptance and that one parcel would likely be subject to a conservation easement while the other would be covered by a memorandum of agreement with the Land Trust and conditions tied to an earlier grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Assemblymembers asked how the donation would affect borough revenue and future use. Assemblymember Wilson asked whether the land was already borough property and whether the borough would lose tax revenue if it becomes borough-owned; Welch answered that the Land Trust purchased the land (using grants and private donations) and that ‘‘when it becomes borough land, it will no longer be taxed.’’
Zoning and protections: Staff noted much of the land is currently zoned RA20 or rural estates and would need rezoning to OR (outdoor recreation) to align with park use. Wilson raised a concern that OR zoning can allow certain commercial or trailhead-related uses; Welch responded that conservation easements and the agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would limit commercialization, and that leases or licenses would be required for any commercial operation on borough land.
Trails and management: Matt Boyer, Parks and Recreation, described the area as having mixed-use trails, including winter motorized routes for snowmachines and some four-wheel-vehicle use. He and Welch said the borough expects to rely on volunteer groups and a single trails coordinator for maintenance rather than a large new staffing commitment. ‘‘We don’t have the manpower or the forces to manage all of our trails,’’ Boyer said, and the borough would continue to lean on volunteers for grooming and upkeep.
Environmental constraints: When asked about wetlands and developability, Welch said a majority of the parcels are wetland with upland areas on steeper slopes, and that outright development is unlikely. He said the conservation-easement terms would restrict disturbance to wetlands and conserve habitat while allowing low-impact trail uses.
Next steps: Staff concluded their report and the presiding officer opened the floor for questions. No formal motion or vote on the ordinance was recorded during this work session; staff said representatives of the Interior Alaska Land Trust will attend the next meeting to provide additional information. The Assembly adjourned at 6:27 PM, with a regular meeting scheduled for Sept. 11 at 6:00 PM.
