Green light for Nordic trails & transit at Ha

MAT-SU— Recent final approval of an environmental document means that much-awaited trail clearing will begin soon on up to 10 kilometers of new Nordic ski trails on the southern side of Hatcher Pass in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s Nordic Ski Area. Skiers could be gliding on tracks by this November.

On Jan. 8, the Federal Transit Administration issued a Record of Decision for the environmental impact statement on the access infrastructure to alpine and Nordic recreation areas. The infrastructure includes: for the Nordic area, a one-mile road off Edgerton Parks Road into the southern part of Hatcher Pass; a parking lot that holds 210 vehicles and six transit buses, and a transit facility; for the alpine area-an upgrade to an existing road, an enlarged parking area and a transit facility. The FTA funded $6 million to complete the environmental impact statement and to fund some of the infrastructure. Because of the amount of available funds, only the Nordic facilities will be built at this time.

"It's a great day for residents of the Borough,” said Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly Member Jim Colver. “After many years of waiting, we finally have the green light to build a new access road and world-class Nordic ski trails!"

Assembly Member Vern Halter pointed to the economic diversification. “In a single year, visitors spend $101 million in the MAT-SU. This new recreational attraction will keep pushing those dollars up,” Halter said.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly assisted with trail funding. Borough staff is working with the MAT-SU Ski Club on a memorandum of agreement for construction of the trails. Volunteer labor is building the trails while a contractor will provide construction oversight for trail stability and environmental concerns.

“The volunteers will take the $180,000 of available funds and turn it into $400,000. They’ll double the money,” said Jeff Dillon, the Borough’s Community Development Department Manager.

Cutting brush could be done as soon as the memorandum of agreement is signed. The trail dirt-work likely won’t begin until the one-mile road is roughed in, Dillon said.

The access road, the parking lot, and transit facility will be built by a contractor. The Borough has begun final design and engineering.

Expected to be completed by November, the Borough’s proposed Phase 1 of the Hatcher Pass Nordic Ski Area includes:

• a one-mile access road off Edgerton Parks Road some 9 miles from Palmer.

• a transit facility for buses and vans

• up to 10 kilometers of cross-country ski trails for beginners through high school competitors, designed by Olympian Bill Spencer. The trails will be open for year-round non-motorized use.

The professionally designed cross-country trails will ultimately attract international competitions and the hundreds of team supporters who attend such events.

Mark Stigar, a Boardmember on the MAT-SU Ski Club, says he’s excited. “The Ski Club is actively partnering with the MAT-SU Borough to develop MAT-SU’s first Nordic Ski Complex, which not only will be a huge recreational asset, but also an economic catalyst, by bringing in Nordic competition events and other recreational opportunities from across the state.”

The Borough is seeking funding for Nordic phase 2. The project is in the Assembly’s state priorities list for $4 million.

Phase 2 includes:

• an extension of the access road

• additional parking

• a chalet with food service, restrooms, and other amenities

• an outdoor stadium for mass starts and competitions

•10 km of lighted Olympic-class trails

Borough staff, consultant Ron Swanson, and DOWL HKM have been working together on the Hatcher Ski Area access and transit project since 2007.

Photo by Ted Bell.

For more information call Borough Project Manager Brad Sworts at 746-7430 or Borough Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan at 745-9577 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or DOWL HKM’s Public Involvement Coordinator Alison Lohrke at 746-7600.