Frank Keim

• Resident of the area since 1961.
• Agreed with Mr. Justice that quiet areas to recreate are increasingly hard to find. Advocates seasonal restrictions on snowmachine use.
• Concerned about avalanches where snowmachiners ride. Has asked riders to slow down to lower avalanche danger for all trail users.
• Deeply concerned about the state's proposal to build a road from Chena Hot Springs to Circle Hot Springs. This would impact the wilderness character of the area. Asked if the RAC was aware of this proposal.
  

David van den Berg explained the state legislature has passed a resolution in support of this and other proposed roads. He was concerned the proposal would impact the character of the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River corridor.

Bisson said the bulk of the proposed road was on state land, but BLM would conduct a full public process for the portion within the Birch Creek corridor should we receive an application, and the RAC would be a part of that process.

George Shade, TEARS Corp.

• Burial sites in the Bristol Bay region are being desecrated. Advocates protection of historic cultural sites, especially grave sites.
• Concerned about mining claims in areas of known burial sites. BLM and the state have produced inaccurate plats that result in development in areas of historic cultural sites.

John Glotfelty, TEARS Corp.

• Original territorial homestead sites have been wrongfully selected by the state.
• The state has built roads over numerous grave sites around the state.
• An abandoned cinnabar mine at Wood River has contaminated the river. People in nearby villages have seen an increase in cancer incidence due to mercury levels. TEARS can provide the technical expertise to properly clean up the site using new technology that breaks down the contaminants in place. He proposed using Abandoned Mining Lands (AML) funds to clean up the area since the previous cleanups were not effective.

Henri Bisson said the Anchorage Field Office has records of previous cleanup efforts and would provide the RAC a summary of the cleanup.

RAC members asked if TEARS was a nonprofit. Glotfelty said the organization was fairly new but was a registered nonprofit with a board of directors.

END OF PUBLIC COMMENT

RAC Chairs' Conference, April 22-23, 2003 (Washington, DC)

Vice chair Tom Crafford explained he attended the conference to represent the Alaska RAC. The Director sustained an injury just prior to the conference and was unable to attend, so Deputy Director Fran Cherry attended for her.

Crafford reported on several follow-up items from the Oct. RAC Chairs' Conference. A RAC Recharge Team had formed to revitalize the RACs. A national coordinator, Twinkle Thompson, had been appointed. BLM was developing a RAC web site, which would be up in the near future.

Conference presentations covered topics such as stewardship contracting, forest/rangeland health initiatives, large-scale planning efforts, and funding priorities. Significant time was spent on noxious weed issues. The Nature Conservancy discussed their efforts to control weeds on Conservancy lands. Crafford said he wanted to talk with Conservancy participants, but the agenda didn't allow time.

Most RACs are preparing work plans. Some are complex, others are simple lists without action items, so the Alaska RAC's 2003 Work Plan was in a class by itself. There will be an annual RAC chairs meeting. The next meeting will be held in the West and will incorporate a field trip.

Crafford said his only criticism of the conference was that the agenda was packed with so many presentations that chairs had little time for interaction. Several presentations involved only one-way communication, with the chairs not engaged in the dialogue.

Toolik Field Station

Bob Schneider introduced Mike Abels, manager of Tooklik Field Station, operated by UAF's Institute of Arctic Biology. The station is located within the 82,000-acre Toolik Lake Research Natural Area, located on the north side of the Brooks Range.

Abels explained UAF operates Toolik station under a BLM lease. Here scientists throughout the country conduct long-term research on arctic animals, tundra, lakes and streams, global change and arctic contaminants. The station is funded by the university system, the National Science Foundation, and other grants.

UAF hopes to expand the Toolik facilities to provide for year-round operations by adding new residence modules and an incubation lab module, and expanding support facilities.Abels said Toolik Field Station has enjoyed a good working relationship with BLM over the years and looks forward to building on this partnership in the future.

 

BREAK

Following the break, the chair asked the RAC's cooperation in continuing the meeting until 4:30 p.m. to complete the day's agenda. The RAC then agreed to hear one additional public comment.

Andy Miscovich

• Life-long placer miner from a pioneer/mining family.
• Mining was once considered an honorable occupation. Today many placer miners are made to feel that what they do harms the land, but responsible mining is good for the land.
• Heavy restrictions and regulations place an unnecessary burden on responsible miners. Respects the RAC's role as advisor to the BLM, and urged the RAC to encourage BLM to support responsible mining activities.

Outdated Segregations

Ramona Chinn and June Bailey provided a map and resource overview of the 39-township pilot area in the Bristol Bay region for study of the effects of D-1 withdrawals and ANCSA and state selections on mineral entry. BLM and the RAC agreed the state is a key component to resolving segregation from mineral entry on state-selected lands.

Henri Bisson suggested BLM set up a meeting with the state and the RAC subgroup sometime in May to discuss the possibility of the state placing these selections on its annual conveyance priority list. The RAC concurred with this approach.

Alaska Land Transfer Program

Brenda Zenan discussed the 2009 conveyance goal. Senators Murkowski and Stevens asked BLM to draft legislation that would enable BLM to expedite some aspects of land transfer. BLM is working on the draft and hopes to have a package ready very soon. The legislation would ease title recovery requirements, establish a land claims appeals commission, allow relocation of certain Native allotment applications, and simplify how BLM calculates the 14(h) pool.

Bisson explained BLM cannot make draft legislation available for review. Since we are preparing it at the request of the delegation, it technically is their product.

Steve Simmons said some tribes are concerned about the impacts of an accelerated approach to sunsetting land transfer. Bisson said accelerating land transfer would benefit villages, which could then begin to use their entitlements for economic purposes. Bisson said BLM realizes some Alaska Natives are concerned with the proposed land commission, but felt this approach would bring stability and resolution to an otherwise lengthy process.

 

Meeting recessed at 4:35 p.m.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Council members not present: John Stroud

The chair called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m.

New business:

Land transfer '2009' program

Steve Simmons briefed the RAC on his efforts to inform tribes about the 2009 land transfer goal. He said he had provided briefings and created a web site to get information out to tribes. Simmons shared a list of concerns with the RAC from an information meeting with Chickaloon Village Traditional Council on March 24, 2003.

Simmons said federally-recognized tribes view an accelerated land transfer effort quite differently than regional corporations do, and briefing regionals is not the same as conducting government-to-government consultation with federally-recognized tribes. He said to date, no one from BLM has consulted with Chickaloon Village TC about the 2009 land transfer goal.

Simmons said it would aid his efforts to interface with Native communities if he had greater access to information and educational materials from BLM, such as access to BLM databases. He offered to set up community briefings between BLM and tribes to bridge the information gap and address their concerns. He said his web site was a great way to get information out, and said it would be helpful to have the RAC's feedback on the site.

Bisson asked that Simmons make certain his web site made it clear that it was hosted by Simmons and not BLM or the RAC as a body. Simmons said he had a disclaimer on the site to this effect, but could strengthen the language if necessary.

Crafford thought Chickaloon had an inaccurate impression of what accelerating the transfer process meant, that it didn't change any entitlements but was merely a way to get there faster. Simmons said the village did not have a good working relationship with the borough, and was concerned about taxes the borough might impose once the land transfer process was complete.

Rick Solie said residents living in organized boroughs subject to taxes have concerns about individuals or groups not contributing to the tax base, that it becomes an equity issue.

Simmons and the RAC talked about a 20-year provision for villages regarding taxation. Bisson said BLM would research this issue and report back to the RAC.

1998 RAC Colville River Special Area resolution

David van den Berg handed out copies of the RAC's 1998 unanimous resolution recommending a watershed approach to management of the Colville River Special Area. The RAC discussed the intent of the resolution, whether the unanimous resolution was disregarded in recent BLM decisions, and whether to withdraw the resolution due to non-implementation. Sandra Key said the RAC understood the challenges of managing a river corridor with multiple landowners, but felt a unanimous resolution should carry some weight.

Gary Gustafson concurred with Key's assertion. He said he and van den Berg were the only remaining members of the RAC that passed the resolution, and a great deal of thought and effort had gone into crafting the language of the resolution. He said the resolution appeared sidelined by the piecemeal approach the Northwest plan takes, and said he felt there was merit in a holistic watershed approach.

Bob Schneider pointed out that while the Colville area lies within both the Northwest and South NPR-A planning areas, BLM tried to honor the intent of the resolution by proposing the same set of restrictions for the entire Colville River Special Area. Jim Posey felt the resolution asked for a nearly impossible task, given multiple landowners. Gustafson said the second part of the resolution acknowledged the inherent constraints of multiple jurisdictions, but he felt a holistic approach was still an option.

Henri Bisson said he would look at the resolution and review BLM decisions, that BLM would look at the feasibility of a river corridor plan. He agreed to take another look at the resolution and try to resolve the issue in a way that does not do a disservice to the resolution. He said BLM was moving toward a preferred alternative, but there was still time to incorporate the RAC's concerns. He said the best approach might be to work with ASRC and the state during the South NPR-A planning effort.

Bisson asked that the RAC not withdraw the resolution and said BLM would consider whether to approach the Colville River Special Area in its entirety in the South NPR-A planning area. The RAC agreed that the resolution would stand as passed.

Dalton Highway/Coldfoot area

Bob Schneider introduced several members of BLM's Dalton team: interpretive specialists Lisa Jodwalis and Lenore Heppler, team supervisor Shelly Jacobson, and natural resource specialists Keith Woodworth and Roger Delaney.

Lisa Jodwalis: Dalton Highway corridor

The Dalton Highway spans 414 miles from Livengood to Deadhorse. The 'corridor' is a set of boundaries along the pipeline set aside under a public land order that restricts certain activities such as mineral entry or hunting. BLM manages the area under a 1979 management framework plan. A 1989 RMP made energy transportation the highest priority along the corridor and established special areas such as Toolik Lake Natural Area and recreation areas. A 1991 recreation plan called for waysides, overlooks, interpretive sites and a visitor center.

The issue of private travel along the 'haul road' has been very controversial. More independent travelers are using the road now that more sections are paved. Increased visitation creates other concerns. Rural residents are concerned about impacts to subsistence activities. Other concerns include OHV use, law enforcement, hunting activities, and confusing sets of regulations that create problems for visitors and users.

In summary, this primitive route presents many travel and management challenges, so there is great need for education and interpretation.

Lenore Heppler: Arctic Interagency Visitor Center

The contractor (USKH) broke ground last year on the new interagency visitor facility at Coldfoot. The building has some unique interpretive features, such as a boulder border along the front to interpret the geology of the corridor, a dome map in the center of the building, large viewing windows to treat visitors to expansive views of the corridor, and a built-in theatre for interpretive programs.

There will be a 'soft opening' in July 2003 and agencies will use the center to display interpretive items from the old visitor center until new interpretive items arrive. Once these items are installed, there will be a grand opening, probably in May 2004.

The center will close during winter and is designed to 'go cold' to minimize maintenance costs. Each partner agency will provide a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. There is a formal cost-sharing agreement between the three sponsoring agencies (BLM, NPS and FWS).

Susan Olson asked to receive a copy of the recreation plan for the Utility Corridor. The RAC also asked for a map of the corridor prior to the trip. Schneider said BLM will include a detailed map in the RAC's field tour package, and would provide this package well in advance of the trip for the council to review in preparation. He added there was a good map and other briefing materials about the Dalton Highway on BLM's web site.

The RAC also asked for copies of the interpretive plan for the new visitor facility. Members asked about construction costs of the facility. Schneider said the total was $4.6 million.

Dalton Highway/Coldfoot field tour: July 10-11, 2003

Bob Schneider then presented two itineraries for the July 2003 field tour. The RAC discussed both options, and agreed to the charter/ground tour option, which includes a driving tour of Toolik Lake Field Station with brief stops at Marion Creek administrative site, Gold Creek Trail and Atigun Pass.

Charlie Boddy invited the RAC to tour Usibelli Coal Mine the day prior to the Coldfoot tour (Wednesday, July 9). He said the operation had recently moved to a new site, so this was an opportunity to also see the reclaimed site. He asked that members check their schedules and get word to Teresa McPherson if they would like to participate.

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BREAK

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RAC subgroup reports

Charlie Boddy: RAC charter subgroup

Boddy and the RAC reviewed recommended changes from the last RAC meeting, and discussed whether to make an annual work plan a requirement by charter. The RAC decided against doing so to allow future RACs to decide how to plan their work for the year.

After reaching a decision on several other small changes, the RAC decided to proceed with a vote. Rick Solie moved to approve the revised charter; Jim Posey seconded. The RAC approved the charter as amended. Boddy agreed to get a clean copy of the approved charter out to all RAC members.

Susan Olson: OHV subgroup

Olson said the OHV subgroup held a conference call recently to talk about follow-up efforts since the statewide OHV summit. BLM's Bill Overbaugh and Randy Goodwin participated in the call and talked about BLM's efforts to manage access and travel issues on public lands, now coined 'travel management.'

Olson said she was concerned that topics raised at the summit don't appear to be receiving attention with agencies. Henri Bisson said he would have recreation staff research what BLM is doing in terms of follow-up, and provide a summary for the RAC.

RMP subgroup

David van den Berg agreed to chair this subgroup as John Stroud had stepped down due to other commitments. He said he would try to provide an outline of how to proceed by the RAC's July field tour.

Public use recreation cabins

Bob Schneider introduced outdoor recreation planner Eric Yeager of BLM's White Mountains National Recreation Area team. Yeager provided a short presentation on the cabin system in the White Mountains NRA.

Congress designated the area a national recreation area in 1980. BLM has gradually added additional public use cabins, and now cabins within the system are spaced every 10-15 miles apart, making the system much more user friendly.

BLM manages the area under a resource management plan, which is reviewed and updated periodically. The average cost for an overnight stay at a cabin within this system is $20-25 per night. Yeager reviewed visitor use data, maintenance costs, funding sources, and partnership opportunities. He said the planning process provides a good time to look at these issues, and to establish some rules to resolve user conflicts.

Gary Gustafson felt this was a timely topic for the RAC's involvement since there is solid public support for fee demo sites and good partnership opportunities. Rick Solie concurred, and said Fairbanks area residents are supportive of more public use cabins.

David van den Berg said he was impressed that user fees essentially cover the costs of maintenance, and asked if there were any negatives or challenges to the program. Eric Yeager said funding for cabin construction and mitigating user conflicts would be the primary challenges. He also noted occasional vandalism, heavy trail use to access cabins, and the perception of competing with private sector if cabins are highway accessible.

Henri Bisson agreed this was an exciting topic and there appeared to be solid support on the RAC and among public users, that demand for public use cabins continues to increase, and he would appreciate the RAC's support in elevating this topic.

Rick Solie asked the RAC to entertain a motion to form a subgroup and ask Gustafson to chair the effort. Gustafson agreed to do so and the following RAC members volunteered to complete the subgroup: Sandra Key, Rick Solie, Steve Simmons and David van den Berg.

The meeting adjourned 12:20 p.m.

UAF Museum tour

Following lunch, RAC members Larry Taylor, Susan Olson, and Steve Simmons, and BLM Glennallen Field Manager Ramone McCoy and archaeologist John Jangala, visited the UAF Museum for a short presentation about the significance of artifacts found in the Tangle Lakes Archaeological District (TLAD). The group was joined by guests June Taylor of Eagle and by George Shade of TEARS Corp.

Archaeologist Tom Gillispie of Tanana Chiefs Conference provided background about the history of cultural resource work in the TLAD. Artifacts uncovered during several field seasons provide data that help archaeologists determine how the area was originally 'peopled.' RAC members examined some of these artifacts as Gillespie explained their significance.

Council members thanked Gillispie for the presentation, and Ramone McCoy and John Jangala for arranging the tour.

Tour concluded 2:20 p.m.

Please contact the Alaska RAC Coordinator for further information.