Yukon Tanana Area Plan
(Revision of the western portion of the Tanana Basin Area Plan)
The Resource Assessment and Development Section (RADS), within the Division of Mining, Land and Water (DMLW) has initiated the development of the Yukon - Tanana Area Plan (YTAP). The existing area plan within the YTAP boundary, the Tanana Basin Area Plan (TBAP) was adopted in 1985, and updated in 1991. The TBAP is dated and needs to be revised to account for changes in land ownership; to reflect the current and anticipated physical, economic, and social factors in the area; and, to provide a sufficient land-base for the development and conservation of the state's natural resources.
The YTAP boundary encompasses over 15 million acres of state and non-state land. There are approximately 6 million acres of general state owned or selected land and almost 1 million acres of state Legislatively Designated Areas (LDA's) within the boundary. General state land within boundary includes the western portion of the existing TBAP boundary; previously un-classified state owned and selected land northwest of Fairbanks (near Rampart); and state owned and selected land within the Denali Borough. The Tanana Valley State Forest and the Minto Flats State Game Refuge are the two LDA's within this area.
The remaining portion of the TBAP, with some exceptions, will be addressed in the new Eastern Tanana Area Plan (ETAP). Together, the YTAP and the ETAP will constitute the revision of the existing Tanana Basin Area Plan and will provide management policy for state owned and selected land in this area of the state. Management direction provided in these plans will supersede management direction contained in the existing Tanana Basin Area Plan. Both planning efforts are expected to take between 2 -3 years to complete and will be conducted concurrently in order to ensure consistency in approach and management recommendations. These plans will not affect federal, borough, Mental Health Trust, University, Native, or other private lands, and will not affect oil and gas lease sales or gas only lease sales.
State lands can provide many different resources to many different people including fish, wildlife, water, timber, minerals, recreation and tourism opportunities, and settlement opportunities. There are many different ideas about how these state resources should be used, and sometimes these uses conflict with each other. However, if the land is managed carefully, many uses can occur in the same area. Planning is a way of sorting through the possibilities for using state land and choosing those with the greatest benefits for all Alaskans. Developing plans for state land is especially challenging because people have differing ideas of how state land can best be used. Also, not all desired uses of state land can occur compatibly in the same place at the same time. In the planning process all resources are considered and evaluated.
What is the Process for Developing the Area Plan Revision?
Below is an outline of the major steps that will be taken to develop the YTAP. The approximate timing for each step will soon be updated, but please note that the recommended time frames may change, depending on circumstances that may arise.
- Gather Information. Information is collected about natural resources, present land use, land ownership, local history and economy (a great deal of this is done in the beginning, but it occurs throughout the planning process).
- Identify Issues. Public Scoping Meetings are held to learn about local interests and issues with state lands. This also helps to get the word out that the planning process has begun (Spring/Summer 2009).
- Prepare Public Review Draft. Using resource information that has been gathered and public and agency comments, planning staff develops a draft plan.
- Public Review Period. The Public Review Draft is made available, and public meetings are held to discuss the draft, receive comments, and identify parts that may need to be changed.
- Prepare Final Draft. Based on comments during the public review period, a final draft is prepared.
- Adoption by Commissioner of DNR. Signs the plan which then guides management decisions on state land in the planning area.
What happens next?
DNR has held public meetings in eight communities to explain the planning process, gather information, and solicit your comments and input. There are two meetings yet to be scheduled in Rampart and Stevens Village. Following the completion of our scoping meetings a planning update will be sent out to let you know what we heard as issues from our meetings and from the comments we have received. We will also begin developing a Public Review Draft of the Yukon Tanana Area Plan. Due to the size of the planning area it may be some time before a draft of the plan is available for review. Come back to this site periodically to get updated information.
For more information on the Yukon - Tanana Area Plan contact:
Brandon McCutcheon, YTAP, Project Manager
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 1050
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3579
Phone: (907) 269-8536
Fax: (907) 269-8915
Email: brandon.mccutcheon@alaska.gov
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