Matanuska Valley Moose Range (Moose Range) Management Plan
Scoping Process Initiated
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has initiated a concurrent planning process to:
Through this process, DNR will work to find alternatives with the greatest benefits for all Alaskans. Public involvement is essential to ensure that future actions are not only consistent with the agency mission and the enabling legislation of JPUA and the Moose Range, but also present a shared vision for the future for both. Contact the Projet Team - Don Perrin Alaska Department of Natural Resources 550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1050 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-269-8709 Visit the project website for more information and updates on the plan process. |
How to Participate
Attend a Public Workshop A series of public meetings are scheduled to collect information and hear about concerns or opportunities from users of the Moose Range and JPUA. The workshops are scheduled for the following days:
Take the online questionnaire DNR has created a questionnaire to help inform development of this plan. Responses must be received no later than October 31, 2022. Take the questionnaire here. Submit Comments Comments may be provided by submitting by email or mail to the addresses below:
550 W 7th Ave, Suite 1050 Anchorage, AK 99501-3579 |
Jonesville Public Use Committee
Final Jonesville Public Use Area Management Plan
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NEXT MEETING:
FEB 9 at 6:30 pm at SUTTON LIBRARY - Join Zoom Meeting http://zoom.us/j/94352003081... Meeting ID: 943 5200 3081 Passcode: 119515 Dial by your location - +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 943 5200 3081 Passcode: 119515 |
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CURRENT STATUS:
The assembly ordinance adopting the JPUA plan was postponed until the 8/3/21 assembly meeting. Sutton Community Council will add an item to their regular February and March meeting agendas to discuss objections to the plan. We will document objections and determine if the public supports the plan as written, or if changes need to occur. COMMENT ON PLAN: Comment on the final JPUA plan, even if you can’t make it to the meeting. Download this PDF with links to each chapter of the plan; they will open in review mode and you can add comments to specific text in the plan. GET ON OUR CONTACT LIST: Use the Contact Us link at the top right, or use the Contact Lead form popup when you visit our site |
COMING SOON:
- We will deliver a digital survey to all emails on our contact list before the Feb meeting
- We will have paper surveys available at the Sutton Library before the Feb meeting
- Comments will be compiled from emails received and comments at the Jan and Feb meeting
JONESVILLE CLOSURE SURVEY:
Please read a background of the JPUA process to date:
Fellow Community members,
About two years ago House Bill 6 was passed into legislation making the Jonesville Mine area into an official “public use area”. The goal of this was to allow the development of a management plan so that the Alaska Department of Natural Resources would have more enforcement authority for the purposes of health and safety in the area (which we have seen in steady decline). There was no fiscal note attached to the legislation so DNR wasn't able to develop a Management plan on their own. We, Sutton Community Council, assembled a group of volunteers including retired planners and the Mat-Su Borough offered one of their planners, and more recently, through a grant, we got some help from the National Park Service.
Over the past two years this group has developed a management plan for the area modeled after plans previously developed by DNR. In June, the group presented a completed “draft” plan to DNR, ADFG, and all other stakeholders including the public. Here is a the response from DNR. The group had included DNR in all relevant correspondence, kept them in the loop, and have continually asked them for advising and guidance in the process. The response almost always involved lack of resources to help with the plan. Shortly after receiving DNR's response, members of the council, the Mat-Su Borough Planning Department, ADFG, Jonesville PUA Planning Committee, George Rauscher, and others met in teleconference with the Commissioner of DNR. Many pleaded their case on behalf of the community of Sutton and the concerns with the health and safety hazards inherent with a completely unmanaged state of the Jonesville mine area.
The response was again about lack of resources (money) but this time the commissioner asked if we wanted to “close down the area.” We as a community do not have the authority to close down state land but we have been offered three choices concerning the Jonesville PUA. Get them money, let it continue to get worse, or close the area. This is why we are presenting this to the community of Sutton. Here is a link to the Jonesville Facebook page.
Thank You,
Sutton Community Council
Current Survey Entries
of the 54 counted entries 87% support closure and 13% don't support closure
Please read a background of the JPUA process to date:
Fellow Community members,
About two years ago House Bill 6 was passed into legislation making the Jonesville Mine area into an official “public use area”. The goal of this was to allow the development of a management plan so that the Alaska Department of Natural Resources would have more enforcement authority for the purposes of health and safety in the area (which we have seen in steady decline). There was no fiscal note attached to the legislation so DNR wasn't able to develop a Management plan on their own. We, Sutton Community Council, assembled a group of volunteers including retired planners and the Mat-Su Borough offered one of their planners, and more recently, through a grant, we got some help from the National Park Service.
Over the past two years this group has developed a management plan for the area modeled after plans previously developed by DNR. In June, the group presented a completed “draft” plan to DNR, ADFG, and all other stakeholders including the public. Here is a the response from DNR. The group had included DNR in all relevant correspondence, kept them in the loop, and have continually asked them for advising and guidance in the process. The response almost always involved lack of resources to help with the plan. Shortly after receiving DNR's response, members of the council, the Mat-Su Borough Planning Department, ADFG, Jonesville PUA Planning Committee, George Rauscher, and others met in teleconference with the Commissioner of DNR. Many pleaded their case on behalf of the community of Sutton and the concerns with the health and safety hazards inherent with a completely unmanaged state of the Jonesville mine area.
The response was again about lack of resources (money) but this time the commissioner asked if we wanted to “close down the area.” We as a community do not have the authority to close down state land but we have been offered three choices concerning the Jonesville PUA. Get them money, let it continue to get worse, or close the area. This is why we are presenting this to the community of Sutton. Here is a link to the Jonesville Facebook page.
Thank You,
Sutton Community Council
Current Survey Entries
of the 54 counted entries 87% support closure and 13% don't support closure

jpua_survey_20200826_1435_published.pdf | |
File Size: | 136 kb |
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