On April 12, I attended a City and Borough of Juneau Planning Commission meeting during which the construction of a 2.4-mile “pioneer road” on West Douglas Island was approved.
The cost of this extension of the North Douglas Highway was to be approximately $3 million from Alaska Department of Transportation funds. The road was to be built entirely on CBJ land and paid for entirely with CBJ money. It was reported that Goldbelt Corporation did not want the road on their land and was not willing to pay for a share of the road, even though they stood to benefit most from it.
The road would not benefit CBJ in any immediate way, being only a preliminary road not to be used by automobiles at this time. It would not be extended at any time in the near future (maybe in 10, 20 or 30 years, or maybe not at all if additional funds are not appropriated for an additional six miles).
At this meeting, four members of the public testified against the extension of the North Douglas Highway for the following reasons:
1. There is no need for the road at this time.
2. There will be damage to important deer, trout and salmon habitat.
3. No CBJ master plan for West Douglas Island has been made.
4. There are more important uses for the $3 million in highway funds that CBJ has received.
5. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recommended against authorization of this project because of damage to important deer and salmonid habitat. They feel the road should be moved to a lower elevation.
6. There will likely be illegal use of this road by snowmobiles, ATVS, motorcycles, drinking parties, vandals, illegal dumping, increased wildlife violations and need for increased medical services.
7. Nearly 13 acres of old growth trees will be cut, burned or given to Goldbelt.
8. There was little or no announcement of this Planning Commission meeting on the proposed road and a reporter for the Juneau Empire was not present. A full public hearing should be scheduled to discuss it.
The road construction is proposed to begin as soon as it is approved by the CBJ Assembly at its meeting May 2.
At a time when state and city budgets are being cut, state sales and income taxes are being proposed, CBJ senior sales tax exemptions have been taken away, senior property tax exemptions will also soon be taken away, local property taxes are increasing rapidly, and our Permanent Fund dividends are in jeopardy, how can the CBJ propose spending $3 million for an unneeded road to nowhere?
While a West Douglas road extension may be needed at some time in the future, at this time it should not be constructed because of damage or loss of important deer and salmonid habitat, loss of recreational areas and a waste of highway funding.
Please contact your state and local representatives about this foolish, wasteful project. There should at least be a public hearing for all those who use the West Douglas area for deer and grouse hunting, berry picking, hiking and fishing, and for those who demand wise use of our limited highway funds. Also, a master plan for use of the land on West Douglas Island should be completed before any major development is allowed to go forward.
• Phillip Gray is a retired fishery biologist.
Editor’s note: Due to an editing error this article has been updated.
