The US Forest Service (USFS) DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) regarding a vision for the development for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreational Area (MGRA) is open for comment through May 9th. This is a critical opportunity to advocate for the development of additional ski trails in the Mendenhall Valley that will connect and add kilometers, alleviate congestion, and enhance skier experiences. Additionally, the development of nordic ski trails will also benefit multi-season, multi-sport users such as hikers, bikers, campers and bird watchers. The DEIS is currently open for review and accepting public comment. The proposed alternatives can be read on the USFS site:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53780
The JNSC Board of Directors encourages our members to submit comments in support of nordic ski trail development in the MGRA DEIS. Comments that are specific to a location or facility are most helpful to the reviewers and can be submitted via one of the following methods:
- Submit comments online through the project public participation portal (preferred): https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=53780.
- Faxed to: 907-586-8808.
- Mailed or hand deliver to: 8510 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau, Alaska, 99801.
The JNSC Board wrote a letter in support of the facilities project with specific comments relative to nordic skiing. You can read the JNSC full letter submitted to the USFS here. In general, the JNSC thanks the USFS for their extensive work to include winter ski trails into the MGRA. More specifically, the JNSC advocates for:
- Trails built wide enough to accommodate ski grooming equipment;
- A pedestrian bridge over the Mendenhall River connecting the Campground to the proposed Lake Shore Trail;
- Continuous ski trails from the Glacier Visitor Center, across the Mendenhall River, through the Campground and onto the west side of the lake;
- Addressing parking capacity during the winter;
- Adding electric vehicle chargers (the JNSC is hoping to purchase an electric snow machine, too!);
- The employment of a professional nordic ski trail architect so the trails can accommodate multi-season, multi-sport users of the area.
Please use the JNSC letter to guide your comments or copy your favorite points into a letter under your own name. If you have questions, please reach out via email to info@jnski.org.
Thank you for your advocacy!
~The JNSC Board