There’s three days left to submit public comments to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on whether or not to install walkways on the banks of the Kenai River, downstream of the Russian River.
Chief of the Refuge’s Visitors Services Matt Conner says the project started about 10 years ago.
Conner: “Back in 2006 a project started to put in light-penetrating board walks in on that section of river and those were put in and they stopped right about the location that the ferry goes across because we ran out of funding for the project. Now that we’ve secured more funding we’re looking to extend that.”
Conner says the aim of the project is to reduce bank erosion and protect vegetation along the Kenai River and the public can weigh in on two options.
Alternative A is to do nothing, allowing anglers to continue walking on the riverbanks which is impacting vegetation growth and eroding the river’s slopes.
Alternative B would be to replant natural vegetation along the banks, install approximately 600 feet of grated metal walkways and stairs along the south bank of the Kenai River and install a wooden fence to direct users to the designated access points. Alternative B is currently the preferred alternative and estimated to cost around $275,000.
Conner: “So once this is brought back and we look at the comments that the public provides and suggests, we’ll then make our decision on which alternative to go with and if the preferred alternative is selected, which to put in additional board walk and put in additional light-penetrating stairways going down the river, we’ll have that installed hopefully sometime in the spring this year.”
He says if the public overwhelmingly decides that they would rather the banks remain how they are now, the funding would be put towards some other project.
The public comment period is open until March 26. Click here for the full plan.
Comments may be:
- sent electronically to kenai@fws.gov
- by mail to Refuge Manager, Kenai NW; Soldotna, AK 99669
- by fax to (907)262-3599 (attention Refuge Manager)