In December of 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service accepted an application from an AT&T subsidiary to install a cell phone tower at MP 63 of the Sterling Highway near Mystery Creek Access Road. The draft environmental assessment and compatibility determination documents are now available for public comment for 30 days.
The area around the intersection of Sterling Highway and Mystery Creek Road has been notorious for cell reception loss, and while the 198-foot tower would be installed under service compliance agreements to provide emergency service, it would also be available for commercial use.
Engineering surveys identified this site as the necessary location for the tower to provide telecommunications service throughout most of the desired coverage area. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has assessed the proposed tower’s potential impacts and developed mitigation measures to lessen impacts on Refuge resources.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Deputy Manager Steve Miller said this is not the first time a request for a cell tower at that location has come up; in fact, the topic has been on the table for several years. “The first request to put a tower up right in the same spot was, I think, 13 years ago, and every previous request, they’ve withdrawn their applications, or they have not ever formally submitted an application.”
According to Miller, the primary reason these applications have been either withdrawn or went unsubmitted regarded the proposed tower’s access to electiricy.
“It’s directly adjacent to the AEA transmission line, [but] there’s no distribution,” Miller said.
The difference this time is that the tower would rely on alternative energy, likely liquified petroleum gas or solar power.
One additional condition for the tower is that it must allow for one additional provider to co-locate on the structure to prevent the need for a separate tower.
The application for the tower installation was accepted in December 2023, which gave the USFWS one year to complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) and prepare a Compatibility Determination (CD). The EA is now complete, and the CD is being prepared. Both documents have entered the 30-day public comment period.
Anyone who would like to comment on the EA or CD may now do so by visiting the public comment forum online.