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  Jim Creek Master Planning Process underway - 2012

Jim Creek Parcel is a component of the community-created “Asset Management Plan for Borough-Owned Lands in the Butte Area:”

* “Asset Management Plans articulate community values and long-term goals and in this way ensure that land and resource development, use, and management decisions occur in a way that will benefit those they most affect - the local community and its residents.

”Community Goal 1. Retain and Improve Recreation, Connected Open Space:” ....it is important to develop facilities that are enjoyed first and foremost by local residents and then by visitors.”

On Tuesday, 6:00 pm, February 5, 2012, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough will decide the future of our community. If they pass the Jim Creek Parcel “Motorized” Master Plan, most of us locals are locked out. The 20-some,  12,000-plus strong statewide motorized sports organizations have shown that they trump those of us who live in Butte. There is no economic benefit to our community of 6,400 residents.  We do not need any more motorized attraction zones on our valuable private lands for the kind of venues that would be more appropriate in a private gravel pit
The Secondary Use for this parcel was determined to be Forestry in the Butte Asset Management Plan. This use is being bypassed to the detriment of existing moose habitat and for the benefit of creating a gravel pit for mud bog, rock crawler park, competitive motor sports and timed event venues.
Jim Creek Parcel is already being surrounded by a racetrack and the 208,000-acre Knik River Public Use Area (KRPUA) which was dedicated to motorized recreation. Jim Creek Parcel has been providing access to the KRPUA and party-spots for race fans and the “I-can-do-anything-I-want crowd. The most known and significant features for that crowd are “Thunder Dome” and our valuable dunes that have fallen victim to erosion by the “rippin-up-the-dunes” crowd before heading out towards Knik Glacier, while crashing and thrashing through numerous salmon spawning streams and other water bodies along the way.

We Thought We Had A Choice. But we’re told that on Feb 5 it will be a Done Deal
Which do you prefer - which do you think would enhance our community?

An additional 471-acre Motor Sports Park destination in Butte , located between the Knik River Public Use Area and the race track on Mat-Su Borough land?
OR
A Community Park for residents of Butte, South Knik River and Lazy Mountain with safe motorized and non-motorized trails, sports fields and playgrounds for all ages, while assuring
continued access thru the parcel to the Knik River and the adjoining Knik River Public Use Area?

PLEASE, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD:
Provide your own comment, or use our sticky-note comments below on any or all topics if you agree

If you live in the Butte area, please send in your own comments, or use the links below if you agree with our comments as shown on the sticky notes. Please,  download and send to the Assembly  at the very latest by noon, Monday, Feb 5, 2013.

1) Here are Borough Recommendations to Public Input Summary with our sticky comments.

2) Here are Borough Staff Memos to selected Assumptions of Public Comments
Showing the Plan as presented by the Contractor with our sticky note comments to staff memo.
(The name on the sticky note comments is that of the secretary of BARCO who compiled member input)

3) Here are some public comments including those from Butte CC

Did you know that property tax payers in Butte have been paying the cost of fighting fires and conducting rescues on land and in the water for all users of the Jim Creek Parcel and the Knik River Public Use Area. Do you think this is fair? Did you know that residents of Butte do not have a consistent law enforcement presence in their community nor in the Knik River Public Use Area or Jim Creek Parcel? Do you know that 90% of all the road-side trash along the Old Glenn consists of empty alcohol containers?
It is common knowledge that the majority of users of our surrounding public lands come from outside our community.

For your reference:
Asset Management Plan for Borough-Owned Lands in the Butte Area

Map of Mat-Su Borough Jim Creek Parcel and Knik River Public Use Area (KRPUA)  in relationship to surrounding private residential properties, produced in 2013, using 2010 values.

Mat-Su Borough Jim Creek Master Plan Fact Sheet

Borough Comprehensive Plan Directives for Community Plans

Envy Trail Head and Pavilion Parking Lot on Jim Creek Parcel. The survey and easement for Envy and Sexton Trails along with a proposed location for a rock crawler park were done by MSB in 2010 with the help of a consultant (Jeff Dillon) outside of the Jim Creek Parcel Master Plan process. This act caused residents to request a Master Plan for Jim Creek Parcel, since the Assembly, upon adoption of the Butte Asset Management Plan in 2007, required the Master Plan to be in place prior to adding any easements etc.