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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-04-08 KRSMA Board PacketKENAI RIVER Special Management Area "Working together...for the river" CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call; B. Minutes Approval C. Agenda Changes and Approval II. Public Comments /Presentations Speaker Series Presentations: Mark Willette- ADF &G History of non commercial fish John Czarnezki- KPB Planner- HPO 21.18 Ordinance Review III. REPORTS A. Agency and Government Reports a. State Parks Sinclair, Russell b. DEC- Stevens c. ADF &G Vania/ Begich! d. USF &WS- Schmidt e. USFS /Chugach- Skibo f. City of Kenai- Ogle g. City of Soldotna- Micciche h. Kenai Peninsula Borough- Carey B. Committee Reports a. President's Report b. Guide Advisory c. Habitat d. River Use e. Permits f. Legislative /Government Activities g. Board Development h. Agenda /Board Structure /Housekeeping IV. OLD BUSINESS ACTION ITEMS A. Action Item: Voluntary Drift Area -Lower River B. Action Item: Boater Education C. Tabled for discussion: The Pillars parking and access V. NEW BUSINESS A. B. VI. CORRESPONDENCE VII. PUBLIC COMMENT VIII. ADJOURNMENT A. Board Comments B. Date /Agenda of Next Meeting May 13, 2010 5:30 p.m. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Meeting Agenda Thursday, April 8, 2010 5:30 p.m. Gilman River Center GG 7 RECEIVED APR 5 2010 KENAI CITY CLERK Kenai Area Office, PO Box 1247, Soldotna, AK 99669, 907 262 -5581 Kenai Peninsula Borough, 144 N. Binkley, Soldotna, AK 99669 907- 262 -4441 Gilman River Center 514 Funny River Road, Soldotna, AK 99669, 907 260 -4882 Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Deperiment aturel Resources, in cooperation with the Kenai Peninsula Borough KENAI ER Call to Order Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes Gilman River Center Thursday, March 11, 2010 5:30 p.m. A. Members Present: Joe Connors, Carol Padgett, Adam Reimer, James Czarnezki, Bruce King, David Carey, Robert Begich, Tim Stevens, Peter Micciche, Wayne Ogle, Bobbi Jo Skibo, Janet Schmidt, Jack Sinclair, Brenda Trefon. B. The Minutes for February 11, 2010 were approved as written. C. Agenda Changes and Approval: Addition to Item VI Correspondence. II. Public Comments /Presentations Speaker Series Presentations: Dixie Beall asked for clarification on what the KRSMA meeting was about and the Borough Habitat Ordinance 21.18 Review. Margaret Sill asked if there would he a chance for land owners to present their views regarding the HP0.21.1 8 Review. John Czarnezki, KPB Planner, gave a power point presentation over HPO 21.18 Ordinance recommendation sets, two and three along with the timeline. Copies of the presentation can be found on the Donald E. Gilman River Center Website: http: /www. kenairivercenter .orq /workingqroup /set2.html and http://www.kenairivercenter.orq/workinqqroup/set3.html. The second set of recommendations included the following: 21.18.070 21.18.070(B)(4) 21.18.070(B)(6) 21.18.070(B)(3) Activities Not Requiring a Permit Height Light Requirements Fish Cleaning Stations Abdicating to Federal State Governments The following questions and answers were presented for the second set of recommendations: David Carey asked if there was a charge for the permits. John C. stated no, except for those activities permitted within the state parks, which require a $50.00 permit processing fee. Bobbie Jo Skibo asked if you have a permit in place and these changes are approved will you have to change your permit to the new rules such as will you have to change your walkway to the new rules. John C. stated if the structure was built to current codes at the time and was maintained throughout, the new rules would not apply. Walter Sill asked if permits were still needed from the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. John C. stated yes permits are still required for any agency that has jurisdiction in the area you want to work. Adam Reimer asked if it's actually 4 inches from the bottom of the walkway to the ground. John C. replied yes. Dixie Beal asked if we are all in a state park now. To acquire a permit, you need to pay state parks. Jack Sinclair answered the first question, if you live on the Kenai River, with the exception of the last 4 miles; everything from OHW into the Kenai River is considered state parks or Kenai River Special Management Area. The Kenai River Special Management Area was established in 1984. Fish and Game Habitat also requires permit for work below OHW. State parks permits are $50.00 application fee. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes March 11, 2010 Page 1 of 4 111. Reports Carol Padgett asked where the best place to comment on the 21.18 ordinance review. John C. said the staff at the Gilman River Center is available to help you understand and answer questions you may have about all the steps of the 21.18 ordinance and what we are purposing. As a group and as a board, you have a couple of options; one is to work through your committees and provide comments that way. We also encourage you to come to assembly meetings and testify there or planning commission meetings to comment. Dave Carey stated comments can be made on the website blog as well. John C. stated we've started a blog on the website with a number of different topics of concern, it's an opportunity for folks to write your questions, comments, thoughts, or ideas on the blog and if you ask for a response we will reply. The third set of recommendations included the following: 21.18.010 Findings 21.18.020 Purpose 21.18.135 Exemption for emergency situations 21.18.145 Variances The following questions and answers were presented for the third set of recommendations: No questions were asked. Additional Public Comments: Scott Eggemeyer, sport fishing guide on the river. Spoke regarding the boating safety course for the Kenai River users and the possibility of making it mandatory, stating he would support it. A. Agency and Government Reports a. State Parks, Jack Sinclair, rangers have returned. Preparing to start work with the contractors on Morgan's Landing new walkways and fishing platforms as well as Funny River, putting in a new floating dock, gangway, and a new platform where people can access the mouth of Funny River. Those 2 contracts were awarded. Marty Olberg and Kenai Peninsula Construction got The Pillars extension contract; we are going to be putting in new 13 planks, 26 altogether, double wide. Hope to have work done May 10 -15, 2010. b. DEC, Tim Stevens, ACWA (Alaska Clean Water Act) grants closed on the 19` of February. We did receive 3 applications for work on the Kenai River. One would fund the hydrocarbon testing, which is part of the Kenai Watershed Forums monitoring that takes place in July. Another would be for continuing work on the turbidity monitoring. The third is from the Kenai Peninsula Borough to assist in hiring a facilitator and contractor for the habitat ordinance re- write. A determination on the applications will be made in mid April. c. ADF &G, Robert Begich, proposals for the upper Cook Inlet board meeting for fishing regulation changes are due by Friday, April 9 2010. 2010 sport fishing regulations books are out. d. USF &WS, Janet Schmidt, Robin's replacement, our new Refuge Manager, Andy Loranger will arrive during the week of March 15` Current Deputy Manager, who has been acting Refuge Manager since Robin left, has taken a job at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, Val Urban who has been on a detail as the Deputy Manager will leave in mid -April and be replaced by Erin Williams who will be here for 60 days. In January, we received a new staff member Officer Tim, a yellow lab. He's been on one detail already to Anchorage working cargo bound for overseas. 2.4 million dollars in the proposed FY2011 budget for design and engineering of a new Visitor Center at the Refuge. Intent is to have it placed in the same area as HQ. Hopefully, followed by construction dollars in FY2012. We will soon begin a 3 month remodeling project and replacement of our heating and ventilation system, which will have some affect but not much on visitors and folks conducting business on the Refuge. We will be set up to continue business as usual, but may entail using temporary trailers in the parking lot. Our revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan was completed in August of 2009, so from there we are working on several fronts drafting step down management plans specific to programs, and other implementing specific objectives contained in that document. You may download a copy from: http://alasksaiws.00vinwriplanninoikenpol.htm. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes March 11, 2010 Page 2of4 e. USFS /Chugach, Bobbi Jo Skibo, thanked everyone in the River Use committee for letting her have the conversation about the stream watch and hopefully the whole board will be hearing more about some ideas of getting education across the whole Kenai River in the future, We are developing our annual operations plan for the Kenai and Russian River complex. Working on an agreement with the Kenaitze tribe on getting some youth into Dave's Creek and doing some re- plantation there for the restoration project, working out field plans currently. f. City of Kenai, Wayne Ogle, the City of Kenai issued a two page letter about the Beluga Whale Critical Habitat and it is posted on their website. g. City of Soldotna, Peter Micciche, the City of Kenai, the Borough, and several other entities signed with us on a letter requesting infrastructure improvements to better manage the personal use fisheries on the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers. Working on an ordinance to reduce the parking requirements in the City of Soldotna, designed to reduce parking spaces that are based on not just square footage but the usage of the commercial properties to try to reduce paved properties and return it to some sort of natural vegetation. You are also going to see an introduction of an ordinance that encourages the use of onsite storm water treatment. We are designing a cemetery on a piece of property we now own, which is close to the Kenai River; one of the things we are incorporating is green infrastructure philosophies. Trying to grasp an understanding of some of the practical uses of the EVOS and that makes up a huge portion of our cities property. We will be calling for a meeting with those agencies to help us understand this usage. h. Kenai Peninsula Borough, David Carey, no report. B. Committee Reports a. President's Report, encouraged board members to participate in the committees. b. Guide Advisory, thanked board members that were present. Still working on getting a total picture of law enforcement with the various agencies that have jurisdiction on the Kenai River. Had a major discussion on citations issued to guides and nature of citations. Discussion on what to do with guide boat numbers in terms of retirement. c. Habitat, met today, discussed how the habitat committee and KRSMA board can interact with the borough 21.18 ordinance review. After considerable discussion, the habitat committee would like to get some input from the board as a whole as to whether we could use the same model that the permit committee uses. We could take up individual issues as they come from the staff and come up with a position within our committee, then use the electronic method of contacting board members to find out if there is agreement or disagreement. Our thinking is we would do 1 of 3 things, either support Phase I as truly house keeping measures, or in the case of particularly contentious issues that we don't think can be classified as housekeeping, that they are put off for a future discussion in Phase II or III. We want to go this route because it allows us to be timelier in our response to the borough. d. River Use considered and agreed to provide signage at Eagle Rock letting people know about traditional fishing methods. The guide advisory board supported this idea as well. Bruce King made a motion for the board to bring the Pillars Boat Launch resolution to the table. Motion to bring Pillars Boat Launch Resolution was seconded. Pillars Boat Launch Resolution Read: "The KRSMA Board requests DNR to explore options for a plan to address increased parking opportunities at the Pillars Boat launch. We also request DNR to contact other sources to see what funding may be available for boat launch improvements that may be appropriate to help facilitate this situation." Motion was discussed. Peter Micciche asked that motion be tabled until next meeting. Motion to table Pillars Boat Launch item to next month's KRSMA board meeting passed. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes March 11 2010 Page 3 of 4 9. IV. Old Business Action Items Bruce King stated another proposed regulation item they would like to present to the KRSMA board members and public is the boater's safety education requirement for the Kenai River. This is not an action item tonight. The draft language reads: "If you were born after 1994, you must have successfully completed a NASBLA (National Association of State Boating Law Administration) or State of Alaska approved boater safety education course before operating a watercraft in the flowing waters of the Kenai River. In addition, after January 1, 2018, anyone operating a watercraft in the flowing waters of the Kenai River would have to have demonstrated successful completion of NASBLA or a State of Alaska approved boater safety course." In the interim, we've made some suggestions in terms of how you can increase participation by offering incentives, we would like to encourage agencies to develop signage to remind people of the rules of the road, and these could be placed at boat launches. Develop a process for letting the public know of the concerns that we have about the water safety issues, then lastly to begin design of a class that is specific to the Kenai River. Everyone agrees that we should expect people to have some working knowledge of how to operate a boat in a river, but we don't want to restrict access to the river by making it so onerous that only those people that live here and know about the course can take it. So this is a first step for us in terms of initiating Kenai River users to boating safety. An email with the final language will be mailed out later. Eagle Rock Drift Area: The committee finalized its proposal to pass on to the board regarding the voluntary establishment of a "Drift fishing" area near Eagle Rock on the lower river. The committee furnished draft language for signs and justification for the board to consider for approval at the April meeting. The signs would read: "Eagle Rock traditional drift area, please yield when drift anglers are. present Joe Connors added the idea would be to incorporate the water wise course into the guide academy, by taking this course in the guide academy the guides would then be certified. We also talked about having an online option for the course; it would have to be a state approved course. All board members will get a written document of this within a week or two and this will be presented at next months KRSMA meeting to be voted on. e. Permits, reviewed a request for a conditional use permit in Castaway Cove and we recommended that it not be permitted. The borough planning commission did deny the request. f. Legislative /Government Activities, nothing to report. Board Development,. Bobbie Jo suggested as an idea for board development that a full river trip be scheduled this summer for as many board members to attend as possible. The idea will be passed around by email and a status report on the effort will be available next meeting. h. Agenda /Board Structure /Housekeeping, nothing to report. A. Regulation Update, Jack Sinclair, for the guide replacement policy, duck hunting regulation, and orange dots that go on the boat motors; public notice of these proposed changes have not yet been released but it is anticipated that they would be within the next week. B. Recreation Study Update, a hard copy is included in KRSMA packet. V. New Business none VI. Correspondence Conditional Use Permit VII. Public Comment none VIII. Adjournment A. Board Comments Brenda Trefon commented it is getting dose to Salmon Celebration time in May; this is a good time for KRSMA board members to take a couple hours and help educate the kids. B. Date /Agenda of Next Meeting April 8th, 2010 5:30 p.m. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes March 11, 2010 Page 4 of 4