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Home My WebLink About2013-12-12 KRSMA Board MinutesKENAI RIVER Special Management Area "Working together...for the river" QD UQ3OO n L ° OO LRM Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board * ** Meeting Agenda * ** Thursday December 12, 2013 5:30 p.m. Gilman River Center CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call B. Minutes Approval C. Agenda Changes and Approval II. Public Comments/Presentations- III. REPORTS A. Agency and Government Reports a. State Parks —Jack Blackwell b. DEC -Tim Stevens c. ADF &G -Robert Begich d. USF &WS- AndyLoranger e. USFS /Chugach- Bobbie Jo Kolodziejski f. City of Kenai- Rick Koch g. City of Soldotna- Andrew Carmichael h. Kenai Peninsula Borough- Brent Johnson B. Committee Reports a. President's Report b. Guide Advisory c. Habitat d. River Use e. Legislative /Government Activities f. Board Development g. Agenda /Board Structure /Housekeeping IV. OLD BUSINESS V. NEW BUSINESS -Board Elections- Presidedr ice President VI. CORRESPONDENCE — Letter from Governor Parnell VII. PUBLIC COMMENT VIII. ADJOURNMENT A. Board Comments B. Date /Agenda of Next Meeting January 9, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. 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 Reaeation, Department jKtu al Resources, in cooperation with the Kenai Peninsula Borough D9 ` KE I � F V r! n 11 Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board * ** Meeting Minutes * ** Thursday November 14, 2013 5:30 p.m. Gilman River Center Soldotna, AK CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call: Joe Connors, Andrew Szczesny, Terri Carter, Brent Johnson, Andy Loranger, Andrew Carmichael, Bobbie Jo Kolodziejski, Jack Blackwell and Tim Stevens. Special Guest -Tom Malecek, District Ranger, Seward RD, Chugach NF B. Minutes Approval: The minutes were approved as presented. C. Agenda Changes and Approval -Under correspondence we added the letter from the Cooper Landing Senior Center and the letter from the Governor regarding full funding for Alaska State Parks. II. Public Comments /Presentations- Tom Malecek is the new District Ranger for the Seward Ranger District in the Chugach National Forest. Tom provided the board with an update on the Chugach Forest Service Plan Revision. The Forest Service is in the process of completing the second set of public comments. Meetings were conducted in Hope, Girdwood and Anchorage. The purposes of these meeting were to explain what the forest plan is designed for and what it means to the Chugach National Forest service. The community meetings are to gather input on what the public and /or agencies would like to see changed. The plan is revised every 10 to 15 years and may take up to two years to complete the revision. The last plan was revised in 2002, but because of the new planning rule the Forest Service has asked one Forest in each Region to select a plan for revision and the Chugach National Forest was selected for the Alaska region. 111. REPORTS A. Agency and Government Reports a. State Parks —Jack Blackwell provided board members with following report: 1) Six applications were submitted for the four vacancies on the KRSMA board. He is hoping to expedite the appointments and have interviews within the next week or so. 2) Parks nominated two lands along the Kenai River for purchase through the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council habitat acquisition program. The council approved purchase of the Beeson and Stewart property, which will be managed under the Kenai River Special Management plan. 3) Ranger Tom Anthony was hired as a fourth ranger on the Kenai River. Tom transferred from Kodiak and has been with State Parks for three years. 4) At this time there is no new information about Eagle Rock or the Kasilof boat launches. 5) Alaska State Parks has started the process for the revision of the Kachemak Bay Wilderness and State Park management plan. If you have some input on this plan there is a survey available on line at the DNR website. b. DEC —Tim Stevens provided board members with following report: 1) The 2014 Integrated report should be available in early January. 2) There has been no word at this time if the Kenai River will be listed as impaired. 3) The results for the Kenai Beach sampling show higher levels of coliform then the 2012 study. It was noted that the City of Kenai had done a great job in raking and keeping the beach clean. At this time DEC is planning on changing the sampling areas and looking for more of the source of the coliform. c. ADF &G —Not present USF &WS —Andy Loranger provided board members with following report: 1) The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge recently implemented closures for brown bear hunting on refuge lands. Previous action was taken by the Board of Game which was inconsistent with how USFWS manages brown bear in the Refuge Management Plan. Kenai Area Office, PO Box 1247, Soldotna, AK 99669, 907 - 262 -5581 i Kenai Peninsula Borough, 144 N. Binkley, Soldotna, AK 99669 907 - 262 -4441 Gilman River Center 514 Funny River Road, Soldotna, AK 99669, 907 - 260 -4862 Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Deparinent JR tural Resources, in cooperation with the Kenai Peninsula Borough KF1�A � E N r t d. USFS /Chugach- Bobbie Jo Kolodziejski provided board members with following report: 1) It was a good season at the Russian River. There were some incidents with bears getting into tents and the Forest service is going to be looking for ways to address these issues. 2) Stream Watch had 60 volunteers this year. 2014 will be the 2& anniversary for the program. 3) The USFS has hired a contractor to research and make recommendations for addressing fish waste near the Russian River. This item was included in the fire year action plan and it should be completed by May 2014. e. City of Kenai —Not present. L City of Soldotna — Andrew Carmichael provided board members with following report: 1) The City of Soldotna is working to finalize the Park and Recreation Plan. 2) The City is currently working on several trail projects. The main trail is to connect the Soldotna Visitor center with Centennial Park and then loop the trail back around to the back side of the Sport Center. 3) They are currently working on plans to expand Swift water Park. 4) Soldotna Creek Park is finishing the final phases of the project. Lighting will be installed this winter. 5) The City of Soldotna is currently in the process of purchasing a 4 acres parcel which was previously owned by Davis Block. g. Kenai Peninsula Borough -Brent Johnson provided board members with following report: 1) Hal Smalley is the President of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. Brent was appointed to represent the Borough at the Kenai River Special Management Meetings. B. Committee Reports a. President's Report — Joe Connors would like to work on having a full board present at the December meeting and to fill sub - committee chair positions. b. Guide Advisory - No Report c. Habitat — No Report d. River Use- No Report e. Legislative /Government Activities — No Report f. Board Development - No Report g. Agenda /Board Structure /Housekeeping — No Report IV. OLD BUSINES: V. NEW BUSINESS VI. CORRESPONDENCE — The following letters were shared with board members: 1. Letter from the Cooper Landing Seniors supporting the Americorps program and work they did with human waste planning on the upper Kenai River. 2. Letter from 10 State Park Advisory boards to Governor Pamell to provide full funding for Alaska State Park personal services. VII. PUBLIC COMMENT VIII. ADJOURNMENT A. Board Comments B. Date /Agenda of Next Meeting December 12, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.