Public Input is Pivotal as Kenai Peninsula Borough      Evaluates Land Use

The heart of the Kenai Peninsula is its people, their lifestyle, and the ways they connect with the lands.

In order to be effective, responsible stewards of the land it is vital to understand the varied uses, needs, and opportunities that lay within the landscape. In an effort to identify which land uses are appropriate to include in land management planning, what lands within our borough boundary are currently being used for, and what the needs of the community are, both now and in the future, the public was encouraged to participate in a on line survey this past January and February 2013.

Over the six (6) weeks 1,172 surveys were completed which identified a total of 4,398 land use suggestions on 381 different parcels of state lands. A large number of responses identified that recreation and ecological resource management is important to continue on these lands with the appropriate addition of lands for community expansion and public services.

The borough has also identified recreation, ecological conservation, resource management, community expansion and community services as the basis for which to acquire and use public lands.  These criteria were the basis for the selection of the remaining 27,000 municipal entitlement acreage that will be requested from the State of Alaska.  Land parcels were identified based on their perceived value to the borough both currently and in the future.

Public input is at the core of this project. Once KPB receives the land it will be able to pursue its own classification process under KPB Chapter 17.10. This includes an additional public process set forth in that ordinance to determine the most appropriate classification and use of the land for the borough and its communities.

Thank you for your input and assistance in confirmation of these needs and specific lands. The information and communication is vital as we move toward land use planning.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RECEIVED SURVEY RESULTS