Talkeetna Lakes Recreation Area Plan

Project Date: 2003
Project Manager: Chris Beck
Client: Matanuska Susitna Borough Community Development Department
Location: Talkeetna

In 2000, the Denali Nordic Ski Club approached the Mat-Su Borough about building ski trails in the Talkeetna Lakes area. The land (over 1,000 acres) is largely owned by the Borough and currently undeveloped, a mixture of marsh and dryer, hilly ground. The area surrounding the lakes is among the most secluded in the Talkeetna area, but evidence of use (canoeing, fishing, snowmachining, skiing) is increasing. The Borough hired Agnew::Beck to develop a plan for the area in an effort to maintain the site's natural character while allowing for increased use.

Agnew::Beck's work on the project included:

• A public workshop to help the community clarify its vision of the area's future.
• A list of goals compiled from the workshop. The central goal was found to be maintaining the largely undeveloped nature of the land and its low to moderate level of use while providing limited new improvements such as small parking areas and trails.
• A comprehensive plan for the recreation area. The plan includes guidelines for both the placement and types of trails to be built, regulations for the area, and budgeting information for the construction and operation of facilities.

This project is in the final stages of the approval process with the Mat-Su Borough. Additionally, the recreation area will be reclassified as a park, allowing for thousands of dollars budgeted for parks by the Borough to be used for improvements. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2005.