CITY OF VALDEZdnr.alaska.gov/mlw/planning/areaplans/prince/pdf/mu_21.pdf · 2020. 8. 19. · higher priority than the land sale. Ap-proximately 350 acres will be offered for set-tlement,

CITY OFVALDEZManagementUnit 21

BackgroundThis management unit contains the state-owned lands in and around Valdez. Much ofthe land in this area has been reserved forspecific public uses such as the Valdez GlacierCampground. The unit is outside of theChugach National Forest.

Management Intent_______Most lands in this subunit will be retained instate ownership and managed for multipleuse. Settlement is proposed for 720 acres inthe Robe Lake West land sale area (Subunit21K), Brown's Creek (Subunit 21O), andWortmanns (Subunit 21Q). In addition, anundetermined acreage may be offered ad-jacent to the existing Robe Lake land sale area(Subunit 21J).

The state owns a number of small, isolatedparcels of land in this management unit.Other parcels may be acquired throughforeclosure, escheat or other means. Unlessotherwise mentioned, the area plan has not

considered the disposition of these parcels.Reclassification for sale or lease is allowedwithout a plan amendment where consistentwith the Valdez Comprehensive Plan, the Val-dez Coastal Management Plan, local land-useregulations and settlement guideline B2, Iso-lated Parcels of State Land, page 2-38.

The City Valdez has not yet filled its municipalland entitlement; approximately 515 acresremain to be selected. Under AS 29.65.130,most land in this unit is classified in categoriesthat would be available for selection, but a few— for example, land classified wildlife habitator forestry -- are not selectable. None of thecity's present selections include these lands.The plan has not specifically considered fu-ture selections by the city. For that reason, ifland in an unselectable category is selected bythe city, the departments of Natural Resour-ces and Fish and Game will do more detailedanalysis of the resource values of the selectedlands. If the analysis shows that these landsare suitable for local management either be-cause the resource values do not merit stateretention or because the land is not essential

Page 3-162, Management Unit 21: City of Valdez

to the overal management intent for the area,reclassification may occur through the specialexception process outlined in Chapter 4. Inthese cases, reclassification would not requirea plan amendment.

Most state lands remain open to mineralentry. Land sale areas would be closed beforedisposal. Six estuaries and parts of threestreams will be closed to protect valuable sal-mon spawning and rearing habitat and toprevent conflicts with those resources. In ad-dition, the tidelands adjacent to the SolomonGulch Hatchery will be closed to protecthabitat requirements of the hatchery and thefishery it supports. A corridor is reserved forthe proposed Trans Alaska Gas System(TAGS) pipeline. The pipeline corridortraverses Subunits 21B, M, N, O, P, R, S, andT.

Management intent is discussed below fortwenty-two individual subunits.

Subunit 21 A-Mountains. This unit includesmountains, glaciers and, in a few instances, ariver headwater. Land in this unit will beretained in state ownership and managed formultiple use. Corbin-Robe (near CorbinCreek) has been suggested for a downhill skiarea. Uses that might foreclose such develop-ment should not be authorized without priorconsultation with the city. Recreation oppor-tunities and access may be expanded.

Subunit 21B - Sugarloaf. Land in this unitis mountainous and above treeline. The unitincludes Solomon Lake, the reservoir and theright-of-way for the Solomon Gulch PowerProject and the water supply for the SolomonGulch Fish Hatchery, and important moun-tain goat winter habitat. The area will beretained in state ownership and managed formultiple use with appropriate protection formountain goat habitat and the hatchery watersupply.

Sugarloaf Mountain and mountainous landnear Canyon Slough have been identified aspotential sites for developed downhill skiareas. Uses that might foreclose such

development should not be authorizedwithout prior consultation with the city.

The TAGS and TAPS rights-of-way traversethis subunit. Management will be consistentwith the needs of the TAPS and TAGStransportation corridors.

Subunit 21C - Mineral Creek Canyon. Thisarea contains important recreation andmineral resources. The Valdez CoastalManagement Plan (1986) states, "Already apopular summer recreation area, recreationuse of Mineral Creek Canyon will increasewith population growth. Winter use of thearea is also heavy. A city-groomed ski trail at-tracts cross country skiers. Snowmobilers alsomake use of the area...Proximity to town makethis a tourism and wilderness resource." Thearea has also been historically important forits mineral potential, and contains numerousmining claims, many of which are still active.Mineral Creek is also a salmon spawningstream.

The Coastal Management Plan designatesthis area as an Area Meriting Special Atten-tion (AMSA)"... because of the importanceof this area for recreation and the potentialconflicts between this and other uses includ-ing mineral extraction."

State management intent will be consistentwith the management intent of the AMSA,which is to allow continued mineral extractionwhile protecting salmon spawning and rearinghabitat, and public use of the recreationresources including public access, hiking andskiing trails, and the scenic values.

Subunit 21D - Valdez Glacier. The ValdezGlacier is an important recreation area for theCity of Valdez and a potentially importanttourist attraction. This area will be retainedin state ownership and managed for multipleuse with emphasis on public recreation andtourism. Improvements likely to increasepublic access and increase the attraction fortourism development are appropriate.

Management Unit 21: City of Valdez, Page 3-163

Subunit 21E - Duck Flats Road Corridor.This area is just north of the Richardson High-way as it parallels the Duck Flats. It also in-cludes Siwash Creek and an unnamed streamwhich are salmon spawning and rearinghabitats. The corridor will be retained in stateownership and managed for multiple use.Management will emphasize protection of thescenic quality of the area and the fish habitats.

Subunit 21F - Duck Flats. This 1,000-acreintertidal area, of which 50 acres are state-owned, consists of 450 acres of mud flats and460 acres of saltwater marsh. Tidelands in thissubunit are owned by the City of Valdez. TheDuck Flats are fed by six streams and provideshabitat for rearing salmon and a wide varietyof waterfowl. The area borders Valdez boatharbor and contains a port facility and grainterminal.

The Valdez Coastal Management Plan desig-nated this area as an AMSA because "themany existing and proposed uses have createdintense competition for use of this veryproductive and unique area. The area's use asa transportation corridor and port site,fishery, aquaculture site, scenic and natureviewing site will create conflicts which will re-quire particular attention to ensure propermanagement." The Coastal ManagementPlan calls for creation of an AMSA task forcewith other agency membership.

Management will be consistent with the coas-tal plan policies and intent for this area includ-ing that developed by the AMSA task force.

Subunit 21G - Old Valdez Glacier Trail.This area contains the Old Valdez Glacier andHistoric Trail used by the miners when Val-dez was the entrance to the interior of Alas-ka, A reservation along the trail exists forrecreation and historic purposes. The areawill be retained in state ownership andmanaged for multiple use with emphasis onmaintaining the historic, recreation, andvisual qualities of the trail. Personal-useforestry, such as firewood cutting, is an al-lowed use in the area but the locations shouldbe buffered from the trail to maintain the

trail's visual, undisturbed qualities. Cuttingwill be designed to avoid creating a windthrowhazard on the trail.

Subunit 21H - Lowe River Mouth. This areaincludes the delta and estuarine areas aroundthe mouth of the Lowe River, an importantsalmon spawning and rearing stream. Thearea will be maintained in public ownershipand managed for multiple use. The primarymanagement intent will be to protect the fishand wildlife habitat of the river's mouth;recreation and forestry are secondary uses.

Subunit 211 - Robe Lake. This subunit en-compasses the AMSA designated by the Val-dez Coastal Management Plan. Thedesignation is caused by potential conflicts be-tween the lake's recreation and habitat value(important coho and sockeye salmon spawn-ing and rearing habitat) and "a number of dif-ferent and possibly incompatible uses." Thecoastal plan recommends the creation of anAMSA task force with DNR and other agen-cy membership.

Management will be consistent with the coas-tal plan policies and intent for the area includ-ing that developed by the AMSA task force.

Subunit 21J - Existing Robe Lake LandSale. This area contains 34 lots sold by DNRin 1980 and adjacent land. The adjacent landis of moderate to poor quality and will bemanaged for multiple use. It can be offeredfor sale only if the City has a significant needfor more settlement land that cannot be metfrom other settlement areas in this manage-ment unit.

Subunit 21K - Proposed Robe Lake WestLand Sale. This subunit is between RobeLake and the Richardson Highway. Ap-proximately 250 acres will be offered for sale.A vegetative buffer should screen the settle-ment area from the road and Robe Lake.

Subunit 21L - Richardson Road Corridor.This area will be retained in state ownershipand managed for multiple use. The manage-ment intent is to protect the anadromous fish


habitat in the sloughs of the Lowe River, thescenic character of the Richardson Highway,and to encourage commercial use or personaluse forestry that is compatible with thosegoals.

Subunit 21M - Lowe River Floodplain. Theactive floodplain of the Lowe River includesimportant salmon habitat and a concentrationof bald eagle nests. The area will be retainedin public ownership and managed for multipleuse that emphasizes the protection of salmonhabitat and eagle nesting. This unit also in-cludes a small part of the TAGS right-of-way.Management will be consistent with the needsof the right-of-way.

Subunit 21N-Lowe River Bench. This areacontains the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAPS),the Trans-Alaska Gas Pipeline (TAGS)rights-of-way, the highest volume timberresources near Valdez, a past state land sale,and provides winter moose habitat. The areawill be retained in public ownership andmanaged for these various resources. TheTAPS rights-of-way are currently closed tomineral entry. Management will encouragecommercial timber harvest consistent with theneeds of the TAPS and TAGS transportationcorridors. The area provides the long-termland base to supply local timber needs anddevelop a small, locally oriented timber in-dustry in Valdez.

Subunit 210 • Brown's Creek. This and theadjacent Subunit 21N, Lowe River Bench, willprovide the commercial forest lands to supp-ly local timber needs and develop the timberindustry in Valdez. A timber sale has been ex-ecuted for some of the timber in the unit. Thissubunit also has good settlement capability.Access for any purpose requires crossing theLowe River and TAPS. A portion of theTAGS right-of-way traverses this unit.Management will be consistent with the needsof the right-of-way.

Management of this area will emphasizetransportation corridors, forestry, and settle-ment. For most of the 20-year planningperiod, timber harvest in this unit will be a

higher priority than the land sale. Ap-proximately 350 acres will be offered for set-tlement, but the sale is to be the lowest priorityamong all the state land sale areas identifiednear Valdez. Therefore, the land sale is notexpected to occur until the latter part of the20-year planning period to allow the timberharvest to be completed and to allow for pos-sible construction of the TAGS line. The landsale may be offered sooner than the comple-tion of the timber harvest if the Commissionerdetermines that there is a significant lack ofavailable recreational or residential land forthe population of Valdez and a land sale iswarranted. In addition, legal, long-term, prac-tical access to the land sale area must be es-tablished before a land sale offering.

Future land sales in this subunit will notpreclude commercial or other timber harvest.However, the timber harvest and road designwill take into account future residential usesof the area.

To reflect the management intent, this subunitwill have a joint forestry, settlement, andtransportation classification. Areas offeredfor sale may be reclassified settlement withouta plan amendment.

Subunit 21P - Keystone Canyon. Thisfamous canyon is a scenic highlight in an al-ready scenic area. The narrow canyon andsteep cliffs are important attractions for resi-dents and tourists. The canyon is traversed bythe Richardson Highway and may betraversed by TAGS. This area will be retainedin state ownership and managed for multipleuse with emphasis on maintaining the scenicqualities of the area and accommodating theright-of-way needs of existing and futuretransportation corridors.

The Alaska Legislature should consider desig-nating the Keystone Canyon and theThompson Pass area for long-term retentionby the state for protection and maintenance ofthe recreation and tourism resource, especial-ly the scenic quality. The area would be suit-able for designation as a state recreation area.This legislative designation is discussed fur-


ther under Subunit 21S (Thompson Pass), andin Chapter 4. A similar recommendation isalso made for adjacent land in the CopperRiver Basin Area Plan.

Subunit 21Q - Wortmanns. Approximately120 net acres will be offered for sale in thissubunit The proposed sale area includes anarrow band of suitable land between theRichardson Highway and the steep mountainsto the north. The area would be closed tomineral entry before sale.

Subunit 21R - Heiden View. This area con-tains the Heiden View Subdivision, offeredfor sale by DNR in 1987. The unit also in-cludes the TAGS line right-of-way.

Subunit 21S - Thompson Pass. This unitincludes mountain peaks, glaciers, deepglacier-carved valleys that provide much ofthe recreation opportunities of the ThompsonPass area. The unit provides the scenic back-drop for the Richardson Highway. The areaextends past the boundaries of the Prince Wil-liam Sound planning area and into the Cop-per River Basin planning area. Thedesignations and management guidelines forthis unit are the same as those in Unit 15(Thompson Pass), of the Copper River BasinArea Plan, adopted by DNR and ADF&G in1986.

This management unit should be retained instate ownership and managed for multiple usewith emphasis on expanding recreation op-portunities. A corridor for future transporta-tion and utility routes will be retained throughthe area. Certain recreation activities (par-ticularly winter recreation and off-roadvehicle use) also need, or soon will need, moreactive management for public safety and foravoiding conflicts between users. To providemore active recreation management, Divisionof Parks and Outdoor Recreation (DPOR)and the Division of Land and Water Manage-ment (DLWM) should enter into a coopera-tive agreement to give DPOR authority toconstruct and manage recreation facilities andmanage visitor activities in the area. DPOR

will review all land-use activities proposed forthis area.

Wortmann Creek west has been suggested asa downhill ski area. Uses that might foreclosesuch development should not be authorizedwithout prior consultation with the city.

The Alaska Legislature should consider desig-nating the Thompson Pass and the KeystoneCanyon area for long-term retention by thestate. This area would be suitable for desig-nation as a state recreation area. Estab-lishment of a legislative designated area andsubsequent development of visitor facilities inthe Thompson Pass area would encouragevisitors to spend more time in the area, whichwould help the local economy.

The study area for the legislative designationshould include this and the Keystone Canyonsubunits.

The TAPS and TAGS rights-of-way are cur-rently closed to mineral entry. The plan doesnot recommend administrative closures forother state land in the Thompson Pass area;however, the state legislature may considerclosing areas included in a legislative designa-tion.

Timber harvest is allowed in the area, for sal-vage, disease control, and other forestmanagement that is consistent with maintain-ing public recreation values. Any legislationshould allow for such activities.

Subunit 21T - Anderson Bay - TAGS Ter-minal. Land (including tidelands) in this areamay be required for the construction of thepipeline and terminal for the Trans-AlaskaGasline System. The land will be reserved forthis use unless a different terminal site isdeveloped. Much of the state land in this areawas closed to mineral entry when DNR ac-cepts the final right-of-way application.Lower Salmon Creek, Lower Solomon Gulch,and state owned tidelands at the fish hatcheryon Solomon Gulch will be closed to newmineral entry (see mineral closing guideline).


The state should select an additional 960 acrearea identified as a buffer area for theproposed Liquid Natural Gas terminal site.State ownership of the entire terminal sitewould facilitate development. The additionalselection will also be closed to mineral entryto protect the continued availability of the site.

The anchorage in this subunit is situated sowind blows past rather than into it, and theanchorage provides a safe refuge for smallboats traversing Port Valdez when theweather is bad enough that they cannot crossto the city harbor. Also, the shoreline fromEntrance Point to Anderson Bay contains her-ring spawning habitat.

Subunit 21U - Solomon Gulch HatcheryHarvest Area. The tidelands in this subunitare adjacent to the Solomon Gulch FishHatchery and include the hatchery harvestarea maintained by ADF&G for the salmonhatchery. In this area returning hatcherystock is naturally separated from wild stock.During fishery openings, it receives con-centrated commercial-purse-seine fishing.The subunit also supports dense concentra-tions of rearing juvenile salmon when thehatchery releases smolts in the spring.Tideland management will maintain theproductivity of the habitat and the use of thearea for commercial and sport fishing.

Subuni t 21V - Remainder of StateTidelands. State-owned tidelands not in-cluded with another subunit will be managedto support community and resource develop-ment on adjacent uplands in a manner consis-tent with the Valdez Comprehensive Plan,Valdez Coastal Management Plan and theguidelines in Chapter 2 of this plan.

Management Guidelines____Coastal Zone Plans (all subunits). Stateactions within the boundaries of the ValdezCoastal Management Plan will be consistentwith that plan.

Gravel Pits (all subunits). Existing gravelpits will be retained in public ownership formaterial sales.

Transportation and Utilities (all subunits).Future transportation and utility lines are al-lowed throughout this unit. Provision shouldbe made for these purposes in any areaproposed for legislative designation. Only es-sential facilities needed to support transpor-tation and utility uses should be allowedbetween Keystone Canyon and ThompsonPass to protect the recreation and scenic re-sources of the area. Supportive operationsthat can be located outside of the KeystoneCanyon - Thompson Pass area, such as gas sta-tions, are not allowed.

Crucial Mountain Goat Habitat (Subunits21 A, 21 B, 21C, 21D, and 21S). Near crucialmountain goat winter range, activities willavoid or minimize damage to important com-ponents of the habitat including importantvegetation or topographic features, and avoidor minimize visual or audible disturbancessufficient to disrupt mountain goat use of thehabitat.

Timber Harvest and Visual Management(Subunits 21 B, 21E, 21H, 21K, 21L, 21N,210,21P, 21Q, 21R, and 21 S).

1. Road Corridors. Along road corridors (in-cluding the Richardson Highway and DayvilleRoad) timber management, where allowed,will maintain the natural appearance from theroad by maintaining a natural vegetative buff-er or other means.

2. Lowe River Bench (Subunits 21N and21O). Timber harvest in the Lower RiverBench and Brown's Creek subunits will bedesigned to minimize impacts on views fromthe highway. Management tools to ac-complish this goal might include those listedbelow:

a. Restrictions on the size and amount ofclear-cutting.


b. Using topography or vegetation to bufferviews of yarding areas and roads.

c. Designing cuts to resemble avalanchechutes, meadows, and other naturalbreaks in the vegetation.

d. Other measures as appropriate.

Mineral Extraction in Mineral CreekCanyon (Subunit 21 C). The followingguidelines apply to mineral extraction withinMineral Creek Canyon.

1. Visual Impact of Mining Operations. Min-ing operations must be designed and con-ducted to the extent practicable to minimizetheir visual impacts, especially when viewedfrom the Mineral Creek Road. During mini-ng, the lessee must follow specific require-ments:

a. Stabilize the disturbed area to prevent unnecessary erosion.

b. Properly dispose of solid wastes.c. Clear vegetation only where necessary.d. Use existing vegetation to screen mining

operations where possible.e. Keep camp areas, roads, and mining sites

compact and orderly.

2. Rehabilitation of the Mining Site. Themining site must be returned to a natural ap-pearance after use, unless other rehabilitationrequirements are specified in the approvedplan of operations. Rehabilitation shall be anongoing part of the mining operation. Thedisturbed area must be graded as necessary tobe compatible with the surrounding undis-turbed area and rehabilitated, using stripping,tailings, and fines, to provide conditionssuitable for fast, natural revegetation of thedisturbed area.

3. Public Access. No facilities or activitiesmay be located where they would block publicaccess to navigable and public waters. Publicaccess to and within the mineral claim may notbe restricted, except to protect public safety orto prevent unreasonable interference with the

rights of the lessee, and only if authorizedunder an approved plan of operations.

4. Mineral Creek Road. Mineral claims withinthe Canyon are subject to the Mineral CreekRoad right-of-way. If mining is requestedwithin the road right-of-way (including under-ground mining within 100 feet of the surfaceof the right-of-way) or a new access roadneeds to be constructed from the miningoperation to the Mineral Creek Road, a per-mit must be obtained from the Department ofTransportation and Public Facilities. Anyproposed road construction must be includedin the plan of operations and be designed tominimize erosion, runoff, and sedimentation.

Mineral Closures (21 E, 21F, 21G, 21H,21M, 21P, 21S, 21U, and 21V). In order toprotect valuable salmon spawning and rearinghabitat and to prevent conflicts with thoseresources, three streams and four estuarieswill be closed to new mineral entry. Also,tidelands adjacent to the Solomon GulchHatchery will be closed because the hatcheryand the fishery it supports are critically de-pendent on the marine environment of thosetidelands for salmon habitat including thegrowth of juvenile salmon. The boundaries ofthe closures are described in Appendix D andare summarized below.

1. Streams (Subunits 21E, G, H,M, P, and S).The closures include three streams: ap-proximately 2.0 miles of Siwash Creek on theeast side of the Duck Flats, approximately 0.2miles of Crooked Creek on the west side ofthe Duck Flats, and approximately 17.4 milesof the Lowe River, and the state land within50 feet of each side of those streams.

2. Estuaries (Subunits 21F and 21V). Six es-tuaries are proposed for closure. They are located at the mouths of the three streams listedabove and at the mouth of Mineral Creek (35-40).

3. Hatchery Tidelands (Subunits 21U). Theclosure includes tidelands adjacent to theSolomon Gulch Hatchery on the south side ofPort Valdez.


Vegetation and Public Land Require-ments for the Settlement near theRichardson Highway and around RobeLake (Subunits 21J and 21K). In additionto the public land and vegetated buffers re-quired by the Settlement guidelines in Chap-ter 2, a vegetated buffer of 75 feet will bemaintained in public ownership along theRichardson Highway and one of 100 feet willbe maintained around Robe Lake.

Settlement and Timber Harvest at Brown'sCreek (Subunit 210).

1. Access. Land will not be offered for saleuntil legal, long-term, practical access is estab-lished across the Lowe River and across theTAGS and TAPS rights-of-way.

2. Visual Protection. The land sale will bedesigned as much as practical to maintain thenatural appearance of the area as seen fromthe Richardson Highway. The followingmeasures should be considered to implementthis guideline:

a. Retain a publicly owned buffer.b. Using vegetation or topography to buff-

er road and residential lots.c. Restrictions on the building location.d. Other measures as appropriate.

DOF road and harvest plans will be completedin consultation with DLWM

Conflicts with Hatchery Harvest Areas(Subunit 21 U).

1. Disease, Pollution, and Productivity. Be-cause of the concentration of hatchery stock,the following uses will not be allowed if thereis a feasible and prudent alternative: uses withthe potential to transmit disease to the con-centrated hatchery stock; uses that significant-ly reduce the productivity of the salmonhatchery by competing with the available foodsupply or by other means; and uses that couldcause significant water pollution.

2. Interfering with the Commercial Fishery.Because hatchery harvest areas, particularlythe nearshore areas, receive dense concentra-tions of purse seine commercial fishing ac-tivity, any tideland facility (rafts, floats,mooring systems, etc.) should be located anddesigned to maintain the continued use of thearea.

The complete set of management guidelinesis presented in Chapter 2. Any of theguidelines could apply to uses within thismanagement unit; however, guidelines thatare most likely to apply are listed below:

Fish and wildlife habitat and harvest areasForestryMaterialsRecreation, tourism, cultural, and scenic

resourcesSettlementTransportation and utilities


LAND USE DESIGNATION SUMMARY

SUBUNITLANDOWNERSHIP

21A State-ownedMountains uplands

Management Unit 21: City of ValdezPage 1 of 4

LAND USE DESIGNATIONSPrimarySurface Use2

Prohibited Subsurface1

Surface Use

COMMENTS

Resource manage- Land offer- Openment, low value ings

21B State-ownedSugar! oaf uplands

Resource manage- Land offer- Openment, low value;

For the area thatdrains intoSolomon Lake:Water resources

ings

21CMineralCreekCanyon

21 DValdezGlacier

21 EDuck RatsRoadCorridor

21 FDuck Rats

State-owneduplands

State-owneduplands

State-owneduplands

State-ownedtidelands

Minerals Land offer-Public recreation ings

Public recreation Land offer-ings

Habitat & harvest Land offer-Public recreation ings

Habitat & harvest Commercialrecreationfacilities

Roatlodges

Open

Open

Most open;Crooked andSiwash Creeksclosed

Two estuariesclosed

•

AMSA in ValdezCoastal ManagementPlan

AMSA in ValdezCoastal ManagementPlan

1 All areas are available for leasing of leasable minerals. Statements of whether or not the unit isopen to mineral entry refer only to locatable minerals.

20ther uses such as material sales, land leases, or permits that are not specifically prohibited, may beallowed. Such uses will be allowed if consistent with the management intent statement, managementguidelines of this unit, and relevant management guidelines in Chapter 2. See Chapter 2, pages 2-11 and2-12, for floathome policies. Trapping Cabin and Remote Cabin permits will not be given in the planningarea. See guideline B-3, page 2-39.


LAND USE DESIGNATION SUMMARYManagement Unit 21: City of Valdez

Page 2 of 4

SUBUNIT

21GOld ValdezGlacierTrail

21HLowe RiverMouth

211Robe Lake

LANDOWNERSHIP

State-owneduplands

State-owneduplands andtidelands

State-owneduplands

LAND USE DESIGNATIONS COMMENTSPrimarySurface Use2

ForestryHabitat & harvestPublic recreation

Habitat & harvestSecondary use:ForestryPublic recreation

ForestryHabitat & harvestPublic recreation


Surface Use

Land offer- Most open;ings Siwash Creek

closed

Land offer- Lowe River closedings

Land offer- Open AMSA in Valdez,Ings Coastal Management Plan

21J State-ownedExisting uplands;Robe Lake private landsLand Sale

Settlement Closed (exist-ing land sale)

Past land disposal area andadjacent land; existingclassifications unchanged

21K State-ownedRobe Lake uplandsWest, Pro-posed LandSale

SettlementSecondary use:Public recreationForestryHabitat & harvest

Closed beforesale

Estimated net landoffering 250 acres

21LRoadCorridor

State-owneduplands

ForestryHabitat & harvestTransportation

Land offer-ings

Open


20ther uses such as material sales, land leases, or permits that are not specifically prohibited, may beallowed. Such uses will be allowed If consistent with the management intent statement, managementguidelines of this unit, and relevant management guidelines In Chapter 2. See Chapter 2, pages 2-11 and2-12, for floathome policies. Trapping Cabin and Remote Cabin permits will not be given in the planningarea. See guideline B-3, page 2-39.


SUBUNITLANDOWNERSHIP

LAND USE DESIGNATION SUMMARY

Management Unit 21: City of ValdezPage 3 of 4

LAND USE DESIGNATIONSPrimarySurface Use2


Surface Use

COMMENTS

21M State-ownedLowe River uplandsFloodplain

Habitat & harvest Land offer-ings

Lowe Riverclosed

21NLowe RiverBench

State-owneduplands

ForestryTransportationSecondary uses:Habitat & harvestPublic recreation

Land offer-ings

Open

210Brown'sCreek

21 PKeystoneCanyon

State-owneduplands

State-owneduplands

ForestrySettlementTransportation

Public recreationTransportation

Closed beforesale

Land offer- Uplands openIngs to mineral

entry unlesslegislativelyclosed; LoweRiver closedto mineral entry

Estimated net landoffering is 350 acres

Part of study area forThompson Pass legisla-tive recommendation(with Subunit 2lS)

21 Q State-ownedWortmanns uplands

21 R State-ownedHeiden uplandsView

SettlementSecondary use:Forestry

Settlement

Closed beforesale

Closed (existingland sale)

Estimated net landoffering 120 acres

Existing land sale;existing classificationsunchanged


2Other uses such as material sales, land leases, or permits that are not specifically prohibited, may beallowed. Such uses will be allowed if consistent with the management intent statement, managementguidelines of this unit, and relevant management guidelines in Chapter 2. See Chapter 2, pages 2-11 and2-12, for floathome policies. Trapping Cabin and Remote Cabin permits will not be given in the planningarea. See guideline B-3, page 2-39.


LAND USE DESIGNATION SUMMARYManagement Unit 21: City of Valdez

Page 4 of 4

SUBUNIT

21SThompsonPass

21TAndersonBayTAGS

21USolomonGulchHatcheryHarvest Area

21VRemainderof Unit

LANDOWNERSHIP

State-owneduplands

State-ownedand selecteduplands. State-owned tide-lands



LAND USE DESIGNATIONSPrimary Prohibited Subsurface1

Surface Use2 Surface Use

Public recreation Land offer- May be closedings if legisla-

tively recom-mended; LoweRiver belowWortmannCreek closed

Transportation Land offer- Closedings

Habitat & harvest Closed

Habitat & harvest Most open;Shoreline develop- adjacent toment TAPS terminal,

COMMENTS

Part of the study areafor potential ThompsonPass legislativerecommendation (withSubunit 21P)

Reserved for TAGSTerminal

Adjacent to Solomon GulchHatchery

Includes TAPS dockingfacilities

four estuaries,and hatcherytidelands closed

1 All areas are available for leasing of leasable minerals. Statements of whether or not the unit Isopen to mineral entry refer only to locatable minerals.

20ther uses such as material sales, land leases, or permits that are not specifically prohibited, may beallowed. Such uses will be allowed ff consistent with the management intent statement, managementguidelines of this unit, and relevant management guidelines in Chapter 2. See Chapter 2, pages 2-11 and2-12, for floathome policies. Trapping Cabin and Remote Cabin permits will not be given In the planningarea. See guideline B-3, page 2-39.


Resource Information Summary (page 1 of 4)3

Management Unit: 21. ValdezSUBUNIT Fish & Wildlife2 Recreation

21AMountains(uplands)

21BSugarloaf(uplands)

21CMineral CreekCaynon(uplands)

21DValdez Glacier(uplands)

21EDuck FlatsRoad Corridor(uplands)

21FDuck Flats(tidelands)

21GOld ValdezGlacier Trail(uplands)

Bear use; mountaingoat summer andcrucial winter range

Mountain goat summerrange and crucialwinter range; bearuse; goat and bearhunting

Crucial mountain goatwinter range; bearuse; goat and bearhunting

Crucial mountain goatwinter range; bearuse

Bear use

Estuary; essentialwaterfowl habitat;seasonal waterfowlconcentrations; bearuse

Bear use; goats

Infrequent use

Infrequent use;potential cityski area

Ski and scenicarea frequentlyused by Valdezresidents

Community andtourist recrea-tion site

Wildlife view-ing; transpor- .tation corridorthrough viewshed

Viewshed fortransportationcorridor andcity

Tourist andrecreation sitefor Valdez

Minerals Settlement'

Moderately Incapablemineralized

Known placer Incapabledeposits inSolomon Gulchand SulphideGulch

Active Placer Incapablemining

Moderately Capablemineralized

Moderately Incapablemineralized

Moderatelymineralized

Moderately Capablemineralized

Forestry3

Low

Low

Low

Low

Low

™~

High/moderate

1 This resource summary describes only the resources for state uplands and tidelands.2 Resource list includes Crucial, Prime, and Important habitats as defined by ADF&G (see Appendix E).

Anadromous fish streams are not listed; they exist in most subunits. See ADF&G anadromous fishstream catalogue.

3 Land offering and timber harvest do not occur on tidelands. Therefore, settlement and forestryresources are not rated for tideland subunits.


Resource Information Summary (page 2 of 4)]


21HLowe RiverMouth(uplands andtidelands)

211Robe Lake(uplands)

21JExisting RobeLake Land Sale(uplands)

21KRobe LakeWest ProposedLand Sale(uplands)

21LRichardsonRoad Corridor(uplands)

21MLowe RiverFloodplain(uplands)

Estuary, essentialwaterfowl habitat;eagle nesting con-centrations; bearuse; commercialfishing

Sport fishing;waterfowl habitat

Bear use

Waterfowl habitat;bear use

Eagle nestingconcentrations;bear use; mountaingoat winter range

Eagle nestingconcentrations;sport fishing;bear use

Communityrecreation

Communityrecreation

Communityrecreation

Communityrecreation

Scenic trans-portationcorridor

Communityrecreation

Minerals Settlement^ Forestry-*

Known placer Incapable High/moderatedeposits inLowe River

No known Incapable High/moderateminerals

No known Capable Lowminerals

No known Capable High/moderateminerals

Known placer Capable High/moderatedeposits inBlack BearCreek

Known placer Incapable Lowdeposits inLowe River

This resource summary describes only the resources for state uplands and tidelands.Resource list indudes Crucial, Prime, and Important habitats as defined by ADF&G (see Appendix E).Anadromous fish streams are not listed; they exist in most subunits. See ADF&G anadromous fishstream catalogue.Land offering and timber harvest do not occur on tidelands. Therefore, settlement and forestryresources are not rated for tideland subunits.




21NLowe RiverBench(uplands)

21OBrown's Creek(uplands)

21PKeystoneCanyon(uplands)

21QWortmann(uplands)

21RHeiden View(uplands)

21SThompson Pass(uplands)

21TAnderson BayTAGS Terminal(uplands andtidelands)

Eagle nestingconcentrations;bear use; bear andgoat hunting

Eagle nestingconcentrations;winter goat

Eagle nestingconcentrations;sport fishing

Eagle nestingconcentrations

Eagle nestingconcentrations;bear use

Eagle nesting concen-trations; crucialmountain goat winterrange

Estuary, sportfishing; commercialfishing; herringspawning

Scenic areafor RichardsonHighway corridor

Scenic areafor RichardsonHighway corridor

Tourist Attrac-tion; importantscenic area

Adjacent totransportationcorridor

None identified

Frequent dis-persed recrea-tion use; veryimportant pub-lic use area

Some communityrecreation usefrom Valdez

Minerals Settlement?

Known placer Capabledeposits inSulphide Gulch

Known placer Capabledeposits inBrown's Creek

Known placer Incapabledeposits inLowe River

No known Capableminerals

No know Capableminerals

Known placer Incapabledeposits inHeiden, Bench,Wortmann,Brown's Creeksand Lowe River

Known placer Capabledeposits inSalmon Creek

Forestry^

High/moderate

High/moderate

Low

High/moderate

Low

Low

Low

1 This resource summary describes only the resources for state uplands and tidelands.^ Resource list includes Crucial, Prime, and Important habitats as defined by ADF&G (see Appendix E).

Anadromous fish streams are not listed; they exist in most subunits. See ADF&G anadromous fishstream catalogue.

3 Land offering and timber harvest do not occur on tidelands. Therefore, settlement and forestryresources are not rated for tideland subunits.



Management Unit: 21. ValdezSUBUNIT

21USolomonGulchHatcheryHarvest Area(tidelands)

21VRemainder ofUnit(tidelands)

Fish & wildlife2

Estuaries, sportfishing; commercialfishing; herringspawning

Estuaries, sportfishing; commercialfishing; herringspawning

Recreation

Sport fishing;community rec-reation

Sport fishing;community rec-reation

Minerals Settlement^ Forestry^

No knownminerals

No knownminerals

This resource summary describes only the resources for state uplands and tidelands.Resource list includes Crucial, Prime, and Important habitats as defined by ADF&G (see Appendix E).Anadromous fish streams are not listed; they exist in most subunits. See ADF&G anadromous fishstream catalogue.Land offering and timber harvest do not occur on tidelands. Therefore, settlement and forestryresources are not rated for tideland subunits.


Documents

CITY OF VALDEZdnr.alaska.gov/mlw/planning/areaplans/prince/pdf/mu_21.pdf · 2020. 8. 19. · higher priority than the land sale. Ap-proximately 350 acres will be offered for set-tlement,