Anchorage coastal park raises issue of benefit vs. risk

There is merit in both views; however, like everything, the devil is in the details. Maximum development without restrictive covenants would increase tax revenues but perpetuate restricted access and a potential long-term threat to one of Anchorage's last unique habitats. Once those habitats are gone, they are gone forever.

Friends of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (FAR) focuses on preserving this refuge and its wildlife. FAR facilitates bird and beluga surveys, habitat restoration and monitoring, which provide unprecedented opportunities for citizens. For these reasons the Great Land Trust (GLT), project proponents, asked us to assist in providing stewardship of the parcels if acquired for donation to the city or state government. Accepting such responsibility, however, requires a clear understanding of the benefits and liabilities associated with development and conservation.

Why protect this land? The marsh flats that are part of the project are essential in the nesting, brood-rearing and travel of migratory wetland birds, which require sufficient rest, preening time and calories. Beluga whales frequent the area. The native vegetation of the uplands provide shelter and places for a variety of wildlife to forage, hunt and hide from predators. The mud flats are like a refrigerator of fresh seafood for the wildlife. Nutrient-rich habitats in the mix between fresh and saltwater host diverse plant and animal communities, including salmon and other fish. These connected features surrounding Campbell Creek help ensure the integrity of this refuge, a remarkable but vulnerable resource next to the biggest city in Alaska.

Let's say this deal is consummated. What could go wrong? Despite the positive aspects of better access to the coast, overlooked details could easily allow us to love this estuary to death. For example, what will protect it from people and dogs in a city park? If the city is a reluctant partner, how likely is it to dedicate the necessary resources to enforce or otherwise adequately manage the site in the future? How much development of the parcels will be allowed under the conservation easement if a multi-use coastal trail is built? What about a Ship Creek-style fishery? Parking demands? How much development is necessary to achieve real conservation?

To prevent degradation by increased access extant protections must be sufficient. A key consideration is to prohibit certain activities and uses at specific times, for example, between April and the end of August to protect migratory and brood-rearing birds. These are some of the details that should be worked out in a conservation easement.

A conservation easement is an encumbrance that creates a legally binding preservation agreement between a landowner and a qualified buyer for the purpose of conservation. The seller (GLT, which will purchase and donate the land) and the prospective owner (this could be the municipality or the state) must agree upon items such as allowable development, restricted uses and, perhaps most importantly, prohibited uses. A poorly written easement could be disastrous for the refuge and wildlife. We stand ready to assist, but whatever happens there should be transparency about the terms of any deal.

Public enjoyment of the refuge is important, and FAR favors this by enhancement of viewing opportunities from the bluff above valuable wetlands and mud flats. The best times for the public to go into wetlands or mud flats are late fall and winter. To ensure that people will continue to enjoy seeing sandhill cranes and belugas, we must protect their habitats from damage.

Barbara Svarny Carlson is president and executive director of FAR, a nonprofit whose mission is to preserve the integrity and the biological diversity of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge.