PUBLIC NOTICE
ADL 422506
DNR Division of Forestry
July 14, 2025
Subject to AS 38.05.850, the Northern Regional Land Office has received an application for the following:
APPLICANT: Division of Forestry
PROJECT NAME: ADL 422506, DNR Div. of Forestry, Application for Public Access Easement, Delta River Crossing, near Big Delta.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION: Near the community of Big Delta, off of Spengler Road, extending across the Delta River, encompassing a seasonal winter access road, commonly known as Whitestone Winter Road.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION: State owned, DMLW-managed lands within Sections 7,17, 18 Township 9S, Range 10E, Fairbanks Meridian, as shown on Attachment A.
REQUESTED ACTIVITY: A public access easement approximately 5280 feet long and 500 feet wide, crossing the Delta River, from the eastern bank near Larry Spengler Road, and extending to the western bank.
The Division of Forestry is requesting a public access easement to access timber sale roads along the west bank of the Delta River. DOF has several roads that use this winter crossing to access timber sales, public firewood cutting areas, firebreaks, fuel reduction projects and Tanana Valley State Forest lands. These DOF roads have utilized the established winter crossing for over 40 years. This winter crossing also receives extensive public use by hunters, ice fishermen, loggers, firewood cutters, recreationalists and is the primary winter access to the Whitestone Community, which currently maintains the winter crossing.
The requested easement width would facilitate the winter maintenance, changing river conditions, and the use of the heavy equipment (particularly scrapers) needed to maintain the road. Gravel bars and river channels change from year to year, and to avoid adverse effects on fish habitat, the road cannot always be developed in the same location after the water levels recede in the autumn. The easement’s width is to give the scrapers the space required to move only shallow surface gravel and avoid gouging of the riverbed that could change natural water flow and adversely affect fish habitat.
Temporary bridges or ice bridges would be installed to cross streams. The equipment used for installation of bridges and grading gavel bars as needed will include scrapers, dozers, graders, loaders and excavators. The upland portion of the proposed easement is above the OHW and connects to a permanent gravel road with a storage area for temporary bridge materials.
REQUESTED TERM: Until no longer needed
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: August 14, 2025
The public is invited to comment on this activity. The purpose of this notice is to gather input before a decision is made on this activity. To ensure consideration, written comments must be received by the Division of Mining, Land and Water at 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709 on or before 5:00 p.m. on the date noted above. Comments or questions about this activity should be directed to: Diana Lehman, Natural Resource Specialist. Telephone: 907-451-2722; Fax: 907-451-2751 or e-mail: dlehman@alaska.gov.
After review and adjudication, we may issue an authorization with stipulations for the activity. The activity may be modified during the review and adjudication process.
DNR-DMLW complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who may need auxiliary aids, services or special modifications to comment should contact Alaska Relay at 711 or 800-770-8973 for TTY services.
The DMLW reserves the right to waive technical defects in this notice.