Chapter 1—Executive Summary
The Master Planning Committee (MPC), with support from its North Campus Subcommittee (NCS), recommends the following management plan for the UAF North Campus. This plan furthers the goal identified in the UAF Campus Master Plan (CMP) to:
“Protect the integrity of the North Campus for education, research and recreation, including maintaining and promoting the UAF trail system as a significant campus and community asset.”
The focus of this plan is on the generally undeveloped UAF land north of the main UAF campus. This land includes many research and education sites as well as the UAF trail system. The purpose of the plan is to provide guidance for use of the North Campus (NC). In developing it, the NCS gathered extensive data about historical and contemporary usage and anticipated needs for the area. It held numerous public meetings and several open forums to solicit input. This broad public process led to the conclusion that protecting the biological and physical integrity, as well as the natural assets, of NC is paramount. This is consistent with the CMP. Three value statements were developed for the North Campus.
• Value Statement 1: Preserve the biological and physical integrity, as well as the natural assets, of North Campus.
• Value Statement 2: Ensure year round, compatible access and use for research, education, and recreation
• Value Statement 3: Promote the North Campus as a multi-use resource for UAF and greater Fairbanks communities
Within these broad guidelines, the MPC recommends that the NC be managed for multiple use involving research, education, and recreation. All currently allowed uses shall be permitted to continue, while new or significantly modified activities shall be subject to review and approval. All uses of the NC shall be reviewed periodically to ensure their consistency with this plan over time.
The key to managing this area for multiple uses is to provide guidelines for different uses of the NC that will keep the effects of each within acceptable limits. For example, while recreational use of the UAF trail system provides important health and psychological benefits to university students, staff, and faculty, unlimited growth of these activities will diminish other values of the area realized by the university such as those accruing from education and research.
It is of paramount importance that a management structure for the NC be implemented which provides clear authority to ensure the limits defined as acceptable are not exceeded. Key to this is creation of a North Campus manager (NCM) position. The NCM will be the first point of contact for all uses of the area. Adoption of this plan will require communication and coordination among users of the NC to convey the process through which the guidelines were developed, their rationale, and their benefits to the various users.
Summary of Recommended Actions:
The plan lays out 11 recommended actions, as well as accompanying guidelines and implementation steps. The actions are based on the CMP and their relationship to it.
A1. Implement an effective management process
A2. Implement a permitting process for specific activities.
A3. Develop and implement a system to monitor conditions, features, and uses
A4. Review and update existing plans for safety and security
A5. Develop and implement plans for areas of special concern.
A6. Develop criteria for the design of Tanana Loop extension that pertain to issues of concern
A7. Adopt and implement a wayfinding and signage plan
A8. Remove abandoned infrastructure and restore original site features
A9. Resolve trails designation and use issues
A10. Adopt and implement standards for trail design and maintenance practices
A11. Develop a trail system plan to facilitate connections between main campus, North Campus, and surrounding areas.
The Planning Process |
