UAF Skarland Trail System Management Plan

UAF Trail Maintenance Policies

Routine Maintenance

Routine maintenance is intended here to mean maintenance that does NOT require heavy equipment, such as bulldozers or graders. It can require equipment such as chainsaws for brushing the trails, but does NOT include creating new trails.

What is NOT covered under Routine Maintenance:

• New Trail Construction
• Installation of Additional Lighting
• Creation of Trailheads/Parking
• Construction of any permanent structures

(The above require the written approval of the Trails Committee, the Master Planning Committee, and the Chancellor).

What is the procedure for approving routine maintenance?

Routine maintenance requires notification of the UAF Trails Committee and the Director of Facility Services. The Farm Manager must also be contacted to ensure that activities will not interfere with any farm work. The notice should include the nature of the work to be done and that it falls under the Routine Maintenance provisions of this plan. Whenever possible, signs should be posted in the area of the maintenance activities stating the nature of the work and that it is approved by the University, and is being done in accordance with established university policies.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service has agreed to prepare an erosion control plan for the trails during the summer of 2000 and the plan will require trail seeding and probably some other provisions that will also fall under routine maintenance.

Routine summer maintenance

"Summer" maintenance refers to any maintenance which takes place outside the ski season. The goal of summer maintenance is: (1) to provide for safe summer recreational and educational use of the trails; (2) to take steps to prevent trail erosion; and (3) to ensure that ski trails will be prepared properly for the arrival of snow, and will be skiable on a minimum amount of snow. Summer maintenance activities may be performed using chainsaws, brush saws (powered or hand-operated), and tractors with mowers.

Routine summer maintenance activities include but are not limited to:

• Reseeding areas and mowing grass/brush on trails
• Cutting overhanging limbs
• Cutting fallen trees
• Cutting back alders and other vegetation which is not on the trail but which could fall onto the trail during the winter season
• Maintenance of signs and sign posts

Routine winter maintenance

Winter maintenance refers to any maintenance which takes place during the ski season. The goal of winter maintenance is to ensure that the trails are safe for users by removing hazards as they appear and/or are perceived.

Winter maintenance activities may be performed using snowmachines, chainsaws, brush saws (powered and hand-operated), but no plowing of or driving on the ski trails is allowed.

Winter maintenance activities include, but are not limited to:

• Packing/dragging/rolling/track-setting activities
• Cutting grass or brush which sticks up through the snow
• Cutting overhanging limbs
• Cutting fallen trees

Cutting back alders and other vegetation which is not on the trail but which is likely to fall onto the trail during the winter season.

Heavy Maintenance

"Heavy" maintenance is maintenance that requires heavy equipment such as bulldozers or graders (tractors with mowers or seed spreaders are considered under "routine" maintenance, above). Heavy equipment may be utilized as needed for grading, maintenance of lighting, etc. Each skate-ski trail requires bulldozing to smooth it every 5 years or so. Any maintenance requiring bulldozers or road graders requires written permission from the UAF Trails Committee and Facility Services. The Farm Manager must also be contacted to ensure that activities will not interfere with any farm work.

What is the procedure for approving "heavy" maintenance?

When heavy equipment is used, signs must be posted in the area of such maintenance activities stating the nature of the work, that it is approved by the University, and is being done in accordance with established university policies.

Any wood that is removed during such maintenance will be chipped (we can possibly borrow the chipper from the Farm). Berm piles should be smoothed and reseeded immediately. Any bare soil MUST be reseeded within 2 days of any bulldozing. Native species are preferred for any reseeding. Determining the best species for reseeding would make an excellent student project and the Chair of the Trails committee will seek a student to do this.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service will be making recommendations for reseeding and contouring following any bulldozing and these recommendations will be incorporated into this plan as soon as they are complete.

University of Alaska Fairbanks
Tanana Valley Campus
PO Box 8040-UAF

Phone: +1 907 474 7920
Fax:    +1 907 474 6725
fndlm5@uaf.edu