Second Crossing Public Forum Coming Up!

JUNEAU, Alaska (Áakʼw Ḵwáan Territory)—The Mendenhall Wetlands Study Group is hosting a community-wide public forum on the Juneau Douglas North Crossing and Taashuyee-Chookan.aani/the Mendenhall Wetlands at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 23, 2024, at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall (320 West Willoughby Avenue in Juneau). Presentations and panelists will include the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Audubon Alaska, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and others.

The public is invited to learn more and ask questions about the impacts of a Second Crossing on the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge and globally recognized Important Bird Area to hunting, fishing, recreation, wildlife and fish habitat, migratory birds, and Juneau’s viewshed, as well as the relative environmental and neighborhood impacts of each crossing location currently under consideration.

The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) and the CBJ contracted with engineering firm DOWL in 2022 to conduct the one-year Juneau Douglas North Crossing Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study to identify potential crossing locations for a second bridge between Juneau and Douglas Island. A PEL Study is a type of preliminary study for transportation projects that is designed for public engagement and securing feedback from agencies and stakeholders on the relative value of each transportation alternative. This study has now taken almost three years, and has been fraught with factual errors, unsupported conclusions, and significant deviations from the official public process—and is no closer to justifying a Second Crossing or identifying the least impactful location for it. 

DOWL has again delayed the release of the final Level 2 screening, and therefore, the public comment period is also delayed till likely winter of 2024/2025. However, the Mendenhall Wetlands Study Group (MWSG) is doing what the PEL Study has failed to do, which is to provide meaningful information to the public about the process for a Second Crossing. The MWSG has the backing of about a dozen other organizations that also want to see a robust public process and expert review of such a significant project. These include the Southeast Alaska Land Trust, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Audubon Alaska, Territorial Sportsmen Inc., Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Juneau Shooting Sports Foundation, Alaska Outdoor Council, North Douglas Neighborhood Association, Friends of Fritz Cove, and the Alaska Trollers Association. While ADOT&PF and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game committed to attending, these agencies have since withdrawn. The MWSG encourages their participation in future collaborations, as the public deserves to be advised on such a major project.

The MWSG and its affiliates provide this statement on the issue: "We support a process that uses the best available science to identify the Second Crossing alternative that has the least negative impact on humans, natural resources, and the habitat values of the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge."

For more information, contact Ron Somerville, Mendenhall Wetlands Study Group and career ADF&G, at somerville@gci.net or 907-321-1236. To learn more about the Second Crossing project or the importance of Taashuyee-Chookan.aani, please visit HeartOfJuneau.org.

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