Susitna River Coalition

10/15/2026

Happy National Dessert Day to those that celebrate! If you don't know how to participate in today's festivities, our suggestion is that you celebrate by purchasing your tickets to our 10th annual Wild Su Feast event this Sunday!

Wild Su Feast is a community potluck and cook off where we celebrate the foods that grow, run, fly, and swim in the Susitna Watershed.

After you've picked up your tickets, enjoy the rest of the holiday by planning out the recipe and dish that you want to share, and the kinds of desserts you'll be tasting this weekend.

Grab your tickets here, all proceeds go to Susitna River Coalition!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/10th-annual-wild-su-feast-2026-tickets-2000524883780

Details:
October 18th from 5-7pm
Denali Brewing Tasting Room (Mile 2)
Prizes for the winning dishes!

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors. If you want to donate to this year's Wild Su Feast, send us a message and we will send you details!
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge Matanuska Electric Association Denali Arts Council Denali Education Center pride camper park

10/14/2026

Alaska’s agricultural land is a valuable resource for future generations! Learn more about the proposed Point MacKenzie land transfer and how to submit a public comment by October 21.

885 acres of Alaska agricultural land. Proposed for transfer to AIDEA for $0. What happens next is up to the public.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a Preliminary Decision to convey 885 acres of state land in Point MacKenzie to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)—while removing longstanding agricultural covenants and reclassifying the land from agricultural potential to Settlement-Commercial.

The state cites declining hay production and calls agricultural covenants a “burden.” But agricultural land is a long-term resource, and its value cannot be measured by current production alone.

The Alaska Farm Bureau supports economic development. We also believe it must not come at the expense of Alaska agriculture.

We’re calling for:

Zero net loss of agricultural land. Any land removed from agricultural use should be replaced with land of equal or greater agricultural value.

Recognition of agriculture’s value. Agricultural land must not be treated as a secondary or disposable resource.

A better alternative. Before transferring agricultural land to AIDEA at no cost, the state should pursue proposals that preserve its potential for farming.

Meaningful public engagement. Alaskans deserve a voice in decisions affecting the future of our agricultural land.

TAKE ACTION BY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, AT 5:00 P.M.

Submit a public comment through the DNR Public Comment Portal or email [email protected].

Reference ADL 234934 in your comment and urge the state to protect Alaska’s agricultural land for future generations.

10/12/2026

It can take as little as 2 minutes to submit a public comment with our easy to use comment builder on our website! This is your last chance, the deadline is October 13th (link at the bottom of this post).

Do you hunt, fish, or recreate in West Susitna? Your firsthand knowledge of the area is important information to this project.

The Army Corps is currently accepting public comments on AIDEA's proposed West Susitna Access Road permit application. Consider sharing what you know about:

- Places you regularly recreate and how you access them.
- Areas where you have observed wildlife
- Wildlife movements, migration, calving, wintering, feeding, or other seasonal patterns you have personally observed.
- The trails, rivers, lakes, airstrips, snow machine routes, boats, or other means you use to reach these areas.
- Flooding, wetlands, streams, terrain, weather, or other conditions that may not be obvious from maps or aerial imagery.
Specific firsthand information makes you an expert about the area and should be included in your comment.

How to comment:

Visit SRC’s quick and easy comment builder: https://www.susitnarivercoalition.org/west-su-404-comment

or email: [email protected]
Include "permit number: POA-2022-00165"

10/09/2026

LAST CHANCE TO COMMENT: The public comment for the West Susitna Access Road deadline is on Tuesday October 13th.

If you live, work, own property, recreate, or travel in the West Susitna, share your firsthand knowledge with the Corps with our easy to use comment builder :
https://www.susitnarivercoalition.org/west-su-404-comment

The proposed project includes:
- 78.5 mile gravel road,
- 10 bridges
- 138 culverts, including 103 for fish passage
- 5,000 foot airstrip
- Crossing the Iditarod National Historic Trail, public rights-of-way trails, and local winter travel routes

10/06/2026

Federal water rules were written for states where rivers flow all year long—not for places where water freezes solid for five months.

Under the newly proposed WOTUS (Waters of the U.S.) definition, a stream or slough only gets federal Clean Water Act protection if liquid water flows continuously, allowing just ONE gap of up to 30 days per year for dry spells. Here's the problem: The proposal names drought and low tides as exceptions, but completely ignores freeze-up, ice, and breakup.

Because our Alaskan sloughs sit frozen from late fall through spring, they don't fit this rigid definition. That means critical salmon habitat right here in the Mat-Su could lose federal clean water safeguards. Water that follows Alaska’s natural seasons shouldn't be left out by a rule written for somewhere else.

The public comment period is closing on October 9th! We need Alaskans to speak up and tell federal regulators that ice is not a loophole. Learn more and submit your comment here (it can take as little as 2 minutes!) :

https://www.susitnarivercoalition.org/wotus-1

Photo credits:

10/01/2026

Susitna River Coalition's 10th annual Wild Su Feast will be held at Denali Brewing Co. (mile 2), from 5-7pm on October 18th!

This event celebrates the foods that grow, run, fly, and swim in the Susitna Watershed with a community cook off. Bring a dish, share a story, and help us create a community cookbook! All proceeds go to SRC.

Send this post to someone you want to go with!

Info and tickets here:
https://www.susitnarivercoalition.org/wild-su-feast-2026

09/29/2026

The public comment window is NOW OPEN for the proposed West Susitna Access Road (USACE Permit Application POA-2022-00165).

Issued on Friday, September 25th, the Army Corps is processing the the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s (AIDEA) application under special emergency procedures, leaving a narrow window closing October 13, 2026.

The Facts (POA-2022-00165):
• Route: 78.5 miles from the Susitna River to the Alaska Range.
• Infrastructure: 10 bridges, 138 culverts (103 on fish bearing streams), and a 5,000-ft airstrip designed for aircraft up to a C-130.
• Trail Impacts: Crosses the Iditarod National Historic Trail, public rights of way, and local winter trails.
• Protection Dispute: AIDEA claims Clean Water Act protections apply to only 3.18 of the ~65 affected acres.

Tell the Corps what you know from actually owning, living, working, or recreating in West Susitna in your comment.

How to Comment (Deadline: Oct 13):
• Email: [email protected]
• Online: https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs

Public Notice of Application Permit:https://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/regulatory/publicnotices/2026/POA-2022-00165_SkwentnaRiverPN.pdf

https://www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/regulatory/publicnotices/2026/POA-2022-00165_20260204_PNFigures.pdf

***Must include Permit #: POA-2022-00165****

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Photo credits: Dawson Matthews

09/24/2026

🎥We will be going live today via YouTube at 6:00PM in Fairbanks for: Alaska Needs Energy. Does it Need a Mega-Dam.

🔗Visit the link below to view the stream:

Welcome to the live stream of the "Super Salmon" film and panel dis...