Project Overview

The Juneau community values the Montana Creek valley, watershed and surrounding areas for recreation and abundant natural resources.  Fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, shooting sports, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, four wheeling, camping, and subsistence harvesting are some of the recreational activities occurring in this area. In the summertime, Montana Creek is rich with fish species and the surrounding areas are wild. Despite the close proximity to the densely populated Mendenhall Valley, the area feels remote. In the winter, the area remains colder than some other parts of Juneau. Snow remains in the valley longer because of this and allows for winter sports at times when other parts of Juneau have thawed and do not have the snowpack to support these sports.

The Master Plan process will seek participation from land owners, user groups and the general public to understand current use of the area, existing plans and projects, proposed projects, ideas and concerns for recreational use of the area, impacts to natural resources, and current recreational uses. The goal is to create a master planning document through a public process that identifies recreational facilities in the Montana Creek Recreation Area with a planning horizon of ten years.

The project area map is found here.

Public outreach began in the summer of 2021 with an informal survey to better understand the current recreational uses, ideas for improvements, and community values for recreation in the project area. The results from the survey are being used to develop and guide the master plan process. The feedback from the survey informs questions to ask of the community and draft concepts to prepare for review. The survey results will not be used to make policy decisions or determine development and management of the area. The results are the first step in public engagement to begin a conversation with the community and land managers. Click here for the Survey Report.

This fall, land managers met with stakeholder groups in the area to understand their goals and vision for the process and project area. With stakeholder feedback,  the baseline data map, existing management map (under development), and survey input a collaborative effort will develop concept drawings and plans for community input and review at a public meeting in the winter.

Associated Project Page: Public Comment on Montana Creek Road Winter Closure

Baseline Data map is found here. Please review the Background data and How To Use guide for the online mapper here.