Winter path users in the Goldstream Valley in the east side of the Ballaine Road may have found that some paths, in particular the eastern end of the Tanana Valley Railroad Trail, have been lost to the Goldstream Creek mine.
I am sad to see that the paths go, but there is little that can be done to change the situation. And now that I know more about the circumstances, I am grateful that we use these paths as long as we did.
The most important and most long way follows the route of the Old Tanana Valley Railroad (TVRR), so I will concentrate on it. Other hiking trails in this area have less history and/or have changed the course from year to year as sometimes the winter paths. If you were on the way with the old wooden bridge, this is the TVRR path.
The railroad was built and operated at the beginning of the 20th century. You can read about its history on the Internet. Here are two websites, one of the friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad (tinyurl.com/ydn85wkz) and one by “The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923” (tinyurl.com/283udnka).
When I started exploring Goldstream Valley Trail in the 1990s, they were able to follow the TVRR Trail and others to Fox. The mine was a much smaller operation at the time. The people often created loops that combine the TVRR trail on the south side of the Goldstream Creek with a different path that runs on the north side of the stream. (This path still exists.) Over the years, small parts of the hiking trails in the Osttal were lost with the growth of the mine through mining activities. However, the latest activities have recorded larger parts of the hiking trails, which makes the losses more noticeable.
All of this happened on the property of the mine. Trail advocates may be wondering whether something can be done to protect the trail, but the options are extremely limited.
The path has no direct legal protection on min ownership. The Foreign Ministry of Natural Resources has investigated whether the trail is in court in the RS2477 law before right, but the owner history of the railway is complicated. The state has not determined whether the railway route has 2477 RS protection, but does not manage the route as if this were the case.
The plan for the comprehensive traces of leisure in Fairbanks comprises the TVRR trail, but no part of it on the property of the mine. Even if the path were on the plan of the trail, this would not offer any protection in this case. The plan only provides protection if the country is divided. The mine works on its country and does not divided it.
Anyone who wants to fight for the TVRR Trail ahead of the mine plot would have to submit a lawsuit in which either RS2477 protection or a prescribed relief. You can read at tinyurl.com/3Edvcrx4 about prescribed and other relief from a trail perspective. Such a lawsuit would be expensive and time -consuming, without guaranteeing a victory. It is doubtful that someone will appear.
If the Goldstream Creek -Mine continues the company to the west, it will finally dive on the state country, which is part of the Goldstream Public Use area. Both relaxation and mining are allowed in the gold stream PUA. The mine or everyone else who wants to dismantle in this area would have to apply for approval of the natural resources of the Foreign Ministry. The public would have the opportunity to make a comment, and the department would try to find a balance between all uses permitted in the PUA.
While I'm a strong lawyer for paths, I am not against mining. I used materials shown every day. And I understand and respect the rights of the owners to use their property as long as they are as long as they are legal. I am sad about the loss of part of the TVRR trail, but I'm not angry with the mine owners. They try to run a company and offer jobs for local workers. The mine also pays property taxes. While we lose part of a beautiful path, the mine also offers the community.
I am glad that we could use this part of the TVRR trail as long as we could use. Although the path was on my property, I never saw a “no transitional sign”. I thank the mine for it.
If you want to see some graphics that illustrate where the activity takes place and where the trail is currently ending, you can find in my post on the website of the interior Alaska Trails tinyurl.com/z4pke7mu.
