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State Seeks Input On Waters Designations

Shady Grove Oliver

 The state of Alaska is looking for input from residents about how to choose important waterways for protection.

It all starts with the Clean Water Act, which regulates pollutants and standards of quality for U.S. waters. The act outlines three designations for waterways based on their uses, quality, and ecological significance.

The first is Tier 1. These waters are already being used for something. According to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Divison of Water, Tier 1 waters may also not meet all quality criteria because of natural processes or pollution from humans.

Tier 2 waters, on the other hand, are considered to be high quality. Most of the waterways in Alaska are Tier 2.

Tier 3 is the highest designation, reserved for what are described as "outstanding natural resources.” These are the kinds of waters found in national parks and preserves, wildlife refuges, or protected areas.

While these designations are available for waters in the state, there’s not currently a clear process for assigning them, especially Tier 3.

Waters that make the Tier 3 cut are protected indefinitely in that no future degradation of the resource is permitted, meaning they must be preserved in their current state.

The division says there are four waters in the state that have already been nominated: The Chandalar River near Venetie, the Yakutat Forelands near Yakutat, Dillingham’s Koktuli River, and the Chilkat River near Haines.

The state is not debating the merits of those nominations, but rather the process of nominating and designating such areas as Tier 3.

The state is now hoping to include the public in coming up with a sensible way to make recommendations on Tier 3 waters and streamlining the procedure.

Over the course of several public comment periods, the state hopes to hear from residents their thoughts on a number of questions including:

-Which waters are eligible to be classified as Tier 3?

-Who should be allowed to nominate waters for the Tier 3 status?

-What group or organization should be responsible for evaluating the nomination and determining that all criteria have been met?

-What will the funding source be for this designation process?

-How will the public be involved in a nomination and designation of a Tier 3 water; what is the public process?

-What group will make the final decision on whether or not to designate a Tier 3 body of water?

Overall, the division hopes that by including the public, the final result will be a procedure that works well for Alaskans, tribes, and the resources themselves.

A statewide teleconference on the Tier 3 designation process is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, from 4-7 p.m.