tursiops.org - Could belugas endanger Knik Arm bridge project? Alaska, USA

Imagine driving your vehicle over a toll bridge spanning Knik Arm. Looking down, you see a pod of beluga whales chasing fish headed toward Ship Creek. Looking up, you see Elmendorf military jets slicing the sky.

If the planning and construction of the Knik Arm Bridge runs as smoothly as the wheels of time spin forward, by 2010 a bridge could connect Anchorage's Ship Creek to the Valley's Point MacKenzie, Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority executive director Heinrich Springer told the state Senate Transportation Committee and a standing-room-only audience during a Feb. 26 committee hearing at the Mat-Su Legislative Information Office in Wasilla.

"If everything falls into place, if we don't hit any unforeseen snags, you could drive over the bridge by 2010. It's an ambitious plan, but it can be done," Springer said.

Everything being done to erect the proposed $200-million Knik Arm toll bridge, however, would be irrelevant if the beluga, which is now a threatened species, were re-evaluated and placed on the endangered species list. Those same beluga whales whose sea-mammal antics stole the show during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the dock at Port MacKenzie in September 2000 could stop the show for bridge builders.

"One show-stopper would be if the beluga whale was moved from the threatened species list to the endangered species list," Springer said. A show stopper, he said, is something that would cause the whole project to come to a screeching halt.

What's the likelihood of that happening?

Last summer, in July 2004, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a decision not to list Cook Inlet beluga whales as endangered. The court agreed with the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, who concluded that although numbers were dwindling from overharvest, the whale was not in danger of becoming extinct. But, the court also determined the commissioner used an incorrect legal standard to determine that belugas are not a distinct subspecies.

"The state refused to say that the law applied to subpopulations. Everyone recognizes that the beluga is a distinct and specifically unique subspecies," said Bob Shavelson, of Cook Inlet Keeper, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Cook Inlet watershed and the wildlife it sustains.

The whale is threatened on the state level; on the federal level, the beluga is classified as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

In the mid-1980s, the Cook Inlet beluga whales totaled more than 1,000; but a decade later, about 350 remained.

In 1999, after reports of dwindling numbers, Alaska Native subsistence whalers voluntarily quit hunting. Since scientists thought that since harvesting whales was the primary cause of the decline, their reports indicated the numbers would rebound on their own, without the state or federal government declaring the species endangered.

"The population has flat-lined," Shavelson said.

The National Marine Fisheries Service began conducting aerial surveys to count the Cook Inlet beluga whales in 1993. The count is documented by two observers and a video camera.

In 1994, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration counted 653. Four years later, the number of belugas had dropped to 349. The last year listed in the NOAA stock reports is 2000. The number of whales present in Cook Inlet five years ago was roughly 400. Since 1995, the numbers have ranged between 300 and 500. The count for 2004 was right around 300, Shavelson said.

NOAA is not entirely sure of the distribution of the Cook Inlet stock during the winter months, but its Web site states there is evidence some of the whales stay in Cook Inlet year-round. During the summer months, the belugas concentrate near the mouths of the rivers in northern Cook Inlet.

"This mammal is in such a state of flux that ... to draw a conclusion on how they behave after a few months of studies is irresponsible. Their range and behavior is changing. We need a comprehensive study," Shavelson said. "The belugas congregate in the very areas these big projects are happening."

Even if the whale remained on the threatened species list, any in-water construction would have to follow certain guidelines so as not to disturb the whales.

Mat-Su Borough Port Director Marc Van Dongen said that while pile-driving occurred during the construction of the borough's deep-water port at Point MacKenzie, the permit required them to stop construction whenever a whale crossed within 2,000 feet of the project.

"It happened three or four days during the construction period. We only had to wait half an hour each time," he said, adding that if the whales had stayed for days, it would have delayed the project; but, the beluga appeared to be in transit, heading up to Eagle River or Ship Creek to feed on fish.

Van Dongen said it was one person's job to look for whales, using buoys about 2,000 feet away as a guideline for distance.

Like the fabled Captain Ahab's crew, one lookout person let everyone know when whales were approaching. Unlike the crew in "Moby Dick," the construction crews did not seek to man their boats and capture the great whale, but instead stopped working as part of an effort not to disturb the threatened sea mammal.

A law student who studied the court rulings regarding the beluga whale, responded to last summer's decision by the Alaska Supreme Court to maintain the beluga's threatened status, rather than make it endangered.

"Even though environmental groups were unsuccessful in getting the Cook Inlet beluga listed as an endangered species, this ruling could be seen as a small victory. Requiring the commissioner to use a broad definition may make it easier in the future for environmental groups to argue that the Cook Inlet beluga are a subspecies. This is one fewer battle that the environmental groups will have to fight if the beluga's numbers continue to decline," wrote Danny Davis, a student at the University of Mississippi School of Law.

National Marine Fisheries Services biologist Barbara Mahoney said that even if the whale were reclassified, that wouldn't stop bridge building.

"It's not likely," she said. "NMFS would not stop construction of the bridge," adding that they would have planners consult with NMFS on how to reduce any impact to the belugas.

KABATA has already been consulting with NMFS as part of the planning process.

The beluga whale, which can measure up to 16 feet, has more flexibility of its body than other whales. Also, unlike other cetaceans, the beluga whales have the ability to move their head independently of their bodies. The life span of a beluga is 35 to 50 years. Belugas, when they die, usually fall prey to killer whales or polar bears or get trapped by ice.

"For the people who flock to Alaska, you don't have a more visible marine mammal," Shavelson said. "The economics around the whale's survival are important."

Finding the funding

Estimated costs of the bridge's actual construction range from $400 to $600 million, according to Darryl Jordan, the KABATA's deputy executive director. That figure includes building the bridge and its approach and accesses on both sides.

Valley residents at the Senate Transportation Committee meeting last month expressed concerns over the impact the bridge would have on already-crowded schools and roads as well as the financial cost of construction and ongoing upkeep of the toll bridge.

Two often-voiced worries were monetary: Would Valley residents end up shouldering construction debts or the costs of future maintenance?

"What will happen to my property taxes?" asked Dave Stull, a Su Valley High School teacher, who also expressed concern about a population influx burdening area schools.

"I think property taxes would be helped. The opportunity for the industrial base to help the financial load is exciting," responded state Rep. Bill Stoltze, R-District 16.

"Mat-Su has been dependent on homeowner taxes," said Rep. Mark Neuman, R-District 15, in an interview last week. "I think the bridge will happen. It will be a good start on a commercial base (at Port MacKenzie) that provides property taxes and helps spread the burden."

In Anchorage, it's difficult for industrial expansion to continue, so this bridge would allow industrial expansion to happen in the Mat-Su, said state Sen. Charlie Huggins, R-District H, adding that industry would be taxed.

Who pays for the bonds if no one uses the bridge?

"It'll be heavily used," Jordan said.

The toll should be sufficient to pay for ongoing maintenance plus cover the bond debt, Jordan said. An amount for the toll has not yet been set, although it probably will be different for passenger vehicles than for commercial trucks.

"This bridge is a bargain. It's worth every penny. If we wait, it'll cost a trillion dollars," Anchorage resident Leonard Deal said.

"Where all of this funding will come from is one of the big unknowns right now," Jordan said.

Roughly a third of the money would come from the Transportation Equity Act Legacy for Users, a funding bill paid by the nationwide gasoline tax. Roughly a third will come from revenue bonds sold by KABATA and paid back by toll revenue. And the final third will come from miscellaneous revenue sources, including some state money, Jordan said. Private-sector investment may also finance the project.

If utilities run across the bridge, that would support bridge construction costs. The utility companies would be charged user fees. Officials of several utilities have shown interest in running lines across the bridge, rather than extending them underground across the sea floor of Knik Arm, he said.

The commute debate

Ever since talk of a bridge across Knik Arm began in the 1970s, one of the main attractions of such an idea was providing a shorter, safer commute than the Glenn Highway for travelers between the Valley and Anchorage. However, the Glenn Highway has drastically improved over the past 30 years, with a well-lit bridge over the Knik River, where most accidents occurred, especially during foggy nights.

"The commute is an issue for basically the Big Lake and Willow area, providing a more direct link to Anchorage communities," said Murph O'Brien, the borough's development director.

Others pooh-pooh the notion that the bridge will shorten or improve the commute between Mat-Su and Anchorage.

"The bridge would be for an elite few, who will live in high-end homes at Point MacKenzie and commute to jobs in Anchorage. It would be for Anchorage residents to go snowmachining on Big Lake on the weekend," said Palmer graphic designer Chris Whittington-Evans. "The majority of Valley residents won't benefit from the bridge."

Commercial truck traffic from Anchorage to Fairbanks will use the bridge, O'Brien said.

The toll bridge would also be a tourist attraction, allowing visitors to get another view of Knik Arm while traveling to or from Anchorage and to or from major attractions like Talkeetna and Denali National Park. Plus, those tourists would pay a toll to support the bridge.

There are alternative ways to improve the commute from Anchorage to Wasilla.

"The Mat-Su Valley is experiencing a rapid population boom, one of the fastest in the nation, and it makes more sense to use our existing infrastructure of railroad tracks to put in commuter rail, which would ease traffic congestion on the Glenn Highway without even having to add lanes. This can be done for a fraction of the money required to build this bridge," said Anchorage resident Maryellen Owan in her testimony via teleconference to the Senate Transportation Committee.

Anchorage commuters expecting the bridge to provide a shorter route into the center of Wasilla would be in for a surprise. It would be a short crossing onto Point MacKenzie, but there are miles of unpaved road that would probably be "improved" after the bridge is in place. Then, there are about 20 miles of the winding, heavily-trafficked Knik-Goose Bay Road, which connects to the Parks Highway.

"This access doesn't shorten time to Wasilla. It isn't designed for that," Jordan said.

A bridge with a purpose
From a homeland security standpoint, backers say, the bridge would provide military access for Alaska's three striker brigades, which are based in Fairbanks and at Elmendorf. Two of those striker brigades are sea-based; and the bridge would allow more immediate response by the military during a national or statewide crisis.

The bridge would provide an evacuation route during an emergency, Jordan said. There would no longer be just one way to travel between Anchorage and the Valley.

"If you take the real long view, beyond 10 or 20 years, it'll be beneficial for that side of the Mat-Su to have that connection to the medical centers in Anchorage," O'Brien said.

A vehicular toll bridge would respond to the need for industrial growth of the port and Point MacKenzie.

"It's tremendous potential for quality development on the Mat-Su side," O'Brien said.

That development concerned Anchorage resident Owan.

"The proposed bridge would connect Anchorage to hundreds of square miles of unpopulated wetlands to the north," she said in her statement, adding that Anchorage should develop itself more responsibly instead of sprawling into the Mat-Su.

Jordan said the project would promote the economic welfare of the state - offering opportunities to develop industry, provide less expensive shipping, alleviate wear and tear on the Glenn Highway from tractor-trailers, attract more tourists and create new jobs.

"As for creating economic growth, there are opportunities to create good paying, sustainable jobs by promoting renewable energy in the state," Owan said.

Other Anchorage residents support the connection.

"This is a project that brings unity between new communities and not division," said Deal, of Anchorage.

Public input and studies shape designs
"So, why in the hell aren't we driving pilings in now?" asked Springer, who has been building bridges in Alaska for 40 years. "It's because we must go through the necessary process."

According to federal law, any transportation projects must first spend years plunged into environmental impact studies and public-input meetings.

Last summer, KABATA observed sea life, terrain, soil samples, tides and currents, ice floes and water depths at different points.

The study of the fisheries and the beluga whales cost $1.8 million.

In an area where earthquakes are frequent, seismic activity must be studied and faults identified.

"Seismic activity is a primary concern," Jordan said. "Lateral support is necessary to make the bridge safer."

The geophysical makeup of the sea floor actually will shrink the cost of bridge construction. Samples of the bottom of the Knik Arm obtained by a Jack-up drill rig revealed samples that ranged from silty sand to sandy silt. If the soil had been clay, construction material would be more costly.

"I estimate we saved hundreds of millions of dollars because the soil isn't clay," Jordan said.

About 200 to 250 feet down, the seabed is consolidated clay with water squeezed out of it so that it's hockey-puck hard and not a problem for construction, he said. Perhaps the pressure from an old glacier compressed the ground, squeezing out the water, he said.

As studies of the natural and manmade environment reveal more information, the designs of the bridge will take shape. Also, public input, which will be gathered again during scoping meetings in April, will affect the final designs.

Elmendorf officials informed KABATA that a suspension bridge would get in the way of the flight pattern for the military, Jordan said. So, the idea of a suspension-style bridge won't be entertained.

"Public input creates a road map for development," said Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller. "I'm happy to see these discussions taking place to get the bridge to fruition."

Neuman encourages people in his district to participate in the public hearings.

"While we still have a say in the planning, citizens of Big Lake should speak out and say what they want done so residents can mold Big Lake the way they want Big Lake to be," he said.

Bridge could fuel outlying development

KABATA is providing the funding for studies of how the proposed bridge might affect roads, public safety, schools, property taxes, population influxes and businesses, according to O'Brien.

The increase of population in the Valley is a well-known fact, but if a proposed bridge were erected, the population might shift to other parts of the Valley, O'Brien said.

"Instead of the core area receiving the most growth, it'll shift to Point MacKenzie," he said, adding there would be an influx of people on the Fairview Loop and the Knik area.

"For a long time, the Mat-Su has been the bedroom community of Anchorage. At the same time, the available space for residential, commercial and industrial development in Anchorage is becoming limited," he said.

The bridge is not just for residential needs. The port is within an industrial area that could house holding tanks and other products for export like wood chips, coal or even natural gas.

"There are districts outside of the port that aren't zoned yet," said O'Brien, adding that the Knik-Fairview Community Council will have some power over that. The council would be able to establish special-use districts.

Is there support on Capitol Hill?

The atmosphere to get this long-discussed project completed exists this year for several reasons, said state Sen. John Cowdery, R-Anchorage.

U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, who has provided KABATA with $11 million so far, will most likely back more funding for the bridge. The Federal Highway Administration has connected KABATA with sources from San Francisco, the regional area experts on getting through the legal process for bridge-building during the next 18 months, Springer said. Both regional and national support has been pledged.

On the national level, the Knik Arm Bridge has been identified by the Federal Highway Administration as one of the top three projects in the nation, according to Dale Paulson, KABATA's director of environmental and regulatory affairs, who just returned from Washington, D.C.

Also, on Capitol Hill, U.S. Rep. Don Young's six-year transportation budget bill, with $3 million earmarked for the planning phase of the Knik Bridge, was being debated on the House floor this past week.

"The Knik bridge is wide and far-reaching. It won't just affect the Mat-Su. It would benefit Alaska and parts of Washington because of shipping," Neuman said.

Since a deep-water port at Port MacKenzie was under construction last summer and finished this winter, Knik Arm has been previously studied. In addition to new studies, Van Dongen will be able to provide valuable input garnered from his experiences during the planning stages of the toll bridge. He can let KABATA know what worked and what didn't during the construction phase.

"Marc is instrumental in providing input for this project," Jordan said.

The next KABATA board meeting will be held in Juneau on March 23. An agency scoping meeting will be held March 29. Public best-interest meetings are slated for April.

"By April, we'll screen out unsuitable plans," Jordan said.

Still, thoughts vary among residents.

"Don't let this project go by undone for another generation," Valley resident Kenneth Ray said. "This project is a winner. I'd like to see this built in this generation."

Others are concerned about the beluga whales.

"Our knowledge of the whale is so thin that it's irresponsible to move forward with a large project without absolute assurance that we're not going to see this whale go away in our lifetime," Shavelson said.

So will it get done?

"If we don't do it now, we won't do it until the worms have taken care of my body," Springer said.

Source: http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2005/03/13/news/news2.txt