Construction is beginning for a series of 25 public use recreation cabins, the Forest Service announced Tuesday. A release from the service says locations have been confirmed for seven of the 25 cabins, including three on the Kenai Peninsula.
A cabin by Trail River in Moose Pass is “already under construction,” the release reads, and two other cabins included in this “first round” are at the Porcupine Campground in Hope and by Meridian Lake in Seward.
The other four cabins in the first round are located in the Tongass National Forest, in Southeast Alaska.
“This first set of cabins is only the beginning,” says Regional Forester Dave Schmid in the release. “With $14 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and $3.7 million in matching funds from the National Forest Foundation, the plan to build two dozen or so allows us to build at least one cabin in each of our ranger districts.”
According to the release, six or seven cabins will be constructed annually — around 10 other existing cabins will see maintenance and repair work as part of the same project.
Assessment and feasibility considerations are underway for the 18 remaining locations, two of which will also be located on or near the Kenai Peninsula. Tincan Cabin is proposed for construction along the Turnagain Pass Trail near Girdwood, and a second cabin is proposed for Granite Creek Campground near Moose Pass.
A series of public meetings were scheduled throughout July to share information and collect feedback about the cabins, in Hope, Moose Pass and Seward. A final meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Glacier Ranger District office in Girdwood.
Further details on each of the cabins — including maps and images of proposed styles — can be found at fs.usda.gov/projects/chugach/landmanagement/projects.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
