Governor Dunleavy Takes A Working Tour Of The Copper Valley

 Governor Spent Saturday Touring Various Ongoing Projects In The Copper Valley

The Copper Valley Development Association Board Listens As DOT&PF Commissioner Explains The Document That Governor Dunleavy Is Signing

Governor Tours Kenny Lake, Chitina, And New Boat Ramp At Gulkana Then Heads Back To Airport To Sign Documents 

Governor Dunleavy took a working tour of different parts of the Copper Valley Saturday, August 13th. Arriving in the morning by plane around 10 am, the Governor, accompanied by Representative George Rauscher, DOT commissioner Ryan Anderson and several local people went to Chitina and then late in the afternoon checked out the new Gulkana River boat ramp.

The Copper River Country Journal was aware of the planned visit, but was prohibited by the state from announcing it would happen until 4pm Saturday -- one hour before the Gulkana Airport meeting.

Back at the airport for a more formal meeting with the CVDA board and some members of the public, the Governor and the Commissioner of DOT&PF signed an agreement creating a Pilot Regional Planning Organization (RPO) in the Copper Valley. 

This new Pilot Regional Planning Organization is the first of its kind in Alaska. It is designed to give rural non-organized areas a voice in helping determine what infrastructure projects happen within it. It will collect local input from people in the Copper Valley Census Area and will present that to the state.

Equally important the Governor signed a "Statement of Intent" designed to help some local people and businesses solve some of their right of way disputes with DOT/PF.

Here is a copy of that document: