State approves permanent easement for Homer ski trails near Ohlson Mountain

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has approved a public access easement for the Kachemak Bay Nordic Ski Club to maintain 12.7 acres of ski trails near Ohlson Mountain Road in Homer. The decision, signed May 13, addresses an application DNR received on April 13, 2020, and is being adjudicated under AS 38.05.850 and the Alaska Land Act.

The easement covers a corridor 9,198 feet long and 60 feet wide in Section 27, Township 5 South, Range 13 West. DNR will issue a five-year entry authorization allowing the club to survey, operate, and maintain the trails before the final easement is issued. Once complete, the easement will be indefinite in term, providing permanent legal protection for the recreation infrastructure.

The trails formalize pre-existing recreational infrastructure that has been used by the Homer community for decades. The Kachemak Ski Club has operated in Homer since 1948, introducing generations of residents to skiing and snowboarding. The club runs the Homer Rope Tow facility about 10 miles from downtown, which has been in operation since the 1970s and features 20 acres of skiable terrain accessible from an 850-foot rope tow with 260 feet of vertical drop.

DNR accepted public comments through April 24. One landowner asked that the trails remain limited to skiing and maintenance, not summer hiking or biking. The Department of Transportation said it had no issues with continued trail grooming but required that all access come from approved locations.

The club must pay an annual land use fee of $1,560 and submit a $6,700 performance guarantee to complete survey requirements. The decision becomes final 20 days after signature.