Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

• Author: Hill, Robin Mackey
• Position: Matanuska Valley, Alaska

Since the first colonists from the Lower 48 arrived in the Matanuska Valley in 1935 and began carving farms out of forested wilderness, this area north of Anchorage has been known for its ability to help feed the rest of the state. Potatoes, cabbage, squash, carrots and a host of other vegetables thrive on the rich soil and long summer days.

Although many of the original 204 families who participated in the resettlement program weren't cut out for farming, new families signed on and, for better or worse, the New Deal colony took root and grew. Land was cleared and homes were built. Schools, shops and a generating plant were added, as was a bustling farmers' cooperative. In addition to produce, the area also supported great dairy farms, although in recent years economic changes, including Outside competition, have whittled this once-thriving industry to a fraction of its former size.

Of the borough's two dominant communities, Palmer has long been considered the older, more established of the two, where farming and a no-frills way of life could be found. Wasilla, its cousin to the west, is seen as a member of a younger generation, its highway lined with shopping malls and fast-food restaurants.

As Anchorage grew, so did the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Many who work in the state's largest city choose to live in the valleys to the north, commuting up to 90 miles round-trip. The Valley, as the Matanuska and Susitna river valleys have been jointly labeled, thus has become somewhat of a bedroom community, providing many Alaskans the best of both worlds: access to wide-open spaces and outdoor activities, plus the jobs and other amenities that come with living near a big city. Within the borough, various levels of government and the trade and service industries provide the bulk of the area's jobs.

In recent years, borough planning and economic development officials have been working to sow the seeds of a tourism industry they hope will take root and flourish. A ski resort at Hatcher Pass, a lodge at Denali State Park and other facilities to attract overnight visitors are reoccurring themes.

"If you can't keep people overnight, you're not rotating the dollars," says John Loyd, chairman of the borough's Overall Economic Development Commission. "You're not a destination point. People just come through and buy sandwiches on their way north."

Making the area attractive to industry also is a priority. Supporters of a plan to build a $15 million deep-water port say the facility will go a long way toward luring industry to the area.

But Loyd says community leaders need to identify what it will take to maintain employment in the Valley itself and to stem the flow of commuters into Anchorage: "Will it take land? Will it take money? Planning?" These are issues with which he and others grapple. Housing costs are lower than in Anchorage, and many borough residents find the quality of life more to their liking; but, says Loyd, there has to be gainful employment for folks once they've moved to the area.

Loyd believes the borough holds great development potential. Brit Lively, executive director of the Palmer Economic Development Authority, agrees and says it makes sense for the borough's two largest communities to work together to attract new businesses. Lively points to the Wishbone Hill coal mining project outside Palmer...