Project Introduction

The Jonesville Public Use Area (JPUA) is located approximately 58 miles north of Anchorage near the community of Sutton. The land encompassed by the JPUA is owned by the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), with collaborative management between DNR, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB). Surrounded by exquisite views of the Matanuska Valley and immense wilderness within a short drive of Alaska’s most populous city, the JPUA has all the makings of a quintessential Alaskan recreation site. The site attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, who participate in outdoor activities such as camping, off-roading, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, and shooting.

Over time, the area has experienced progressively destructive and unsafe behavior by some users, including indiscriminate shooting, vehicle burning, and vandalism. These activities have created safety concerns that have had a negative impact on the local community, discouraging families and potential users from accessing the area. MSB, with support from DNR, ADF&G, and the local community, is pursuing the establishment of a designated shooting park to facilitate and encourage safe, family-centered recreational activities for the benefit of all users and the surrounding community. The goal of this project is not to reduce or restrict the activities available in the JPUA, but rather to enable all of the allowed uses to occur in a manner that enhances the visitor experience, addresses existing safety concerns, and implements functional improvements for multi-use recreation within the JPUA.

The project will include a series of public involvement meetings to ensure that the public has the opportunity to review conceptual designs as they progress, is informed of the project's status, and can provide constructive feedback to the project team. This website will serve as a central location for status updates, comment collection, and public notices. Please check back frequently to stay up-to-date with project progress or sign up to receive project newsletters when important information is released.

Images below are from September 16, 2025