Leask Lakes
By Harold Adams

EDITOR, Daily News:
After living in the Midwest for most of my adult life, I made Alaska and Ketchikan my home town about 20 years ago. This is because of the beauty of the land and the opportunities of getting into the wilderness so close to town. Although many lake areas can be reached by boat and hiking, there are a limited number that are easily accessible for local recreation. Ward Lake, Connell Lake and Harriet Hunt Lake are all heavily visited by town residents. In planning for the future, there are two other lake systems that would fit well as local public recreation. One is Bostwick Lake behind the airport. The Gravina Island plan has made some good proposals for this area. The other is the Leask Lakes system in the corridor of the proposed road connecting to the mainland. Leask Lakes are currently owned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust whose mandate is to generate money from its holdings for the Trust.

Logging is the current priority for these lakes, and much of the system will be logged. But the Trust also has shown a willingness to preserve some areas around the lakes if their income objectives can be satisfied. The Leask Users Coalition was formed by local residents to find a way to keep important parts of the beautiful lakes, wetlands, and streams intact with an eye on future accessible recreation. Of course it involves money and public support. I would ask that the borough government and area residents recognize the potential of Leask Lakes and help in the efforts to preserve their value now while scenic value still exists. Check out the Leask Users Coalition Web site at www.leasklakes.org.
Harold Adams