3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS
Affected Environment
The POA has 528 acres of developed or economically developable uplands and 1,000 acres
of tidelands. Its 2004 Operating Budget included revenues of $9.8 million and expenses of
$7.9 million.
3.2.3.2.6 State of Alaska
The State of Alaska’s FY 2006 Enacted Budget has projected revenues of $7.119.4 billion.
Total authorized spending is $7.079.6 billion. Education funding is $887.4 million and the
Alaska State Troopers are budgeted to receive $85.5 million (State of Alaska 2005).
ARRC had revenues of $116 million in 2004, net income of $15.4 million, and an end-ofyear
fund equity of $150 million.
3.2.4 Population and Social Groups
This section describes the demographic characteristics of the Study Area, including
population size, ethnicity and race, and income, as well as the changing social and economic
relationships of its communities.
Any disproportionately high and adverse effects on minority and low-income populations—
environmental justice impacts—are discussed in Section 4.3.6.
3.2.4.1 Population size
In 1975, the City of Anchorage merged with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough to form
the Municipality of Anchorage (Anchorage). Although almost half of Alaska’s residents
reside in Anchorage, only about 10 percent of the municipality’s 1,961 square miles is
inhabited (ISER 2005). The population in 2004 was 277,498 (Figure 3.14).
The Mat-Su is a second class borough 21 incorporated in 1964. It is the third-largest borough
in the state, both physically and in terms of population. The borough is about 25,000 square
miles, more than 12 times the size of Anchorage. Approximately 11 percent of that land is in
private (including Native Corporation land) or municipal ownership and could be
developed. 22 The Mat-Su is the fastest growing region of the state, largely because of its
proximity to Anchorage. Most of the population resides in the Core Area, around the cities of
Palmer and Wasilla, and within the three incorporated cities of Houston, Palmer, and Wasilla
(MSB 2003a). The estimated population in 2004 was 70,148 (Figure 3.14).
21 All boroughs in Alaska must provide educational services, levy taxes, and exercise their land use regulatory
powers. A second-class borough has the option of providing transportation and road services, water and air
pollution control, solid and septic waste regulation, and of exercising several other governmental powers.
22 Data were calculated by HDR Alaska, Inc., from Mat-Su Borough geographic information system data.
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