Upper foothills opened to tundra travel

Petroleum News

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Mining, Land and Water, said March 19 that it has opened the upper foothills area of the North Slope to winter off-road tundra travel.

The division said soil temperatures and snow cover within the upper foothills have met the criteria for opening -- 9 inches of snow and soil temperatures colder than -5 degrees C at 30 centimeters depth.

The opening applies to operators with valid off-road vehicle travel permits for state-owned North Slope lands.

The division said snow cover may be thin in some areas and those areas should be avoided or special construction methods used to protect the tundra.

The lower foothills area remains closed to winter off-road travel.

The eastern coastal area opened for tundra travel Dec. 23; the western coastal area opened Dec. 30.

--Petroleum News