On this Earth Day, here are three things you can do get involved in your Community!
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
1) Sign the Petition
Homer residents have repeatedly voiced strong support for better protections for wetlands and waters within the limits of the City. Now those areas are threatened by the Trump administration’s efforts to gut the ability of the Army Corp of Engineers which typically implements federal Clean Water Act protections over wetlands, rivers and marine waters. The Homer City Council now as a chance to step in to fill in the gaps left by federal regulatory roll-backs through by updated the City’s Planning Code. Let’s tell the Council that we want let our wetlands and watersheds fall through the cracks sign the Kachemak Bay Conservation Society petition requesting regulations that protect these areas.
2) Comment on the Public Review Draft for the Changes to the Planning Code
There is less than one month remaining before the Rule 21 changes comment period deadline of May 15, 2026. Here are some resources to help you review the proposed updated code:
a. How to Navigate the Public Review Draft of the Revised Code – March 2026 – 3.2 MB
A step-by-step guide to help you understand the structure of the draft code and quickly find topics of interest.
Public Review Draft Revised Code (Full) – March 2026 – 2 MB
The complete proposed Title 21 code presented in a clean format without tracked changes.Public Review Draft Revised Code (Full – Redline Version) – April 2026 – 2.3 MB
The full draft code with edits visible, showing proposed changes from the existing code.
d. Proposed Table of Allowable Uses by District – March 2026
A consolidated table showing proposed permitted, conditional, and prohibited uses across all zoning districts.
Proposed Table of Dimensional and Intensity Standards – March 2026
A summary of proposed development standards, including setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, and other key metrics by district.Proposed Updated Zoning Map – March 2026
A map showing the proposed zoning districts across Homer, reflecting how the updated code would apply geographically.
Note: All documents are available for review via hard copy at the Homer City Hall (491 E. Pioneer Avenue) and the Homer Library (500 Hazel Avenue).
Here’s how to share your comments, questions, and suggestions by May 15, 2026.
Download the comment form here.
Contact the project team: Ryan Foster, City of Homer City Planner, at rfoster@ci.homer.ak.us and Shelly Wade, Agnew::Beck Consultant Project Manager at shelly@agnewbeck.com.
3) Comment on the Proposed Bradly Lake Hydro-Power Extension
Earth Day is also a way to celebrate the transition to green energy. At the same time, if we must transition to alternative energy, there is no need to ignore the human and environmental impacts such sources may have. The Alaska Energy Authority is moving towards applying for an amendment to the Bradly Lake Hydro-Power project to construct a diversion at in Dixon Creek. Because the Dixen Creek diversion would impact flows, and the fish and wildlife that rely on this ecosystem, it is imperative that the DAA and supporting documentation analyzes existing baseline data and the impacts of the proposed licensing amendment on instream flows, connectivity, fish and wildlife productivity, hydrologically connected groundwater, and water quality to understand how the ecosystem will respond to the proposed project in light of climate change impacts. We can have clean energy and healthy aquatic habitat too.
Comments on the DAA can be submitted up through May 13 through the FERC docket for at: eLibrary | General search(reference docket no. P-8221-123). Because the FERC process can be somewhat cumbersome and complicated, as an alternative, you can send your comments to: Jennifer.Gut@KleinschmidtGroup.com.