The Mat-Su Pre-MPO Steering Committee and Pre-MPO Policy Board have worked together and considered input from the public and subject-matter experts to define the most logical boundary within which the MPO will operate. Ultimately, the final boundary of the MPO, called the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA), is determined by agreement between the MPO (Policy Board) and the Governor. The MPO approved the MPA boundary on September 19, 2023, and the Governor's approval is pending. Per federal guidelines, the MPA must encompass, at a minimum, the entire existing urbanized area as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, plus the contiguous area expected to become urbanized within the next 20 years.

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The MPA boundary was developed based on the Boundary Development Strategy approved by the MVP Pre-MPO Policy Board on October 20, 2021. On February 28, 2023, a meeting of subject matter experts including local developers and surveyors active in the Mat-Su region was held to gather input on the draft boundary and identify areas of growth within the Valley that should be considered in the boundary development process. Next, a public meeting was held on March 29, 2023, to introduce the MPO, share the draft boundary with the public, and gather additional input about the boundary. Public comments were submitted online via an interactive comment map and comment form and were received until April 28, 2023. The Pre-MPO Steering Committee and Pre-MPO Policy Board have reviewed all comments received and recommend and approved the final MPA boundary September 19, 2023.