FAIRBANKS — Areas of the borough most affected by woodsmoke posed some of the staunchest opposition to Proposition 2 in Tuesday’s municipal election, according to precinct results.

North Pole and its surrounding areas have seen the smokiest winters in the area, according to the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s monitoring results. They also were a stronghold against the proposition, which would have banned certain wood- and coal-fired heating devices in the core populated area and introduced regulations for wood burners.

The North Pole-area precincts all resoundingly voted “no” — from a low of 75.54 percent in the city of North Pole to 82 percent in the Badger Road precincts.

City residents do have concerns about air quality, said North Pole Mayor Doug Isaacson.

The vote reflected the community’s investment in the wood- and coal-fired heaters and a desire to negotiate any attempt to clean up the air, he said.

“There was a suspicion that the initiative is too broad and cuts too deep,” he said. “I believe everyone wants clean air, but this wasn’t the vehicle.”

Many have echoed Isaacson’s analysis, including voters in typically left-leaning precincts near the university. Voters in those precincts came out in support of Proposition 2, but did so at a much slimmer margin than opponents did in areas like North Pole.

The University Campus precinct provided the proposition’s strongest support in the borough, with about 65 percent voting “yes.” Other neighboring precincts averaged about 50 to 60 percent voting “yes.”

The University West precinct, where smoky days keep Woodriver Elementary School students indoors during recess, offered moderately strong support for the initiative. In a place that has been a focal point for clean air proponents, 56 percent of voters said “yes.”

“This was a hard one,” said John Callahan, a neighbor who agrees that smoke is a problem but voted “no.”

“It came down to that there are some of those hydronic heaters burning cleaner than wood stoves, and I don’t think it’s fair to shut them down,” he said.

In Fairbanks No. 8 precinct, which covers the smoke-laden Hamilton Acres neighborhood, 55.9 percent of voters said “no.”

Proposition 2 also found little support outside the non-attainment area, where the bans and regulations wouldn’t reach. The staunchest opposition in the borough came from the Salcha precinct, where 87.59 percent of voters said “no” to the initiative.

At the end of the day, two of the area’s three mayors agreed that the “no” vote didn’t reflect a lack of concern among borough voters about clean air.

Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins said the vote reflected a consensus that a discussion between interested parties must commence.

As the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2014 deadline to get the borough into meet federal air quality standards looms, North Pole’s Isaacson said, the borough and state leaders will have to figure out something. They’ll do that through involved discussions, and that’s the way people want it, he said.

“When it comes to regulation, we have a lot of folks who say ‘show me,’” he said. “That can create healthy conversation and dialog. We need to make sure we’re not attacking issues on an emotional basis and thoroughly explore the consequences of any regulation.”

Contact staff writer Matt Buxton at 459-7544.