The Bureau of Land Management opened a 30-day public comment period on a draft feasibility study for designating the proposed Alaska Long Trail as a “national scenic trail.”
The public is invited to submit comments until April 14, through the Alaska Long National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study page on the BLM National NEPA Register.
The Alaska Long Trail is envisioned as a 500-mile route extending from Seward to Fairbanks, traversing diverse landscapes including wilderness forests, mountains, rivers, and valleys. The BLM prepared the study in response to congressional direction in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
The purpose was to assess the feasibility, desirability, and suitability of designating the proposed routes associated with the Alaska Long Trail as a national scenic trail. This feasibility study is not a comprehensive plan, and doesn’t authorize implementation actions.
The proposal has garnered both support and controversy.
Advocates, such as the nonprofit organization Alaska Trails, say the trail would enhance outdoor recreation opportunities and boost tourism, potentially attracting more residents to the state. They believe that national scenic trail designation would be a significant investment in Alaska’s outdoor infrastructure.
However, concerns have been raised by many Alaskans. In the Mat-Su Borough, some say the federal designation could impose even more federal control of Alaska lands, potentially hindering local development and activities.
The Alaska Outdoor Council criticized the proposed route, because it may limit access for certain user groups and impact existing trails.
Representing thousands of Alaskans, the outdoor council says the first 130 miles already connects to the Iditarod National Historic Trail, while the next 320 miles parallel the Parks Highway, which has provided public access for decades. Designating this route as a National Scenic Trail would complicate access to state and private lands, requiring federal oversight that could restrict activities like hunting, fishing, and motorized travel.
“The majority of lands/waters along this +300 miles of the proposed Alaska Long Trail are state, private, or ANCSA Native Corporation. Establishing a NST on either side of the Parks Highway. This would dissect these easily accessed lands for 3/4 of Alaska’s population making management that much more cumbersome. Fifty years of public access along the Parks Highway has provided numerous opportunities for hunting, trapping, fishing, wood gathering, residential homes, resource development and year around outdoor recreation access to state and private lands off the highway corridor. Any amount of oversight by the U.S. Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture would disrupt current use by a majority of urban Alaskans who regularly access state public lands and waters along the Alaska Long Trail proposed route,” the Alaska Outdoor Council says.
The AOC questions the the transparency of Alaska Trails, the nonprofit advocating for the project.
“The Alaska Trails NGO have been far from forthright in their publications and presentation as to what federal management of a National Trails System between Wasilla and Fairbanks would do to complicate the activities of many Alaskans who have accessed state public lands along the Parks Highway corridor since the completion of the Alaska Railroad in 1923,” the outdoor council says.
Instead, AOC suggests alternative routes, such as the historic Copper River Highway, which already has established rights-of-way and historical significance. The AOC has urged policymakers to consider trails that align with Alaskans’ needs rather than disrupting existing land use.
Only Congress has the authority to designate new national scenic trails. The BLM is actively seeking input from affected communities, the State of Alaska, private landowners, the public, and land management agencies to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. The final feasibility study will be submitted to Congress.
To participate in the public comment process visit the Alaska Long National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study page in the BLM National NEPA Register. To learn more about the study, review the Frequently Asked Questions about the proposed trail.
What are your thoughts about the Alaska Long Trail project? Put them in the comment section below.
