Lawmaker-approved Alaska Long Trail projects, all in Anchorage, await governor’s verdict

Hikers connected Flattop Mountain return successful nan position connected Aug. 14, 2021. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska lawmakers approved $3.7 cardinal successful backing for 9 projects that are portion of an integrated way strategy that proponents dream will rival nan Appalachian Trail connected nan East Coast and nan Pacific Crest Trail connected nan West Coast.

Currently called the Alaska Long Trail — though it whitethorn beryllium renamed successful nan early — nan strategy would screen much than 500 miles from Fairbanks successful Interior Alaska to nan Gulf of Alaska coastline connected nan Kenai Peninsula. It would link existing trails wrong federal, authorities and municipal onshore into a web that could beryllium traveled without interruption.

The Alaska Long Trail projects included successful nan coming fiscal year’s capital budget were among a database of 21, for which nan costs would full $20.3 million, that advocates requested at nan commencement of this year’s legislative session. Advocates for those projects are with Alaska Trails, a nonprofit organization, and respective partner organizations.

All of nan projects that won legislative backing for nan coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, are located successful nan Municipality of Anchorage. They are dispersed passim nan municipality, from Peters Creek successful nan northbound to Girdwood successful nan south.

The biggest Alaska Long Trail task approved by lawmakers would put conscionable complete $1 cardinal toward a nexus betwixt existing trails to create an uninterrupted 25-mile relationship betwixt Turnagain Arm and nan bluish area of Anchorage. Another high-profile task would give $500,000 to way improvements connected Anchorage’s Flattop Mountain, nan state’s most-climbed peak. It is nan tract of summertime crowds, but immoderate deteriorating way conditions airs information hazards to hikers.

Whether Gov. Mike Dunleavy will o.k. nan projects is yet unknown. The governor, who has nan powerfulness to make line-item fund vetoes, conscionable received nan fund connected Wednesday and still needs clip to reappraisal it, said spokesperson Jeff Turner. The governor’s decisions are owed connected June 28, Turner said.

Dunleavy successful 2022 vetoed $10.5 million in Alaska Long Trail backing that lawmakers had approved for nan 2023 fiscal year. That near 7 projects pinch $4.22 cardinal successful backing successful that year’s budget.

For nan existent fiscal year, which ends connected June 30, nan authorities fund included complete $1.43 cardinal for 3 Alaska Long Trail projects successful Chugach State Park, which lies wrong nan Municipality of Anchorage.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, meanwhile, is seeking nationalist input for a feasibility study to see whether nan Alaska Long Trail should beryllium added to nan inventory of designated national scenic trails. There are presently 11 officially designated nationalist scenic trails, ranging successful magnitude from nan 235-mile New England Trail to nan 4,600-mile North Country Trail that wends done nan Great Lakes region.

Public meetings were held successful April, and three online sessions are scheduled this month, connected June 11, 13 and 27, nan BLM said.