Fifteen trail projects across Alaska are getting a funding boost this year, after state transportation officials distributed more than $2.2 million in federal dollars through the first major grant cycle of a newly launched trails initiative. Fourteen of the projects will receive their full requested amount, while a fifteenth — the Petersville Trails and Rescue Center’s third construction phase — was awarded partial funding.
The grants mark an early milestone for ATLAS, short for Alaska Trails and Local Access Systems, which Gov. Mike Dunleavy created last October when he signed an order shifting oversight of the federal Recreational Trails Program from the state’s Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. A newly formed advisory committee, made up of representatives from motorized, non-motorized and other trail-user groups statewide, reviewed this year’s applications and recommended which projects should receive funding.
The selected projects stretch across nearly the entire state, with work planned in Southeast Alaska, Southcentral, Southwest, the Kenai Peninsula, the Interior and the Valdez-Cordova region. DOT&PF Commissioner Ryan Anderson described the initiative as a shift in how the state approaches trail investment, saying it’s meant to both maintain existing trail systems and open up new opportunities for Alaskans and visitors to safely enjoy the outdoors.
Every recipient is required to cover at least 10% of their project’s cost through local matching funds, a rule designed to stretch federal dollars further. State officials say demand still outpaces what’s available — recent requests for snow-trail grooming funding alone topped $3.1 million against roughly $90,000 in annual registration fee revenue — a gap officials hope more predictable funding can eventually help close.
