Stop By Before the DNR Meeting: Community Discussion at the Northern Center
The Northern Alaska Environmental Center will be opening our space from 4:00–6:00 PM on April 22 for community members and the public to stop by, learn more about the Dalton Highway Corridor access process, and discuss how people travel and use the region.
This informal gathering will take place before the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) virtual meeting, which begins at 6:00 PM. It is an opportunity for people to talk through the questions DNR is asking, share knowledge about travel routes, and connect with others who care about access in the corridor.
Whether you plan to attend the DNR meeting or just want to learn more, you are welcome to stop in.
Location: Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Address: 830 College Road, Fairbanks
Date: April 22
Drop-in discussion: 4:00–6:00 PM
DNR virtual meeting begins: 6:00 PM
Participants are welcome to bring:
- knowledge of travel routes used along the Dalton Highway
- information about subsistence access areas
- questions about the DNR process
- maps, photos, or descriptions of commonly used trails and routes
Join the DNR Meeting Online
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) meeting will be held virtually beginning at 6:00 PM.
If you plan to attend the meeting from home, or after stopping by the Northern Center earlier in the afternoon, you can join using the information below.
Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/96837018484?pwd=GBaDyD3bEBKO1TbfOIF9cOjeBEKhA1.1
Meeting ID: 968 3701 8484
Passcode: 4cdqNc
Why This Matters
The Dalton Highway Corridor is not just a transportation route. It is a landscape that supports wildlife migrations, subsistence activities, recreation, and travel between communities.
If lands within the corridor are conveyed to the State of Alaska, the way people move across the region may change. The state will need to determine where access corridors should exist across newly conveyed lands and how people will reach adjacent federal public lands.
These decisions could influence travel routes, motorized access, and land management patterns across the corridor for decades to come.
Community knowledge and local experience are essential to making sure those decisions reflect how the land is actually used.
What the State Is Asking the Public
DNR is asking residents, subsistence users, travelers, and organizations to share information that will help shape future access across the corridor.
In particular, the state is asking for help identifying:
Existing travel routes
This includes trails, rivers, winter routes, or informal paths currently used to reach federal lands, hunting areas, or nearby communities.
If possible, it is helpful to include details such as general locations, landmarks, or Dalton Highway mile markers, as well as whether the route is used seasonally.
Future access corridors
DNR is also asking for input on where access corridors may be needed across state lands if conveyance occurs. These corridors may allow people to travel through state land to reach adjacent federal public lands.
Subsistence access needs
The state is specifically seeking information about access routes used for subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering. Ensuring that federally qualified subsistence users can continue reaching federal lands is an important part of the process.
Historic and commonly used routes
Public input can also help identify historic travel routes or commonly used trails that may qualify as access easements across state land.
In Alaska, these may include historic RS 2477 routes or section line easements, which can provide public travel corridors across state lands.
Why Public Participation Matters
People who live in the region and travel these landscapes often have the most detailed understanding of how access works on the ground.
Sharing that knowledge can help ensure that future decisions reflect real travel patterns, protect important access routes, and support continued access for subsistence and community use.
Public engagement in this process will play an important role in shaping how access is structured along the Dalton Highway Corridor.
How to Participate
DNR will continue holding public meetings and gathering feedback through June 2026.
You can learn more about the process and submit comments through the DNR project page:
https://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/dhcpa/
Participation from people who know and use these lands will help ensure that future access decisions reflect the needs of communities, subsistence users, and the broader public.
Photo Credit: Photo by Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management