1974 RS-2477 Trail Inventory

In The Naske Files RS-2477 Trail Project, I presented archives from the 1988 project in which historian Claus-M Naske was hired by DOT&PF to research the records of the National Archives for documents that would support Alaska's assertion of RS-2477 Trail rights-of-way.  Much of that work was incorporated into a 1990's project in which Alaska DNR prepared RS-2477 research files with the intention to assert the State's claim to these historic rights-of-way.  In May of 1998, the Alaska Legislature passed a new law entitled "An Act Relating to State Rights-of-Way" declaring that more than 600 routes have been accepted as RS-2477 rights-of-way by public use.  This bill was signed into law as Chapter 26, SLA 1998 (AS 19.30.400).  The DNR "PAAD" unit (Public Access Assertion and Defense) maintains a website for the RS-2477 Trails Project.

The 1974 RS-2477 Trail Inventory was a predecessor project to the above noted work.  This project was started in June of 1972 at the request of Department of Highways Commissioner Bruce A. Campbell. "The request was to locate all existing trails and roads of record in the state on U.S.G.S. quadrangle maps and to make a list of each trail as to name, identification to area, sources of information of public record and description." Once completed a set of the maps and IBM printout was sent to DNR and BLM with cities and native corporations being notified that the existing trails inventory was completed and available.  Given the updated and better research RS-2477 projects that followed the Trails Inventory, it now remains as more of an item of historic interest rather than a useful tool.