Land
Manager Forum
2022
9:00 – 10:15
Youth on Trails – A Continuum of Adventure and Stewardship
There are many ways for youth to enjoy trails and the outdoors. Some of those involve adventure, some involve learning, and some involve hard work. Often they involve all three and more. This panel will have a series of speakers who will trace the scope of those opportunities from 4th grade on up. You will hear about the innovative ways to get youth engaged
in their public lands through a variety of programs.
Presenters:
• Cecilia Walenza - USFWS Watershed Education Program (WEP)
• Sarah Schuh – Outdoor School, Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area
• Caitlyn Tetterton – Alaska Geographic
• Brad Muir – Youth Employment in Parks (YEP)
• Chris Eversman – Student Conservation Association (SCA)
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Presentation: Youth Panel Combined Presentation Slides
10:30 – 11:15
Funding For Trails in Washington – What can Alaska learn?
Washington State has 30 different grant programs that it manages including the NOVA program, which is funded by a state gas tax. The Nonhighway and Off-road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) program provides funding to develop and manage recreation opportunities for such activities as cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain bicycling, hunting, fishing, sightseeing, motorcycling, and riding all-terrain and four-wheel drive vehicles. A portion of the funding also is available for education and enforcement programs that encourage environmentally responsible use of the outdoors and for helping to minimize conflict between visitors through positive management techniques.
Presenter:
• Brian Carpenter – Outdoor Grants Manager, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
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Presentation: Funding For Trails in Washington – What can Alaska learn?
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11:30 – 12:30
Alaska Long Trail – Q/A
Hear an update on the progress on planning and building a world-class trail system connecting 500+ miles of Alaska’s iconic terrain and diverse communities from Seward to Fairbanks. The trail will embrace the many ways Alaskans recreate outdoors and bolster the Alaska economy by attracting visitors from all over the world. With some of the world’s most stunning wild places, Alaska is overdue in creating a world-class, long trail system of its own. Bring your questions and ideas.
Presenters:
• Mariyam Medovaya - Project Coordinator, Alaska Trails Initiative
• Xavier Lopez - Alaska Trails Mapping and GIS contractor
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Presentation: Alaska Long Trail - Q/A
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12:30 – 1:15
Lunch and Networking
1:15-2:30
SCORP
The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) is updated every five years and serves as a guide for all public outdoor recreation in urban and rural neighborhoods, cities, and regions for a given state. This plan attempts to bring together the wants and needs of the recreation users and providers into a single comprehensive document. The update that will culminate this year includes many new features that will make the plan a more valuable blueprint for future recreation projects.
Presenters:
• Ricky Gease - Alaska State Parks Director
• Krista Karstensen - Alaska Trails SCORP staff
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Presentation: SCORP Presentation Slides
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2:45– 4:30
Trail Projects Updates from 2022
There are a lot of great things happening on trails all over the state. This panel will give quick snapshots of the work they are doing, the challenges they are facing and the lessons they have learned. We hope that it will inspire new ideas and connections for trail projects in your area.
Presenters:
• Dave Zastrow – USFS Cordova, District Ranger
• Ben Hughey – Executive Director, Sitka Trail Works
• Billy Day – Homer Trails Alliance
• Jon Underwood – Owner, Happy Trails
• Shawna Popovici – Alaska State Parks
• Steve Charles – Willow Trails Committee​
• Stolf Short – BLM Anchorage Field Office
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Presentation: Trail Project Updates Combined Presentation Slides
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