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The Tripod Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, PO Box 2323, Seward AK 99664 http://www.Iditarod100.org IditarodHTA@gmail.com The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. August 2020 The Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance promotes public awareness of the Iditarod Historic Trail and its gold rush and Alaska Native heritage by encouraging education programs and historical research, assisting in the protection, improvement, maintenance and marking of the Trail and developing partnerships that foster stewardship commitments and support. Great American Outdoors Act The House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act by a vote of 310 for and 107 against. The Senate passed the Act with a vote of 73 for and 25 against. President Trump signed the bill on August 4th.
The Great American Outdoors Act permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to address the backlog of recreation and conservation needs in every state and county across the country. The legislation supports continued funding for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program. LWCF and ORLP have made progress in expanding access to outdoor spaces for communities in urban areas. Permanent and dedicated LWCF funding is a must to ensure that our nation's trails, public lands, parks, and open spaces remain protected and accessible for all communities for generations to come. There is a nearly $22 billion backlog of maintenance projects across our public lands. When annual maintenance needs go unaddressed, long-term problems arise, seriously hampering the public’s access to outdoor recreation.
Closed trails, out-of-service restrooms, campgrounds in poor conditions, and impassable roads are only a few of the barriers that hikers face. The bill would provide $9.5 billion over five years from energy development revenues (non-taxpayer funds) on federal land and water to address the most pressing deferred maintenance infrastructure needs within the National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education. Trail Bound Alaska Max Romey, an Alaskan artist who found his voice through watercolors and film, works as an outdoor videographer all over the globe, but his true passion is being on Alaskan trails and in the community that they create.
To learn more about his Trail Bound Alaska project (which includes the Iditarod Trail) go to: maxromeyproductions.com/trailboundalaska To gather information for the project Max visited Seward earlier this summer and interviewed Dan Seavey and Lee Poleske about the history of the Iditarod Trail and of Seward. New bridges The Forest Service has installed new bridges on the Iditarod Trail at Falls Creek and Lower Ingram Creek. From the past… “Iditarod Pioneer” October 25, 1919 PROTESTING AGAINST YUKON ROUTE The following telegrams received considerable attention during the past week by Iditarod’s commercial organization. McGrath, Alaska Oct. 14, 1919 Chamber of Commerce, Iditarod, Alaska: 1 The Tripod August 2020 The people of this entire community request us to make official complaint to the Postoffice Department, Governor Thomas Riggs, Delegate George B. Grigsby and Judge Charles E.
Bunnell against the discontinuance of mail service on the Seward-Iditarod route. We are wiring the above, explaining in detail the serious effect this is having upon this section of the country and asking that this service be restored. Will your organization aid us in rendering similar complaint. Wire us collect if you will take action. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, by D. W. Sprague, President The Secretary of the Iditarod Commercial Club was instructed to forward messages as follows: Iditarod, Alaska, Oct. 21, 1919 Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, McGrath, Alaska: The Iditarod Commercial Club will assist in helping to restore the service on the Seward-Iditarod mail route and have wired protests to all indicated in your wire to us. We have protested strenuously against the mail being routed via Fairbanks, causing delay in the service and closing the country between here and the coast.
To Postmaster General Burleson, Delegate Grigsby and Judge Brunnell the following dispatch was forwarded: Iditarod, Alaska Oct. 21, 1919 This community protests against the discontinuance of the Seward-Iditarod mail route. Closing this trail and forcing our mail to be routed via Fairbanks which is 600 miles further from here than Seward causes over two weeks delay. This new route closes the trail which we use to reach the Outside, causes the country between here and the coast to be deserted, discourages prospecting and travel and isolates the Kuskokwim and this district. We respectfully ask that you use your efforts to restore the Seward-Iditarod route. The following protest was wired Gov. Riggs: Iditarod, Oct. 21,1919 Hon. Thomas Riggs, Juneau, Alaska This community protests against the discontinuance of the Seward-Iditarod mail route.
Closing this trail and routing our mail via Fairbanks delays our service three weeks and causes us to travel over 500 miles further to reach the Outside. The Kuskokwim and this district will be isolated and all the country between here and the coast closed. This will seriously discourage prospecting and travel. We respectively ask your aid in restoring this route to us. IDITAROD COMMERCAL CLUB These telegraphic replies were received last Wednesday. Juneau, Alaska, Oct. 22,1919.
Iditarod Commercial Club, Iditarod, Alaska: Grigsby, Hallowell and I have already made strong protests as possible to postoffice authorities, who state it is not possible to give service this year for the reasons that the roadhouses are all closed and the mail contractors last year were unable to fulfill contracts on account of having to break trail alone, mail sacks lost in river, and small population; will try again, but doubt success. RIGGS, Governor. Oct.22 1919 Washington D. C., Oct.22, 1919 Iditarod Commercial Club, Iditarod Alaska: Replying: The Wasilla mail route was discontinued on account of bad trail and excessive cost for number of persons served; records show time via Fairbanks was expeditious as via Seward; inadvisable to restore Seward route until material improvement of trail. PRAEGER, Second Assistant. U. S. Post Office Dept. 2