SJR 25: Supporting enhancement of visitor access to Denali National Park and Preserve through development of a northern railroad route corridor access to the vicinity of Wonder Lake.
00SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 25 01 Supporting enhancement of visitor access to Denali National Park and Preserve 02 through development of a northern railroad route corridor access to the vicinity 03 of Wonder Lake. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS a new northern railroad route will provide majestic views of Mt. 06 McKinley, the opportunity to enjoy a wilderness experience, and the chance to encounter 07 wildlife in its natural habitat, and would connect to the Alaska Railroad corridor; and 08 WHEREAS a new northern railroad access would enhance the Mt. McKinley 09 experience for visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve, promote tourism statewide 10 through greater visitor satisfaction, and provide a foundation for year-round visitation; and 11 WHEREAS insufficient transportation access to premier viewing areas in Denali 12 National Park and Preserve and the lack of facilities at these areas are major obstacles to 13 enhancing the wilderness experience that the park offers; and 14 WHEREAS a new northern railroad transportation system and visitor facilities can be
01 designed and constructed so as not to detract from the qualities that make Denali National 02 Park and Preserve the state's premier visitor attraction; and 03 WHEREAS the Wonder Lake area, located on the north side of Denali National Park 04 and Preserve, has a dry interior climate, long daylight hours, and splendid viewing 05 opportunities, and offers the potential to promote both summer and winter activities; and 06 WHEREAS creating a new northern railroad access into Denali National Park and 07 Preserve, taking advantage of a long-established and historic transportation route previously 08 used by the mining industry, would offer an opportunity for the private sector to meet the 09 increased demand for tourism facilities; and 10 WHEREAS, without making a substantial claim on the state's financial resources, the 11 state is uniquely able to assist in this effort to develop a new northern railroad route by 12 supporting the private sector efforts underway, by making available for use the state land 13 adjacent to Denali National Park and Preserve for the creation of a railroad route corridor, and 14 by monitoring negotiations that would encourage development opportunities involving the 15 private sector; 16 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly supports the efforts of 17 the federal and state governments and the private sector to complete the necessary studies and 18 acquire the necessary permits that would identify and open a new northern railroad route to 19 the vicinity of Wonder Lake and spur the appropriate development of visitor facilities in the 20 Wonder Lake area; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the 22 Governor and the state's executive branch agencies to be aggressive in their resolve to support 23 the consensus of Alaska opinion in supporting the creation of a new northern railroad access 24 into Denali National Park and Preserve, as represented by resolutions of endorsement from the 25 city councils of North Pole, Fairbanks, Nenana, and Seward, the Assembly of the Municipality 26 of Anchorage, and the Assemblies of the Denali, Fairbanks North Star, and Matanuska-Susitna 27 Boroughs, to enhance the Mt. McKinley experience for visitors and the creation of a rail 28 connection between the Wonder Lake area and the Alaska Railroad; and be it 29 FURTHER RESOLVED that appropriate state agencies should work with the National 30 Park Service and interested government officials and representatives of the private sector to 31 investigate the potential of establishing a new northern railroad route into the Wonder Lake
01 area of Denali National Park and Preserve, for the appropriate development of facilities in this 02 area that would serve the needs of park visitors. 03 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Bill Clinton, President of the 04 United States; the Honorable Al Gore, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and President 05 of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Strom Thurmond, President Pro Tempore of the U.S. 06 Senate; the Honorable Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and 07 Roger G. Kennedy, Director of the National Park Service; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens 08 and the Honorable Frank Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. 09 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.