Strengthening Our Communities
and Public Lands
Credit: Lee House
Stewarding Our Livelihoods
For many rural and Tribal communities in Southeast Alaska, access to safe and functional outdoor recreation and access infrastructure directly affects food security, cultural continuity, and overall quality of life. In Southeast Alaska’s high-cost, remote environment, these assets also play a critical role in supporting sustainable local economies by helping communities retain and attract working professionals, families, and small businesses.
Addressing a Community Need
Though our public lands are managed by public agencies, those agencies increasingly lack the resources to upkeep infrastructure. As a result, trails, cabins, boat launches, and other access points across the region are increasingly deteriorating.
Community members, Tribal partners, local governments, and recreation users throughout Southeast Alaska have consistently identified under-maintained infrastructure as a growing concern through ongoing conversations, collaborative planning efforts, and informal community outreach. As public land managers continue to face funding and staffing shortfalls, communities are increasingly being asked to shoulder responsibility for infrastructure maintenance without the resources needed to do so.
This project responds directly to those identified needs by developing new, community-driven funding mechanisms to support the long-term maintenance and development of outdoor recreation and access infrastructure. By doing so, the Tongass Stewardship Fund aims to strengthen community resilience, advance Tribal and rural priorities, and ensure continued access to the public lands that are foundational to life and livelihoods in Southeast Alaska.
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Credit: Alex Kelsey