A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management

Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

FINAL

September 2012
It is the mission of the Bureau of 

Land Management to sustain the 

health, diversity, and productivity 

of the public lands for the use and 

enjoyment of present and future 

generations.

Cover PHOTo:

“Sundog” along winter trail in the White Mountains 

National Recreation Area, BL

INSIDE COVER

Mountain biking along a winter trail. BLM
Bureau of Land Management

Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

A Drop-Down Plan to the 

Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

FINAL

September 2012
D A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

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A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan E

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 

21st Century Act 

As the final version of the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range 

Transportation Plan was completed, the two-year highway authorization, 

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), was signed 

into law. Effective October 1, 2012, MAP-21 incorporates the Bureau of Land 

Management into the Federal Lands Transportation Program. Discretionary 

funding programs available to the Bureau of Land Management and other 

Federal land management agencies under the previous Federal highway 

authorization also changed under MAP-21. For example, MAP-21 alters 

or eliminates programs, such as Public Lands Highway Discretionary 

Program, Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks, Transportation Enhancements, 

Recreational Trails Program, and National Scenic Byways, and creates the 

Federal Lands Access Program—a formula-based program that provides 

funding for transportation planning, construction, rehabilitation, and 

maintenance for facilities located on or providing access to Federal lands.

Despite changes in Federal highway authorization, the high-level goals, 

recommendations, and actions presented in this long range transportation 

plan remain relevant and complementary to the new law. The next version of 

the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan

will further document the connections between the region’s long-range goals, 

objectives, and actions in the context of highway authorization law in effect at 

that time.
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A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan I

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Table of Contents

Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

1. Introduction.

1.1	 Relationship to Other Plans. 

1.2	 Audience. 

1.2.1 BLM State Program Leads. 

1.2.2 BLM Managers. 

1.2.3 BLM National Program Leads. 

1.2.4 Potential Partners. 

1.3	 Mission, Vision, Goals, and Objectives. 

2. Existing Conditions. 

2.1	 Trails. .

2.2	 Roads. .

2.3	 Primitive Roads. .

2.4	 AirTravel  .

2.5	 Water Conveyance  .

2.6	 ANCSA Section 17(b) Easements. .

2.7	 Use and Visitation. .

3. Travel and Transportation Management. 

3.1	 Travel andTransportation Management Planning  .

3.1.1 Land Use Plan Decisions and Considerations. .

3.1.2 Delineating and Mapping Travel Management Areas. .

3.2	 Travel andTransportation Management Implementation Decisions  .

3.2.1 Resource Management Plan Concurrent Travel Management Planning. .

3.2.2 Deferred Travel Management Planning. .

3.2.3 Completing the Travel and Transportation Networks. .

3.2.4 Route Designation Limitations Relating to Wilderness Study Areas. .

3.2.5 Route Designation Limitations in Lands with Wilderness Characteristics Designated for 

Protection  .

3.3	 Route Selection Criteria  .

3.4	 Additional Considerations  .
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

4. Travel and Transportation Funding. .

4.1	 BLM SpecificTransportation Funding  .

4.2	 External Funding Sources. .

4.3	 Funding Gap Analysis. .

5. Long Range Transportation Plan Outreach. .

5.1	 LRTP Involvement  .

5.2	 BLM Planning Involvement  .

6. Action Plan. .

6.1	 Action Items. .

6.2	 Performance Measures. .

Appendix A: BLM-Alaska Travel and Transportation Management Planning Schedule

Appendix B: BLM Land Use Planning Relationship to Travel Management Planning 

Appendix C: BLM-Alaska Transportation Assets in the Facility Asset Management System 

Appendix D: ANCSA and ANILCA

Appendix E: Glossary of Terms

Appendix F: References
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

List of Figures

Figure 1	 BLM-Alaska Planning Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Figure 2 	 BLM-Alaska CurrentTransportation System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Figure 3	 Recreational Visits to BLM–Managed Public Lands (2001 to 2010). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Figure 4	 Funding Allocations Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3

Figure 5 	 BLM-AlaskaTransportation Funding Levels (2005 to 2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3

Figure 6	 BLM-Alaska Distribution ofTransportation Funds (2005 to 2010). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3

List of Tables

Table 1	 BLM Performance Measures Essential to LRTP Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  3
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A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan V

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Glossary of Terms

AK Alaska

ADOT&PF	 Alaska Department ofTransportation and Public Facilities

ANCSA	 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

ANILCA	 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

ATV All-Terrain Vehicle

BLM Bureau of Land Management

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FAMS	 Facility Asset Management System

FHWA	 Federal Highway Administration

FLMA	 Federal Land Management Agency

FY FiscalYear

LRTP	 Long RangeTransportation Plan

MPO Metropolitan Planning Organizations

NEPA	 National Environmental Policy Act

OHV Off-Highway Vehicle

PLD Public Lands Discretionary (Program)

RMP Resource Management Plan

R.S. Revised Statute

SAFETEA-LU	 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, EfficientTransportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

TBD To be Determined

TMA Travel Management Area

TMP Travel Management Plan

USC United States Code

WSA Wilderness Study Areas

WSR Wild and Scenic River
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A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 1

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Executive Summary

BLM LRTP Goals

System management: Develop a long-term 

transportation system to address current and future 

land management needs.

Improve public understanding: Improve and enhance 

public understanding of travel opportunities in Alaska.

Resource protection: Minimize resource damage 

through comprehensive travel management and 

transportation planning.

This Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-

Alaska long range transportation plan 

(LRTP) describes the agency’s process 

for transportation planning to ensure that 

BLM’s vision and missions are furthered 

through transportation projects over 

the next 20 years and beyond. This plan 

establishes long range transportation goals 

and objectives that embody the agency’s 

vision and mission and identifies the 

desired future conditions for a BLM-Alaska 

transportation system.

LRTP goal and objective statements are 

designed to capture the agency’s mission 

to, “sustain the health, diversity, and 

productivity of the public lands for 

the use and enjoyment of present 

and future generations.” These goals 

and objectives are used to identify 

transportation needs and actions that 

help align the BLM-Alaska transportation 

system with the agency’s overarching 

mission.

The plan uses baseline data to identify 

where transportation improvements or 

additional study is needed to achieve the 

goals and objectives of the LRTP. The 

LRTP presents a framework to track 

progress in achieving these identified 

needs in three ways. First, progress can 

be gauged over time by the degree to 

which BLM-Alaska achieves the desired 

future conditions described in this LRTP. 

Second, tracking accomplishments through 

national-level performance measures that 

parallel the goals of this LRTP also show 

progress over time. Third, progress made 

in accomplishing the action items described 

in Chapter 6 show movement towards 

meeting the ends embodied in this plan. 

The outcome is a process that assists BLM 

leadership to make informed decisions 

regarding the allocation of limited funds 

and resources. 

Benefits to BLM

This LRTP is written for BLM statewide 

program leads, district management, 

national-level program leads, and 

potential local and regional partners 

from governmental or non-governmental 

organizations. This plan is designed to 

support these different BLM audiences in 

the following several ways:

Statewide Program Leads

 Helps determine which projects are 

statewide priorities for BLM. 

 Offers a springboard for State program 

leads to partner with outside agencies 

and discuss statewide project needs of 

mutual interest.

 Coordinates statewide transportation 

planning with other regional 

transportation plans outside BLM areas.

BLM Managers

 Provides a process for managers to make 

regional transportation decisions.

 Enables regional coordinators to direct 

funding to the most beneficial and 

highest priority transportation projects.
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

 Enables managers to find alternative 

funding from Federal sources that are 

administered by States or metropolitan 

planning organizations (MPO). 

 Coordinates regional transportation 

planning with unit-level projects. 

National Program Leads

 Enables national BLM policy for travel 

and transportation management and 

planning programs through national long 

range transportation goals, objectives, 

and proposed transportation actions that 

further BLM’s national missions and 

goals.

 Helps communicate unmet mission 

critical transportation infrastructure and 

funding needs to congressional leaders.

 Communicates the unique multimodal 

access and transportation issues facing 

BLM-Alaska in supporting multiple 

resource users and drastic seasonal 

variations in transportation needs.

 Illustrates BLM’s foresight, need, and 

commitment to certain mission-critical 

goals, especially when projects are 

pursued jointly with other agencies or 

organizations, and additional Federal 

dollars are requested.

Potential Partners

 Identifies projects or initiatives of 

mutual interest. 

Asset Inventory

BLM-Alaska transportation assets, including roads, 

primitive roads and trails, are not fully inventoried. 

A formal documented BLM transportation network 

is needed for all levels of planning and would 

greatly improve the management of impacts 

through comprehensive travel and transportation 

management (TTM) and unit-level transportation 

management plans (TMP). Once a comprehensive 

route inventory is completed, a route selection 

process will be conducted. The selected routes will 

be included in a subsequent version of this BLMAlaska LRTP. Most existing roads and trails on BLM 

lands were created by users rather than BLM and 

are generally in poor or degraded condition, largely 

because they were not located or constructed 

with long-term sustainability in mind. The route 

inventory and route selection process is a proactive 

step toward maintaining the desired transportation 

network rather than relying on inherited roads 

and trails. A planned transportation network can 

effectively serve the public, minimize resource 

damage, and reduce long-term resource damage and 

maintenance costs.
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 3

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Findings

This LRTP documents key findings in 

the form of unmet transportation needs 

that pertain to achieving the plan’s long 

range goals. Based on these findings, the 

BLM-Alaska LRTP makes the following 

recommendations:

 Complete statewide route inventories on 

BLM-managed lands. 

 Complete route selections and document 

transportation assets in the BLM 

Facility Asset Management System 

(FAMS).

 Complete all resource management 

plans (RMP) and travel management 

plans (TMP) as scheduled in Appendix A 

of this BLM-Alaska LRTP. 

 Update this LRTP once route inventory 

and selection has been completed.

 Build upon partnering successes and 

continue to participate in joint FLMA 

transportation project coordination 

efforts.

 Further long-range transportation goals 

and objectives by focusing on projects 

and efforts described in Section 6.1, 

Action Items.

Plan Implementation

This plan outlines implementable 

actions that will help achieve long range 

transportation goals and objectives. 

This plan will be implemented over time 

as transportation projects and other 

efforts that further LRTP goals are 

completed. The LRTP expresses long 

range goals and objectives by describing 

the desired future conditions of the 

BLM-Alaska transportation system. 

Measureable steps that can be taken to 

achieve these conditions are described 

through performance measures. Other 

actions that help to achieve long range 

goals and objectives are provided as 

recommendations.

Alaska Federal Lands LRTP

In addition to being an LRTP for BLM-Alaska, this 

plan is a “drop-down plan” to the Alaska Federal 

Lands LRTP. As a drop-down plan, this document 

elaborates upon topics discussed in the Alaska Federal 

Lands LRTP with BLM-specific details including 

baseline conditions, transportation needs and gaps, 

route selection processes, funding opportunities, 

and recommended future actions. This information 

allows the BLM and Alaska Federal Lands LRTP

partner agencies to identify gaps in the statewide 

transportation system serving Federal public lands, 

to develop better interagency coordination, and to 

leverage funds to address high-level priorities of 

mutual interest.

Alaska

Federal

Lands

LRTP

NPS FS BLM FWS
Richardson-Highway,BL
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 5

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

1. Introduction

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

administers approximately 75 million 

surface acres of public land in Alaska1. 

Most of this land is remote and only 

accessible by means other than roads, 

such as trails, air, and water. Access to 

and across BLM-managed public lands is 

necessary for a wide range of uses, such 

as:

 Administrative uses (fire suppression, 

etc.)

 Permitted uses (rights-of-way, guides, 

etc.)

 Recreational activities

 Mineral and energy development

 Access to private inholdings and intervillage travel

 Access to traditional subsistence areas 

This long range transportation plan 

(LRTP) serves as BLM’s drop-down plan 

to the Alaska Federal Lands LRTP. As a 

drop-down plan, this document provides 

BLM-specific details regarding existing 

conditions, identified transportation 

deficiencies, and system needs. It also 

provides a summary of possible funding 

sources. This information will allow the 

other Federal land management agencies 

(FLMA) participating in the Alaska 

Federal Lands LRTP to identify gaps 

in the statewide transportation network 

serving Federal lands. The information 

will also help develop better interagency 

coordination in leveraging project funds 

and addressing high-level priorities.

The Alaska Federal Lands LRTP

was established because of Alaska’s 

unique reliance on a truly multimodal 

transportation system. More than 

anywhere else in the United States, 

Alaska depends on a combination of 

highway, trail, marine, river, and air 

1 This acreage will change as BLM conveys land 

to meet Statehood and ANCSA entitlements.

connections to meet its transportation 

needs. Unlike other regional or State 

LRTPs developed for Federal lands in 

the lower 48 States, this plan focuses on 

addressing planning issues related to 

interconnectivity of the various modes 

of travel and providing a unique and 

seamless experience across multiple land 

jurisdictions for local residents, out-ofstate visitors, administrative, commercial, 

and subsistence users.

This BLM-Alaska LRTP describes the 

agency’s process for transportation 

planning that is consistent with resource 

and travel management planning in 

the region, ensuring BLM’s vision 

and missions are furthered through 

transportation projects over the next 20 

The BLM is a multiple-use agency responsible for 

the management and conservation of resources on 

75 million surface acres, as well as 220 million acres 

of subsurface mineral estate in Alaska. Travel to and 

across BLM-managed public lands is important for 

recreation, subsistence, resource development, and 

other commercial activities. 

Bureau of Land Management-Alaska manages a wide 

variety of transportation features such as the Iditarod 

National Historic Trail, the White Mountains National 

Recreation Area trail and cabin system, National Wild 

and Scenic Rivers, inter-village travel in remote areas, 

and access for energy exploration and development in 

the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

Dog Sledding in the White Mountains National Recreation Area, BL
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Figure 1 

BLM-Alaska Planning Areas

Source: BLM-Alaska, 2011

years and beyond. This plan establishes 

a defensible process for transportation 

decision making, where transportation 

funding decisions are guided by 

established goals and objectives. The 

plan also assists in identifying needs 

for achieving desired future conditions 

and BLM-Alaska resource management 

objectives.

1.1 Relationship to Other Plans

This plan is designed to be consistent with 

other BLM plans. The BLM conducts the 

following levels of planning, all of which 

are considered part of this LRTP:

 Land use planning, resulting in 

resource management plans (RMP)

 Activity or implementation-level plans, 

such as travel management plans 

(TMP)

 Plan implementation, resulting in 

project plans

At the time of this plan’s publication, BLM 

recently completed several RMPs: Bay 

RMP, East Alaska RMP, Ring of Fire RMP, 

and Kobuk-Seward Peninsula RMP. The 

BLM also developed the Eastern Interior 

RMP and Northeast National Petroleum 

Reserve Integrated Activity Plan. These 

and other BLM-Alaska planning area 

boundaries are shown in Figure 1. 

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Russia

Canada

Alaska

A r c t i c O c e a n

B e a u f o r t

S e a

C h u k c h i

S e a

B e r i n g

S e a

G u l f o f A l a s k a

P a c i f i c O c e a n

Dawson

Haines Junction

Whitehorse

Tok

Nome

Eagle

Juneau

Haines

Barrow

Anchorage

Fairbanks

Dillingham

Glennallen

Prudhoe Bay

130°0'0"W 120°0'0"W

140°0'0"W

140°0'0"W

150°0'0"W

150°0'0"W

160°0'0"W

160°0'0"W

170°0'0"W

180°0'0" 170°0'0"W

170°0'0"E

65°0'0"N

65°0'0"N

60°0'0"N

60°0'0"N

55°0'0"N

55°0'0"N

BLM Planning Areas

Bay RMP

Ring of Fire RMP

Southwest MFP

Ft. Wainwright / Ft. Greely RMP

NPRA IAP

Utility Corridor RMP

Kobuk-Seward RMP

East Alaska RMP

Eastern Interior RMP

Central Yukon RMP

BLM Managed Lands not in a Planning Area

Not BLM Managed Lands

BLM Managed Lands in Alaska

Arctic Circle
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Travel and transportation management 

(TTM) planning is a comprehensive 

approach that addresses a wide range of 

transportation and access needs. Travel 

management planning helps identify and 

prioritize construction and maintenance 

of developed roads, primitive roads, and 

trails that provide access to and across 

public lands. It also considers route 

closures to protect sensitive resources and 

meet management concerns. While TMPs 

are developed for regional planning areas 

and specific travel management areas 

(TMA) (see Figure 1) delineated in RMPs, 

this LRTP is inclusive of all transportation 

facilities and access to lands managed 

by BLM throughout Alaska. The issues 

addressed in this LRTP are similar 

to those addressed in a TMP. Without 

creating redundancy, this LRTP is 

intended to develop a link between work 

completed in BLM-Alaska TMPs and the 

transportation planning efforts of the 

other FLMAs. See Appendix A for BLMAlaska’s travel management planning 

schedule. 

Resource Management Plan and TMP 

transportation and travel management 

decisions are made through project 

plans completed for specific on-theground actions. These plans will address 

exact route and facility locations and 

construction methods proposed to 

complete the projects identified in the 

RMPs and TMPs.

1.2 Audience

This LRTP is written for BLM program 

leads, managers, national-level decision 

makers, and potential local and regional 

partners from governmental or nongovernmental organizations. This plan is 

designed to support these audiences in 

several ways, as discussed in the following 

subsections.

1.2.1 BLM State Program Leads

Statewide program leads and managers 

use the LRTP to determine which projects 

are priorities for BLM throughout the 

State and in each district. The LRTP 

also serves as a springboard for program 

leads to partner with outside agencies 

and discuss project needs of mutual 

interest, such as sharing resources, safety 

concerns, alternative transportation 

systems, and addressing climate change 

with public and regional entities.

1.2.2 BLM Managers

At the district or regional level, this LRTP 

provides a process for BLM managers 

to make transportation decisions that 

are based on long-term vision, mission, 

and goals. The plan also enables BLM 

managers to direct funding to the 

most beneficial and highest priority 

transportation projects. Furthermore, 

the LRTP enables BLM managers to 

find alternative funding from Federal 

sources that are administered by States 

or metropolitan planning organizations 

(MPO). 

1.2.3 BLM National Program Leads

This LRTP supplements the development 

of national-level plans and programs by 

outlining long range transportation goals, 

objectives, and proposed transportation 

actions in Alaska, while also documenting 

the relevance of this long range vision in 

furthering BLM’s national missions and 

goals. This LRTP and other national-level 

planning efforts can help communicate 

unmet mission critical transportation 

needs to congressional leaders. This 

plan also helps communicate the unique 

access and transportation issues facing 

BLM-Alaska in support of the challenges 

presented by multiple uses and drastic 

seasonal variations in transportation needs 

and access. The LRTP also helps illustrate 

BLM’s foresight, need, and commitment 
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

to certain mission critical goals, especially 

when projects are being pursued jointly 

with other agencies or organizations, and 

additional Federal dollars are requested.

1.2.4 Potential Partners

This LRTP is used to coordinate 

transportation planning with unit-level 

plans and other regional and statewide 

plans outside BLM areas, such as MPO 

and borough regional transportation 

plans, and Alaska’s State transportation 

plan. Potential partners may use this 

LRTP to identify projects of mutual 

interest. The BLM recognizes the value of 

cooperative transportation partnerships, 

and seeks to leverage BLM funds with 

other Federal, State, and local agencies, as 

well as Congress, and user groups (such 

as, mining and energy, outfitters/guides, 

Tribal governments, hunter associations, 

off-highway vehicle [OHV] user groups, 

and environmental conservation groups). 

Potential partners include organizations 

such as Alaska Outdoor Council, Alaska 

State Snowmobile Association, Alaska 

Trails, Alaska Trappers Association, 

Iditarod National Historic Trail 

Incorporated, Iditarod Trail Committee, 

and the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation 

Assistance Program. The objective is to 

achieve the greatest benefit to the largest 

number of goals and objectives held by 

multiple agencies and organizations for 

shared projects.

1.3 Mission, Vision, Goals, and 

Objectives

The LRTP’s intent is to identify 

transportation needs and plan for them 

proactively in alignment with long range 

goals and objectives identified during the 

planning process. Goals and objectives 

are designed to capture agency missions 

and visions as well as the diverse aims 

of BLM’s multiple user groups that 

rely on the agency for access to public 

lands. Where available, baseline data 

(existing conditions in Chapter 2) are 

intended to identify where transportation 

improvements or new facilities are needed 

and inform decision making relative to 

the funding discussions in Chapter 4. 

The outcome is a process that will help 

BLM leadership make informed decisions 

regarding allocation of limited funds 

and resources. The vision for the travel 

management program in Alaska and 

this LRTP is to provide sustainable 

access to public lands for a variety 

of activities while sustaining the 

health, diversity, and productivity of 

these lands. The following long range 

transportation goals and objectives were 

developed for BLM-Alaska for this LRTP 

and respond to this vision statement.
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Goal 1. System Management: Develop a long-term transportation system to address 

current and future land management needs.

Objective 1. Travel and transportation planning: Provide a planned multimodal transportation system that 

meets the public land user’s needs.

 Complete OHV area designations of open, limited, or closed to motorized activities through 

the BLM land use planning process

 Complete route inventories and identify routes for public land access 

 Establish a statewide FLMA Workshop and Transportation Improvement Plan in consultation 

with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF)

 Identify opportunities to enhance intermodal connectivity to and across BLM-managed lands

 Seek early input and involvement from State and local government, stakeholders, and user 

groups, such as Native entities, the Citizens Advisory Commission on Federal Areas, and BLM 

Resource Advisory Councils, during the transportation planning process

Objective 2. Asset management: Document BLM-managed transportation system and allocate financial 

resources to essential transportation infrastructure.

 Document BLM-managed routes in the BLM Facility Asset Management System (FAMS)

 Maintain or improve high priority assets to a state of good condition 

 Develop a funding strategy to repair or replace linear transportation assets in poor or fair 

condition

Objective 3. User data: Collect and analyze user information to determine which user outcomes and 

expectations are most important and relevant to transportation access.

 Conduct unit-level visitor satisfaction surveys to collect consistent regional or statewide 

information (feedback materials or surveys can be provided or administered at portal or 

entrance kiosk locations, or on websites)

Goal 2. Improve public understanding: Improve and enhance public understanding of 

travel opportunities in Alaska.

Objective 1. Outreach and education: Provide travel and route information to improve visitor understanding of 

the transportation system and travel opportunities on BLM-managed public lands.

 Disseminate travel planning information to the visitors using a wide variety of methods, such 

as:

• Intelligent transportation systems such as 511, websites, or podcasts

• Maps and brochures

• Trailhead information displays

• Federal, State, and Native corporation offices, visitor centers, and Alaska Public Land 

Information Centers

 Provide route information at primary access locations, such as:

• Specific route information, limitations, and allowable uses

• Recognizable agency symbols and logos 

• Inform visitors about access between Federal lands and visitation opportunities
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Objective 2. Safety: Improve safety for users traveling in BLM lands.

 Encourage users to stay on existing or designated routes and trails

 Improve winter trail travel safety, such as installing reflective trail marking where it is easy 

for users to become lost in blizzard conditions

 Conduct condition surveys of routes to identify transportation issues that need to be 

improved (such as, safety, trail marking, brushing, and route improvements)

 Work with law enforcement staff to develop an effective plan that identifies high-use periods 

and common problems with the corresponding patrol schedule to promote safety awareness 

and compliance with travel regulations

Goal 3. Resource Protection: Minimize resource damage through comprehensive TTM 

planning.

Objective 1. Planning at an appropriate ecosystem scale: Consider indirect effects of transportation systems 

on ecosystems within or including BLM lands.

 Use land use planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes to identify 

sensitive resources and develop travel and transportation management strategies to reduce 

or mitigate resource damage

 Use best practices during transportation construction and maintenance activities to avoid, 

minimize, or mitigate transportation related impacts

Objective 2. Law enforcement: Comply and enforce regulations.

 Develop appropriate travel and transportation regulations to achieve RMP and LRTP goals 

and objectives

 Develop a regional law enforcement plan to provide field presence and enforcement

Objective 3. Monitoring: Assess current resource conditions and monitor status of resources.

 Develop monitoring strategies to assess if RMP and LRTP goals and objectives are being 

achieved

 Develop monitoring strategies and plans to document new user-created roads and trails

 Develop monitoring plans and early detection and rapid response protocols for invasive and 

non-native species that appear along the transportation systems
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 11

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

The existing conditions analysis considers 

the role of different transportation 

modes in moving people and goods to and 

through Alaska’s BLM lands. Existing 

conditions serve as the starting point 

for decision making. Where conditions 

are documented, they are compared 

against long range transportation goals 

in an effort to identify actions (such as 

projects) that could bring BLM-Alaska’s 

transportation facilities in-line with these 

goals.

Existing conditions reflect the current 

state of BLM’s transportation network. 

Conclusions expressed in this section 

are based on the best available data 

at this time. It is recognized in BLM 

planning documents, such as the Alaska 

Travel Management Guide (2009), that 

BLM transportation assets, including 

primitive roads and trails, are not fully 

inventoried. A formally documented BLM 

transportation network is needed for 

all levels of planning and would greatly 

improve the management of impacts 

through comprehensive TTM and unit 

level TMPs.

Nevertheless, BLM-Alaska has 

inventoried 46.3 miles (92.6 lane miles) of 

roads and 1,571.2 miles of trails. These 

linear features are documented in BLMAlaska’s FAMS and are therefore eligible 

for BLM maintenance funds (discussed in 

Chapter 4). Condition ratings and other 

attributes for these linear features are in 

Appendix C.

Once a comprehensive regional route 

inventory is completed for an RMP, a 

route selection process is conducted. 

The selection process documented in the 

Alaska Travel Management Guide and 

discussed in Section 3.3 will be used at the 

TMP level to select routes to be managed 

and maintained by BLM and identify 

routes to be closed. The selected routes 

will be included in a subsequent version of 

this LRTP. 

Most existing roads and trails on BLM 

lands were created by users rather 

than BLM and are generally in poor or 

degraded condition, largely because they 

were not located or constructed for longterm sustainability. 

Because this LRTP was published before 

the completion of route inventories 

and selections, the existing conditions 

information relies on best available data 

from BLM and other sources. These data 

and their relevance to the BLM existing 

conditions in Alaska are discussed in the 

following sections.

2.1 Trails

Most of BLM’s Alaska transportation 

network is composed of summer and 

winter trails. There are currently 1,571.2 

miles of BLM maintained trails listed 

in FAMS. This includes those portions 

of the Iditarod National Historic Trail 

that cross BLM-managed lands. BLM, 

however, is the administrating agency and 

the primary point of contact for matters 

involving the entire Iditarod National 

Historic Trail, which crosses BLM, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Alaska, 

Tribal, and privately owned lands. BLM 

coordinates with the various land owners 

and managers to cooperatively manage 

the designated trail routes. Digitized 

U.S. Geological Survey quadrangles 

show hundreds of miles of trails on BLMmanaged lands, although most of those 

routes not been verified and may no 

longer exist on the ground. Trail inventory 

and documentation, however, is not 

comprehensive and it is widely accepted 

that there are unknown miles of additional 

undocumented trails. Figure 2 shows 

the current BLM-Alaska transportation 

system. 

Not only are trails the predominant 

transportation network within BLM lands, 

they are of great importance to various 

user groups for recreation, subsistence, 

2. Existing Conditions
12 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

permitted commerce, and daily travel. 

For some remote communities, winter 

trails are the primary means of accessing 

neighboring communities, and the 

transportation of goods and services 

where no constructed roads exist. 

For these communities, winter trails 

are not recreational, but the primary 

means of overland transportation and 

commerce. Trails are also significant 

travel resources for participating 

in subsistence related activities by 

connecting villages to remote reaches 

of BLM lands. Trails support numerous 

modes of travel, which are influenced by 

seasonal conditions. Trails support travel 

by OHVs, hiking, horses, and bikes in 

the summer, and snowmobiles, dogsleds, 

and cross-country skiing in the winter. 

Exceptions in seasonal use and travel 

mode are exceedingly common due to 

accommodating regional climates and 

travel purpose (such as recreational use of 

bikes during the winter). 

Winter travel in rural Alaska means 

extreme cold temperatures with short 

days and low-light conditions. Winter 

trails need to be well marked with 

reflective markers and tripods across open 

areas to prevent travelers from getting 

lost. On some trails, small cabins have 

been constructed to provide winter safety 

shelters for travelers during bad storms 

or case of snowmobile breakdowns. 

Most trails started as winter routes 

that developed over time into summer 

motorized routes; however, many 

winter trails cross wetlands that are not 

suitable for summer travel. In northern 

Alaska, the permafrost soils are very 

susceptible to damage once the organic 

mat is broken and exposed to warmer 

surface temperatures that result in 

thermokarsting (melting frozen soil) and 

gully formation that prevent use of the 

trail. As a result, BLM will identify a 

multimodal trail system that can be used 

for both summer and winter activities. 

Iditarod Trail and winter trail markers, BLM
13

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Figure 2 

BLM-Alaska Current Transportation System

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Russia

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Alaska

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Arctic Circle

Yukon River

Dawson

Haines Junction

Whitehorse

Tok

Nome

Eagle

Juneau

Haines

Barrow

Anchorage

Fairbanks

Dillingham

Glennallen

Prudhoe Bay

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BLM - AlaskaTransportation System

BLM Transportation System

BLM Managed Road

BLM Managed Trail

Iditarod Histroic Trail

BLM Managed Lands

Non BLM Transportaion System

Other Roads & Highways

 ̄1:6,000,000
14

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

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A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 15

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Bureau of Land Management-Alaska’s 

principal trail systems include the 

following trails:

 The Campbell Tract is a 730 acre 

administrative facility in Anchorage, 

Alaska with 12 miles of hiking, running, 

biking, horse riding, skiing, and dog 

sledding trails. It also includes the 

Iditarod Dog Sled Race start and the 

Campbell Loop National Recreation 

Trail. 

 The Iditarod National Historic Trail is 

a inter-village winter trail system that 

connects Seward to Nome, Alaska. The 

Iditarod Trail system totals over 2,300 

miles, of which, 417 miles cross BLMmanaged lands. 

 The one-million acre White Mountains 

National Recreation Area has over 250 

miles of summer and winter multipleuse trails that connect 12 public-use 

cabins.

 The Pinnell Mountain National 

Recreation Trail is a 27.3 mile hiking 

trail with two trail shelter cabins 

overlooking the Steese National 

Conservation Area.

 Numerous summer and winter trails 

along the Denali, Elliott, Richardson, 

Steese, and Taylor highways.

2.2 Roads

The BLM manages 46.3 miles of roads 

in Alaska. These maintained roads 

are primarily gravel surfaced and 

provide access for highway vehicles. 

These managed roads provide access 

to administrative and recreation sites, 

such as BLM offices, visitor centers, 

campgrounds, river access, and other 

public lands. Some roads are maintained 

only in the summer. Most BLM roads are 

used by the public, although they are all 

considered to be administrative roads and 

managed differently from public roads. 

While nationally BLM is considering 

becoming a “public road” agency, not 

every BLM road will become a public 

road and be maintained at public road 

standards. 

2.3 Primitive Roads

There are many miles of authorized and 

user created primitive roads throughout 

BLM-Alaska lands. These primitive 

roads are primarily native surface and 

passable only with four-wheel drive, high 

clearance vehicles. Most primitive roads 

provide access to communication sites, 

mining operations, forestry operations, 

oil and gas production and utility, or other 

public lands uses. Some of these roads 

are maintained in the summer only while 

others are intended strictly for winter 

use. Most undocumented roads, however, 

are used for recreation, subsistence, and 

general travel through and to BLMmanaged lands.

2.4 Air Travel

Air travel plays a major role for travel to 

and within Alaska. Many residents and 

most of the out-of-state visitors use the 

commercial airports as hubs to begin their 

travel by car, bus, train, boat and air-taxi 

to remote communities and public lands. 

Commercial airlines provide scheduled 

transportation for passengers, mail and 

cargo, as well as emergency medical 

transport from the rural communities 

with airports. Small planes and airtaxi operators provide access to the 

most remote areas and unimproved 

“backcountry” airstrips for recreation, 

work, subsistence, and access to private 

inholdings.

Nome Creek Road, BL
16 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Aircraft are commonly used to access 

BLM-managed public lands and 

remote sites in Alaska. This includes 

administrative and leased airfields, 

village airport leases, permitted 

airstrips for mining and energy access, 

and unimproved remote back country 

landing strips. Many of these facilities 

are in uncontrolled airspace. Use of these 

facilities range from occasional to frequent 

daily use and serves as an important 

gateway for dispersed access to remote 

areas. While not maintained, there are 

many undocumented “backcountry” 

landing strips that are used for accessing 

remote areas for various reasons; however, 

they are not formally documented or 

located geographically for the purposes of 

this LRTP. 

2.5 Water Conveyance

Alaska coastal and inland waterways 

are considered year-round travel 

corridors. Residents and visitors use 

the Alaska Marine Highway System for 

travel to remote coastal communities 

and destinations. River boating is more 

than recreational; it is a vital means of 

travel between villages and for access 

to allotments, subsistence camps and 

resources. Small watercraft are frequently 

used to access public lands that border 

oceans or rivers. Such access does not 

require the use of formal harbors or ports 

and is a popular mode of travel for remote 

recreational access to/within BLM lands. 

Inland waterways are therefore important 

corridors for water based travel. In winter, 

river corridors are used by snowmobiles 

and dogsleds to travel between village 

communities for such routine purposes 

as visiting relatives or basketball games 

between schools. Coastal ports and 

waterways are also used for shipping 

goods, with many remote communities 

receiving barge shipments at least once or 

twice during the summer months. 

The BLM manages six designated national 

wild and scenic rivers (WSR) in Alaska 

totaling over 950 river miles. These 

popular rivers are used for recreation, 

hunting, fishing, and subsistence activities. 

The BLM-managed WSRs are:

 Beaver Creek National Wild River – 

110 miles

 Birch Creek National Wild River – 126 

miles

 Fortymile National WSR system – 392 

miles

 Delta National WSR – 62 miles

 Gulkana National Wild River – 181 

miles

 Unalakleet National Wild River – 80 

miles

By a significant margin, Alaska’s 5,497 

miles2

 of inland waterways are the 

greatest in the country; the national State 

average for inland waterways is 740 miles. 

Approximately 690 miles of major rivers3

intersect BLM lands. The most notable 

rivers are:

 Colville River, 305 miles adjacent to 

BLM lands

 Kuskokwim River, 120 miles adjacent to 

BLM lands

2 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, www.bts.gov/

publications/state_transportation_statistics/

oklahoma/html/table_01_13

3 “Major river” as defined by Rand McNally 

New International Atlas; The Times Atlas 

of the World; Digital Chart of the World 

and distributed by Environmental Systems 

Research Institute (ESRI).

Gravel Bar Airstrip, BLM
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 17

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

 Koyukuk River, 110 miles adjacent to 

BLM lands

 Yukon River, 90 miles adjacent to BLM 

lands

 Susitna River, 65 miles adjacent to 

BLM lands

Many of the waterways mentioned in 

this LRTP are State owed. Under the 

Submerged Lands Act of 1953 and the 

Alaska Statehood Act, the State of Alaska 

received title to unreserved beds of 

navigable waters at the time of statehood. 

Navigable waters are those waters used, 

or susceptible to use, for travel, trade, 

and commerce at the time of statehood 

(1959). BLM may make administrative 

determinations in order to identify public 

lands. Until such time a determination 

is made, the BLM presumes federal 

ownership of submerged lands.

2.6 ANCSA Section 17(b) Easements

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 

(ANCSA) section 17(b) easements are 

rights reserved by the United States for 

travel across Native lands to access public 

lands. These easements may be reserved 

for corridors to and from communities, 

airports, docks, and marine coastline. 

Rights are reserved when BLM conveys 

or transfers land ownership of land to a 

Native corporation under ANCSA, United 

States Code §1616(b), and 43 Code of 

Federal Regulation (CFR) §2650.4-7.

Section 17(b) easements are reserved to 

allow the public to cross Native lands to 

access public lands and major waterways. 

Although the public may travel across 

easements, other uses are considered 

trespassing. Hunting, fishing, berry 

picking, or trapping on, or from an 

easement is prohibited unless a permit 

from the landowner is obtained.

The uses allowed on a section 17(b) 

easement are limited and are described 

in the conveyance document issued to a 

Native corporation. Any use other than 

what is described in the conveyance 

document is not authorized. An easement 

may also be limited to seasonal use. 

Common allowable uses for most section 

17(b) easements are:

 25-foot trail. The uses allowed on 

a 25-foot-wide trail easement are 

travel by foot, dogsleds, animals, 

snowmobiles, two- and three-wheeled 

OHVs, and small all-terrain vehicles 

(ATV) (less than 3,000 pounds gross 

vehicle weight).

 50-foot trail. The uses allowed on a 

50-foot-wide trail easement are those 

allowed for a 25-foot trail plus large 

ATVs (more than 3,000 pounds gross 

vehicle weight), tracked vehicles, and 

four-wheel-drive vehicles.

 60-foot road. The uses allowed on a 

60-foot-wide road easement are those 

allowed for 25- and 50-foot trails plus 

automobiles and trucks.

 1-acre site. The uses allowed on a site 

easement are vehicle parking (such as 

aircraft, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, 

automobiles, and trucks), temporary 

camping, and loading or unloading. 

Temporary camping and loading or 

unloading uses are limited to 24 hours. 

In some situations a site easement may 

be reserved as an aircraft landing strip.

Section 17(b) easement and trail marker, BLM
18 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

2.7 Use and Visitation

Recreational visitation to BLM-managed 

public lands in Alaska fluctuates annually, 

as illustrated in Figure 3. Most visitation 

occurs along highways and other 

roads. Organized bus and commercial 

guides provide road tours to preferred 

destinations such as the BLM Yukon River 

and Arctic Circle waysides on the Dalton 

Highway and other BLM waysides along 

the Taylor and Denali highways. Most 

tour operators and independent road 

travelers desire some form of roadside 

amenities such as waysides, comfort 

stations, campgrounds, visitor centers, 

and trailheads. Such facilities enrich the 

travel experience, provide opportunities 

for information and interpretation, and 

encourage stewardship of public lands. 

Visitors seeking a more remote experience 

sometimes fly to remote villages for 

guided or outfitted river floats, hunting, 

or camping trips. Trails offer recreational 

opportunities for hiking, backpacking, 

horse riding, ATV riding, and mountain 

biking of off the road network. Interest 

in recreational winter travel such as 

skiing, dog sledding, and snowmobiling 

is increasing due to development of 

maintained snow trails and publicuse cabins such as those in the White 

Mountains National Recreation Area and 

along the Iditarod National Historic Trail 

during the past 25 years. International 

visitation during the winter to view the 

aurora borealis (northern lights) is also 

increasing. 

Analysis was performed on behalf of this 

and the Alaska Federal Lands LRTP 

to identify trends in visitation that may 

impact how and in what levels FLMAs 

are accessed. The results of this analysis 

are documented in the Visitation Trends 

Technical Report in Appendix A of the 

Alaska Federal Lands LRTP. In general, 

the report concludes that out-of-state 

visits to Alaska are likely to increase over 

the next 20 years. Visitation is expected 

to increase most in FLMA units that are 

either directly accessed by cruise ships 

or are secondary stops for visitors who 

enter the state through cruise ship ports 

or airports. Such units are generally those 

that are adjacent to cities with access to 

roads and accommodate tour busses and 

automobiles.

1,200,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0

Number of Visitor a Day

Figure 3 

Recreational Visits to BLM–Managed Public Lands (2001 to 2010)
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 19

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

The BLM TTM planning process is a 

comprehensive approach to on-the-ground 

management and administration of travel 

and transportation networks of roads, 

primitive roads, trails, and areas. Travel 

management consists of implementing 

transportation planning decisions, route 

inventory and mapping, signing area 

and route designations, education and 

interpretation, law enforcement, easement 

acquisition, monitoring activities, and 

other measures necessary for providing 

access to and across BLM-managed public 

lands. This process considers a wide 

variety of uses (including recreational, 

traditional, authorized, commercial, 

educational, and other travel and 

transportation purposes), as well as all 

forms of motorized and non-motorized 

access or use, such as foot, animal-assisted 

travel, mountain bike, OHV, and other 

forms of transportation. This chapter 

describes the BLM’s processes for TTM 

planning. 

3.1 Travel and Transportation 

Management Planning

Travel and Transportation Management 

planning requires an interdisciplinary 

approach that considers and addresses 

all resource and administrative access 

needs. This approach considers impacts 

of travel and transportation alternatives 

on other resources and uses as well as 

the impact of managing other resources 

and uses on TTM. These resources 

include, but are not limited to, recreation, 

soil, vegetation, water, hydrology, air, 

wildlife, wildlife habitat, threatened and 

endangered species, lands with wilderness 

characteristics, paleontological resources, 

and cultural resources. Interdisciplinary 

teams involved in TTM planning have the 

knowledge and expertise to adequately 

assess travel and transportation 

requirements and impacts in relationship 

to the management and protection of these 

resources. The TTM planning process is 

incorporated into the development of all 

RMPs to ensure access needs are balanced 

with resource management goals and 

objectives. 

Whereas a comprehensive 

interdisciplinary approach to TTM 

incorporates the concerns and needs 

of multiple programs, the recreation 

program has a specific need to recognize 

and manage motorized recreational use of 

OHVs and non-motorized travel, such as 

foot, equestrian, and others. The planning 

process considers and addresses the full 

range of all travel modes on public lands, 

not only motorized access needs. An 

understanding of the regional supply and 

demand of recreational opportunities and 

access needs considered in designation of 

road, primitive road, and trail systems as 

well as areas for specific recreation and 

other uses. 

3.1.1 Land Use Plan Decisions and 

Considerations

The following decisions are required under 

the land use planning process pursuant to 

the regulations found in 43 CFR §1600. 

Designation of OHV Management Areas

All public lands are required to have OHV 

area designations (see 43 CFR §8342.1). 

Areas must be designated as open, limited, 

or closed to motorized travel activities. 

Open, limited, and closed areas are 

defined in 43 CFR §8340.0-5, (f), (g), and 

(h), respectively. The following criteria 

for open, limited, and closed OHV area 

designations are established in 43 CFR 

§8342.1:

 Open areas. Existing laws, 

proclamations, regulations, or 

Executive Orders may limit the use of 

the open area designation or impose 

additional requirements relating to 

travel and transportation planning and 

3. Travel and Transportation Management
20 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

management in specific circumstances. 

Technological advances in OHVs and 

the volume of motorized recreation 

on public lands have required a shift 

in policy where the designation or 

retention of large areas open to 

unregulated cross-country travel is no 

longer a viable management strategy. 

Open areas will be limited to a size 

that can be effectively managed and 

geographically identifiable to provide 

quality OHV opportunities for users. 

Expansive open areas allowing crosscountry travel without a corresponding 

and identified user need or demand are 

not designated in RMPs. 

 Limited areas. At a minimum, a limited 

area has specific road, primitive 

road, and trail designations (limited 

to designated routes). Consideration 

is given to a range of alternatives 

pursuant to NEPA and to a range 

of route specific limitations. These 

specific road, primitive road, and 

trail designations are determined 

as part of an implementation level 

decision-making process. More than 

one limitation may apply beyond the 

specific road, primitive road, and 

trail designations, including travel 

routes that are limited to specific 

types or modes of travel, such as foot, 

equestrian, bike, and motorized; limited 

to time or season of use; limited to 

certain types of vehicles (street legal 

vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs, oversnow vehicles, and/or high clearance 

vehicles); limited to authorized or 

permitted vehicles or users; limited 

to BLM administrative use; or other 

types of limitations (such as, hunting 

access, game retrieval, and pull-out 

camping). These decisions also provide 

specific guidance about the process 

for managing motorized vehicle 

access for authorized, permitted, or 

otherwise approved vehicles for those 

specific categories of motorized vehicle 

uses that are exempt from a limited 

designation (see 43 CFR §8340.0-5[a]

[1-5]). 

If the specific road, primitive road, and 

trail designation process is conducted 

after a RMP is completed, then the use 

of existing roads, primitive roads, and 

trails is allowed on an interim basis. 

In such a situation, the RMP clearly 

identifies the process leading from 

the interim designation of “limited 

to existing roads, primitive roads, 

and trails” to the development of a 

designated network of roads, primitive 

roads, and trails. The RMP states 

that the designation will change from 

“limited to existing roads, primitive 

roads, and trails” to “limited to 

designated roads, primitive roads, and 

trails” upon the completion of a TMP.

 Closed areas. Motorized vehicle travel 

is prohibited in closed areas. Access 

by means other than motorized vehicle 

is permitted. Areas are designated 

closed if the absence of all vehicular 

use is necessary to protect resources, 

promote visitor safety, or reduce use 

conflicts. Except as otherwise provided 

by law, congressionally designated 

wilderness areas are statutorily 

closed to motorized and mechanized 

use. Routes and modes of travel4 in 

these areas need to be identified by 

BLM. BLM does not have designated 

wilderness areas in Alaska.

RMPs also include a map of OHV area 

designations. OHV management is a 

decision-making process that is thoroughly 

documented in the administrative record. 

Particular attention is paid to documenting 

how the designation criteria in 43 CFR 

§8342.1 were considered in making OHV 

area designation decisions. The OHV 

area designations for wilderness study 

areas (WSA) comply with the Interim 

Management Policy and Guidelines 

for Lands Under Wilderness Review 

H-8550‐1

4 ANILCA provisions allow snowmobile, 

motorboat, and airplane use in wilderness and 

wilderness study areas in Alaska.
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 21

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Presidential and Congressional Designations

TMPs must be completed for all national 

monuments and congressionally 

designated national conservation areas, 

national recreation areas, cooperative 

management and protection areas, 

outstanding natural areas, and forest 

reserves (in accordance with the 

establishing statute or Presidential 

Proclamation). 

TMPs reference, incorporate, or are 

amended with provisions for the following 

special designations: 

 National monument or national 

conservation area plans required by 

Presidential Proclamation or the act of 

Congress that establishes each national 

monument or national conservation 

area.

 National scenic and historic trails 

comprehensive management plans 

required by the National Trails System 

Act. Refer to the National Scenic and 

Historic Trails Manual and Handbook 

Series for supplemental guidance. 

 National wild and scenic rivers 

comprehensive river management plans 

required by the Wild and Scenic Rivers 

Act. Refer to the Wild and Scenic 

Rivers Manual and Handbook Series

for supplemental guidance.

 Wilderness management plans (nonmotorized and non-mechanized trails 

only5 required by the Wilderness Act. 

Refer to the Wilderness Manual and 

Handbook Series for supplemental 

guidance. BLM does not have any 

designated wilderness areas in Alaska.

Administrative Designations

Management of existing and proposed 

scenic or backcountry byways, national 

recreation trails, national historic 

landmarks, Wild Lands, and other similar 

designations are addressed in RMPs. 

These administrative designations must 

5 ANILCA provisions allow snowmobile, 

motorboat and airplane use in wilderness and 

wilderness study areas in Alaska.

be consistent with the goals and objectives 

for the planning area.

Water and Air

RMPs address access across BLMmanaged lands to Federal- and Stateowned waters and for aircraft landings 

on land and water. As is the case in 

Alaska, recreational backcountry airstrips 

can be an integral part of a balanced 

and efficient transportation system. 

Backcountry airstrip designations need to 

be consistent with the goals and objectives 

for the planning area and applicable FAA 

regulations. 

Authorized and Permitted Uses

Authorizations or permits that include 

motorized vehicle activities address the 

use of motorized vehicles as part of the 

authorization or permit. Authorized 

motorized vehicle activities require 

NEPA analysis and other environmental 

compliance actions and are compatible 

with RMP goals. Authorized and 

permitted uses may include use 

stipulations and limitations, such as 

limitations on travel over land, water, 

snow, and for aircraft landing. Any 

motorized vehicle use associated with an 

application for an authorization or permit 

is subject to the regulations and policies 

related to the particular application 

process. The intent is not to define 

travel-related casual use for any specific 

program. 

Remote Ridgeline Airstrip, B
22 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Accessibility

Under section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973, no person with a disability 

can be denied participation in a Federal 

program that is available to all other 

people solely because of his or her 

disability. Wheelchair and mobility 

devices, including those that are batterypowered, that are designed solely for use 

by a mobility-impaired person and that are 

suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian 

area are allowed in all areas open to foot 

travel. There is no legal requirement 

to allow people with disabilities to use 

motor vehicles on roads, primitive roads, 

or trails and in areas that are closed to 

motor vehicle use. Restrictions on motor 

vehicle use that are applied consistently 

to everyone are not discriminatory. 

Generally, granting an exemption from 

designations for people with disabilities 

would not be consistent with the 

management objectives of the planning 

area.

Temporary Closures and Restrictions

The purpose of a temporary closure and 

restriction is to protect public health and 

safety (43 CFR §8364.1), or prevent undue 

or unnecessary resource degradation 

due to unforeseen circumstances. RMPs 

and TMPs address temporary closures 

and restrictions of areas, roads, primitive 

roads, and trails. The requirement 

thresholds for issuing temporary closures 

and restrictions vary by program. 

For example, in instances where OHV 

activities are causing considerable adverse 

effects to resources, temporary closures 

are implemented under the authority of 

43 CFR §8341.2. For RMPs and TMPs in 

these cases, the following applies: 

Where off-highway vehicles are 

causing or will cause considerable 

adverse effects upon soil, vegetation, 

wildlife, wildlife habitat, cultural 

resources, historical resources, 

threatened or endangered 

species, wilderness suitability, 

other authorized uses, or other 

resources, the affected areas shall be 

immediately closed to the type(s) of 

vehicle causing the adverse effect until 

the adverse effects are eliminated and 

measures implemented to prevent 

recurrence. 

The RMPs and TMPs define the 

thresholds in which OHV related 

temporary closures and restrictions would 

take place. The RMPs and TMPs also 

consider impacts associated with such 

temporary closures and restrictions as 

part of environmental impact analyses. By 

describing and analyzing the criteria and 

action-related impacts for OHV-related 

temporary closures and restrictions, 

future temporary closures and restrictions 

exercised may not require further NEPA 

analysis. Actions taken to correct adverse 

effects from OHVs, such as rehabilitation, 

typically require additional NEPA 

analysis. 

In cases where RMPs and/or TMPs 

do not address temporary closures 

and restrictions as described above, 

appropriate NEPA analysis is required 

before implementing the temporary 

closure or restriction.

Revised Statute 2477 Assertions

The State of Alaska has identified 

hundreds of miles of historic routes 

across BLM-managed lands under the 

Revised Statute (R.S.) 2477, including 

Dalton Highway Wayside, BLM
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 23

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

those identified in R.S. 19.30.400. Many 

of these routes are still in use today. 

Through its Resource Management and 

Travel Management level plans, BLM 

may identify and adopt an existing route, 

an R.S. 2477 route or otherwise, as a 

transportation feature to be maintained by 

BLM for public use. The validity of any 

R.S. 2477 claims will be addressed outside 

of the planning process. 

As part of national policy, all RMPs 

and TMPs must include the following 

minimum statement with regard to R.S. 

2477 assertions: 

A travel management plan is not 

intended to provide evidence bearing 

on or addressing the validity of any 

R.S. 2477 assertions. R.S. 2477 rights 

are determined through a process that 

is entirely independent of the BLM’s 

planning process. Consequently, 

travel management planning should 

not take into consideration R.S. 

2477 assertions or evidence. Travel 

management planning should 

be founded on an independently 

determined purpose and need that is 

based on resource uses and associated 

access to public lands and waters. At 

such time as a decision is made on 

R.S. 2477 assertions, the BLM will 

adjust its travel routes accordingly.

3.1.2 Delineating and Mapping Travel 

Management Areas

An RMP may consider establishing and 

mapping TMAs. Travel Management 

Areas are a planning and management 

tool that may be used to address areaspecific travel issues. The TMAs may 

be used to identify where unique travel 

management circumstances require a 

particular focus, specific management 

prescriptions, or additional analysis. 

Travel Management Areas can also be 

used to separate specific areas from the 

larger planning area for a variety of 

reasons, such as the area’s complexity or 

level of controversy, the need for a higherlevel of public involvement, consideration 

of special resource characteristics, or 

manageability of the area. All TMAs are 

required to have OHV area designations 

completed as a land use planning decision 

in the RMP. 

It may be necessary to defer specific 

road, primitive road, and trail designation 

decisions in some TMAs and address them 

at a later date. This deferral allows field 

offices to move forward and make road, 

primitive road, and trail designations for 

the transportation system in other parts of 

the planning area. 

3.2 Travel and Transportation 

Management Implementation 

Decisions 

A defined travel and transportation 

network (system of roads, primitive 

roads, and trails) is one that is delineated 

concurrently with the development of a 

land use plan, to the extent practicable 

(including a reasonable range of 

alternatives). When it is not practical 

to delineate a travel and transportation 

network through the development of 

a TMP during the land use planning 

process, a map of the known network of 

transportation linear features is developed 

and made available to the public and 

a process established to designate a 

final travel and transportation network 

within five years. Possible reasons for 

deferring the development of a TMP 

include size or complexity of an area, 

controversy, or incomplete data. Travel 

management planning is either completed 

concurrently with the RMP or deferred to 

an implementation plan. 

The decision-making process is thoroughly 

documented in the administrative 

record. Particular attention is paid to 

documentation of how the designation 

criteria in 43 CFR §8342.1 are considered 

in making individual road, primitive road, 

and trail designation decisions. 

See Appendix B for a diagram of the 

relationship between the BLM land use 

planning and the TMP planning processes. 
24 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

In Alaska, the BLM may not have 

discretionary authority to restrict 

snowmobile use to designated routes for 

subsistence and traditional activities. 

3.2.1 Resource Management Plan 

Concurrent Travel Management 

Planning

When a TMP is completed within 

the RMP, the TMP is dealt with as 

an implementation action with the 

appropriate level of NEPA analysis 

and other environmental compliance 

requirements. In the implementation 

portion of the RMP, a process is 

established to select specific roads, 

primitive roads, and trails that will be 

available for public and administrative use 

and specify limitations placed on use. The 

following travel management process is 

outlined in RMPs. Required products of 

the travel management planning process 

include: 

 Criteria to select or reject specific 

transportation linear features in the 

final travel management network; to 

add new roads, primitive roads, or 

trails; and to specify limitations. The 

criteria includes those factors identified 

in 43 CFR §8342.1. 

 A map of roads, primitive roads, and 

trails for all travel modes and uses, 

including motorized, non-motorized, 

and mechanized travel. 

 Definitions and additional limitations 

for specific roads, primitive roads, and 

trails.

 Guidelines for managing and 

maintaining the system, including 

developing route-specific road, 

primitive road, and trail management 

objectives; a sign plan; education/public 

information plan; enforcement plan; 

and a process requiring the application 

of engineering best management 

practices. 

 Indicators to guide future plan 

maintenance, amendments, or revisions 

related to the travel management 

network.

 Needed easements and rights-of-way 

(to be issued to BLM or others) to 

maintain the existing road, primitive 

road, and trail network providing public 

land access.

 Provisions for new route construction 

or adaptation/relocation of existing 

routes.

 A plan for decommissioning and 

rehabilitating closed or unauthorized 

routes.

 A monitoring plan.

 Classification of all roads, primitive 

roads, and trails designated for travel 

in a TMP and as assets in the FAMS. 

All roads, primitive roads, and trails 

must also be identified as such in the 

Ground Transportation Linear Feature 

geospatial database. 

3.2.2 Deferred Travel Management 

Planning

When the final travel and transportation 

network is deferred in the RMP, then the 

RMP documents the decision-making 

process used to develop the initial 

network provide the basis for future 

implementation-level decisions and help 

set guidelines for making transportation 

network adjustments throughout the life 

of the plan. The following tasks set in the 

RMP for each planning area or TMA: 

 Produce a map of the known network of 

transportation linear feature network, 

including modes of travel.

 Define the long-term management 

goals for the transportation system.

 Define interim management objectives 

for areas or sub-areas where route 

designations are not completed 

concurrent with the RMP. Clearly state 

the process of moving from an interim 

designation of “limited to existing 

roads, primitive roads, and trails,” to 

a designation of “limited to designated 

roads primitive roads and trails” upon 

completion of TMP.
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Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

 Identify any incomplete travel and 

transportation tasks.

• Outline additional data needs 

and a strategy to collect needed 

information

• Provide a clear planning sequence for 

subsequent road and trail selection 

and identification, including the 

public involvement process (focusing 

on user groups and stakeholders), 

initial route selection criteria, and 

constraints 

• Provide a schedule to complete the 

area or sub-area road, primitive 

road, and trail selection process 

 Identify any easements and rights-ofway (to be issued to the BLM or others) 

needed to maintain the preliminary or 

existing road and trail network. 

3.2.3 Completing the Travel and 

Transportation Networks

When the decision on delineating travel 

and transportation networks is deferred 

in the land use plan to the implementation 

phase, the work is completed within 

five years of the signing of the Record of 

Decision for the RMP. When completing 

the TMP, a process to select specific roads, 

primitive roads, and trails for public and 

administrative use is established. The 

process specifies any limitations placed 

on use. This process includes the same 

information provided in the TMP that was 

completed as part of the RMP (bulleted in 

Section 3.2.1 of this LRTP).

3.2.4 Route Designation Limitations 

Relating to Wilderness Study Areas

In WSAs, motorized and mechanized 

use may be permitted to continue on 

existing routes identified in the wilderness 

inventory conducted in support of sections 

201 and 202 of the Federal Land Policy 

and Management Act of 1976. In these 

cases, final route classification is delayed 

until Congressional action is taken or a 

land use plan decision is made to close 

routes to motorized and mechanized use. 

Primitive roads and motorized/mechanized 

trails are not designated and classified as 

an asset within a WSA. Any motorized/

mechanized linear transportation feature 

located within these areas is identified in 

a transportation inventory as a motorized/

mechanized “primitive route.” 

Primitive routes are not a part of the 

transportation system, classified as a 

transportation asset, or entered into 

the FAMS unless one of the following 

conditions is met: 

 The routes are designated as nonmotorized and non-mechanized trails. 

 Congress releases the WSA from 

Wilderness consideration and the 

routes are designated. 

3.2.5 Route Designation Limitations 

in Lands with Wilderness 

Characteristics Designated for 

Protection 

Primitive roads and motorized/mechanized 

trails are not designated and classified 

as an asset within lands with wilderness 

characteristics designated for protection 

in land use plans. Any motorized/

mechanized linear transportation feature 

located within these areas shall be 

identified in a transportation inventory as 

a motorized/mechanized “primitive route” 

unless a land use plan decision is made to 

close the routes to motorized/mechanized 

use. 

Primitive routes are not part of the 

transportation system, classified as a 

transportation asset, or entered into 

FAMS unless one of the following 

conditions is met: 

 The routes are designated as nonmotorized and non-mechanized trails. 

 An RMP decision is made to no longer 

protect the wilderness characteristics 

and the routes are designated. 
26 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

3.3 Route Selection Criteria 

The route inventory and route selection 

process is a proactive step toward 

maintaining the desired transportation 

network rather than relying on inherited 

roads and trails. A planned transportation 

network can effectively serve the public, 

minimize resource damage, and reduce 

maintenance costs. Applying criteria to 

routes selected to be included as part of 

the overall BLM transportation network is 

one of the most important aspects of travel 

management. These criteria for selecting 

or decommissioning existing routes 

and adding new routes are developed 

through the TMP to support RMP goals 

and objectives and applied to each route 

considered in the TMP. 

The following are examples of criteria 

that can be used in the route selections 

process:

 Provides reasonable access across 

BLM-managed public lands

 Enhances the existing BLM-managed 

transportation system

 Provides reasonable access to resources 

(for example, energy, minerals, timber, 

and subsistence)

 Provides access to administrative, 

recreation, or authorized sites (for 

example, communication sites, 

wilderness study areas, and BLM 

cabins)

 Meets legal requirements for access 

(for example, ANCSA section 17(b) 

easements, ANILCA Titles VIII, XI, 

and XIII access, and rights-of-way)

 Provides resource protection (for 

example, avoids wetlands or cultural 

sites)

 Provides connectivity to other existing 

routes (for example, State Highway 

System) 

 Provides sustainable transportation 

routes (for example, the route is 

maintainable)

 Resolves resource management issues 

(for example, reduction of impacts to 

riparian areas or avoids critical habitat)

 Resolves user conflicts (for example, 

provides a wide range of opportunities 

for users)

BLM must also consider the following 

designation criteria listed in 43 CFR 

§8342.1 to minimize conflicts with the 

various uses of the public lands:

 Areas and trails shall be located to 

minimize damage to soil, watershed, 

vegetation, air, or other resources of the 

public lands, and to prevent impairment 

of wilderness suitability (although 

ANILCA allows for motorized uses in 

wilderness study areas).

 Areas and trails shall be located 

to minimize harassment of wildlife 

or significant disruption of wildlife 

habitats. Special attention will be given 

to protect endangered or threatened 

species and their habitats.

 Areas and trails shall be located to 

minimize conflicts between off-road 

vehicle use and other existing or 

proposed recreational uses of the same 

or neighboring public lands, and to 

ensure the compatibility of such uses 

with existing conditions in populated 

areas, taking into account noise and 

other factors.

 Areas and trails shall not be located 

in officially designated wilderness 

areas or primitive areas (unless 

uses are ANILCA related in which 

case motorized uses are permitted 

in wilderness study areas). Areas 

and trails shall be located in natural 

areas only if the authorized officer 

determines that off-road vehicle use 

in such locations will not adversely 

affect their natural, aesthetic, scenic, or 

other values for which such areas are 

established.
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 27

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Additional route selection criteria may 

be needed to resolve unique resource 

management issues within a planning area 

and thoroughly documented in a TMP. 

The route selection process is structured 

such that selection criteria are consistent 

and defendable, yet flexible enough to 

accommodate unusual circumstances that 

may exist within planning areas.

3.4 Additional Considerations

New routes may be identified in the land 

use planning process or considered for 

authorization on a case-by-case basis when 

proposed by private individuals or entities 

such as mining or energy operations. 

Any proposed route construction should 

be consistent with the proposed level of 

use and activity while meeting resource 

protection needs and requirements. For 

example, instead of constructing a yearround industry road, heavy equipment 

can be moved over land during the winter 

when snow cover can protect sensitive 

soils and using an ATV trail for summer 

access where feasible. 

Through the route selection process, some 

existing routes may be recommended for 

closure. Route closure could take many 

forms from simply eliminating access to 

a route, to a comprehensive reclamation 

and restoration of the route to a condition 

similar to its natural state. Route closure 

could include the following actions:

 Installing signs, barriers, or gates to 

discourage continued use

 Installing drainage features, such as 

waterbars, to help prevent gullies and 

headcuts from occurring

 Planting willow seedlings in suitable 

riparian areas or appropriate weedfree native seed mix to help stabilize 

hillsides and reduce soil erosion

 Plan for early detection and rapid 

response to any invasive or non-native 

species along both old, abandoned, and 

new alignments—particularly near 

gravel pits, borrow areas, or wherever 

mineral soil is exposed

Special consideration must also be given 

to local residents for the reasonable 

use of snowmobiles, motorboats, and 

other means of surface transportation 

traditionally employed as provided for in 

Title VIII of ANILCA. Under Title XI 

of ANILCA, special access and access to 

inholdings by motorboat, airplane, and 

non-motorized surface transportation 

methods are provided similar 

consideration. The BLM may temporarily 

or permanently restrict the use of 

airplanes, motorboats, snow machines, 

or non-motorized surface transportation 

in an area only when such use would be 

detrimental to the resource values of the 

area and the closure process is followed, as 

described in 43 CFR §36.11(h). 

Dalton Highway-Brooks Range, BL
28 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Bettles Road, BL
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 29

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

This LRTP establishes the groundwork 

for adopting well-defined funding and 

investment strategies built on defensible 

project selection processes and a wide 

range of funding programs. Such a process 

is critical to ensure continued maintenance 

and improvement of transportation assets 

as well as defensibility and consistency 

in transportation funding decisions. 

While Congress considers whether to 

reauthorize the current Safe, Accountable, 

Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity 

Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) 

or create new transportation legislation, 

Federal, State, and local jurisdictions 

continue to look for innovative funding 

mechanisms to span growing gaps 

between projected need and available 

funds.

4.1 BLM Specific Transportation 

Funding

Unlike most FLMAs, BLM receives 

dedicated annual funding for 

transportation planning through the 

Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA), Federal Lands Highway 

Division Public Lands Discretionary 

(PLD) Program as made available through 

SAFETEA-LU (commonly referred 

to as “9420 funds” within BLM). The 

intent of the 9420 Program is to complete 

travel and transportation planning that 

will improve access to and within BLMmanaged lands. On average, BLM-Alaska 

receives approximately $85,000 annually 

for transportation planning. Eligible 

transportation planning projects compete 

for funds through the national BLM 

Engineering office. Potential projects 

must meet FHWA eligibility requirements 

and support BLM’s mission, agency 

initiatives, and cost-sharing programs as 

expressed in BLM’s annual SAFETEALU implementation plan/program 

proposal.

Unlike other FLMAs, BLM does not 

receive funding specifically dedicated 

to transportation improvements. 

BLM transportation maintenance 

and construction projects are funded 

through the annual Congressional budget 

appropriations. These funds are used for 

all BLM resource management programs, 

including the operation and maintenance 

of BLM transportation assets. Specific 

transportation projects are selected at the 

field office level where local needs are best 

determined. As a result, transportation 

projects must compete for funding among 

all other project types. This competitive 

funding environment, coupled with 

sometimes dramatic year-to-year shifts in 

funding availability (discussed in greater 

detail in Section 4.3), creates challenges 

for implementing transportation projects. 

Furthermore, larger transportation 

projects often rely on accumulating funds 

over several years before implementation 

may begin. Figure 4 summarizes the 

general funding routes for transportation 

projects and planning.

Special, one-time funding programs 

such as the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 sometimes 

supplement project funds for 

transportation project implementation. 

The Recovery Act-funded long-standing 

priority needs. From 2009 to 2011, the 

Recovery Act provided BLM-Alaska $20 

million for road and bridge maintenance 

and construction, $6.9 million for 

deferred maintenance, and $1.4 for trail 

maintenance and construction. 

4. Travel and Transportation Funding
30 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Figure 4 

Funding Allocations Process

FHWA FLH PLD funds 

Evaluation for FHWA

eligibility and BLM

program proposal

Select transportation

planning projects 

for funding

Select transportation

projects for

implementation funding

Field Offices evaluate

all* project proposals

Congressional BLM

funding allocation

*”all” refers to projects of all types, not only transportation projects

4.2 External Funding Sources

Because this is a companion document 

to the Alaska Federal Lands LRTP, 

funding sources identified in that plan 

are supplemental funding sources for 

BLM-Alaska to pursue when projects 

meet funding program requirements. 

Chapter 2 of the Alaska Federal Lands 

LRTP provides descriptions and a matrix 

of project types and their eligibility 

requirements. Many externally funded 

programs emphasize the importance of 

partnering with other Federal, State, and 

local agencies to overcome funding gaps. 

4.3 Funding Gap Analysis

Once a comprehensive regional route 

inventory has been completed, a 

comprehensive funding gap analysis may 

be performed. Such an analysis shows 

gaps between funds needed and funds 

available. The analysis can help prioritize 

project selection and focus funds to those 

projects that provide the greatest benefit 

to BLM and the many users of its lands.

Figure 5 demonstrates the variable annual 

funding that BLM-Alaska expends on 

transportation safety and improvements. 

The data show that both funding totals 

and distributions among roads, trails, and 

trails fluctuate greatly from year to year. 

Figure 6 emphasizes the inconsistency in 

funding among transportation assets and 

among years. The data show that bridges, 

for example, generally received very little 

funding, but spiked dramatically in 2008 

and 2009.
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 31

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Figure 5 

BLM-Alaska Transportation Funding Levels (2005 to 2010)

$2,500,00

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

$2,000,00

$1,500,00

$1,000,00

$500,00

0

Trails Bridges Roads

Figure 6 

BLM-Alaska Distribution of Transportation Funds (2005 to 2010)

$1,600,00

$1,400,00

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

$1,200,00

$1,000,00

$800,00

$400,00

$600,00

$200,00

$0

Trails Bridges Roads
32 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

Hardened ATV Trail, BL
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 33

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

5. Long Range Transportation Plan 

Outreach

Collaboration and input from the public, 

stakeholders, and internal and external 

partners benefits the LRTP planning 

process by providing needed information 

about the existing transportation network 

and identifies access needs to public 

lands. This chapter describes the outreach 

approach that has been used to hear 

concerns and gather comments for the 

LRTP and BLM travel and transportation 

plans.

5.1 LRTP Involvement 

During the development of this and 

the Alaska Federal Lands LRTPs, the 

planning team solicited input from the 

State, local, and Tribal governments 

and other transportation management 

agencies. The public and other 

stakeholders are encouraged to comment 

on this BLM-Alaska LRTP and its 

companion plan, the Alaska Federal 

Lands LRTP, with specific details and 

supporting information through the 

project website (www.AKFedLandsLRTP.

org) or directly through the National 

Park Service Planning, Environment and 

Public Comment (PEPC) website (www.

parkplanning.nps.gov). Although it is 

preferred that comments are submitted 

through PEPC, comments may be mailed 

to: Steve Hoover, Attn: BLM Alaska 

LRTP, 4601 DTC Blvd., Suite 700, Denver, 

CO 80237.

5.2 BLM Planning Involvement 

Travel and transportation decisions 

specific to BLM are incorporated into 

BLM’s land use planning process and 

associated NEPA analysis. The BLM 

land use planning process includes 

regional RMPs, with tiered-down 

program implementation plans, and the 

development of project specific plans, 

as appropriate. At each planning level 

there are opportunities for State, local, 

and Tribal governments; the public; and 

stakeholders to be involved and to provide 

input into the planning process. BLM’s 

travel and transportation planning process 

is described in Appendix B. 

NPRA Ice Road, B
34 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

BLM
A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan 35

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

6. Action Plan

This chapter outlines actions that will help 

achieve the long range transportation 

goals and objectives established in this 

LRTP. Long range transportation goals 

and objectives are expressed through 

action items that will achieve the desired 

BLM-Alaska transportation system. 

Measureable steps that can be taken 

to achieve these goals are described 

through performance measures. Other 

actions that help to achieve long range 

goals and objectives are provided as 

recommendations.

As indicated throughout this plan, BLMAlaska routes are not fully inventoried 

at this time. A baseline condition for 

routes and other related transportation 

facilities will be established after a route 

inventory is completed. Until that time, 

the conditions outlined in Chapter 2 serve 

as the baseline for measuring the progress 

in achieving the long range transportation 

goals and objectives.

6.1 Action Items

BLM-Alaska’s desired future 

transportation system should provide 

reasonable access to and across BLMmanaged public lands, multimodal 

travel and transportation, safe traveling 

conditions, and sustainable infrastructure 

to reduce maintenance and repair costs 

and protect resources from negative 

impacts. To achieve this desired 

transportation system, the following 

action items need to be completed. 

Planning Action Items

1. Complete OHV area designations 

through the land use planning process 

giving priority to high-use or special 

areas and time-sensitive planning 

efforts.

2. Complete route inventories and 

selections to determine the BLM 

transportation system.

3. Complete TTM plans to designate 

routes and identify travel management 

objectives for each route within five 

years of signing the RMP Record of 

Decision.

4. Complete sign plan for identifying 

OHV area and route designations.

5. Complete route monitoring plan to 

determine route proliferation by users. 

Asset Management Action Items

1. Document BLM-managed routes in the 

BLM FAMS.

2. Conduct condition assessments of the 

routes to determine maintenance needs 

to meet travel management objectives.

3. Develop projects to bring 

transportation assets to desired 

condition level.

Travel Management Action Items

1. Develop trail or route maps.

2. Install area and route signing 

identifying designated routes.

3. Install travel information and route 

maps at primary access points.

4. Develop appropriate travel and 

transportation regulations to meet 

management goals and objectives.

5. Conduct activity monitoring to measure 

if management goals and objectives are 

being achieved.

6. Conduct user surveys to determine if 

user expectations and outcomes are 

being met.
36 A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

6.2 Performance Measures

A performance measure is a segment 

of work within a strategic goal that 

provides measurable progress toward 

goal achievement. Performance measures 

provide a picture of the progress being 

made to reach specific mission related 

goals and also point out areas where more 

effort may be needed. The individual 

performance measures answer basic 

performance questions about the work 

performed in the region.

This LRTP builds from existing 

performance measures already being 

monitored BLM-wide through the BLM 

Strategic Matrix. Table 1 identifies 

the most essential transportationrelated performance measures and 

indicates where they overlap with LRTP 

goals. Improvement in meeting these 

performance measures therefore indicates 

improvement in meeting the LRTP goals 

and intent.

Taylor Highway, BLM
37

Bureau of Land Management Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan 

A Drop-Down Plan to the Alaska Federal Lands Long Range Transportation Plan

Table 1

BLM Performance Measures Essential to LRTP Goals 

Mission Statement Goal Strategy Performance Measure Performance Element Unit Output

LRTP Goals

System Preservation

Public Understanding

Travel Opportunities

Natural & Cultural 

Resources

Provide Natural and 

Cultural Resource 

Protection and 

Experiences

Protect America’s 

Landscapes

Improve land and 

water health

Percent of BLM acres that have achieved desired condition 

where condition is known and as specified in management 

plans.

Complete RMP Implementation Strategies (DX) Number of plans X X X

Number of BLM acres restored to the condition specified in 

management plans.

Plan for Interdisciplinary Activities (DF) Number of plans X X X

Decommission & Rehab Roads & Trails (JX) Number of miles X X X

Protect America’s 

Cultural and Heritage 

Resources

Protect cultural and 

historical assets and 

resources

Miles of national scenic and historic trail inventory completed 

to standards. Inventory National Scenic & Historic Trails (CE) Number of miles X X

Miles of national scenic and historic trail monitoring 

completed to standards. Monitor Designated National Scenic & Historic Trails (LA) Number of miles X X

Provide Recreation and 

Visitor Experience

Provide visitor 

services

Percent of visitors satisfied with the quality of their 

experience. 

Assess Linear Recreation Resources (BY) Number of miles X X X

Evaluate Linear Recreation Management Objectives (MV) Number of miles X X X

Percent satisfaction among visitors served by facilitated 

programs.

Provide Outreach Through Interpretation and 

Environmental Education (AL) Number of programs X

Building a 21st 

Century Department 

of the Interior

Improving Acquisition 

and Real Property 

Management

Effective 

management of 

facilities

Percent of sites maintained in adequate condition, determined 

by Facility Conditions Index <0.15

Bridge Condition Assessment (GX) Number of 

assessments X

Trail Condition Assessment (GY) Number of miles X

Trail Annual Maintenance (ID) Number of miles X

Bridge Annual Maintenance (IG) Number of bridges X

Number of lane miles of roads maintained in adequate 

condition.

Road Condition Assessment (GU) Number of lane miles X

Road Annual Maintenance (IP) Number of lane miles X

Number of Deferred Maintenance projects completed.

Trail Deferred Maintenance and Construction (IE) Number of projects X

Bridge Deferred Maintenance and Construction (IH) Number of projects X

Road Deferred Maintenance and Construction (IQ) Number of projects X

Number of Construction projects completed.

Trail Construction (IF) Number of projects X

Bridge Construction (II) Number of projects X

Road Construction (IR) Number of projects X
38

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