IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 110 
Recognizing February 26, 2017, as the 100th anniversary of the establishment 
of Denali National Park and Preserve in the State of Alaska. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2017 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing February 26, 2017, as the 100th anniversary 
of the establishment of Denali National Park and Pre-
serve in the State of Alaska. 
Whereas Alaska Natives have lived on the land surrounding 
the Denali area and used the resources of the land for 
food, shelter, clothing, transportation, handicrafts, and 
trade for thousands of years; 
Whereas Judge James Wickersham, of Fairbanks, Alaska, 
discovered gold in the Kantishna Hills following his at-
tempted ascent of Denali in 1903, prompting a gold rush 
with several thousand prospectors and the establishment 
of successful placer and commercial mining operations 
that lasted for decades; 
Whereas explorer Belmore Browne and hunter-naturalist 
Charles Sheldon visited the Denali region, observed the 
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natural splendor of Denali, and, along with Alaska’s ter-
ritorial delegate to Congress, Judge Wickersham, and 
pioneering biological survey naturalist Edward Nelson, 
tirelessly advocated for Denali’s protection; 
Whereas early proponents of national parks, such as the 
Boone and Crockett Club, the Campfire Club of America, 
and the American Game Protective and Propagation As-
sociation, sponsored early expeditions, including those of 
Sheldon and Brown, and advocated for the creation of a 
national park at Denali; 
Whereas, in 1910, miners from the Kantishna Hills discov-
ered an approach by which Denali might be climbed, rely-
ing on years of observations while following quartz leads 
and hunting sheep in the foothills of the Denali area; 
Whereas Athabascan Walter Harper joined Archdeacon Hud-
son Stuck, Harry Karstens, and Robert Tatum to suc-
cessfully summit the highest peak of Denali in 1913, 
opening the door for thousands of individuals to test their 
own endurance and fortitude by attempting to climb the 
giant massif; 
Whereas President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Act 
entitled ‘‘An Act to establish the Mount McKinley Na-
tional Park, in the Territory of Alaska’’, approved Feb-
ruary 26, 1917 (39 Stat. 938, chapter 121), for the ben-
efit and enjoyment of the people of the United States and 
the preservation of the Denali area’s scenic beauty, ani-
mals, birds, and fish; 
Whereas Congress expanded the boundaries of Mount McKin-
ley National Park in 1922, 1932, and 1980 and renamed 
that national park Denali National Park and Preserve 
after the traditional Koyukon Athabascan name for the 
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highest peak in the park, Deenaalee, meaning the High 
One; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve protects and in-
terprets Denali, which is the highest mountain in North 
America, at 20,310 feet, and the tallest above-water 
mountain, with a vertical relief of almost 18,000 feet 
measured from its base; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve preserves a wild 
subarctic landscape with a rich and diverse tapestry of 
plant life and intact ecosystems where bears, wolves, car-
ibou, moose, and Dall sheep roam as they have for thou-
sands of years; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve protects a wide 
array of fossils that point to an age 70,000,000 years 
ago, when dinosaurs roamed that northern land; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve contains 2 of 
the oldest-known archaeology sites in North America, the 
oldest of which dates to just over 13,000 years old; 
Whereas glaciers still blanket 1⁄6 of Denali National Park and 
Preserve and continue to shape the landscape by carving 
mountains, feeding silt-laden rivers, and depositing rock 
and silt across the valleys; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve was designated 
as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and has 
become a premier international tourist destination; 
Whereas, in 2016, nearly 600,000 visitors set foot in Denali 
National Park and Preserve, the greatest number of visi-
tors in the history of Denali National Park and Preserve 
and a record number of visitors for the State of Alaska; 
Whereas key tourism partners like the Alaska Railroad, the 
cruise ship industry, air and bus tour companies, and 
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other outfitters have worked diligently to provide a wide 
array of ways in which the many visitors to Denali Na-
tional Park and Preserve may experience Denali, includ-
ing hiking, dog mushing, rafting, and cycling; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve’s historic Denali 
Park Road provides visitors with unparalleled opportuni-
ties to experience and explore millions of acres of an ac-
cessible wildlife sanctuary that represents one of the 
crown jewels of the United States; 
Whereas residents of the State of Alaska continue their sub-
sistence way of life by hunting and gathering in the ma-
jority of Denali National Park and Preserve; 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve hosts the only 
working sled dog kennel in a national park, and winter 
patrols are conducted inside Denali National Park and 
Preserve using the age-old tradition of dog mushing; and 
Whereas Denali National Park and Preserve, known for its 
breathtaking scenery and iconic wildlife, protects more 
than 6,000,000 acres of towering mountains, expansive 
valleys, glacial rivers of ice, braided streams, and 
wildland for the benefit of all people of the United States: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) congratulates and celebrates Denali Na-
tional Park and Preserve on its centennial anniver-
sary; and 
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(2) encourages all people of the State of Alaska 
and the United States to visit and experience this 
national treasure. 
Æ 
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