Alaska National Interest Lands Act of 1980 Rachel Lustbader Maria Espinoza

What is the Alaska National Interest Lands Act of 1980?  In 1980, after years of congressional debate, President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act into law.  Often called the most significant land conservation measure in the history of our nation, the act protected over 100 million acres of federal lands in Alaska, doubling the size of the country’s national park and refuge system and tripling the amount of land designated as wilderness.  ANILCA expanded the national park system in Alaska by over 43 million acres, creating 10 new national parks and increasing the acreage of three existing units.

Why did this act become enacted?  In 1959 the Alaska Statehood Act allowed state government to choose million acres of federal land from the public domain. However, the land selection process was complicated by Native Alaskan claims on the land.  After oil fields were discovered in northern Alaska, the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was enacted, which discredited native claims and allowed for the building of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline.  A provision in the bill allowed the secretary of the interior to select up to 80 million acres from the public domain for the creation of conservation units (national parks and wilderness areas). Congress was in charge of making the final decision on what lands to withdraw, and created the Joint Federal-State Land Use Planning Commission as a forum for planning.

Why did this act become enacted continuation  Following this decision a political battle began. Federal agencies such as the Forest Service and National Parks Service wanted the right to manage withdrawn lands. While environmentalists supported groups that would limit development, the Alaskan government was focused on ideas that would lead to economic gain.  After years of debate, the House of Representatives passed a bill that called for 127 million acres of conservation units (65 million of which were preservation areas).  However, the Senate version of the bill greatly reduced the number of acres and the bill did not become a law.  The next year the House members decided to accept the Senate version of the bill, which later become known as the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act (ANILCA).

Who was affected by this law…  Alaskan Natives  Preserved the wilderness and natural life of which Native Alaskans are accustomed  Tourists  The preservation and creation of national parks maintained tourists attractions in the state  Alaskan Government  The bill allowed for the construction of pipelines through conservation units

How the environment was affect…  The ANILCA allowed the development of Alaska's vital oil and gas and minerals and timber resources.  The National Park Service, The Fish and Wildlife Service, The Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management received a large sum of land. 104 million acres set aside

Amendments  No amendments have been made to the ANILCA since it was signed in 1980; however, the bill itself was an amendment to the Alaska Statehood Act as well as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (1971)

Failures/Debate  Access provisions very unclear  Recreational ATV use made illegal in Wrangell- St. Elias National Park and Preserve in 2007  Draft plan for trail management released to public in November, 2010  Many access issues still unresolved

Works Cited  "Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act." NPCA. N.p., 26 Oct Web. 13 Apr  "ALASKA NATIONAL INTEREST LANDS CONSERVATION ACT." Wilde Life Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr  "The ANILCA Program." Alaska. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr  Borneman, Walter R. Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land. N.p.: Harper Collins, Print.  "Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service." FWS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr  Rasure, Norma. Summary of Final Environmental Impact Statement. Boston: Stimson, Print.