HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes1996-053
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Sponsored by: Bencardino
CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION NO. 96-053
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SEWARD, ALASKA, IN SUPPORT OF KANTISHNA HOLDINGS,
INC.'S PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION OF A NORTHERN
RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY TO WONDER LAKE AND FOR THE
BUILDING OF THE DENALI RAILWAY SYSTEM TO SERVICE
DENALI NATIONAL PARK
WHEREAS, Denali National Park (Denali) is one of Alaska's most important visitor
destinations and is a critical element in the Alaska Visitor/Tourism Industry, and access to Denali
is extremely restricted due to the limited existing transportation infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the existing park road servicing Denali is near its carrying capacity and is
creating adverse impacts on the environment, management problems for the National Park Service,
a bottleneck in the visitor/tourism delivery system of Alaska and access problems for park in-
holders; and
WHEREAS, neither the state nor federal government has proposed a new road access to the
interior of Denali; and
WHEREAS, on December 14, 1994, the National park System Advisory Board approved
a resolution accepting the Denali Task Force Report and specifically endorsed the creation of a new
northern railroad route to Wonder Lake; and
WHEREAS, Kantishna Holdings, Inc., has proposed the Denali Railway System to insure
long term resource protection at Denali and to provide year-round access to the interior of Denali;
and
WHEREAS, the proposed new railway system is an environmentally sound and sensible
undertaking which will commit substantial private financial investment in permanent infrastructure
in Alaska, creating hundreds of new jobs in Alaska's economy; and
WHEREAS, new infrastructures created by the Denali Railway System will enhance the
City of Seward's visitor/tourism industry, and the creation of permanent jobs and other activity
associated with the construction and operation of the Denali Railway System will benefit all of
Alaska's railbelt communities;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SEWARD, ALASKA, that:
CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
RESOLUTION NO. 96-053
Section 1. The City of Seward endorses the creation of a new northern railroad right-of-way
to Wonder Lake and the Denali Railway System as proposed by Kantishna Holdings, Inc.
Section 2. The City of Seward encourages the Secretary of the Interior to direct the National
Park Service to act upon the proposal made by Kantishna Holdings, Inc., immediately and requests
that Governor Knowles and the Alaska State Legislature give their full support to the creation of the
Denali Railway System.
Section 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council of the city of Seward, Alaska, this 22nd
day of April, 1996.
THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
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ouis A.Bencardino, Mayor
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Anderson, Bencardino, Crane, Deeter, Keil, King, Sieminski
None
None
None
ATTEST: