The borough is applying for state grant funding to design a trail linking Petroglyph Beach with the recently completed Bennett Street-Mount Dewey Trail connection.
Borough officials are seeking public comments by Oct. 30 on their intent to apply for funding through the Alaska Department of Transportation trails program.
“We want comments from people, especially comments that are supportive or constructive in nature, to help us get it right for the community,” Amber Al-Haddad, the borough’s capital projects director, said.
The state grant of up to $300,000 could cover all the planning, design and permitting work before construction of the new trail to Evergreen Avenue, near the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site.
The borough is looking to extend the trail from Bennett Street to continue past the Mount Dewey spur trail, through wooded and wetland areas, to end near Petroglyph Beach.
Following the design phase, Al-Haddad said, “our hope would be that we could be either in a position to submit a subsequent request to the same program for construction (funding), or, we’re always looking at other opportunities for funding, state and federal.”
She said public comments on the borough’s grant application would make it a stronger contender for state funding. Anyone can direct comments to her at aal-haddad@wrangell.com.
