October 27, 2017 – The Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs and the Alaska Gateway School District have partnered with the Native Village of Northway and the community of Tok to develop up-to-date maps for the two communities.  Community maps are a vital tool for community and infrastructure planning and can help identify title issues which may interfere with economic development.

New aerial photography was flown in June 2017 and patched together to develop accurate base maps. Then, the base maps were reviewed by the Native Village of Northway and by Tok community representatives in early October. Meeting attendees helped identify public and commercial structures and provided comments on land and community features they would like to see on the maps. Comments and questions were also raised about site-specific land and surveying issues and how those areas would be mapped. 

 Over the next few months, the project contractor will collect and map community information including public and commercial structures, roads, utilities, land status, surveyed lot lines, and significant land uses. Community review of draft maps is anticipated to take place in March 2018 and maps are expected to be finalized by the end of June 2018.

The Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs is the overall manager of the project; the Alaska Gateway School District is the administrative partner who received funds from multiple sources, issued an RFP, and awarded a contract to McClintock Land Associates, Inc. to accomplish most of the work. Funds to complete the mapping project come from a legislative appropriation, with matching funds provided by the Native Village of Northway and Alaska Power and Telephone. For more information about the project or to provide suggestions regarding features to be considered for inclusion on the maps, contact Diane Sam at (907) 334-0878 or LeAnn Young at (907) 883-5151, ext. 115 or by email at diane.sam@alaska.gov or lyoung@agsd.us.

 The Division of Community and Regional Affairs is a division within the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) that advises and assists local governments. DCCED is tasked with promoting a healthy economy, supporting strong communities, and protecting consumers in Alaska. For information about the Division of Community and Regional Affairs, visit commerce.alaska.gov/web/dcra. For information about DCCED and its other agencies, visit commerce.alaska.gov.

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