Tolsona, On The Glenn Highway, Asks NPS For Resident Zone Recognition

Copper River Country Journal Community Map (Copyrighted, David Mudrick) 

Small Roadside Community Of Tolsona 

Under Consideration For 

Qualification To 

"Engage In Subsistence Activities In The National Park" 

Tolsona road sign, as seen on Google Maps, 2024 

PRESS RELEASE, NPS

OCTOBER 8TH, 2024 

Wrangell-St. Elias Announces October 22nd Public Hearing:

Tolsona’s Request for Recognition as a Resident Zone Community

 

COPPER CENTER, AK – Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve staff will hold a public hearing in Tolsona, Alaska, on October 22nd from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tolsona Fire Hall to take comments and hear resident testimony on Tolsona’s request to be recognized as a resident zone community for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

 

The resident zone is a National Park Service regulation (36 Code of Federal Regulations 13.430) which allows local, rural residents to engage in subsistence activities in the National Park. There are currently 23 communities in the resident zone: Chisana, Chistochina, Chitina, Copper Center, Dot Lake, Gakona, Gakona Junction, Glennallen, Gulkana, Healy Lake, Kenny Lake, Lower Tonsina, McCarthy, Mentasta Lake, Nabesna, Northway/ Northway Village/Northway Junction, Slana, Tanacross, Tazlina, Tetlin, Tok, Tonsina and Yakutat.

 

The process for adding a community to the resident zone evaluates whether a community contains a significant concentration of current residents with a long-term history and a pattern of use of resources (without the use of aircraft to access them) for subsistence in the National Park which pre-dates the establishment of the regulation of the resident zone in June 1981. This public hearing is part of this evaluation.

 

The park invites local residents to attend the public hearing to provide comments on Tolsona’s request and welcomes testimony from residents with a long-term history of subsistence use in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

 

For more information, contact Barbara Cellarius, Subsistence Coordinator, at 907-822-7236 or email <wrst_public_affairs@nps.gov