Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

Salmon turn bright red and change shape as they approach their spawning grounds. NPS Photo.

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 created most of the national parklands in Alaska and impacts the National Park Service in many ways. ANILCA stipulates the designation of wilderness, subsistence management, transportation in and across parklands, use of cabins, mining, archaeological sites, scientific research studies and more. View the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act as signed into law on December 2, 1980 (Public Law 96-487, 94 Stat. 2371). Note this does not include any subsequent amendments to ANILCA.

The Importance of ANILCA

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  ANILCA

  Public Access

  ANILCA’s guarantee of access to public lands

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  ANILCA

  Alaska Native Culture

  ANILCA’s important role in helping to preserve Alaska Native culture

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  ANILCA

  A Vibrant Economy

  ANILCA’s contribution toward a vibrant Alaska economy

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  ANILCA

  Alaska Wilderness

  ANILCA’s recognition of subsistence serves as a model for balancing wilderness preservation and human uses on the landscape.

ANILCA Resources

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  Do Things Right the First Time

  The National Park Service and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, an online book by G. Frank Williss.

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  NPS Management History

  Alaska Subsistence: A National Park Service Management History, by Frank Norris

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  Alaska Park Science:

  The Legacy of ANILCA

  Read the full series of ANILCA articles online.