We are on Lingít Aaní.
Aaní is the Lingít word for land and Lingít people have been stewarding these lands for over 10,000 years. It is very important to recognize this historical fact and to appreciate that the Lingít people have lived out the traditional tribal values around balance, respect, and caring for the Earth that sustains us all. For taking wonderful care of this special place for time immemorial, we say thank you and gunalchéesh.
A Brief History
Sitka Trail Works, Inc. was incorporated in 1997, just after Alaska Pulp Company’s closure, to re-train and employ displaced mill workers. Six miles of community trail was built using Congressional funding dedicated to revitalizing Sitka’s economy. Trail Works was an important safety net for these displaced workers, employing them so they remained in the community and re-trained for more skilled, long-term employment. Founding board member Lisa Busch was recognized with a national award and highlighted in this video about the origins of Trail Works.
In 1999 the timber relief funds ended and the Sitka Trail Works Board of Directors reorganized under a new business model that emphasized a wider range of services to the community including planning and funding a new trail system, advocating for healthier lifestyles involving physical exercise and coordinating volunteer and paid laborers for trail maintenance and construction.
STW is achieving its mission through a combination of great leadership provided by the Board and Executive Director and through the strong community partnerships that forged during the creation of the 2003 Sitka Trail Plan. The plan also included the partner Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Alaska State Parks, US Forest Service, National Park Service, Sitka Tribe, City and Borough of Sitka and Sitka Trail Works. The trail plan with the signed MOU was published by STW after 3 years of community dialogue and public input.
Sitka Trail Works Strategic Plan
