In early 1987 I was on the ATA board with President, Larry Voorhees. I was the secretary, dealt with Jim Greiner, the magazine editor, and I was in charge of the ATA registered trapline maps. In those days ATA members could put their trapline on a topo map and send it into ATA. This information was available to guys looking for untrapped areas and was also to hopefully provide proof of use to govt. entities, if needed. Additionally, by submitting your maps you agreed to allow ATA to moderate any trapline area dispute.
The association had received a packet of information detailing a dispute between 2 trappers. Both of these guys were up in NW Alaska pretty much in the middle of no where. One was a pretty serious trapper, living full time remotely. The other had a property in the general area but wasn't quite as serious in trapping the area. The serious trapper had sent the packet and it was laid in my hands. There was fairly detailed documentation, with pictures, of various problems the non serious guy had committed but nothing in the way of trapping violations. The serious trapper had created and sent the packet and he was insisting ATA boot the other guy out of ATA. He said he would resign his membership if we didn't.
I assume I discussed this with Larry and maybe at a board meeting. I don't remember that for sure tho. I wrote back to the serious trapper, that was the only way to converse with him, and said "kicking people out wasn't something the board wanted to get involved in. The other guy actually came to my apartment in Fbks one day to talk to me. I don't remember what transpired tho. I'm sure I relayed we wouldn't be kicking him out.
I later met both of these guys but not thru ATA. Both owned airplanes and traveled in areas I traveled years after this story time. The serious guy passed away a few years ago. He was an interesting person with lots of trapping experience.
I hope that ATA still has the maps. The trapline program isn't advertised and isn't used anymore. Those maps definitely contain historic information. Likely former board members and other well known trappers contributed maps of their lines in the past. Maybe if the maps are available they could be a subject for a future speaker at the membership meeting.

I think that the maps have been put somewhere the sun doesn't shine, MT. I always thought they were a good idea but the problem was that people were claiming huge area. The maps disappeared long after you and I were gone from the board.

Bottom line, use of your trail is the best registration.

The last persons i knew had the maps was Gary Junk, or Mark Knapp

Martentrapper that serious trapper wasn't messing around!

Sure would be neat to sit down and check those maps out. Like reading the older books trappers have written and seeing some of the small maps they drew of their lines or the descriptions of where their lines were.

What a coincidence seeing Gary Junks name today. I grew up living close to Garys house on Farmers Loop and hadn't seen him since I moved away. Was in Alaska Mining and Diving a couple days ago getting parts and the parts guys last name was Junk, happened to be Garys son. Alaska is a pretty small place somedays.