PUBLIC NOTICE

Requesting Input on

a Proposed Relinquishment of State Entitlement Lands

Comment Period Ends 3:30 PM, April. 1, 2025

The Statehood Entitlement Unit received a request from the University of Alaska Land Management Office (UA LMO) to relinquish land selections in a large contiguous block of lands located west of the Dalton Highway and surrounding Toolik Lake. Relinquishment of the State land selection would enable the University to obtain title. Realty Services believes it is appropriate to public notice the proposed relinquishment of the State’s selection.

This group of lands consist of Federal lands within portions of one township surrounding Toolik Lake, adjacent to and west of the Dalton Highway right-of-way. Lands selected by the UA LMO are described as follows:

Township 9 South, Range 11 East, Umiat Meridian

Sections 19 through 21;

Sections 22, 27, & 28, those portions lying northerly and westerly of the westerly right-of-way line of the Dalton Highway;

Sections 29 through 32;

Section 33, that portion lying northerly and westerly of the westerly right-of-way line of the Dalton Highway;

Excluding the meanderable waters of Toolik Lake.

Containing approximately 5,775 acres.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal year 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328) and the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act provides that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) may convey up to 360,000 acres of land to the University of Alaska. The land available for conveyance has been selected by the State of Alaska pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Alaska Statehood Act. More information about the Fiscal Foundation Act can be found at: https://www.alaska.edu/ualand/about/land-grant/index.php

The UA LMO will submit potential land selections in approximately 100,000-acre batches for review to be completed by the Division of Mining, Land & Water (DMLW) Realty Services Section (Realty). Following their review, Realty will complete state-wide agency review and public notice for the proposed relinquishment of State selections in favor of conveyance to the University. Once the agency review and public notice have been completed, Realty will forward a relinquishment recommendation to the UA LMO and the Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner. The UA LMO with work with the Governor’s Office or their delegate to refine the list of desired lands and concur with the relinquishment of the State’s selection. The UA LMO and DNR will jointly submit to BLM lists of lands to be conveyed along with letters conditionally relinquishing the State’s selection. Relinquishment of the selection would be enacted upon conveyance of the lands to the University.

Alaska Statute (AS) 38.05.035 allows for disposals of interests in state lands, and AS 38.05.945 provides procedures for notice of those disposals.

This notice and any future decisions on this proposed action are available on the State of Alaska online public notice portal: http://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/. For assistance in obtaining documents by an alternative method, to request auxiliary aids, services, or special accommodations, contact DNR’s Public Information Centers on State work days, Monday through Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in Anchorage at (907) 269-8400, Fairbanks at (907) 451-2705, Southeast Land Office in Juneau at (907) 465-3400, TTY: 711 for Alaska Relay or 1-800-770-8973, or go to http://dnr.alaska.gov/commis/pic/ for additional contact information. Individuals who require special assistance must request assistance from the Public Information Center in Anchorage no later than 3:30 p.m., March. 20, 2025.

The public is invited to submit comments. If commenting on more than one proposed action, separate comments should be submitted for each. The deadline for public comment is 3:30 PM, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Only persons from whom the Department of Natural Resources receives timely, written comment during the identified comment period will be eligible to file an appeal of the decision. Written comment may be received by email or postal mail. To submit comments or for direct inquiries, contact Walter Zimmerman at walter.zimmerman@alaska.gov or +1 (907) 334-2550

After public input is considered, the decision will be issued without further notice. A copy of the decision will be sent to any persons who provided input, and a copy will be posted on the States online public notice portal http://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/. To subscribe to the State’s online public notice portal, visit the link and set up an email or RSS subscription using available criteria.

DNR reserves the right to waive technical defects in this notice.