PUBLIC NOTICE
Requesting Input on a Proposed Relinquishment of State Entitlement Lands
Comment Period Ends 3:00 PM, March 31, 2026
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is proposing to relinquish the State of Alaska's (State) entitlement land selection for fee estate (all surface and subsurface interests) on two selections (Delong Mountains and West Fork Wulik River). Descriptions of these lands are provided below. Location maps are attached to this notice. The lands are not currently owned by the State, they are under Federal management and ownership. The purpose of relinquishment is to facilitate conveyance of the lands to the University of Alaska. DNR is noticing both University selections concurrently, but the final determination for the selections will be addressed by separate decisions.
Delong Mountains:
The Delong Mountains selection is approximately 78,007.39 acres and located in Township 33 North, Ranges 18 through 23 West, and Township 34 North, Ranges 21 and 22 West, Kateel Meridian and Township 12 South, Range 50 West, Umiat Meridian. The lands are located approximately 73 miles east of Point Hope and approximately 44 miles north of Noatak, Alaska. The lands are situated between the Kukpuk River, Sooner River, and Wulik River.
West Fork Wulik River:
The West Fork Wulik River selection is approximately 8,864 acres and located in Township 31 North, Range 22 West, Kateel Meridian. The lands are located approximately 30 miles northeast of Kivalina, Alaska and 80 miles southeast of Point Hope, Alaska. The lands are situated west of the Wulik River.
The Consolidate Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (CAA) (Pub. L. 117-328) created a mechanism for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to convey Alaska Statehood Act lands to the University of Alaska (University). The CAA enabled the University to select up to 500,000 acres of State lands for possible acquisition, with a final conveyance of up to 360,000 acres. The State must concur with the final list of selected lands and submit conditional selection relinquishment letters to BLM. The program terminates on December 29, 2026.
More information about the CAA and University selections can be found here:
https://www.alaska.edu/ualand/about/land-grant/
Information about hunting on University lands can be found here:
https://www.alaska.edu/ualand/permits/hunting-revised.php
Information about the State’s role in the CAA program can be found here:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e796f8301c0047c4ab828b2036229c6f
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 5:00 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 3:00 p.m., March 24, 2026.
The public is invited to submit comments addressing the proposed action: is it in the public and State’s best interests to relinquish the land selection so the lands can be conveyed to the University of Alaska. Comments should be limited to the proposed action. If commenting on more than one proposed action, separate comments should be submitted for each action.
The deadline for public comment is 3:00 PM, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. 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 Ashley Hovis at ashley.hovis@alaska.gov or +1 (907) 269-8585.
After public input is considered, the decisions 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.