PUBLIC NOTICE
State of Alaska Engagement Regarding Access Across Selected Lands Within the Dalton Highway Corridor
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is providing public notice of upcoming in-person and virtual meetings to discuss and solicit comments related to potential locations of public access routes to and across state selected lands that were previously withdrawn under PLO 5150 and that may be conveyed to the State of Alaska as part of the State’s remaining land entitlement under the Alaska Statehood Act. These lands are located along portions of the Dalton Highway Corridor (DHC) in northern Alaska north of the Yukon River.
The State recognizes that the conveyance of land to the State of Alaska may impact public access, including access for federally qualified subsistence users. To mitigate these impacts, the State intends to engage stakeholders to identity facilities, access roads, or easements that may be necessary to access adjacent Federal lands, Alaska Native corporation lands, and Native allotments, pursuant to existing authority to authorize easements under Alaska Statute (AS) 19.40.210.
Once conveyed to the State, these lands will transition to State of Alaska management authority and will therefore be subject to motorized-use restrictions under AS 19.40.210. This statute specifically restricts the use of off-road vehicles within the DHC, with limited exceptions. This Public Notice announces the beginning of a process to solicit information from the public that will inform where additional easements and other forms of access may need to be established within the DHC.
Dates, times, and locations of public meetings will be announced on the State of Alaska Online Public Notices Website.
Link to the project web page, to see maps, project descriptions, and to check for updates, project meetings, locations and times: https://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/dhcpa/
Purpose of Community Engagement
The state has the responsibility to provide access for Alaskans, including development and maintenance of infrastructure, as well as the enhancement of local and state economies. Thus, the State is best positioned to take steps to ensure motorized access for uses, including subsistence use, to land within, adjacent to, and beyond the corridor. This responsibility will rest with the State once the land has been conveyed by the federal government.
Through this engagement process, DNR will work with affected communities, Alaskan residents, and subsistence users to:
- Identify existing travel routes and access points currently used to reach Federal public lands.
- Determine where future access corridors should be established across State lands following conveyance.
- Ensure that rural federally qualified subsistence users can continue to access Federal public lands across the newly acquired state land.
- Identify and prioritize the survey of appropriate Section Line Easements (SLEs) pursuant to AS 19.40.210 to provide motorized access to adjacent Federal public land, Native allotments, and Alaska Native corporation lands.
- Clarify that any decisions that the State makes under AS 19.40.210 will facilitate access, and any denials will not unreasonably interfere with motorized access for users, including Federally qualified subsistence users.
State Authority to Provide Access
Following conveyance, the State intends to utilize authorities available to the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources under AS 19.40.210(c) to authorize and maintain access across State lands.
Next Steps
DNR will begin outreach to communities along the Dalton Highway corridor and nearby villages to gather input on preferred access locations. This engagement may include community meetings, coordination with local governments and tribal entities, and opportunities for written input. To start this process, DNR will have an initial meeting in Fairbanks to describe the process and engage with the public. DNR will schedule meetings in communities and virtually to reach a wide audience. DNR is working to schedule dates and times for the meetings and will post them on the website when dates, times and locations are finalized.
Information gathered during this process will help inform future decisions regarding access routes across state lands conveyed by the federal government.
The State of Alaska is committed to completing its Statehood Act land entitlement while ensuring continued access to Federal public lands for rural residents and subsistence users.
The public notice period for this public engagement process will end on Friday, June 26.
Contact Information
Individuals, communities, and organizations interested in participating in this engagement process are encouraged to contact:
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Division of Mining, Land and Water
Program Support
550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1070
Anchorage, AK 99501
Email: dmlwprogramsupport@alaska.gov
Additional information regarding meeting opportunities and comment periods will be announced as outreach begins and posted on the project web page. https://dev.dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/plo5150/
DNR reserves the right to waive technical defects in this publication.