There is still time to oppose this decision by the Department of Natural Resources to give away our public land.

A muskeg with a view of the mountains off Zero Lake Rd. 

 

At 3:00 PM on November 10th, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) made public its "final decision" on the proposed conveyance of land to the Alaska Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) under the public and charitable use provision. First, and importantly, despite the name of the decision, this is NOT the final decision involved in this process.

You have until 5:00 PM AKST on November 30th to submit a reconsideration request.

Once that window closes, the DNR has 30 days to review these requests and make any modifications to the proposal.  However, you may file a reconsideration request only if you filed a timely comment during the comment period, and the DNR charges a $200 fee to process your reconsideration. The Alaska Chapter questions the justification for charging a fee to engage in the public process and believes this unduly burdens the public when challenging a decision that strips us of our public lands. 

Here is the link to the Final Finding Decision (FFD). This document details the DNR's justification for this decision, and page 33 explains how to submit a reconsideration request.

The Alaska Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers opposed the original proposed conveyance of 19,550 acres because it would reduce access to public lands for hunting, trapping, and general outdoor recreation near an urban center. The conveyance would strip the public of quality hunting and recreation lands and trails near home that provide rare opportunities in Alaska for weekend moose and bear hunting for those of us who can't get out for a 10-day moose camp every season. We also opposed the conveyance because the DNR has waived its reversionary clause and its ability to conduct environmental review of projects on the land, eliminating its right to reclaim the lands if they remained unused or were abused by AIDEA's developers. We reject the idea that AIDEA is automatically qualified to receive our public lands free of charge from the DNR under the public and charitable use provision because it is a state-operated entity that is tasked with undertaking projects to the economic benefit of the state, when AIDEA has said in no uncertain terms that they do not have any well-thought-out, specific plans for this parcel. The public should not have our public lands taken away for hypothetical projects that may never come to fruition. 

You can review our coverage of the original proposal HERE. 

We continue to oppose this decision as amended and are filing our request for reconsideration. Reducing the allotment from 20,000 to 6,800 acres does not solve the issue. Stating that the public will maintain access to Zero Lake Rd does not solve the issue; retaining the revisionary and environmental review clauses does not solve the issue. The public and the communities of Houston, Willow, Wasilla, and Meadow Lakes have all officially opposed this conveyance in its entirety. The issue is that the Alaskan public is giving up public land for free for potential private projects that have not been scoped out. The decision summary states that Zero Lake Rd, which is publicly and privately maintained for access to these public lands for multiple uses, and Zero Lake, which is stocked by the Department of Fish & Game, will remain public for these purposes but will also become the main access point for developers. How realistic is it that access quality will remain the same when heavy equipment uses this road, and how long will public access last if conflicts between recreators and developers begin? These questions deserve answers, and if this decision stands, all these concerns require thorough consideration. 

 

Signs at the entrance of Zero Lake Rd, the main access point to the lands being transferred. These signs perfectly depict that these lands are already used for multiple uses that are a public good, no development needed. 

 

If this decision stands after requests for reconsideration are reviewed, then legal challenges may still arise. Every proposed project will need to meet environmental, zoning, and other statutory requirements to move forward. Changing leadership in the governor's office could also change how this and other land conveyances and projects are handled going forward. Whichever way this project goes, we at the Alaska Chapter will continue to advocate for greater transparency and public input in these processes and for zero net loss of public lands and increased hunting and angling opportunities in Alaska. 

 

Map of the parcel to be transferred to AIDEA.