On October 31, 2008 the Commissioner of the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) adopted the Northwest Area Plan (NWAP) with the
date of issuance as November 7. The plan establishes land use designations,
management intent and management guidelines for 13.5 million acres
of state uplands and shorelands, and 5.5 million acres of tide and
submerged lands in the area from Point Lay to Saint Michael in northwest
Alaska. This plan supersedes the 1989 Northwest Area Plan.
A public review draft (PRD) of the NWAP was distributed for a two
month period which ended June 9. A total of 20 individuals
and organizations submitted comments. DNR reviewed these comments
at length and, based on this review, have revised portions of the
PRD. These changes included designating another one million
acres of tide and submerged land as Habitat; changing the designation
on some of the land around Salmon Lake from Settlement to Habitat/Public
Recreation; adding fishery and wildlife resource information to management
units; and clarifying how multiple use and sustained yield principles
guide state land use.
DNR prepared an “Issue-Response Summary” to identify
the principal issues raised by the public, provide DNR’s response
to each, and identify necessary plan changes. Plan changes
were compiled in an “Approved Revisions” document which,
together with the PRD, form the basis for the final adopted plan. In
adopting the plan, the Commissioner also approved Land Classification
Order NC-08-001 which classifies land according to the plan’s
land use designation.
All of these documents, including maps and other information, can
be found below.
For further information contact:
DNR, Division of Mining,
Land & Water
Attn: Ray Burger (EMAIL: ray.burger@alaska.gov)
550 West 7th Ave, Suite 1050
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3579
(907) 269-8534 or Fax: (907) 269-8915
A person affected by this decision may request reconsideration,
in accordance with 11 AAC 02. Any reconsideration request
must be received by November 28, 2008 and may be mailed or delivered
to Tom Irwin, Commissioner, Department of Natural Resources, 550
W. Seventh Avenue, Suite 1400, Anchorage, Alaska 99501; faxed to
1-907-269-8918, or sent by electronic mail to dnr.appeals@alaska.gov If
reconsideration is not requested by that date or if the commissioner
does not order reconsideration on his own motion, this decision goes
into effect as a final order and decision on December 8, 2008. Failure
of the commissioner to act on a request for reconsideration within
30 days after issuance of this decision is a denial of reconsideration
and is a final administrative order and decision for purposes of
an appeal to Superior Court. The decision may then be appealed
to Superior Court within a further 30 days in accordance with the
rules of the court, and to the extent permitted by applicable law. An
eligible person must first request reconsideration of this decision
in accordance with 11
AAC 02 before appealing this decision to Superior
Court. A copy of 11 AAC 02 may be obtained from any regional
information office of the Department of Natural Resources.
All below documents can be viewed with Acrobat Reader 6 or better.
Div. of Forestry Plans
