On April 28, 2008 the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources adopted the Southeast Susitna Area Plan.  The plan establishes land use designations, management intent and management guidelines for more than 250,000 acres of state uplands, shorelands and tidelands in the lower Susitna Valley.  This plan supersedes the 1982 Willow Sub-Basin Area Plan; a portion of the South Parks Highway Subregion of the Susitna Area Plan (1985); the Deception Creek Land Use Plan (1989); and the Kashwitna Management Plan (1991).

A public review draft (PRD) of the SSAP was out for review until March 11 and thirty-six individuals and organizations submitted comments.  Following review of public comments, DNR made numerous revisions.  These included reducing the amount of state land designated for settlement purposes from 34,000 acres to 28,000; adding several goals and guidelines for the use of state land; and increasing the width of protection buffers on streams.

DNR has compiled an "Issue-Response Summary"; documenting each issue, DNR’s response and corresponding changes to the plan.  These plan changes are compiled in an "Approved Revisions" document which, together with the PRD, is the basis for the final adopted plan.  In adopting the plan, the Commissioner has also approved Land Classification Order SC-08-001 (classifies land according to the plan’s designation).

All of these documents, including maps and other information, can be found below.

For futher 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
Phone: (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 May 19, 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@dnr.state.ak.us.  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 May 29, 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.

Issue-Response Summary  (310 KB)

Approved Revisions  (80KB)

Map showing changes:
   High Resolution  (3.6 MB)
   Low Resolution  (1.4 MB)

Plan Approval  (35 KB)

Land Classification Order SC-08-001  (40 KB)

Southeast Susitna Area Plan - Public Review Draft

Complete Public Review Draft of Plan (2.8 MB)
Because of the size of the above document, it has broken down into smaller files for your convenience.  This file does not include the oversized maps, which are listed below.