The Alaska Department of Natural Resources invites you to provide feedback on the Nenana-Totchaket Agriculture Phase 1 Subdivision, Master Conceptual Design.

This design covers a 35,000-acre agricultural land sale project area west of Nenana. The Phase 1A subdivision was completed in 2022, and these parcels were offered for sale via Agricultural Auction #494 during the summer of 2022. DNR is currently developing the Phase 1B subdivision. The design for the remainder of the project area is in draft form. There is flexibility in design elements such as the size and location of parcels, access, areas to be retained for other management objectives such as settlement land, greenspaces, etc. This is where we are seeking your feedback.

To briefly orient you to using the interactive map, you can view the available map layers by clicking on the “three stacked squares” icon appearing at the top right corner of the map window. Activate or deactivate them by clicking on the “eye” symbol. Also, note that different information is displayed based on your level of zoom. For example, parcel acreages appear when zoomed in far enough.

Submit your feedback by email to: land.development@alaska.gov

DNR created this Master Conceptual Design by evaluating:

Soils:
In 2021 the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) conducted a soil survey in the Nenana-Totchaket region, which was used to generate Non-irrigated Land Capability Class ratings (LCC’s) for the area. This soil data is available in map form by activating the map layer labeled “Soils 2022NenTotLCC.” The LCC’s are the metric the State uses to define “cropland.” Generally, those areas with an LCC rating of 3 to 4 are considered most appropriate for agriculture. We also considered the size of parcels with respect to soil quality. The largest parcels are laid out over the soils that don’t have the best LCC ranking but may be suitable for animal husbandry. Smaller parcels are laid over better quality soils to accommodate crop production. The areas with the least agricultural capacity due to soil quality or steep topography have potential to serve other management objectives. In the map, these appear as light gray shaded areas.

Parcel Size and Location:
Market demand was assessed using the following sources: public comments received during the decision process, comments received during multiple public events held for the project, information from past agricultural land sales, and statistics from the 2022 Nenana-Totchaket Agricultural Auction (#494). Many prospective buyers have indicated demand specifically for large parcels, especially for livestock production (the Final Finding and Decision for the project authorizes parcels up to 640 acres in size). Smaller parcel sizes on richer soils serve crop producers. The design includes a mix of parcel sizes ranging from 20 acres to 640 acres.

Parcel design also favors smaller parcels closer to the Totchaket road, in order to minimize infrastructure (roads and utilities) development cost and increase infrastructure benefit to the greatest number of parcels.

Phased Disposal Options:
Agricultural property owners may qualify for a preference right under AS 38.05.69 to purchase an adjacent agriculture parcel when offered by the State. To create opportunities to begin with a smaller parcel and scale up in size over time, the design incorporates parcel clusters with smaller parcels adjacent to progressively larger parcels.

Thank-you for viewing the design and providing your feedback.