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Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Division of Mining, Land and Water

Area Plans
Northeast Alaska Area Plan

Map of the area affected by the Northeast Area Plan

Latest News

Public Comment Period Closed

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has completed the public scoping phase of the planning process for the Northeast Alaska Area Plan (NEAAP). The comment period closed on Friday, September 6, 2024. You are encouraged to review the public comments and planning update newsletter using the links below. Staff will continue to gather information and begin to develop an agency review draft using the information received during the scoping period, along with information gathered and produced from the agencies and planning staff. After agencies have had an opportunity to provide input on the draft plan, necessary changes will be made, and a public review draft of the plan will be released for review and comment. At that stage, DNR will solicit further public comment.

Sign up to receive project updates via email September 2024 Planning Update Newsletter PDF Scoping Public Comments PDF

Public Involvement

Public meetings were held in Fort Yukon and Fairbanks to learn more about the planning area. These meetings were designed to seek input on how Alaskans want to use state lands now and in the future; to encourage the public to provide written comments; and to provide the public with information about the planning process and answer questions related to the planning effort.

Community Date & Time Location
Fort Yukon Tuesday, August 13, 2024
3:00 - 5:00 PM
City Hall
E. 7th Avenue
Fairbanks Wednesday, August 14, 2024 5:30 - 7:30 PM Noel Wien Library Auditorium 1215 Cowles Street

Letter to Interested Parties PDF

Background

The Northeast Alaska Area Plan (NEAAP) covers a large and mostly remote area northeast of Fairbanks that stretches from the Dalton Highway east to the Canadian border and north into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The NEAAP will cover approximately 4.5 million acres of State lands (uplands, submerged, and state-selected) and includes the communities of Fort Yukon, Venetie, Arctic Village, Circle, Central, Beaver, Chalkyitsik, Coldfoot, Stevens Village, and Wiseman. The Yukon River and Yukon River Flats are prominent features within the center of the planning area. Other notable rivers include the Chandalar, Porcupine, and Charley. Much of the Steese Highway and some sections of the Dalton Highway are within the planning area. The area hosts significant mining activity (particularly along these roadways); hunting, trapping, and subsistence activities; and recreational pursuits. Most of the state-owned lands are in the northwest portion near Chandalar Lake and in the southern portion of the planning area, near the communities of Central and Circle.

Salmon filets hanging off a rod in a smoky smokehouse. Decorative.
Photo credit: Diana Sevier

Northeast Alaska Area Plan Land Status Map

Region Map 1

Region Map 2

Region Map 3

Planning Process

State land can provide many different resources to many different people including fish, wildlife, water, timber, minerals, recreation and tourism opportunities, and settlement opportunities. There are many different ideas about how these state resources should be used, and sometimes these uses conflict with each other. However, if the land is managed carefully, many uses can occur in the same area. Planning is a way of sorting through the possibilities for using state land, determining those uses with the greatest benefits for all Alaskans and involving the public in the process. The planning process provides a link between the citizens and the agencies charged with managing their land. All resources and uses are considered and evaluated in the process.

A robust public involvement process will be employed to seek input from the public, regional and local Alaska Native corporations, and other stakeholders.

Below is an outline of the major steps that will be taken to develop the NEAAP.

1 Identify Issues

Hold public meetings to identify issues and concerns in the planning area.

2 Gather Information ‐ Occurs Throughout Process

Collect information about natural resources, present and past land use, land ownership, and the local economy. A great deal of this is done in the beginning, but it occurs throughout the planning process.

3 Prepare and Evaluate Land Use Alternative

CURRENT STAGE

Describe possible choices for managing state land based on public interests, local resources, and state policies. Describe the effects of each choice on goals for the management of an area.

4 Prepare Draft Plan

Create a draft plan that reflects resource values and public and agency goals. The agencies review the first draft and settle any land use conflicts that remain or propose the best alternatives for public review.

5 Public Review of Draft Plan

Hold public meetings to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the draft plan and to identify parts that need to be changed.

6 Prepare Final Plan

Review agency and public comments and revise the plan as appropriate. Prepare the plan for publication.

7 Approve Plan

The Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources approves and signs the plan.

8 Implement Plan

The plan guides management decisions for state lands in the planning area.g

Contact

For additional information, contact:

Rob Earl
Northeast Alaska Area Plan (NEAAP)
Department of Natural Resources
550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 1050
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3579
Phone: (907) 269-8533
Email: neaap.comments@alaska.gov

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