Public comment requested on Northwest Land use, management

THE SOUNDER STAFF

May 02, 2008 at 10:12AM AKST

The state Department of Natural Resources is seeking comment on a draft for a Northwest Area Plan.

The draft plans use and directs management of 19 million acres of land from Point Lay to St. Michael in Northwest Alaska.

The public review draft of the NWAP is out for review and public comment until June 9.

The original Northwest Area Plan was adopted in 1989. Since then the state has selected and topfiled about five million acres of land.

These additional lands are scattered throughout the Lisburne and Seward peninsulas, and some of the larger blocks are in the Baird Mountains between the Noatak and Kobuk drainages, in the Selawik Hills east of Buckland, in the Darby Mountains east of Council, and in the Kigluaik Mountains north of Nome.

Following a series of public scoping meetings held from May through January, DNR has revised the plan, designating land use on these additional lands but carrying forward most of the designations made in the original plan.

This plan revision gives both general management guidelines describing how state land may be used as well as management intent for each specific parcel of state land.

In addition to the online version, copies of the plan will be available at local libraries and city offices; borough offices in Kotzebue and Barrow; the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office in Nome; DNR’s Public Information Centers in Fairbanks and Anchorage, or by request using the information listed below.

To receive full consideration, comments must be received by DNR before 5 p.m. on June 9, at:

DNR, Division of Mining, Land and Water

Attn: Ray Burger, 550 West Seventh Ave, Suite 1050, Anchorage, AK 99501-3579.

Or by phone, at (907) 269-8534, fax (907) 269-8915 or e-mail at ray.burger@alaska.gov

To learn more about the plan and to make comments, public meetings will be held from 7- 9 p.m. in:

• Kotzebue: Thursday, May 15, at the Borough Assembly Chambers.

• Barrow: Thursday, May 22, at the Borough Assembly Chambers.

• Anchorage: Wednesday, May 7, at the Atwood Building, 550 W. Seventh Ave, Suite 240.

• Fairbanks: Thursday, May 8, at the DNR office at 3700 Airport Way.

• Teller: Tuesday, May 13, at the Community Hall.

• Nome: Wednesday, May 14, at Old Saint Joseph’s Church.

Plan, maps and other information can be found online at www.dnr.state.ak.us/mlw/planning .