Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Water Permitting Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DNR reviews land sales, oil-and-gas data access, permitting coordination, parks operations and carbon work
Summary
DNR briefed the committee on land and water management revenue, work on data release for Cook Inlet and North Slope, coordinated permitting services for large projects, park operations and a two-person carbon offsets team working on state land sequestration projects.
Department of Natural Resources officials provided an overview on March 4 of the Division of Mining, Land and Water, the Office of Project Management and Permitting (OPMP), parks operations, and related trust-land and carbon-offset activities.
Deputy Commissioner Brent Goodrum said the Division of Mining, Land and Water manages more than 60 million acres of state land and reported $37.9 million in revenue from state land use — an 8.7% increase over the previous fiscal year. The division completed conveyances of 733 acres to three municipalities, conveyed land sales of 65 parcels totaling nearly 1,200 acres that generated $5.9 million for the land disposal income fund, and issued water permits and certificates to support state water appropriations.
Deputy Commissioner John Crother described the Division of Oil and Gas's work to make statutorily releasable seismic and tax-credit data available for explorers in the North Slope and Cook Inlet and said most eligible Cook Inlet datasets are now publicly available with one or two remaining datasets expected soon.
The Office of Project Management and Permitting (OPMP) coordinates complex projects, often under reimbursable service agreements, and supported major projects including the Peak and Willow North Slope construction projects and several active mining exploration projects. OPMP also coordinates federal processes to ensure state interests under laws such as ANCSA and ANILCA are represented.
On parks, the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation reported record visitation and new online permitting and electronic fee stations, and said park rangers remain engaged in law enforcement, search-and-rescue missions and boating safety outreach. The Office of Design and Construction awarded $10.6 million in FY24 contracts and completed nine construction projects.
Crother also described the Alaska Mental Health Trust Land Office and said it generated $17 million in revenue last year for beneficiaries; he said coordination with the trust is handled via memoranda and shared administrative services. Committee members asked whether land exchanges for mines would be handled by the trust office or DNR; Crother said it depends on land ownership and whether the parcels are trust lands.
On carbon, the department said a permanent position funded in the FY enacted budget ($116,000 UGF) had been filled and that a two-person team is working on carbon offsets and surficial sequestration projects on state lands using voluntary markets; DNR said those projects are not directly tied to federal 45Q tax credits.
Why it matters: Land conveyances, data access for explorers, permitting coordination and parks operations affect economic development, local governments and public access. Trust-land revenue funds mental-health beneficiaries; carbon projects may create future revenue streams for state lands.
What’s next: DNR will continue to make eligible datasets available, coordinate permitting for large projects, and provide committee follow-up where requested (GMC revenue, use of forestry road funds, and other items). No formal legislative action was taken during the hearing.
