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DNR to amend budget to make proposed Department of Agriculture cost-neutral, officials say
Summary
Deputy Commissioner Brent Goodrum told the Senate Finance Subcommittee the governor will submit an amendment to zero out a $2.7 million request for a new Department of Agriculture and make the reorganization largely cost neutral by reclassifying and transferring existing positions.
Deputy Commissioner Brent Goodrum told the Department of Natural Resources Finance Subcommittee on March 4 that the administration will seek an amendment to zero out a $2.7 million unrestricted general fund request originally included in the governor’s amended FY2026 budget to create a standalone Department of Agriculture.
Goodrum said the administration has revisited the proposal after conversations with legislators and the state’s fiscal reality. Instead of adding 13 new positions as originally proposed, the department plans to reclassify three positions within the current Division of Agriculture and transfer the funding for two existing positions from within DNR. The new department would absorb reclassification costs, producing a “cost-neutral” fiscal impact, Goodrum said.
The change follows recommendations and work the administration and the legislature have pursued since the pandemic to improve Alaska’s food security. Goodrum said the revised approach is intended to maintain the planned organizational elevation while reducing the near-term budgetary impact on the state.
Senators on the committee asked for written follow-up describing the staffing and fiscal effects; Goodrum said the department will provide details and submit the formal budget amendment through the governor’s office. The committee record shows no formal vote or legislative action on the amendment during the hearing.
Why it matters: Elevating agriculture to a cabinet-level department has been framed by the administration and a legislative task force as a tool to centralize and accelerate state efforts on food security, loans, marketing, and infrastructure. The administration’s revised, cost-neutral proposal aims to balance that policy priority with current fiscal limits.
What’s next: The administration will file the amendment to the governor’s budget; committee members requested written documentation about the reclassifications and fiscal effects.
