Habitat section seeks federal grant authority; says Title 16 permitting capacity intact

The Department of Fish and Game presented the Habitat Section’s FY26 budget request on Feb. 27 and asked the House Finance subcommittee for $100,000 in additional federal authority so the section can accept federal grants as they arise.

Commissioner Doug Vincent Lang and Deputy Commissioner Ben Mulligan described the habitat section’s responsibilities, including administration of Title 16 permitting for activities in waters that affect anadromous fish, baseline aquatic monitoring, applied field research, and coordination under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. Mulligan said habitat staff issued 1,276 Title 16 permits in FY24 and that a five‑year average is about 1,186 permits.

“We try to get to yes with an applicant,” Mulligan said, adding that staff will not hesitate to stop projects that would “negatively impact the sustainability of our fishery resources.” Mulligan said the section averages under two weeks to review most permits and that for major projects the state typically coordinates with the Office of Project Management and Permitting to ensure timely reviews.

The presentation noted the section houses the pipeline office liaison funded by Trans‑Alaska Pipeline System receipts and that liaison role could be important if any large gas‑line permitting arises. The section’s FY26 budget request also includes standard salary, health and retirement adjustments and a $100,000 increase in federal authority intended to allow the section to pursue and accept federal grants, including Environmental Protection Agency awards.

Mulligan told lawmakers the habitat section’s staffing has declined since FY15–16 but has been relatively stable since. The section operates three management regions and three area offices (Southeast, Southcentral, Interior; area offices in Palmer, Craig and Kenai) and performs compliance monitoring, including at sites such as Red Dog Mine.

Committee members asked whether the requested budget would slow permitting for projects in the near term; Mulligan said no and explained that major projects typically involve a coordinated permitting entity and that the department would seek temporary resources if large workloads materialize. The habitat presentation concluded with an offer to provide additional detail on staffing and permit timelines to committee members.

The department recommended that members who expect large permitting workloads — for example, pipeline‑scale projects — coordinate early with the agency so the state can plan staffing and interagency coordination as needed.