Senate Finance Committee forwards John Crother to joint session for DNR commissioner
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Summary
After a March 31 confirmation hearing, the Senate Finance Committee voted to forward John Crother, the governor’s designee for Department of Natural Resources commissioner, to a joint session. Senators pressed him on royalties, the gas line, land-use timelines, timber and digital modernization.
John Crother, the governor’s designee for commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, was recommended for consideration by a joint session after a March 31 Senate Finance Committee hearing in Juneau.
Crother presented his background and a set of priorities for 2026, telling the committee he grew up in Anchorage, has worked for several DNR commissioners and in state and federal government, and plans to pursue five principles including adaptability, mission focus, public responsiveness and strengthening departmental culture. "I intend to pursue it earnestly," Crother said, adding the department should "develop, conserve, and maximize the use of our resources in the public interest."
Why it matters: DNR controls large land holdings, royalty streams and rights-of-way that affect resource development, housing and state revenue. Committee members focused their questions on the department’s role in protecting royalties, the state’s involvement in a proposed gas pipeline, timelines for land leases and easements, timber sales and forestry management, and digital modernization of resource data.
During questioning, Senator Stedman pressed Crother on enforcement of derelict vessels and on protecting the state’s royalty stream. Stedman warned against approaches that bypass the Department of Law, saying a prior approach "went around the department of law with outside counsel to put together some skullduggery." Crother responded that royalties are "a multibillion dollar revenue stream" central to the department’s responsibilities and pledged to follow proper processes and coordinate with the Department of Law on royalty matters.
Committee members also asked about the state’s role in the proposed gas line. Crother said DNR’s primary roles are managing upstream royalties and state land rights-of-way, and noted that the department has issued a conditional right-of-way to the Alaska Gas Line Development Corporation to facilitate land access. He told senators the department will be as transparent as laws allow about data the department controls.
Lawmakers discussed land-use timelines and permitting. Senator Kiel asked about leasing and easements and whether timelines can be shortened; Crother said the department is working to improve internal processes and metrics and encouraged flexible management consistent with statute. Senator McKeel noted that some timeframes have shortened from multiple years to about 18 months and urged continued progress, while pointing to the scale of the state land portfolio (cited in the hearing as roughly 105,000,000 acres) as a management challenge.
On forestry and timber policy, senators pressed for longer-term timber sales and updated forest-management plans. Crother said the Division of Forestry is working to align sales and timelines with market needs and that technology, including remote sensing and predictive modeling, can improve inspections and reduce costs. Senator Cronk and others raised agriculture and rural infrastructure concerns—maintenance of roads created by prior state projects and the need to make small-farm operations economically viable—topics Crother said the department is working to address as part of broader land-management and food-security work.
Senator Kaufman asked about digital modernization and data-management. Crother noted the department produces growing volumes of geological and geophysical data and cited the appointment of state geologist Dr. Erin Campbell; he said modernizing tech and coordinating with the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Administration are necessary steps.
Public testimony was opened and no one testified in person or online. In closing remarks Crother thanked the committee and reiterated his willingness to provide further information.
The committee voted to recommend forwarding Crother’s nomination to a joint session for consideration; the motion passed with no objection recorded in the transcript. The hearing record does not include a roll-call vote tally. The committee adjourned and listed three bills on the next meeting’s agenda.
