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Adoption of the 2026 Copper River Basin Area Plan and Mineral Order 1274

PUBLIC NOTICE

Adoption of the Copper River Basin Area Plan

On October 27, 2026, the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources adopted the Copper River Basin Area Plan in accordance with Alaska Statute 38.04.065 and 38.05.300. The Public Review Draft of the Copper River Basin Area Plan as modified by the list of Recommended Revisions constitutes the final plan signed and adopted by the Commissioner.

In addition to adopting the Copper River Basin Area Plan (CRBAP), the Commissioner adopted and issued Land Classification Order (LCO) No. SC-19-001 that along with the plan classifies over 5.2 million acres of state-owned, state-selected, and top-filed lands and waters. The Copper River Basin Area Plan (CRBAP) boundary extends from the southern boundary of the Eastern Tanana Area Plan north of Paxson south to include the Thompson Pass Special Use Area; and from the boundary of the Susitna Matanuska Area Plan at the Nelchina Public Use Area east to the Canadian border. The LCO rescinds and supersedes all existing land classification orders within the plan boundary of the CRBAP.

The Commissioner also adopted Mineral Order 1274 that closes approximately 306,000 acres within the plan boundary to mineral entry.

What this Plan Does:

• Classifies and provides management intent for state land and resources within the boundary.
• Increases that amount of land that could be conveyed into private ownership by over 200,000 acres from the 1986 plan.
• Eliminates the 18,000-acre cap on the amount of Settlement and Agricultural land that can be offered for sale.
• Provides guidance for the Carbon Offset Program.
• Provides for a sustainable and balanced use of state land and resources to ensure that resource management considers the sustained yield of renewable resources, that development is balanced with environmental concerns, and that public access to state land is provided.

What this Plan Does Not Do:

• Create or modify local government boundaries.
• Authorize specific projects.
• Change laws or regulations.
• Address non-state lands except state-selected lands.
• Affect the method, means, or allocation of fish and wildlife resources.

The Public Review Draft and Recommended Revisions constitute the final Copper River Basin Area Plan and are available to view and download below. The Issue Response Summary, which addresses the substantive issues identified in comments received during the Public Review Draft and Intent to Adopt comment period is also available to view and download from this notice below.

The adoption documents, an interactive map, and related information regarding the plan process are available online at: Copper River Basin Area Plan - Alaska Division of Mining, Land, and Water.

Request for Reconsideration

An eligible person affected by this decision of the department, and who provided timely written comment or public hearing testimony to the department, may request reconsideration to the DNR Commissioner per AS 44.37.011 and 11 AAC 02. Any request for reconsideration must be received by the Commissioner's Office within twenty (20) calendar days after issuance of the decision under 11 AAC 02.040. The Commissioner may order or deny a request for reconsideration within thirty (30) calendar days after issuance of the decision. If the Commissioner takes no action on a request for reconsideration within thirty (30) days after issuance of the decision, the request for reconsideration is considered denied. The Commissioner's decision on reconsideration, other than a remand decision, is a final administrative order and decision of the department. An eligible person must first request reconsideration to the Commissioner before seeking relief in superior court. The Alaska Court System establishes its own rules for timely appealing final administrative orders and decisions of the department.

Reconsideration may be mailed or hand-delivered to the DNR Commissioner's Office, 550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 1400, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501; or faxed to (907)-269-8918 or sent by electronic mail to [email protected]. Reconsideration must be accompanied by the fee established in 11 AAC 05.160(d)(1)(F), which has been set at $200 under the provisions of 11 AAC 05.160(a)-(b). A copy of 11 AAC 02 is available on the department's website at https://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/pdf/DNR-11-AAC-02.pdf.

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