The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comments through May 1 on a proposal to allow suction dredge mining on Upper Cache Creek in the Yentna Mining District near Trapper Creek.

Douglas Anderson applied for a plan of operations approval to conduct suction dredging and reclamation work on state lands in Section 11, Township 28 North, Range 9 West. If approved, the authorization would run through December 31, 2035.

Suction dredging uses a vacuum system to extract gold and other minerals from stream beds. The application also covers cross-country travel on state lands outside the mining locations and requires a reclamation plan.

The Department of Natural Resources will review the application under state mining regulations before deciding whether to issue an authorization. The agency may add conditions or modify the proposed activity during the review process.

Written comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on May 1, 2026. Submit comments to the Division of Mining, Land and Water at 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709, or by email to [email protected].

Questions about the application or requests to view the full packet should be directed to Sara Church at (907) 458-6896. The application packet and a mining permits fact sheet are available on the Department of Natural Resources website.