State seeks public input on Dalton Highway access at June 3 Wiseman meeting

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources will hold a public meeting June 3 in Wiseman to gather input on land access along the Dalton Highway Corridor, where a recent federal-to-state land transfer has imposed new motorized-use restrictions.

The meeting runs from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Wiseman Community Center. State officials want to hear how residents access lands in the corridor and identify where easements may be needed to reach adjacent federal lands, Native corporation lands, and Native allotments.

The Wiseman meeting is part of a broader DNR outreach and comment process that runs through June 26, 2026, following a March 18 public notice. The state has already taken steps to address access concerns in the corridor, authorizing winter use of snowmachines on RS 2477 trails earlier this year.

On May 5, the Bureau of Land Management transferred approximately 1.4 million acres in the Dalton Highway Corridor to Alaska under the Alaska Statehood Act. Alaska News previously reported that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued Public Land Order 7966 in February, revoking fifty-year-old protections that had withdrawn the lands from state selection. The transfer fulfilled more than 96 percent of Alaska's statehood land entitlement.

All lands within the Dalton Highway Corridor are now subject to motorized-use restrictions under Alaska Statute 19.40.210. State lands outside the corridor, south of the North Slope Special Use Area, remain subject to general state land access provisions.

The state acknowledges the land transfer will affect how people access and use these lands, particularly for subsistence activities under the federal subsistence program. Officials are working to identify facilities, access roads, or easements that may be necessary under existing authority in AS 19.40.210.

For more information, contact Dan Jenkins, DMLW Program Support, at (907) 269-8609 or [email protected]. Updates are posted at dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/dhcpa.

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations should contact the department seven days before the meeting or call the state TDD number at (907) 269-8411.