Alaska would give 20,000 acres near Houston to a state authority for free

Alaska is proposing to hand nearly 20,000 acres near Houston to the state's development authority at no cost, and to give up the state's right to take the land back if it is not used as planned.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state-owned corporation that finances and builds projects, wants the Mat-Su Borough parcel for an industrial and energy district. More than 7,000 acres of it are wetlands.

The waiver is the part with teeth. When the state conveys land, it typically keeps a reversionary interest, a right to reclaim the property if the recipient does not do what it said it would. The preliminary decision would drop that condition, leaving the state without that fallback.

Opposition has been substantial. The Northern Alaska Environmental Center says more than 2,000 comments have come in, and argues the transfer would cost habitat, trails, recreation and public access.

The state has already extended the comment period once, from mid-August. Written comments are now due by 5 pm Monday, Sept. 14, and can be submitted through the Department of Natural Resources online portal or by email to [email protected]. Comments have to be filed separately on each of the four actions involved, and only people who comment on time can later ask the commissioner to reconsider.