DNR extends geoduck farm lease near Ketchikan; comment period open

Alaska's Department of Natural Resources extended Tom Carruth's Alaska Shellfish geoduck farm lease in Revillagigedo Channel near Ketchikan for an additional two years. The public notice was filed June 23, and the decision is subject to a 30-day public review period.

The Southcentral Regional Land Office issued the extension under state statute and applies to Carruth as the lessee. Aquatic farm leases and Alaska Department of Fish and Game operation permits run on 10-year cycles, so a two-year extension keeps the farm active while the full renewal cycle plays out. Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation operational permits and shellfish growing area classifications must be renewed annually.

The farm sits in an unnamed cove south of Point Sykes, about 25 miles southeast of Ketchikan, where DNR, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation share oversight. The public notice does not include the attached decision document directly, which DNR's own leasing materials acknowledge can make it difficult for nearby residents, tribal governments, or fishers to evaluate site-specific effects.

Fishers, tribal governments, and nearby residents may contact Natural Resource Specialist Jen Kopnicky at (907) 269-8618 or [email protected].