DNR opens comment on mining camp proposed near Farewell Airport

Alaska Earth Sciences, Inc. is seeking state permission to set up a temporary support camp near Farewell Airport, with a public comment deadline at the end of July.

The company has applied to operate the camp on state land about 3,000 feet west of the airport. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources posted a public notice and is accepting written comments until 5 p.m. on July 30. "The purpose of this notice is to gather input before a decision is made on this activity," the agency stated.

The permit, if approved, would run from August 2026 through September 2031, supporting mining on nearby Cook Inlet Region, Inc. lands. The camp would include sleeper tents, a kitchen, an office, a core logging tent, a dry tent, and wooden decks for fuel storage, along with a double pit privy. Up to 1,300 gallons of Jet-A fuel would be stored in secondary containment. A 10,000-pound skidsteer would haul gear from the airport along an existing trail.

How to Comment

Written comments must reach natural resource specialist Heather Heiken at the DNR Southcentral Regional Land Office, 550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 900C, Anchorage, by 5 p.m. on July 30. She can be reached at (907) 269-8568 or [email protected].