DNR seeks comment on 11 Alaska Range fuel cache sites

Alaska Earth Sciences, Inc. has applied to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources for a one-year seasonal land use permit to place Jet-A fuel caches at 11 helicopter refueling sites throughout and around the Alaska Range. The public comment deadline is June 3, 2026, and DNR has not yet issued a decision.

Alaska Earth Sciences applied for permission to place up to four 55-gallon barrels of Jet-A fuel at each of the 11 sites between June 1 and November 30, 2026. According to the DNR notice, the sites would support "heli-supported exploration and mapping activities related to mineral prospecting efforts" throughout and around the Alaska Range. The application is being processed under AS 38.05.850, which governs land use permits on state land. DNR's notice states its purpose is to gather public input before a decision is made.

What Is Proposed

The 11 proposed cache sites are distributed throughout and around the Alaska Range in remote mountain terrain. The source notice does not identify individual site locations by coordinates or site descriptions.

DNR built spill-prevention terms directly into the application. Each site must include secondary containment sized at 110 percent of maximum fuel storage volume, meaning each cache pad must hold at least 242 gallons.

Comment Period and Next Steps

DNR posted the notice May 20, giving the public 14 days to weigh in. Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. on June 3 at the Division of Mining, Land and Water, 550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 900C, Anchorage, AK 99501-3577. The permit was filed under casefile LAS 35986. Heather Heiken, a natural resource specialist at the Southcentral Regional Land Office, is the designated contact for questions on the application.

After the comment period closes, DNR may issue an authorization with stipulations or modify the proposed activity during adjudication.