Nuiqsut Search and Rescue Gets Remote Emergency Shelter 42 Miles South

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has authorized a five-year land use permit for Nuiqsut Community Search and Rescue to maintain an emergency shelter cabin 42 miles south of the village between the Colville and Itkillik Rivers. The permit, designated LAS 35972 and adjudicated pursuant to AS 38.05.850, retroactively approves a cabin already placed in April 2026.

The permit, effective April 15, 2026 through April 14, 2031, covers an 8-foot by 10-foot prefabricated cabin placed to serve travelers on the North Slope. The shelter sits in Section 18, Township 3 North, Range 4 East, Umiat Meridian.

Olgoonik Oilfield Services transported the shelter under contract with Santos, using their existing land use permit. The area falls within unit C-02 of the North Slope Area Plan, designated for resource management.

The permit requires no annual fee because it serves community safety. The state can revoke the authorization with 30 days notice. Nuiqsut Community Search and Rescue must remove all waste to an off-site approved disposal facility and immediately report any fuel spills to the Department of Environmental Conservation.