Alaska Department of Natural Resources

DNR gives records denial power to two job titles, no named employees

DNR Commissioner John Crowther gave records-denial power to two job titles instead of named staff. The change makes it unclear who can now refuse public records requests.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Southcentral's gas storage is two-thirds full with winter coming

Southcentral's gas storage is two thirds full heading into winter, and one field shuts down for maintenance starting Monday.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Three Cook Inlet gas storage plans pending for winter demand

A Fox placer miner asked to move Treasure Creek. The state's public notice says equipment and an operator.

A miner near Fox wants to move part of Treasure Creek, but the state's public notice describes the request in eight words and never mentions the creek.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readFrom Sep 2

The roads torn up fighting the Tok fire have been graded back

The roads firefighters tore up while saving Tok have been graded back into shape. Residents need them to reach what is left of their property.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

A small wildfire was reported near Wrangell on Friday night

A small wildfire was reported near Sandy Beach outside Wrangell on Friday. The state has not said whether it is contained or threatens any homes.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Hilcorp says the North Slope is running short of gravel and wants a new mine

Hilcorp is seeking state approval for a 64-acre gravel mine seven miles northwest of Deadhorse, with public comment due Sept. 28, as the company's existing North Slope gravel sources run low.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readFrom Aug 28

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

Alaska proposes giving nearly 20,000 acres near Houston to a state development authority at no cost, and waiving its right to reclaim the land.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Fifty homes destroyed at Tok in Alaska's lightest burn year since 1995

The Mukluk Fire destroyed more than 40 homes at Tok during Alaska's lightest burn year since 1995, making it one of the most destructive fires in state history despite record-low statewide acreage.

by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Cause of Tok's Mukluk Fire stays officially under investigation

New Potter Marsh boardwalk and ice-skating ramp open Saturday

Potter Marsh opens a 200-foot boardwalk, viewing platform, and ADA-accessible ice-skating ramp Saturday, Aug. 29, giving visitors a dedicated alternative to using narrow highway shoulders.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Alaska Supreme Court upholds rule requiring rent on expired oil leases during appeals

The Alaska Supreme Court upheld a rule requiring oil companies to keep paying rent on expired leases while appealing, ending five North Slope leases.

by Alaska News2mo ago2 min read

Mukluk Fire evacuation order shrinks to properties inside the burn near Tok

Residents outside the Mukluk Fire's burn near Tok can return home, but 44 destroyed homes and hazard trees keep the evacuation order in place for properties inside the fire's 7,333-acre footprint.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Tok fire's south end contained, but Midnight Sun stays evacuated about another week

Alaska extends fire season to Sept. 14 in Delta, Tok and Copper River areas

Burn permits will stay required two extra weeks, through Sept. 14, in the Delta, Tok and Copper River areas, after a dry summer left fuels parched at depth.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

A Hoonah oyster farm wants to grow to about 10 acres

A Hoonah oyster farm wants to add two parcels and renew its state lease for 20 years, bringing the site to about 10 acres. Comments close Sept. 28.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

A placer mine near Ruby would work 35 acres of creek for a decade

A placer gold mine near Ruby would work about 35 acres of creek bottom for a decade. Comment on the water quality certification closes Sept. 24.

by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

State moves to sell a second contractor gravel from one Dalton Highway pit

Alaska is preparing to sell Cruz Construction 7,500 cubic yards of gravel from a Dalton Highway pit it offered another company in July.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Cause of Tok's Mukluk Fire stays officially under investigation

The cause of the Mukluk Fire near Tok, which damaged about 20 homes, remains under investigation — early reports pointed to power lines but aren't confirmed.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Tok fire's south end contained, but Midnight Sun stays evacuated about another week

The south end of the Mukluk Fire near Tok is contained, but the Midnight Sun neighborhood stays evacuated about another week as crews clear hazards.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Tok evacuation order still stands after phone alert expired Tuesday

Alaska moves to give up nearly 59,000 acres near Parks Highway for University of Alaska

Alaska is dropping its claim to nearly 59,000 acres near the Parks Highway so the university can have it. All 13 public comments opposed the move.

by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read

Tok has no way to warn its residents, and a state coordinator says it cost houses

Tok has no townwide alarm, and a state wildfire coordinator said the gap cost houses in the Mukluk Fire. Residents said they never got a GO alert.

by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago3 min read

Mukluk Fire crews shift to southwest flank ahead of Sunday wind change

Mukluk Fire crews shifted to the southwest flank Saturday ahead of forecast northwesterly winds Sunday, with Level 3 evacuation orders still in effect north of the Alaska Highway near Tok.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Interior wind event hits highways as the Mukluk Fire burns near Tok

Alaska will give up 5 acres on Elrington Island despite unanimous opposition

Alaska will cede 5 acres on Elrington Island to the University of Alaska. All 13 public comments opposed it, citing lost hunting and subsistence access.

by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read

Catch a pike in an Anchorage lake and you have to kill it

Catch a northern pike in an Anchorage lake and you have to kill it. They are invasive south of the Alaska Range and they eat salmon and trout.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Three Cook Inlet gas storage plans pending for winter demand

Cook Inlet's gas problem isn't only supply, it's winter. Alaska is weighing three plans to bank gas underground and draw it down in the cold months.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Alaska tells BlueCrest to produce Cook Inlet gas by 2027 or give up the lease

Alaska ordered BlueCrest Energy to begin producing gas from its Cook Inlet lease by March 2027 or forfeit it, as the region's gas supply shrinks and the company has sat idle for years.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

The town of Whittier has had no gas for weeks, and it's only manageable because it's summer

The whole town of Whittier has had no natural gas since Aug. 16 and won't get it back until Sept. 5, and it's manageable mainly because it's still warm out.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Tok DMV closed Wednesday as Mukluk Fire evacuation continues

The Tok DMV and every state office at 1314 Alaska Highway are closed Wednesday under the Mukluk Fire evacuation, with no reopening date given

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Tok evacuation order still stands after phone alert expired Tuesday

The phone alert telling parts of Tok to evacuate expired Tuesday and was not reissued. The order still stands, and the fire has crossed Red Fox Drive.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Level 3 GO evacuations ordered north of the Alaska Highway as the Mukluk Fire spreads near Tok

A cable across the Koyukuk, a camp for a mining crew, and no named mine

A Wasilla man wants to hang a 25,000-pound cable across the Koyukuk and camp a mining crew beside it. The state's form never asks which mine.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

About 20 homes damaged in the Mukluk Fire at Tok, some belonging to the firefighters

About 20 homes have burned in the Mukluk Fire at Tok, some belonging to the firefighters working it. The fire hit 5,533 acres Tuesday afternoon.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

The bridge meant to reopen half of Denali is running behind, new permits suggest

The bridge meant to reopen half of Denali is running behind: its federal finish date has passed, but new permits seek staging space through 2028.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

The state wants to give away land near Houston for housing, one piece of a statewide push

The state wants to give away 42 acres near Houston, free, for housing — one of several no-cost transfers to the Housing Finance Corporation across Alaska.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Level 3 GO evacuations ordered north of the Alaska Highway as the Mukluk Fire spreads near Tok

A fast-moving wildfire near Tok has forced residents north of the Alaska Highway to evacuate immediately, with winds gusting to 30 mph and critical fire conditions expected through Monday evening.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

A family gold operation wants four more seasons on Cache Creek, mined since the early 1900s

A family gold operation wants to work Cache Creek near Petersville for four more seasons, on ground mined by family outfits since the early 1900s.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Tatlanika Fire still listed as 3.5 acres but agency reports put it above 31,000

Alaska 511 still lists the Tatlanika Fire at 3.5 acres, but state fire managers reported it at over 31,000 acres on August 13.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read

Usibelli seeks five more years at Two Bull Ridge near Healy, and the state is revising the cleanup bond

Usibelli's Two Bull Ridge mine near Healy is nearing the end of its pits, and as it seeks a five-year renewal, the state is revising its $5.4M cleanup bond.

by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago2 min read

Wildland firefighters find Fairbanks man missing 19 days alive near Old Murphy Dome Road

Wildland firefighters found a 73-year-old Fairbanks man alive on Aug. 12 after he went missing for 19 days near Old Murphy Dome Road, while responding to the McCloud Fire west of the area.

by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read

Follows: Smokejumpers contained the McCloud Fire at one acre, and found a lost person during the initial attack

Tatlanika Fire, allowed to burn since June, now fought at 31,421 acres

Nineteen firefighters are cutting fuel breaks around a Native allotment as the Tatlanika Fire grows to 31,421 acres, with crews now protecting structures on the fire's south end.

by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min read

Coal seam fire northeast of Healy grows to 71 acres with no crew assigned

A coal seam fire near Healy has grown to about 71 acres and can't be fought directly — the seam has burned underground for years, and no crew is assigned.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

Dalton corridor suit is not over: groups appeal, and 700,000 acres remain in dispute

Alaska is set to gain Dalton Highway land promised at statehood, but conservation groups fight it on appeal, and tribes warn it strips subsistence rights.

by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read

A suction dredge permit off Nome is open for public comment through Aug. 18

A suction dredging permit for a small operation off Nome is open for public comment through Aug. 18, in waters where gold dredging has long been established.

by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readFrom Aug 11

Follows: A new Nome dredge application enters the pipeline that just rejected a fiercely fought gold mine