Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency that manages Alaska's public lands and natural resources. It oversees mining, oil and gas leasing, forestry, parks, agriculture and water rights across Alaska's state-owned lands.
Photo by BLM Alaska, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
dnr.alaska.gov ↗Alaska
Inside Alaska Department of Natural Resources
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Week of Jul 13
Alaska's first big AI data center clears a hurdle on the North Slope
A company wants to burn North Slope gas on-site to run AI computing near Deadhorse — turning 50 years of stranded gas into power, if the financing, customers and gas contract ever show up.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
The fight to keep Red Dog alive past 2031
A routine nine-acre lease along the Red Dog haul road opens onto a much bigger question: how one of the world's richest zinc mines keeps going after its main pit runs dry around 2031.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Why an Arctic fiber company needs 30,000 yards of Dalton gravel
Quintillion wants 30,000 yards of Dalton Highway gravel to build a land backup for the Arctic's only fiber line — the one sea ice has cut twice, knocking whole communities offline.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
DNR proposes free land transfer to Alaska Railroad; comment window open
Alaska is proposing to give state land in the railroad corridor to Alaska Railroad Corporation for free, reigniting concerns about public access to hunting and fishing grounds along the tracks.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Week of Jul 6
On the North Slope, the oil field grows a few thousand cubic yards at a time
ConocoPhillips wants to lay gravel for two small Kuparuk expansions — the kind of routine, acre-at-a-time growth critics say is exactly how the North Slope's footprint quietly spreads.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
A company wants to test amphibious rigs on the North Slope tundra
An Anchorage dealer wants a five-year permit to test-drive amphibious Swamp Rider vehicles across the North Slope — on tundra that's both their ideal terrain and state-protected ground.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Fairbanks-area burn permits suspended amid high fire danger
Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt burn permits are suspended indefinitely amid high fire danger — no pile burning, lawn burning, or burn barrels until conditions ease.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Selawik landfill fire smoke poses distinct health risk beyond wildfire haze
A landfill fire near Selawik is sending toxic smoke into the air, posing greater health risks than typical wildfire smoke for elders and children.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Tatlanika Fire smoke reaches Fairbanks, 39 miles away
Smoke from the Tatlanika Fire, burning 982 acres 39 miles southwest of Fairbanks, is now visible in Fairbanks and Nenana, though no structures are threatened in its limited-response zone.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Five wildfire investigations span Interior to western Alaska
Look into the fires
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
Delta burn permits suspended Wednesday as fire conditions worsen
Alaska suspended all burn permits in the Delta Fire Prevention Area on Wednesday due to low humidity, gusty winds, and dry fuels that could turn any escaped ember into a fast-moving wildfire.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
The company behind Fort Knox is prospecting for gold near Delta Junction
The Kinross subsidiary that runs Fort Knox, Alaska's biggest gold mine, wants to drill for a new deposit near Delta Junction, in a salmon-bearing river drainage. It's exploration, not a mine yet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Selawik fuel tank farm, solar array threatened by landfill fire
A tundra fire that escaped Selawik's landfill Monday grew to 20 acres and now threatens the village's fuel tank farm and solar array, its only source of heating fuel and diesel power.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Five wildfires burning across Interior and Western Alaska as Siruk reaches 60% containment
The Siruk Fire near Allakaket reached 60% containment at 619 acres as crews push against forecast heat and critically dry conditions across five active Interior and Western Alaska fires.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Six wildfire investigations open across Alaska over Fourth of July weekend
Six wildfire investigations opened across Alaska during the Fourth of July weekend as lightning storms and human activity continue sparking fires statewide.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cecil Fire fully contained near Ruby; Big Fire at 70% with storms approaching
Cecil Fire near Ruby is fully contained at 724 acres, while Big Fire at 258 acres is 70% contained with thunderstorms and 40 mph gusts approaching the area.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Coming up
Alaska LNG ROW Lease Conversion Public Hearing (Virtual)
Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
Hearing
Alaska Department of Natural Resources Hearing on Alaska LNG Right-of-Way Conversion
Hearing
Alaska LNG ROW Lease Conversion Public Hearing (In Person)
Hearing
Alaska LNG Point Thomson Transmission Line & GTP-Mainline-LF ROW Conversion - In-Person Public Hearing
Hearing
Public Comment Deadline: State Underground Storage Rights Claim
Public notice
About Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Photo by BLM Alaska, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
dnr.alaska.gov ↗Alaska
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the State of Alaska agency that manages state lands and natural resources. Its divisions oversee oil and gas, mining, land and water, forestry, parks and agriculture.
DNR holds oil and gas lease sales, approves drilling and seismic surveys, permits mines and sells rock and gravel. It grants leases and easements, decides land transfers to the University of Alaska, the North Slope Borough and AIDEA, and plans timber harvests in state forests.
Its land decisions draw review from the Legislature, and disputes over leases reach the Alaska Supreme Court. DNR works alongside sister agencies such as the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Transportation, which buys material from state pits.
More from Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Bean Fire burns 80 acres near Native allotments west of Manley Hot Springs
The Bean Fire burned 80 acres near Manley Hot Springs on Sunday, placing several Native allotments within five miles as smokejumpers and seven aircraft worked to contain it.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 29
Nelson Island residents put out tundra fire before state crews could arrive
Nelson Island residents near Toksook Bay extinguished a lightning-caused tundra fire on June 24 before state crews could arrive, the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection reported.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Buried under the Kenai refuge: seismic data on a stranded Cook Inlet gas find is about to go public
As Southcentral eyes a gas shortage, old seismic data on Shadura — an undeveloped Cook Inlet gas find near Nikiski, stuck under the Kenai refuge — is set to go public.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A new power line is proposed through a historic Delta park
A utility wants to run a new power line through Big Delta State Historical Park to reach a nearby boat launch — open for public comment through July 31.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
A Ketchikan-area geoduck farm wins a 20-year lease renewal
Geoducks are giant, long-necked clams that can live past 100 and sell for a fortune. A Ketchikan-area farm that grows them just locked in 20 more years.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
ConocoPhillips is finding new oil in the Kuparuk field, in rock decades of drilling missed
The Kuparuk field has fallen 80% since its 1992 peak, but ConocoPhillips is reviving it by tapping Coyote and other reservoirs that older drilling technology overlooked.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Martha Fire near Soldotna contained at 5 acres
Firefighters contained the Martha Fire near Soldotna at 5 acres Wednesday evening, protecting homes within two hours of the first report
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
A gravel permit, and how North Slope oil is built on gravel
ConocoPhillips wants to expand a gravel pad at its Kuparuk field. It's a routine permit — but a small look at how North Slope oil is literally built on imported gravel.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Rain stalled the two wildfires near Ruby, but Tuesday's winds are a risk
Sunday's rain stalled both fires near Ruby, holding them at 260 and 1,000 acres, but Tuesday's winds could dry things out again. No outdoor burning, officials warn.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
A lake-island fire hands Mat-Su crews a boat-only problem
A small fire on a Flat Lake island forced Mat-Su firefighters to boat their crew across to reach it — routine flames, minus the road to get to them.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Week of Jun 22
Alaska is quietly making it harder to keep water in its rivers for salmon
Alaska is changing the rules for water reservations — the main tool for keeping water in rivers for salmon. Critics say it favors industry; DNR says it's about efficiency.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers battle two wildfires near Ruby as smoke reaches village
Smokejumpers and aircraft are battling two wildfires near Ruby that together cover 660 acres and are currently pushing away from the village and nearby Native allotments.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Starry Fire hits 70% containment; wetting rain expected Friday night
Starry Fire near Anderson hit 70% containment Friday as rain moves in, dropping evacuation status from GO to READY.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Two Delta Junction wildfires in monitor status; two near full containment
Over here, you got two fires. Over here you got two fires. That's four fires. What are you gonna do with four fires? Maybe just stick to two fires.
by Alaska News4mo ago1 min read
The state wants this gravel pit to be permanent.
The state wants to make a Richardson Highway gravel pit permanent — and this 22-day comment window is the public's only formal say over how it's run, now and indefinitely.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A Florida company wants to expand a big offshore oil unit on the edge of ANWR
A Florida company wants to expand an offshore oil unit on the edge of ANWR — and the state tagged it "approved" before comments even opened. Weigh in by July 21.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Anderson's mandatory evacuation is lifted, but the Starry Fire isn't out
Anderson's mandatory evacuation is lifted as the Starry Fire hits 60% containment. It's not out — crews are still mopping up, and the town is told to stay ready.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
A typo froze Sutton's wild rec area for eight years. Not anymore.
An eight-year-old wording error blocked any rules for Jonesville, Sutton's anything-goes rec area — born of a fatal shooting and bullets hitting homes. Alaska just fixed it.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Beluga Fire triggers nightly FAA flight restriction near Anchorage
FAA restricted airspace over the Beluga Fire northwest of Anchorage nightly through June 28 to protect firefighting aircraft from the surface to 2,000 feet.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
What APA's ice-road permit signals for the eastern North Slope
A state notice for "ice construction and off-road travel" sounds dull — until you notice it's APA Corp staging a winter drilling run on the eastern North Slope.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
On the wild Alatna, a guide makes his case to the state
A Fairbanks guide wants the state's OK to run commercial trips on the Alatna — a Wild and Scenic river so remote the only way in is by floatplane.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Moves to Keep One of the World's Last Fire Outposts
Alaska wants to keep the McGrath Fire Base — one of the last forward firefighting outposts on Earth, guarding 66 million roadless acres with a crew that's mostly temps.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska Is Selling Off Pieces of Itself — to Alaskans First
Alaska is auctioning 152 pieces of itself — residents only, no warranties, sometimes no road, and the state reserves the right to give your remote dream lot some neighbors.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Starry Fire hits 50% containment as military crews join Alaska firefighters
Starry Fire #234 reached 50% containment Tuesday as military crews from three Alaska bases joined firefighters securing the perimeter, with rain and wind expected to help cool the interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read