Yukon Flats land exchange
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has extended the comment period to May 19 for a proposed land exchange in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge between the agency and Doyon Limited.
At recent public hearings in Anchorage and Fairbanks, RDC urged the agency to move forward with the exchange.
The exchange would allow the Service to achieve its conservation goals and consolidate land ownership. It would allow the agency to acquire many of the highest-priority fish and wildlife habitats on Doyon lands. Meanwhile, the exchange would allow Doyon to consolidate its holdings within the Yukon Flats, improving the economics of drilling for oil and gas.
Doyon will likely proceed with development on its existing lands inside the refuge, even if the land swap does not occur. Under the terms of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), Doyon would have the right to cross refuge lands, including those that the corporation would have gained in the exchange, to develop its oil and gas interests. The refuge was established after Doyon selected its lands for the purpose of future development.
Regardless of whether oil and gas is ever discovered, the land exchange is a gain for the national wildlife refuge system. Doyon would relinquish a larger area of surface land than it would gain.
The benefits of the land exchange to Doyon, its shareholders, the State of Alaska and the nation are significant. The Yukon Flats could hold large quantities of natural gas and oil. If commercial discoveries of oil and gas are confirmed, billions of dollars would be pumped into Alaska’s economy. Oil development would allow for the creation of an economic base in an economically-disadvantaged part of rural Alaska.
Other benefits include village and regional Native corporation revenue sharing under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which means more revenue statewide for these entities and their shareholders – Alaska Natives.
Please see RDC’s action alert and full comments.
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