Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) Program

Roughly two-thirds of Alaska, or approximately 222 million acres, are federally owned or managed. In 1980, Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) designating more than 100 million acres of federal land in Alaska as new or expanded conservation system units. These conservation units include national parks and preserves, national wildlife refuges, designated wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and the Iditarod National Historic Trail, as well as the Steese National Conservation Area and the White Mountains National Recreation Area. The precedent-setting compromises of ANILCA challenge federal land managers to cooperate with others to balance the national interest in Alaska’s natural resources with recognition of Alaska’s fledgling economy and infrastructure, and its distinctive rural way of life. Get more information on ANILCA (Public Law 96-487).

The Commissioner’s Office established the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s ANILCA Program to monitor the continuous implementation of ANILCA, to coordinate the department’s involvement with federal land management plans, policies, and regulations, and to ensure federal land managers recognize state management responsibilities. The ADF&G ANILCA Program serves as a resource to department staff for state-federal ANILCA issues, as well as some non-ANILCA issues. For example, the program assists staff biologists with permitting for access and infrastructure for department projects such as fish weirs on federal land, including designated wilderness. Additionally, the program responds to information requests from the public regarding federal actions. The ADF&G ANILCA Program is networked with the State of Alaska ANILCA Program, which is administratively housed within the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Contact information:

Amy Wiita, Ph.D., Manager — ANILCA & Access Defense Programs
(907) 267-2145
amy.wiita@alaska.gov

Bradley Dunker, ADF&G ANILCA Natural Resource Manager
(907) 267-2248
bradley.dunker@alaska.gov

Jennifer Nolanwing, ADF&G ANILCA Project Coordinator
(907) 267-2242
jennifer.nolanwing@alaska.gov

Jason Cheney, ADF&G ANILCA Project Assistant
(907) 267-2300
jason.cheney@alaska.gov