Opinion ID: 2804428
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statutory and regulatory authority for MLUPs

Text: Many uses of the public domain are allowed without a permit.36 Such uses include not only ordinary activities such as hiking, bicycling, and travel by horse, dogsled, or snow machine,37 but also more intrusive ones such as “brushing or cutting a trail less than five feet wide using only hand-held tools”38 and “hard-rock mineral prospecting or mining using light portable field equipment, including a hand-operated 33 (...continued) and medicinal waters, are subject to appropriation. Priority of appropriation shall give prior right. Except for public water supply, an appropriation of water shall be limited to stated purposes and subject to preferences among beneficial uses, concurrent or otherwise, as prescribed by law, and to the general reservation of fish and wildlife. 34 Art. VIII, §14 - Access to Navigable Waters. Free access to the navigable or public waters of the State, as defined by the legislature, shall not be denied any citizen of the United States or resident of the State, except that the legislature may by general law regulate and limit such access for other beneficial uses or public purposes. 35 Art. VIII, §17 - Uniform Application. Laws and regulations governing the use or disposal of natural resources shall apply equally to all persons similarly situated with reference to the subject matter and purpose to be served by the law or regulation. 36 The regulation that defines such uses is 11 Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) 96.020 (2014). 37 11 AAC 96.020(a). 38 11 AAC 96.020(a)(2)(A). -29- 7011 pick, shovel, pan, earth auger, or a backpack power drill or auger.”39 But a permit is required for “an activity involving . . . the use of explosives and explosive devices” or “drilling to a depth in excess of 300 feet, including exploratory drilling or stratigraphic test wells.”40 For uses that are not generally allowed, DNR has regulatory authority to issue permits for a specified term up to five years unless sooner revoked.41 Such permits are MLUPs and they are authorized under Title 11, chapter 96 of the Alaska Administrative Code.42 The stated purpose of chapter 96 “is to manage uses and activities on state public domain land . . . in order to minimize adverse effects on the land and its resources.”43 The regulation specifically authorizing MLUPs is 11 AAC 96.040, which provides in relevant part: (a) Issuance of a permit under this chapter is not a disposal of an interest in land, and does not grant a preference right to a lease or other disposal. The permit is revocable for cause for violation of a permit provision or of this chapter, and is revocable at will if the department determines that the revocation is in the state’s interest. The permit remains in effect for the term issued, unless revoked sooner. The department will give 30 days’ notice before revoking a permit at will. A revocation for cause is effective immediately. (b) Each permit issued is subject to any provisions the department determines necessary to assure compliance with this chapter, to minimize conflicts with other uses, to 39 11 AAC 96.020(a)(3)(F). 40 11 AAC 96.010(a)(1)(A) and (D). 41 11 AAC 96.040(c). 42 Id. 43 11 AAC 96.005. -30- 7011 minimize environmental impacts, or otherwise to be in the interests of the state. (c) . . . [A] permit will be granted for a specified term of up to five years, unless revoked sooner. . . . [T]he permit may be extended for any number of consecutive periods, each period not to exceed one year. . . . .... (f) A permit under this chapter does not authorize the placement of permanent improvements. Temporary improvements authorized by a permit under this chapter must be removed when the permit expires or is revoked, unless otherwise specified by the department. Three statutory sections are cited in this regulation as authority for its promulgation: AS 38.05.020, AS 38.05.035, and AS 38.05.850. Alaska Statute 38.05.020(b)(4) authorizes the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources to “exercise the powers and do the acts necessary to carry out the provisions and objectives of [chapter 5 of Title 38],” which establishes the Division of Lands within the Department and specifies its functions and responsibilities. Alaska Statute 38.05.035 defines the powers and duties of the Director of the Division of Lands. Pertinent to this case, AS 38.05.035(e) provides: Upon a written finding that the interests of the state will be best served, the director may, with the consent of the commissioner, approve contracts for the sale, lease, or other disposal of available land, resources, property, or interests in them. . . . The preparation and issuance of the written finding by the director are subject to the following: . . . . (6) . . . however, a written finding is not required before the approval of .... -31- 7011 (C) a permit or other authorization revocable by the commissioner; [or] .... (H) a permit, right-of-way, or easement under AS 38.05.850[.] Alaska Statute 38.05.850 deals specifically with permits. It provides in part: (a) The director, without the prior approval of the commissioner, may issue permits, rights-of-way, or easements on state land for roads, trails, ditches, field gathering lines or transmission and distribution pipelines not subject to AS 38.35, telephone or electric transmission and distribution lines, log storage, oil well drilling sites and production facilities for the purposes of recovering minerals from adjacent land under valid lease, and other similar uses or improvements, or revocable, nonexclusive permits for the personal or commercial use or removal of resources that the director has determined to be of limited value. . . . In the granting, suspension, or revocation of a permit or easement of land, the director shall give preference to that use of the land that will be of greatest economic benefit to the state and the development of its resources. Another statutory section, AS 38.05.945, provides for notice to be given by DNR for certain actions. Subsection (e) of this section states that “[n]otice is not required under this section for a permit or other authorization revocable by the department.”