Alaska

A federal judge ruled that Alaska tribes may put land into trust. Now what?

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2024

A federal judge ruled that Alaska tribes may put land into trust. Now what?

The piece of land that was attempted to be put into trust is a less than 800-square-foot lot near the corner of Capitol Avenue and Village Street in Juneau. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)

Last week, a federal judge in Anchorage ruled that tribes in Alaska may put land into trust, essentially allowing tribes to create “Indian Country” in the state. That’s something that had nearly been done away with since the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act took effect 53 years ago.

Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks sat down with KTOO’s Clarise Larson to talk about what the ruling really means, and why it matters.

Listen:

This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity.

James Brooks: This matters a lot because it allows Alaska Native tribes within the state to put land in the federal trust, protecting it from sale, from give away from anything that they don’t want — effectively. It’s a form of long-term protection that places this land under tribal law, rather than state or local law. The main idea is that putting land into trust is something that Alaska tribes haven’t been able to do since the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in the 1970s.

Clarise Larson: What is the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and why is it influencing what is happening today?

James Brooks: We know that Alaska Natives have lived in Alaska for 10s of 1000s of years, since time immemorial, as the phrase goes. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act back in the 1970s was designed to settle what’s known as Aboriginal land claims, the idea that folks have been living here for so long, they should have title or right to the land around them — the land that they have used.

The Settlement Act was designed to settle those Aboriginal claims to land. But what it did was it didn’t give land to tribes, instead, it created corporations to hold that land. And those corporations have rights, but they’re not sovereign governments. And in the decades since then, there have been plenty of people who are unhappy with that result. Even though corporations received millions of acres of land and millions of dollars. It didn’t answer all of the problems that Alaska Natives have had with the current system. And so by putting land into trust, you can put land under the authority of the sovereign tribal governments allowing them to exert tribal law on that land.

Clarise Larson: In Alaska, who is going to be impacted the most by this?

James Brooks: It has the potential to impact virtually everyone in the state. There are almost 230 federally recognized tribes in the state. And until now, most of those tribes have had very small land bases. Now, tribes can take a greater influence in how land is administered here. And say, for example, Tlingit and Haida’s situation here in Juneau, they’re seeking to put a fairly notable part of downtown Juneau into trust. And that has the potential to impact all of the people who live around that plot of land.

Clarise Larson: But, the ruling wasnt exactly cut and dry, right? Explain to me some of the intricacies of this particular ruling.

James Brooks: The ruling this week matters because it says that tribes can do this, but it wasn’t a complete win for the federal government or for Tlingit and Haida. Judge [Sharon] Gleason, who gave the ruling said that the process used in the particular case that was before her court was flawed and needs to be started over.

That while tribes and the federal government can do this process, the process that was used in the case under question wasn’t correct. So Tlingit and Haida is going to have to go back to the federal government, they’re going to have to restart this process. And it might take a little bit for that to happen. But in the end, the most important thing is that Tlingit and Haida, and other tribes will be able to do this process.

Clarise Larson: Why did the State of Alaska sue in the first place?

James Brooks: The state of Alaska through various governors, and various legislatures, has always been somewhat skeptical of tribal sovereignty of tribal land claims. And, in challenging tribes’ ability to put land into trust, this latest lawsuit was following in the state’s historical pattern. Because the state government, state governors feel they have a responsibility for all their state residents. And they worry that allowing tribes to put land into trust could create lots of patches of varying jurisdictions that might deprive different residents of their rights.

Clarise Larson: So, what’s next?

James Brooks: This decision could end up getting appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, it could end up reaching the US Supreme Court. And we could see changes if there’s a new presidential administration as well.

Policies on Native land claims and in putting landed the trust have varied from presidential administration to presidential administration. And so we could see that change as well. While this is an important step, it’s not the last word by any means.

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Alaska

Alaska Airlines names CFO as new president

Published

7 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Alaska Airlines names CFO as new president

Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president. Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29. (M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg)

Alaska Airlines has given its chief financial officer, Shane Tackett, another responsibility — president.

Tackett will assume his additional role at the SeaTac-based airline on June 29, according to a news release Wednesday.

Tackett will continue leading the organization’s finance, fleet management, investor relations, supply chain, internal audit and information technology functions, according to the release. His new responsibilities as president include oversight of Alaska Airlines’ commercial division.

Tackett previously held positions in labor relations, e-commerce and financial planning at the company, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“I started at Alaska more than 25 years ago, and over that time we’ve built a stronger, more resilient airline with a clear strategy for the future,” Tackett said in a statement.

He said he is excited to lead more of the organization in his new role and deliver to guests, employees and owners.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said Tackett has led the company through challenges and helped it grow over his 25-year tenure.

“Bringing commercial and finance leadership together under Shane will strengthen alignment and accelerate our priorities as we continue advancing our strategy and creating long-term value for our stakeholders, said Minicucci, who also serves as CEO and president of the airline’s parent company, Alaska Air Group.

Tackett’s promotion comes as the airline navigates challenging macroeconomic factors, including rising fuel costs and weakening consumer demand for travel.

Alaska Air Group — which includes Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, as well as regional carrier Horizon Air and ground support company McGee Air Services — saw its profits drop 70% in 2025 year over year. It continued to face financial woes in 2026.

The company lost $193 million in the first three months of 2026 as it dealt with skyrocketing jet fuel prices due to the war in Iran.

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Alaska

Alaska study sees mixed results on links between kelp farms and CO2 levels – Homer News

Published

17 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Alaska study sees mixed results on links between kelp farms and CO2 levels

Published 5:30 am Thursday, June 18, 2026

A study into the amount of CO2 absorbed at a pair of Alaska kelp farms is throwing some cold water on hopes that seaweed could be an answer to climate change.

Alaska kelp farms, which have been viewed as a potential boon for reducing local carbon-dioxide levels, have surprisingly murky effects on atmospheric CO2 removal, according to a new study.

A University of Alaska Fairbanks-led project measured the amount of CO2 that was emitted and absorbed at two kelp farms in the Gulf of Alaska during the 2023-2024 growing season. The outcome was mixed — one farm slightly reduced carbon dioxide in the local environment while the other added more to it.

Marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) has been touted as a potential strategy to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, with the ocean serving as a sink for human-produced CO2.

The study, which was recently published in the journal Ocean Science, is the first to measure mCDR in Alaska waters. It focused on kelp farms, which can draw down CO2 through the process of photosynthesis.

“It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon that seaweed is going to change the world, but ultimately we want to be honest to the public,” said Amanda Kelley, an associate professor at UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and a contributor to the study.

“Really, it’s very nuanced, and there are a lot of factors that affect kelp’s ability to do that.”

Josianne Haag, who led the project as a UAF doctoral student, installed sensors both inside and outside kelp farms in Windy Bay near Cordova and Kalsin Bay on Kodiak Island. From seeding to harvest, hourly data was collected on ocean chemistry, temperature, salinity and oxygen levels.

The two sites had numerous differences, including the type of seaweed being planted, the timing of their growing seasons and the size of the farms. Also, Windy Bay’s tides are more extreme than Kalsin Bay’s.

The results were striking and varied. The farms flipped between absorbing and releasing carbon dioxide depending on the amount of sunlight and the time of day. Extreme low tides affected CO2 levels by flushing groundwater into the area, briefly raising carbon dioxide levels.

A film of marine fauna grew on some of the farm equipment in Kalsin Bay, leading to a burst of carbon dioxide production through their respiration.

Overall, the Windy Bay farm slightly reduced nearby atmospheric marine carbon dioxide levels while the Kalsin Bay farm boosted them. Measurements will continue at the farms for at least two more years, but the first season revealed that a kelp farm’s recipe for carbon intake and output is surprising and complex.

“It’s really not doing much in either direction,” Haag said. “The farms aren’t necessarily harming anything, but we shouldn’t be blowing out of proportion that they’re going to save us from climate change.”

The study was part of the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium project, which is an ongoing effort to look at the impacts and benefits of mariculture in Alaska. Mar ReCon research is funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.

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Alaska

Gagnon Coal Seam Fire reported near Healy

Published

1 day ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Gagnon Coal Seam Fire reported near Healy

By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection on June 17, 2026

At approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, a fire was reported off Healy Spur Road. The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, along with the Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Anderson Fire Department, responded to the Gagnon Coal Seam Fire (#206).

Estimated at 3 acres, the fire was burning in grass with approximately 50% of the perimeter actively burning. A five person Initial Attack squad, helicopter, and engine responded. Light rain was reported at the incident upon arrival.

There are no structures threatened, and there are no evacuations in place. This will be the last update on this incident, unless conditions change.

This map shows the location of the Gagnon Coal Seam Fire (#206) located on the Healy Spur Road east of Usibelli on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Click on the image to download a PDF type file to enlarge or print.

‹ DFFP is responding to the Bulchitna Fire in the Fish Lakes area of the Yentna River

Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)

Tags: 2026 Alaska Fire Season, coal seam, DFFP Northern Region, Gagnon Coal Seam Fire

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