BLM transfers 1,085 acres near Flat to Doyon as ANCSA land conveyances near completion

By THE ALASKA STORY

April 6, 2026 – The Bureau of Land Management has issued an interim conveyance transferring about 1,085 acres of federal land near Flat, Alaska, to Doyon, Limited, as part of the ongoing Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act land transfer process.

The conveyance represents another step in the decades-long effort to complete land selections made under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which created regional Native corporations and authorized them to select lands within their regions. Doyon, Limited’s total Section 12(c) entitlement is approximately 8.36 million acres.

According to the BLM, roughly 6.68 million acres have already been fully patented to Doyon, while about 1.48 million acres have been transferred through interim conveyances. After the latest action near Flat, approximately 202,040 acres remain to be transferred to the Interior Alaska regional corporation.

BLM Alaska State Director Kevin Pendergast said the conveyance reflects continued progress in completing one of the largest land transfer efforts in U.S. history.

“Since passage of ANCSA in 1971, Alaskans have seen a profound shift in land ownership, reflecting both opportunity and self-determination. Today’s conveyance marks continued progress in fulfilling the promises of ANCSA,” Pendergast said.

ANCSA resolved aboriginal land claims in Alaska by creating Native regional and village corporations and granting them the right to select millions of acres of land. While most selections were made in the 1970s, some transfers have taken decades to complete due to complex surveys, legal reviews, and title issues.

The BLM reports that of roughly 45.7 million acres authorized for conveyance under ANCSA, more than 44.3 million acres, about 97%, have now been transferred through patents or interim conveyances.

The agency administers the work under the Alaska Land Transfer Program, which also includes conveyances tied to the Alaska Statehood Act, Native Allotment Act of 1906, and the Dingell Act. The program involves cadastral surveys, boundary adjudication, and legal review before land titles are finalized.

Federal officials say the transfers provide Alaska Native corporations with legal title needed for long-term economic development, cultural preservation, and community planning.