By THE ALASKA STORY
May 8, 2026 – The State of Alaska moved Thursday to shut down a federal lawsuit filed by environmental groups seeking to block the transfer of nearly 1.4 million acres of land along the Dalton Highway Corridor, arguing the court no longer has jurisdiction now that the land has officially been conveyed to the state.
The motion to dismiss comes just one day after the federal government issued Tentative Approval for approximately 1.38 million acres, vesting equitable title in Alaska and marking one of the largest statehood land conveyances in decades.
The legal challenge was brought by 10 environmental organizations against the Department of the Interior’s decision to revoke two long-standing federal land withdrawals dating back to the construction era of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
Alaska argues the lawsuit became legally defective the moment the land transfer occurred.
“Today’s transfer along the Dalton corridor represents a major step toward fulfilling the promises made to Alaska at statehood more than sixty years ago,” said Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox. “These lands are tied to Alaska’s future — transportation, energy infrastructure, resource development, and access across some of the most strategically important parts of our State. This case is about Alaska’s sovereignty. And our motion to dismiss makes clear that no state can be hauled into federal court and divested of real property rights without its consent. The Court must dismiss this case.”
At the center of the dispute are Public Land Orders 5150 and 5180, withdrawals put in place during the 1970s to support development and construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
On Feb. 25, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued Public Land Order 7966, revoking the older withdrawals and reopening the land for possible conveyance to the State of Alaska. After a required 30-day waiting period, the order automatically took effect under provisions of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, triggering the conveyance process.
The Biden-era delays and disputes over Alaska’s remaining land entitlement have become a major political issue for Alaska leaders, who have argued for years that the federal government has failed to fully honor the promises made under the Alaska Statehood Act of 1959.
The Department of the Interior announced the transfer publicly on Wednesday, calling it a significant milestone toward completing Alaska’s long-unfinished land entitlement.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy praised the transfer and tied it directly to President Donald Trump’s push for expanded domestic energy development.
“What we’re seeing now is that promises made to Alaska are finally being kept,” Dunleavy said. “President Trump understands that unleashing Alaska’s resources not only represents a commitment to the people of Alaska, but a benefit to all Americans who will benefit from these resources.”
The transfer includes land adjacent to some of Alaska’s most strategically important infrastructure corridors, including the Dalton Highway, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, and proposed routes tied to the Ambler Road project and the Alaska LNG project.
Alaska Department of Natural Resources Commissioner-designee John Crowther said the conveyance will allow the state to better manage development opportunities while preserving access to surrounding federal lands.
“The Department will eagerly steward these critical lands on behalf of Alaskans while working to ensure they continue to have access to nearby federal lands,” Crowther said. “These actions by DOI and BLM-Alaska are an important step in fulfilling federal promises made decades ago, which have secured millions of entitlement acres for the State to date.”
The environmental groups challenging the transfer argue the federal government failed to adequately analyze environmental impacts before revoking the withdrawals and reopening the land for state selection.
But Alaska’s filing argues the federal court can no longer provide the relief plaintiffs seek because the United States has already transferred equitable title to the state, and Alaska has not consented to being sued in federal court over its land ownership.
If the court agrees, the case could be dismissed without reaching the environmental claims themselves.
The conveyance represents more than 96% completion of Alaska’s total land entitlement under the Statehood Act, according to the Department of the Interior, leaving only a relatively small portion still unresolved after more than six decades.
One thought on “Alaska moves to block environmental groups from stopping transfer of federal land to Alaska”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is such a breathe of fresh air after the suffocating woke previous Secretary “Karen” Haaland with “daddy’s girl” Lisa parading around the state tying knots in Alaska’s lifeline to energy and mineral production as well as many other developmental restrictions.