Cases

University of Alaska Lands

In Brief:

This case challenges the constitutionality of Alaska state legislation, passed in 2005, that grants over 250,000 acres of state public domain lands to the University of Alaska. Because the University has an obligation to maximize revenues from the land, the legislation exposes these environmentally and economically significant lands to intensive development.

In March 2009, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the legislation is unconstitutional and ordered that any land that has already been conveyed to the University must be returned to the state along with any proceeds received from the land. The decision protects important habitat and community use areas from development, keeping these lands in the public domain.

Updated: November 4, 2009

Case #1350