Alaska Land Transfer Program
In Alaska, the Bureau of Land Management has been tasked with the largest land transfer effort ever taken in the United States. For more than 50 years, the BLM has been involved with the survey and conveyance of lands in Alaska under three statutes: the Native Allotment Act of 1906; the Alaska Statehood Act, and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The work being done to implement these laws is collectively called the Alaska Land Transfer Program. The Alaska Land Transfer Program has three distinct phases: preliminary adjudication and application approval; cadastral survey; and conveyance of lands and entitlements.
Visit our Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment page for the latest Alaska efforts under (Sect. 1119) of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116-9).
When Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, nearly all of its 365 million acres were under federal ownership. Since then, Alaskans have witnessed dramatic changes in land ownership. As the Secretary of the Interior’s designated survey and land transfer agent, the BLM surveys and conveys land to individual Alaskan Natives, Alaska Native corporations, and the State of Alaska.
Acreages transferred/patented to Alaska Native Corporations, Native Allottees, and the State of Alaska to date1
| Allottees | Percentage of Entitlement/Parcels Filed |
|---|---|
| ANCSA Corporations | 44,285,342 million acres (96.88% of entitlement) |
| State of Alaska | 99,332,525 million acres (95.03% of entitlement) |
| 1906 Native Allotments | 16,034 parcels filed |
| 1998 Native Vet Allotments | 1,070 parcels filed |
| 2019 Native Vet Allotments | 474 applications received; 41 certificates issued (64 relinquishment requests rejected by SOA; 16 State relinquishment requests accepted; 38 relinquishment requests rejected by ANCs; 7 ANC relinquishments accepted; 54 applications need additional information). |
ANCSA Village closures to date: 131
Progress: 2019 - 2024
The following reflects an aggregate of 5,360,954.54 acres transferred, patented to Alaska Native Corporations, Native Allottees, and the State of Alaska in the past six years.
| Action | 2019 Acres | 2020 Acres | 2021 Acres | 2022 Acres | 2023 Acres | 2024 Acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Patent (ANCSA) | 53,448.54 | 105,730.00 | 137,976.00 | 1,070.00 | 18,303.00 | 24,410.00 |
| Interim Conveyed (ANCSA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,280.00 |
| Confirmatory Patent (ANCSA) | 549,155.00 | 168,031.00 | 62,453.00 | 134,374.00 | 165,540.00 | 239,395.00 |
| Original Patent (State) | 4,367.00 | 0 | 303.00 | 0 | 805.00 | 1,148.00 |
| Tentative Approval (State) | 97,653.00 | 28,770.02 | 8,670.00 | 1,500.00 | 187.00 | 0 |
| Confirmatory Patent (State) | 791,319.00 | 835,696.00 | 745,227.00 | 585,962.00 | 505,980.00 | 91,842.00 |
| Total Acreage | 1,495,942.54 | 1,138,227.00 | 954,629.00 | 722,906.00 | 690,815.00 | 358,075.00 |
| Action | Total to Date | Percent Complete | Remaining Entitlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Conveyance | 5,054,941 million acres | 11.06% | |
| Patent/Other Charges | 39,247,071 million acres | 85.86% | |
| Total | 44,301,984 million acres | 96.92% | |
| 2024 Village Closures to Date | 131 Village Closures | 1,459,402.07 | |
| Action | Total to Date | Percent Complete | Remaining Entitlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tentative Approval | 28,699,259 million acres | 27.46% | |
| Patent | 70,630,732 million acres | 67.57% | |
| Total | 99,329,990 million acres | 95.03% | 5,219,312.09 million acres |
Land Survey Accomplishments from 2011-2022
| Action | Amount |
|---|---|
| Miles Surveyed | 35,310 miles |
| Miles Resurveyed | 5,916 miles |
| Special Survey Miles | 737 miles |
| Number of Monuments Set | 21,209 |
| Approved Original Acreage | 4,997,690 acres |
| Approved Resurvey Acreage | 2,542,784 |
| Approved Special Survey Acreage | 1,093,146 |
| Number of Plats Accepted | 2,186 |
Land Transfer Entitlements
- The total entitlement to the State of Alaska is 104.5 million acres, roughly the size of California.
- The remaining state entitlement is 5.2 million acres, roughly the size of New Jersey.
- The total ANCSA entitlement is 45.7 million acres, roughly the size of the state of Washington.
- The remaining ANCSA settlement is 1.8 million acres, roughly the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
When the work is completed, over 150 million acres, approximately 42% of the land area in Alaska, will have been transferred from federal to state and private ownership.