SB 223: "An Act approving an interim classification by the commissioner of natural resources closing certain land within the Situk River system to new mineral entry; and providing for an effective date."
00SENATE BILL NO. 223 01 "An Act approving an interim classification by the commissioner of natural 02 resources closing certain land within the Situk River system to new mineral 03 entry; and providing for an effective date." 04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 * Section 1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Act is to approve the interim classification 06 contained in Mineral Closing Order No. 711, issued by the commissioner of natural resources 07 to close shoreland and tideland underlying the Situk River and associated lakes and estuaries 08 to new mineral entry. The legislature finds that (1) the Situk River system supports 09 significant commercial, subsistence, and personal use fisheries used by setnetters in the 10 Yakataga area; (2) the system is a significant sport fishery for wild king, sockeye, coho, and 11 pink salmon, and Dolly Varden/char; and (3) the system is the most important fishery in 12 Southeast Alaska for steelhead trout. The legislature further finds that permanent closure of 13 the state-owned subsurface estate of the river system to new mineral entry will help protect 14 fish habitat that is essential to maintain the productivity of the system's commercial, sport,
01 subsistence, and personal use fisheries. 02 * Sec. 2. Under AS 38.05.300(c), and subject to existing valid rights, the state-owned land 03 underlying the following waterbodies, totaling approximately 2,797 acres, is permanently 04 closed to new mineral entry: 05 (1) Mountain Lake, within Township 26 South, Range 36 East, Copper River 06 Meridian, Sections 8, 17, and 20, containing approximately 205 acres; 07 (2) an unnamed river between Mountain Lake and Situk Lake, within 08 Township 26 South, Range 36 East, Copper River Meridian, Sections 20, 29, and 30, 09 containing approximately 20 acres; 10 (3) Situk Lake, within Township 26 South, Range 35 East, Copper River 11 Meridian, Sections 13, 24, and 25; and Township 26 South, Range 36 East, Copper River 12 Meridian, Sections 19 and 30, containing approximately 1,000 acres; 13 (4) the Situk River below Situk Lake, within Township 26 South, Range 35 14 East, Copper River Meridian, Sections 25, 26, and 35; Township 27 South, Range 35 East, 15 Copper River Meridian, Sections 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 20, 29, and 32; Township 28 South, 16 Range 34 East, Copper River Meridian, Sections 24, 25, and 36; and Township 28 South, 17 Range 35 East, Copper River Meridian, Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, and 19, containing 18 approximately 745 acres; and 19 (5) Situk Lagoon, within Township 28 South, Range 34 East, Copper River 20 Meridian, Section 36; Township 28 South, Range 35 East, Copper River Meridian, Section 31; 21 Township 29 South, Range 34 East, Copper River Meridian, Section 5; and Township 29 22 South, Range 35 East, Copper River Meridian, Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 11, containing 23 approximately 827 acres. 24 * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).