Keeping Law SimpleLegislation, clearly explained
Back to Alaska
Alaska2026Passed Legislature

SB47

Chugach State Park Easements and Road Maintenance

Last scannedSep 12, 2026, 4:46 AM

In one sentence

This law clarifies that the state department manages Chugach State Park while allowing it to grant road access rights to local cities if they pay all costs, maintain the roads, and follow public hearing rules.

What it does

  • Assigns control, development, and maintenance of Chugach State Park lands to a single department, except for existing public roads which are handled by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities unless an agreement exists with a municipality.
  • Allows the park department to grant easements or right-of-way to municipalities for building or fixing roads inside the park if specific conditions are met.
  • Requires that any municipality receiving an easement must pay all costs associated with it and agree to maintain those road areas for the duration of the agreement, which can be temporary or permanent.
  • Mandates public notice and at least one hearing before granting any new easement or right-of-way within the park.
  • Allows the commissioner to modify up to 20 percent of the park's boundaries if land ownership conflicts cannot be resolved without unreasonable cost.

Who it affects

  • The state department responsible for managing Chugach State Park.
  • The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
  • Municipalities (local city or borough governments) requesting road access within the park.
  • Residents who use roads inside Chugach State Park.

Limits and unknowns

  • Easements can only be granted if the commissioner finds they improve public access and are in the public interest.
  • Municipalities must pay all costs for any new easement; the state does not fund these specific projects under this law.
  • The duration of an easement is set by the agreement and may be temporary or perpetual.

Plain language

Terms to know

Easement
A legal right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose, such as building or fixing a road.
Right-of-way
The space of land needed to build and maintain roads, bridges, or other transportation facilities.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

CHUGACH STATE PARK EASEMENTS An Act relating to Chugach State Park; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW 7/1/251397
  2. (S) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 6/6 CHAPTER 6 SLA 251397
  3. (S) MANIFEST ERROR(S)1307
  4. (S) 3:50 P.M. 5/15/25 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR1306
  5. (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): JOSEPHSON1001
  6. (H) VERSION: CSSB 47(RES)997
  7. (H) RETURN TO (S), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT997
  8. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE997
  9. (H) PASSED Y35 N4 E1996
  10. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 47(RES)996
  11. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UC996
  12. (H) READ THE SECOND TIME996
  13. (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/2/2025996
  14. (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): COULOMBE829
  15. (H) FN1: ZERO(DNR)638
  16. (H) DP: COULOMBE, HALL, RAUSCHER, ELAM, MEARS, FIELDS, SADDLER, DIBERT, BURKE638
  17. (H) RES RPT 9DP638
  18. (H) Minutes (HRES)Min
  19. (H) Moved CSSB 47(RES) Out of CommitteeText
  20. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124Text