Alaska Survival v. State, Department of Natural Resources

OPINION

MOORE, Justice.

This appeal challenges a state land disposal of thirty-two agricultural homesteads near Talkeetna. A group of local residents sued to block the 3,530-acre offering. The superior court upheld the decision of the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to dispose of the land in a September 1984 lottery. We conclude that the disposal was invalid because DNR failed to comply with the land use planning process mandated by statute. We reverse the superior court judgment and remand DNR’s disposal decision for reconsideration by the agency. We also conclude that the court…