John Sturgeon would like to use his hovercraft in a national preserve to reach moose hunting grounds. The State of Alaska is fine with that;1 the federal government is not. Sturgeon’s case turns on which entity—state or federal—gets to decide the matter. On remand from the Supreme Court, we again conclude that the federal government properly exercised its authority to regulate hovercraft use on th... More...    $0 (10-02-2017 - AK)

Challenged in this case are land and water use permits allowing intensive
mineral exploration on State land. The main question we address is whether the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had to give public notice before issuing the
permits. Because the Alaska Constitution requires public notice when interests in land
are transferred, the answer to this question depends on wheth... More...    $0 (05-29-2015 - AK)

Plaintiffs Dyer L. Vandevere, John McCombs, Gary Hollier, and John Jent fish commercially for salmon in the waters of Alaska’s Upper Cook Inlet. State-issued entry permits and shore fishery leases allow them to fish there. After Alaska promulgated regulations that shorten the fishing year and limit the number of salmon that commercial fishers may harvest, Plaintiffs brought this action against D... More...    $0 (07-11-2011 - AK)

A municipality sought land through eminent domain to expand its water treatment plant. The property owner objected to the taking because: it would close off an access route to her remaining property; the municipality had not dedicated replacement access in a binding way; and the municipality sought a fee simple interest, rather than an easement, in the portion of the land to be used as an undevelo... More...    $0 (10-30-2009 - AK)

A landowner challenged a municipality’s delay in replatting and providing an accurate legal description of the land it took using its power of eminent domain, alleging that it unnecessarily interfered with his remainder property rights. As a remedy the landowner requested that the superior court dismiss the previously approved taking without prejudice or, alternatively, change the valuation date... More...    $0 (11-06-2009 - AK)

Alaska Statute 09.55.275 requires a municipality to obtain preliminary approval of a replat before an eminent domain acquisition that results in a "boundary change." Because we hold that a "boundary change" results when a municipality takes an easement that is not coextensive with the property lines and that functionally interferes with the landowner's use, the statute required the Municip... More...    $0 (02-08-2002 - AK)