Gov. Bill Walker has signed into law Senate Bill 28, increasing the land entitlement for the Petersburg Borough by 12,770 acres.
When the borough was formed in 2013, the land grant entitlement from the state was significantly smaller than other organized boroughs in Alaska and the legislation rectifies this situation, Walker said.
“Given our state’s fiscal climate, it is critical that we give our local communities and boroughs the necessary tools to be as economically sustainable and self-sufficient as possible,” Walker said.
“This bill does exactly that, allowing the Petersburg Borough to take full advantage of potential development opportunities in the region, and help build a stronger Alaska.”
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bert Stedman, R- Sitka, was co-sponsored by Representatives Sam Kito, D-Juneau, and Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, D-Sitka.
Senate Bill 28 increases the borough’s land entitlement level similar to that of the state’s other 18 organized boroughs. When the borough was organized it received a general entitlement of 1,896 acres from the state, of which roughly 450 acres had already been given to the city of Petersburg.
