February 21, 2020 (Juneau, AK) – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy today introduced legislation to establish the PFD Land Voucher program to promote putting more land into Alaskans’ hands. The bills, HB 270 / SB 217, would allow dividend-eligible Alaskans the option to receive a voucher worth twice the monetary value of the statutory dividend calculation to be applied toward the purchase of state land. The PFD land vouchers would be transferrable, would not expire, could be combined for purchase of a single parcel, and could be used along with the state veterans’ land sales programs.
“This is an exciting new opportunity for all Alaskans to own a piece of the Last Frontier. While the State Lands Bill I introduced on Wednesday will increase the supply of available land, this bill is a response to the demand by helping individual Alaskans to realize land ownership,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “This will be a win-win for both the individual Alaskan and the state treasury. By the individual voluntarily choosing a land certificate instead of a PFD check, the treasury gets the benefit of that money, and the individual gets the benefit of a land certificate twice the value of the PFD to purchase State land of their choice.”
If enacted, this legislation would help fulfill the Alaska Constitution’s mandate to develop state resources to benefit the public.
State-owned land is routinely offered for sale to Alaskans through several programs administered by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, including the Remote Recreational Cabin Site, land auction, over-the-counter sale, and agricultural land sales programs. The PFD land voucher could be applied to purchase state land through all programs, providing a valuable supplement to already proven and successful programs.
More information on all Alaska State Land Sale programs can be found here.
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Media Contact: Lauren Giliam lauren.giliam@alaska.gov (907)717-4057
