ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The state is seeking conveyance of nearly 20,000 acres on the western boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The state says the lands were requested under the Alaska Statehood Act and Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. But Gov. Sean Parnell says the federal government has been improperly drawing the boundary.
In a release, Parnell says his administration began a review of the boundary after the Department of Natural Resources received bids for oil and gas tracts in the area in 2011.
He says conveyance will bring the acreage under state control for oil and gas exploration.
Maureen Clark, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, told APRN the agency received the state’s request and was checking if the issue was the subject of prior litigation.
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