��ɫtv

September 29 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2020

New Legislation Would Provide Greater Fiscal Stability for the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-��ɫtv, last week introduced new legislation, the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv Fiscal Foundation Act, in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation is supported by ��ɫtv Governor Mike Dunleavy, also R-��ɫtv, and would resolve the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv’s (��ɫtv) unfulfilled land grant to help it generate revenues that support its students and operations. 

The ��ɫtv currently has one of the smallest land endowments—just 110,000 acres—of any applicable institution of higher education. While those lands help the ��ɫtv generate revenues, a complicated history of federal laws and an adverse court ruling have prevented the State of ��ɫtv (State) from being able to directly convey additional lands to the ��ɫtv from its own entitlement—despite that being Congress’ clear intent for several decades.

The delegation’s new bill addresses these issues by allowing the ��ɫtv and State to jointly identify up to 500,000 acres for potential conveyance, which the Department of the Interior (DOI) would survey. The State and ��ɫtv would then work with DOI to transfer up to 360,000 acres in total to the ��ɫtv. Any land ultimately transferred to the ��ɫtv would be deducted from ��ɫtv’s outstanding statehood lands entitlement, which still totals several million acres.

“As we navigate these unprecedented times, the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv will continue to play a critical role by providing quality educations to young ��ɫtvns and future generations,” said Senator Murkowski, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “This legislation will fulfill the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv’s land grant for the benefit of its students and help provide a permanent foundation to support higher education in ��ɫtv. This is key to a healthy and vibrant future for our state, and I thank the Governor and the ��ɫtv for working with us to develop this consensus approach.”

“The ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv, like so many other institutions in ��ɫtv, has been hit hard by the pandemic, facing significant fiscal challenges as a result.” said Senator Sullivan. “Finally fulfilling the ��ɫtv’s promise as a land grant university with sufficient lands to achieve its mission will better enable the institution to support itself and continue to educate our state’s next generation of leaders. I’m glad to join Senator Murkowski and Congressman Young in introducing this legislation to break through decades-long hurdles that have prevented the ��ɫtv from accessing the land it needs to secure a strong future.”

 “The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every area of our daily lives, including our economy,” said Congressman Young. “One critical way we can help ��ɫtvns bounce back from these unprecedented times is to help our universities in their goal of providing high-quality education to the young people of our great state. The ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv Fiscal Foundation Act is an important piece of legislation to provide this essential institution with the resources necessary to support our students. Our state is well-known for being able to balance resource development with environmental protection, and the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv should be empowered to responsibly utilize their lands for the benefit of students. I am grateful for the support of both the ��ɫtv Delegation and Governor Dunleavy, and will continue working to secure a bright future for future generations of ��ɫtvns.”

“I am committed to getting ��ɫtvns back to work, reviving our state’s diverse economy, and enhancing and developing our abundant natural resources. The fulfilment of the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv's long-standing land grants is a significant step towards meeting these commitments,” said ��ɫtv Governor Dunleavy. “I thank Senator Murkowski, as well as her ��ɫtvn colleagues, Senator Sullivan and Congressman Young, for the introduction of the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv Fiscal Foundation Act. This vital piece of legislation would provide for the continuation of higher education by placing productive lands into active management to generate recurring revenues, supporting the ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv. This is exactly what Congress intended in the creation of land grant universities and it is time this intent is realized.”

“This is a major step forward and a very important day for the university toward our long-term financial security. The entire university community is grateful to our congressional delegation and for the support of the Governor,” said ��ɫtv of ��ɫtv Interim President Pat Pitney. “While there’s more work to be done in the months ahead, this legislation signals that our status as a ‘land grant university without the land’ is finally coming to an end. We look forward to the opportunity that the land will provide to our long term stable funding to enhance our students’ educational experience and for cutting edge research.”

The text of the legislation as introduced in both the Senate and House is available . To read more about the ��ɫtv’s never-fulfilled land grant, please click here.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Grace Jang (Murkowski)                     Jeff Turner (Dunleavy)

                                    Michael Soukup (Sullivan)                  Roberta Graham (Pitney)

                                     Zack Brown (Young)