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Municipal Lands Trustee Program

Section 14(c)(3) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) requires all Native village corporations that receive land under the provisions of Sections 14(a) and (b) of ANCSA to convey certain lands to the existing municipality in the village or, if no municipality exists, to the State in trust for any municipality that may be established in the future. Acceptance of the trust responsibility is found in Alaska Statute 44.33.755, which defines “municipality” as “only first or second class cities incorporated under the laws of the state.” The lands conveyed to the State in trust are called “municipal trust lands.”

Interactive Map of MLT Communities - (Click to Open)

Interactive map of MLT communities

MLT Villages By Region

Role of Department Staff

The role of the Municipal Lands Trustee (MLT) Program, within the Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA), is basically two-fold:

  1. Accepting land into trust from Village Corporations, and
  2. Managing and administering municipal trust land until the village incorporates as a city.

The Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) serves as the "Municipal Lands Trustee" and, pursuant to AS 44.33.755, is responsible for accepting, administering, and disposing of lands conveyed to the state in trust under 43 U.S.C. 1613(c)(3) (Sec. 14(c)(3) of ANCSA). The Trustee may delegate to a Municipal Land Trust Officer the responsibility to carry out program activities.The Trustee's role is to be highly responsive to the needs of the communities involved in the trust.  Alaska Statute 44.33.755(a)(2) and 3 AAC 190.430 provide that no transfer of interest in municipal trust land may be made without the approval of the village residents through their recognized appropriate village entity (AVE), or through the adoption of a resolution by residents at a special meeting held for that purpose. 

MLT Annual Report

MLT Annual Report 2019
Click image for PDF of MLT Annual Report 2019

Contact for More Information

DCRA Municipal Lands Trustee Program
550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1650
Anchorage, AK 99501-3569
Phone (907) 269-4548
Fax (907) 269-4563
Email MLT Staff

Revised 04/05/2022