Legislative Aide Melissa Kookesh with the signed bill!
PETERSBURG – Gov. Bill Walker today signed Senate Bill 28 into law. SB 28 was sponsored by Sen. Bert Stedman (R-Sitka) to increase the Petersburg Borough’s land entitlement to 14,666 acres.
When the Petersburg Borough was created by the voters in 2013 they had only received 1,896 acres. With passage of the SB 28, the Petersburg Borough is now on equal-footing with other organized boroughs across the State of Alaska.
“The Petersburg Borough will now have more control over its destiny,” said Sen. Stedman. “The folks in Petersburg will select land they can use for economic development as well as rock and sand material sites for future projects, waterfront land for tourism development, residential lots, and other uses that will allow Petersburg to grow and become even more self-sufficient.”
The Petersburg Borough will select the acreage from seven different areas within the borough boundaries. All selections will be made from vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved state lands. No selections will interfere with existing state, University, or Alaska Mental Health Trust lands, including the Southeast State Forest, or private ownership.
“My staff and I started working on this issue with Mayor Jensen, and his staff, Liz Cabrera, back in the fall of 2016,” Sen. Stedman said. “That hard work for growth and economic development in the future for the residents of the City & Borough of Petersburg is now final. I appreciate Governor Walker’s support, and the help of his staff and the Department of Natural Resources.”
Governor Walker and my Legislative Aide Melissa Kookesh giving welcoming remarks prior to the signing of SB 28 in Petersburg.
SB 28 passed both legislative bodies unanimously.
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