JUNEAU – Wednesday, the Alaska Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 219, which provides Alaskans with an equal opportunity to retain a Personal Use Cabin Program (PUCP) permit within their family until a permanent solution can be provided by the legislature and the Division of Mining, Land and Water. The program was repealed in 1997 to create a permanent solution incorporating long-term leases and outright land sales, however little has been completed in the 25 years since the legislature unanimously passed a cabin solution bill. The lack of a solution threatens family cabins around the state. SB 219 is an attempt to be responsive to those Alaska families.

In an effort to preserve family recreational cabins on State land, the bill allows any living personal use cabin permit holder to transfer to or add a name of an immediate family member to their permit. The transferred permit would then be valid for the lifetime of that immediate family member. Permits can be transferred only once and are valid for the lifetime of that immediate family member.

If a permit holder has passed since 2020, prior to his or her average life expectancy provided by the National Center for Health Statistics, a surviving family member has the option of assuming the privileges of the permit. The permit would then be valid until the original permit holder would have reached their life expectancy.

Senate President Peter Micciche (R-Soldotna), who sponsored Senate Bill 219 said, “Over the generations, Alaska families have created beautiful, lasting family memories at these recreational cabins that have become second homes for many. I have personally fielded many calls from very upset families who have been informed that their permit has lapsed and they must remove their family cabin, often due to administrative issues or limited options. Often these cabins have been a part of a family for generations. Since the repeal of the program, once a family loses their permit due to the premature death of the permit holder, renewal issues, or a departmental mistake, the permit expires forever, and the cabin must be removed from the land. SB 219 is designed to solve issues beyond the control of a family with a permitted cabin. Recreational cabins have provided a healthy recreational lifestyle for many Alaska families. This bill secures the permitted site and cabin until permanent solutions are passed into statute.”

  Alaska, ccabin, permit, personal use, sb 219, senate