PETERSBURG — Governor Bill Walker Thursday signed legislation to help increase economic and resource development opportunities in the Petersburg Borough. When it was formed in 2013, the Petersburg Borough received a significantly smaller land grant entitlement from the state than other organized boroughs; Senate Bill 28 rectifies this situation, increasing the land entitlement for Petersburg by 12,770 acres.

“Given our state’s fiscal climate, it is critical that we give our local communities and boroughs the necessary tools to be as economically sustainable and self-sufficient as possible,” Governor Walker said. “This bill does exactly that, allowing the Petersburg Borough to take full advantage of potential development opportunities in the region, and help build a Stronger Alaska. I thank Senator Bert Stedman for sponsoring this legislation, and Mayor Jensen and Representatives Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Sam Kito for supporting it.”

The legislation increases the Petersburg Borough’s land entitlement level similar to that of the state’s other 18 organized boroughs. When the borough was organized, it received a general entitlement of 1,896 acres from the state, of which roughly 450 had already been given to the City of Petersburg.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

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