What to Know

• Comments must be submitted by postal mail or email: blm_akso_ak932_cpcomments@blm.gov
• Comments must be received by December 17th
• Use this form and reference these tracts of land. Additional written pages can accompany your form. For more details, visit the Bureau of Land Management’s website.
• Mail comments to:

State Director
Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office
222 West 7th Avenue, Mailstop 13
Anchorage, AK 99513-7504

Where do I start?

Anyone can submit a public comment, but the most effective comments are unique, fact-based, and contain a clear “ask” that the Bureau of Land Management can act on.

Per agency guidelines, “Comments are not votes for or against a decision. BLM must rely on supporting information, not the number of comments received. Multiple comments / topics with the same concern are considered one comment.”

Drawing from these guidelines, here are some things to keep in mind:

• A unique and specific ask will carry more weight than a generic request.
• State your ask directly, being as specific as possible.
• Support your ask with facts, not opinions.   
• Use thoughtful formatting to make your main points stand out. Consider strategically incorporating section headers, bolded text, and bullet points.
• Include any relevant credentials you have. For example, “I am a community member who has lived near the Refuge for 15 years” or “I study migratory birds that live in Track 23 for part of the summer.”

Looking for more information?

For public comment guidance:

• The Alaska Wildlife Alliance Public Comment Guide
• Public Comment Template for Scientists
• Bureau of Land Management Public Comment Guidelines
• Bureau of Land Management Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Lease Sale documents

For Arctic Refuge information:

• The Episcopal Church & The Arctic Refuge informational brief
• Gwich’in Steering Committee
• Recent news coverage from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post