Alaska Online Public Notices #ADL 234664

Alaska DNR Proposes 10-Year Lease for 100-Acre Commercial Kelp Farm near Cat Island

This opportunity involves a proposed 10-year lease by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources for a 100-acre aquatic farm near Cat Island, southeast of Ketchikan, for commercial kelp cultivation. - Government Buyer: - Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Mining, Land & Water, Southcentral Regional Land Office - Primary Applicant/Vendor: - Pacific Kelp Company, Inc. - Products & Infrastructure Requested: - Submerged longline culture system for kelp farming - 6 steel high-scope drag embedment moorings (10,000–30,000 lbs each) - 6 steel anchor chains (various lengths, 3.27" diameter) - 6 fiber rope anchor lines (UHMWPE, 3.78" diameter) - 6 polyethylene foam corner floats (13.1 ft diameter) - 6 plastic tensioning floats (9.25 gallons) - 6 fiber rope tensioning float tethers (polypropylene, 1.1" diameter) - 2 fiber rope header lines (UHMWPE, 3.78" diameter) - 58 fiber rope inner growlines (.87" diameter, polyester) - 2 fiber rope edge growlines (.87" diameter, polyester) - 300 polyethylene shell foam-filled growline floats (26.4 gallons) - 300 concrete weights (252 lbs each) - 300 fiber rope growline float tethers (.87" diameter, polyester) - 1 fiber rope transverse set line (UHMWPE, 3.78" diameter) - Kelp Species to be Cultivated: - Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) - Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) - Ribbon kelp (Alaria marginata) - Bull kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) - Notable Requirements: - Year-round operation with up to four harvests annually - All gear remains installed year-round; no on-site support facilities - Seedstock must be sourced from approved Alaskan suppliers (e.g., Mothers of Millions, Lexa Meyer, Oceans Alaska) - $10,000 performance bond and annual lease fees (~$9,949/year) - Site restoration required after lease termination - Approval required for any subleases - Ongoing monitoring, reporting, and compliance with commercial use requirements - Farm design must withstand 25-year storm conditions - Locations: - Felice Strait, near Cat Island, southeast of Ketchikan, Alaska (farm site) - Southcentral Regional Land Office, Anchorage (government office) - Ketchikan South Tongass Launch Ramp (access point)

Description

The State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land & Water, Southcentral Regional Land Office, has made a preliminary decision to offer a 10-year aquatic farm lease to Pacific Kelp Company, Inc. The lease covers approximately 100 acres of state-owned tide and submerged lands within Felice Strait, near Cat Island, Alaska. The lease involves installation of a submerged longline culture system for commercial growth and harvest of four kelp species: giant kelp, sugar kelp, ribbon kelp, and bull kelp. The public and agencies are invited to review and comment on the proposed project by June 24, 2026.

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