Yukon Flats comment period reopened

A federal agency is reopening the comment period on the proposed Yukon Flats land swap.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said April 14 it will accept more comments on plans to exchange hundreds of thousands of acres with the Alaska Native corporation Doyon. The proposed land swap would hand the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge at least 150,000 acres of habitat-rich land owned by Doyon.

In return, the corporation would get title to 110,000 acres of land, thought to be rich with oil and gas reserves, and development rights to other land in the Yukon Flats area.

Jim Mery, a senior vice president at Doyon, says it welcomes the extended comment period.

—The Associated Press