All state areas closed for tundra travel

All state lands on Alaska’s North Slope were closed for tundra travel as of May 20.

Closures began May 13 when the Alaska Department of Natural Resources closed the Lower Foothills opening area to all off-road travel activities, with a 72-hour window for completion of all off-road travel currently in progress in the area.

The upper Foothills and western coastal tundra opening areas were closed May 17.

DNR’s Division of Mining, Land and Water said temperatures in the upper Foothills and western coastal tundra opening areas had periodically been above freezing during the day with the thermal gain from prolonged sun exposure causing variable levels of snow deterioration in the areas.

Closures were complete May 20 when the division closed the eastern coastal area. As with the previous closures, the division said above-freezing temperatures during the day and resulting thermal gain had caused snow deterioration in the area.

Summer off-road tundra travel is scheduled to begin July 15 but “applies only to those holders of valid permits who obtain specific project approval and is further limited to those vehicles approved by the Division of Mining, Land and Water for summer off-road travel,” the division said.

—Petroleum News