Why It Matters
A significant land transfer along Alaska’s Nome River is restoring access and conservation protections to a stretch of waterway long shaped by gold rush-era mining. The deal gives the Sitnasuak Native Corporation permanent stewardship over territory that subsistence food gatherers had been unable to freely access due to private land barriers.
What Happened
The Conservation Fund transferred 1,700 acres of land running approximately 14 miles along the Nome River to the Sitnasuak Native Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation based in the Nome region. A conservation easement was also arranged in coordination with the Interior Alaska Land Trust, adding a layer of long-term protection to the property.
The Nome River flows roughly 40 miles from the Kigluaik Mountains before emptying into Norton Sound at the eastern edge of Nome. The transferred land covers habitat supporting salmon, grayling, and other wildlife. For years, community members engaged in subsistence fishing and gathering faced obstacles reaching the river because portions of the surrounding land were privately held.
Sitnasuak CEO Charles Fagerstrom said the corporation is proud to take ownership of what he described as a precious piece of land, adding that the acquisition ensures the area will be protected permanently for future generations of Alaska Native people.
John Wros, the Alaska state director for The Conservation Fund, said Sitnasuak and its shareholders represent the best possible stewards for the river and surrounding lands.
A community celebration marking the transfer is planned for later in the summer.
By the Numbers
- 1,700 acres transferred to Sitnasuak Native Corporation
- 14 miles of Nome River frontage included in the transfer
- 40 miles — total length of the Nome River from mountains to Norton Sound
- 400,000+ acres of land and water preserved through The Conservation Fund’s Alaska projects since the 1990s
- 1900–1930 — the period of heaviest mining activity along the lower Nome River
Historical Context
The Nome River’s lower reaches bear the visible marks of more than a century of industrial activity. Gold was first discovered at nearby Anvil Creek in the Bering Strait region in September 1898, triggering a rush of fortune-seekers to the area. Mining operations along the lower river were most intensive between 1900 and 1930, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has noted that mining ditches from that era remain visible today.
That legacy left behind degraded habitat throughout portions of the river corridor. The land transfer is intended in part to support recovery of fish populations and riparian habitat that were disrupted during decades of extraction activity.
Zoom Out
The Nome River transfer is part of a broader pattern of conservation-focused land transfers to Alaska Native corporations and tribal entities, which have emerged as a preferred model for balancing habitat protection with Indigenous land rights. The Conservation Fund has been active in Alaska since the 1990s and has accumulated a record of preserving more than 400,000 acres statewide through various agreements. Among its other recent projects, the organization added 24 acres known as Herring Pete’s Cove to Kachemak State Park.
Alaska’s subsistence resource questions remain politically and legally active. The state has seen ongoing disputes over who controls access to fish and wildlife on public and private lands — a tension that has drawn attention from state fisheries regulators and legal authorities alike. Habitat concerns have also intersected with wildlife disease monitoring, as biologists track the spread of conditions that could affect moose and other species across the region.
What’s Next
With the conservation easement in place through the Interior Alaska Land Trust, the transferred acreage will be protected against future commercial development or subdivision. Sitnasuak Native Corporation is expected to manage the land in ways consistent with both conservation goals and the subsistence traditions of the local Alaska Native community. The planned summer celebration will mark a formal public acknowledgment of the transfer for Nome-area residents.