Urban Planning Degree in Alaska

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How Much Do Alaska’s Urban Planners Earn?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor published that Alaska’s urban planners earned an annual median wage of $78,950 in May 2019. Those working in the Anchorage metropolitan area earned even more per year, at $86,790. Those working in Alaska’s nonmetropolitan area averaged an annual salary of $77,270. So as you can see, working as an urban planner in Alaska can be quite lucrative.

What Are Alaska’s Laws and Regulations Surrounding Planning and Land Use?

Many land use acts have been established in Alaska that require federal or state agencies to prepare land use plans. They include the Alaska Statehood Act, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the National Forest Management Act, the Alaska National Land Conservation Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, just to name a few.

Federal Management of Alaska’s Lands

A variety of federal agencies are responsible for management of Alaska land. They include the U.S. Department of Agriculture –Forest Service. This agency controls land use in two national forests, the Tongass National Forest and the Chugach National Forest.

Another federal agency that controls land in Alaska is the U.S. Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management. At the time of Alaska’s statehood, the BLM took care of 272 million acres of Alaska. Much of the control of that land has now been transferred to other federal agencies, as well as state agencies and Native corporations. Currently, the BLM manages 65 million acres of land (18 percent of Alaska’s land). Areas which the BLM manages include land in Anchorage, Glennallen, and the Northern District (including the National Petroleum Reserve, the Central Yukon, Fortymile Wild and Scenic River area, Northwest, Steese National Conservation Area, Utility Corridor, White Mountains, Fort Greeley and Fort Wainwright.

The U.S. Department of the Interior –National Park Service is a federal agency that manages about 51 million acres of Alaska’s land. This land includes:

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Denali National Park and Preserve
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Katmai National Park and Preserve
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Noatak National Preserve
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
Sitka National Historic Park

The U.S. Department of the Interior – Fish & Wildlife Service is another federal agency responsible for managing some of Alaska’s land. As of 2000, they managed 76.9 million acres. Comprehensive conservation plans for which they hold responsibility include:

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Becharof National Wildlife Refuge
Innoko National Wildlife Refuge
Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge
Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge
Selawik National Wildlife Refuge
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge
Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

State Management of Alaska’s Lands

There are two types of plans that are developed when it comes to state-owned land. One is Area Plans, which typically cover larger areas (the largest one so far being 19 million acres) but may also be used for areas as small as 250,000 acres. These types of plans will establish goals, policies, management intent and guidelines for the use of the land and take two to three years to prepare. The other type of plans is Management Plans, which are more detailed plans for special areas and take one to two years to complete.

In Alaska, planning and land use of state-owned lands largely falls under the jurisdiction of the state’s Department of Natural Resources Division of Mining, Land and Water. They are to manage these state-owned lands for the maximum benefit to the public. Land use planning of these lands is the responsibility of the Resource Assessment and Development Section of the DNR’s Division of Mining, Land and Water. Lands managed by this division include:

Bristol Bay Area
Nushagak and Mulchatna Rivers Recreation Management
Central Southeast Area
Copper River Basin Area
Dalton Highway/Coldfood Area
Haines-Skagway Area
Juneau State Land
Kenai Area
Kodiak and Aleutians Area
Kuskokwim Area
Lower Yukon-Kuskowim Region
Northern Southeast Area
North Slope Region
Northwest Area
Prince of Wales Island Area
Southwest Prince of Wales Island Area
Prince William Sound Area
Susitna Area
Tanana Basin Area
Turnagain Arm
Upper Yukon Area
Yakataga Area
Yukon-Koyukuk Region

Another state agency responsible for planning land in Alaska is the Alaska Department of Fish and Game- Habitat and Restoration Division. They are responsible for reviewing land use plans to make sure that fish and wildlife habitats are not disturbed by them. About three million acres are managed by this agency.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources- Division of Forestry manages two state forests, the Tanana Valley State Forest and the Haines State Forest Resource Management Area.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources – Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation manages the State Park system, including Chugach State Park, Northern Area, and Southeast Area.

The Office of the Governor – Division of Governmental Coordination, Alaska Coastal Management Program resulted from the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. Today, this state agency is responsible for managing Alaska’s coastal areas, all in Southeast Alaska.

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was established in 1971 and instructs the Bureau of Land Management to convey 45.5 million acres of public land to regional and village Native corporations. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has requested easements for public access across these Native lands so that public waters and lands can be used. Hunting, fishing and recreational activities are not allowed on these easements as the land belongs to a Native corporation. Many of the trails that are reserved on these lands are unmarked and undeveloped.

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act Program represents an act that was passed in 1980 to designate over 100 million acres of federally-owned land in Alaska as new or expanded conservation system units. Some of these units include the Iditarod National Historic Trail, wild rivers, designated wilderness areas, national wildlife refuges, national parks and preserves, the White Mountains National Recreation Area, and the Steese National Conservation Area. The act was designed to help balance the fledgling economy and infrastructure of Alaska with interest in its natural resources.

What Should Aspiring Urban Planners Study in Alaska?

Undergraduate Programs

You must ultimately earn your graduate degree in order to work as an urban planner in Alaska. However, you cannot earn a graduate degree without starting at the undergraduate level. Ideally, it is recommended that you find an undergraduate urban planning degree program that holds accreditation through the Planning Accreditation Board of the American Planning Association. However, Alaska houses no such accredited undergraduate programs. Instead, you may consider:

Bachelor of Science in Environment and Society – University of Alaska Anchorage
Bachelor of Arts in Rural Development – University of Alaska Fairbanks

Graduate Programs

A graduate degree in urban planning or a closely related area is your end goal when you want to work as an urban planner in Alaska. Again, it is recommended that you select a graduate urban planning program that holds accreditation by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) of the American Planning Association). And once again, there are no such accredited programs in Alaska. One alternative is to choose an accredited online program, such as:

University of Florida, Gainesville – Master of Urban & Regional Planning

College of Design, Construction & Planning, School of Landscape Architecture & Planning, Department of Urban & Regional Planning
431A Architecture Building
P.O. Box 115706

Gainesville, FL 32611-5706
Accreditation through December 31, 2026
Kristin Larsen, Director
352.294.1482; klarsen@ufl.edu

Other non-PAB accredited urban planning programs available include:

University of Alaska, Fairbanks – Master of Arts in Rural Development

Department of Alaska Native Studies & Rural Development

3^rdFloor Brooks Building

Fairbanks, AK 99775

Patricia Sekaquaptewa, JD and Charlene Stern, Ph.D., Co-Chairs

907.474.6528 or uaf-dansrd@alaska.edu

Why Should Urban Planners in Alaska Become Professionally Certified?

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)

The American Planning Association-Alaska Chapter recommends that all urban planners working in the state become professionally certified. This is especially important in Alaska, as there are no PAB-accredited programs available. Professional certification shows that you are educated and experienced and can uphold the standards and ethics of the profession. You must sit for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam. The following scenarios explain what criteria you must meet in order to sit for the exam:

You have no college degree and eight years of professional planning experience.
You possess an undergraduate or graduate degree in a non-planning area and four years of professional planning experience.
You possess a graduate degree in planning from an un-accredited school and three years of professional planning experience.
You have a bachelor’s degree in planning from a PAB- accredited school and three years of professional planning experience.
You have graduate degree in planning from a PAB- accredited program and two years of professional planning experience.

AICP Certification Maintenance in Alaska

The Certification Maintenance Program of the AICP can help you in maintaining your AICP certification. You must complete32 CM credits every two years. Use CM Search to help find applicable activities and events.

Are There Other Professional Certification Organizations for Alaska Urban Planners?

You may seek out alternative professional certifications like:

Congress for the New Urbanism-Accredited (CNU-A)
Professional Transportation Planner (PTP) of the Transportation Professional Certification Boards, Inc. (TPCB)
GIS Professional (GISP) of the GIS Certification Institute
Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM)

What Types of Jobs and Careers Are Available for Urban Planners in Alaska?

Planning Projects in Alaska

There have been a wide variety of types of planning projects across Alaska in recent years. Some of them include:

Unalaska – The 12^thlargest incorporated city in Alaska, 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, has experienced an increase in development in recent years. Development is focused on finding other economic activities than the traditional fishing industries.
Cooper River Basin Area Plan – covers 15.9 million acres of land in the eastern portion of southcentral Alaska, the majority of which is under federal ownership. Plan address mainly management of 3.3 million acres of state lands.
Bering Sea-Western Interior RMP/EIS – a land use plan in Western Alaska covering 62.3 million acres of land
Kuskokwim Area Plan Amendment – classifies currently unclassified state-owned lands that were not in state ownership at the time of the original adoption of the Kuskokwim Area Plan

Internships in Urban Planning in Alaska

Although you might not be able to find accredited urban planning college programs in Alaska, you still can find internships. Examples of potential internships in urban planning in Alaska include:

Smart Infrastructure Intern Program – Siemens, Anchorage
Bering Straits Native Corporation – Anchorage
Student Trainee – U.S. Department of the Interior, Anchorage
National Society of Leadership and Success, Juneau
Office of Sustainability – University of Alaska, Fairbanks

Urban Planning Positions Within Alaska’s Public Sector

There are a wide variety of public sector employers that hire urban planners. They include:

Planner I, II, III – Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Juneau
Resource Planner – Kenai Peninsula Borough, Soldotna
Environmental Engineer – US Department of the Air Force, Elmendorf Air Force Base
Community & Economic Development Director – Northwest Arctic Borough, Kotzebue

Urban Planning Positions Within Alaska’s Private Sector

In the private sector in Alaska, job titles for urban planners can include:

Sustainability Coordinator – Allen Marine Tours, Juneau
Environmental Impact Analyst- Workplace Alaska, Juneau
Facilities Operations Specialist – PeaceHealth, Ketchikan
Community Development Coordinator – Association of Village Council Presidents, Bethel

How to Become an Urban Planner in Alaska