The Children's Lands Alliance Protecting Schools Lands applauds University of Alaska Fairbanks Chancellor Brian Roger's March 4 commentary in the Alaska Dispatch News. He reminded Alaskans about the 100th anniversary of the land reservation made by the U.S. Congress and President Woodrow Wilson, which benefited Alaska public school children and Alaska's land-grant college.
One section per township in the Tanana Valley was reserved for the university, with a subsequent grant of additional acreage. The university now has an actively managed land trust stemming from the 1915 Act. The university land trust has since been supported by the state in gaining additional lands.
That very same 1915 act reserved two sections per township statewide for the exclusive benefit of Alaska public school students. However the state legislatively converted school trust land to state general lands in 1978 leaving the trust essentially "landless."
Since learning of the trust in 2005, Alaska PTA has advocated federal and state legislators and the state administration members to reconstitute the public school land trust to no avail. The Alaska Legislature, state administration and our congressional delegation have not even asked Congress to fulfill the original reservations to the public school land trust.
Another similar federal land grant in 1950 was intended to support a mental health program in Alaska. It too was made "landless" by the same 1978 action. Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority advocates had to ask the Alaska Court System to restore the original trust intent, which it did. The trust authority now has a strong land trust serving thousands of Alaskans.
In April 2013, CAPSL, an unaffiliated nonprofit organization, followed the lead of mental health advocates and asked the courts to require the state to fulfill its trust obligations to Alaska public school students.
During this 100th year, it is important to remember the federal government once so valued public education that it promised to reserve as school trust land every unencumbered federally owned Section 16 and 36 (1/18th of each Alaska township) for the support of public school students.
As identified by Alaska public school land trust expert Dr. E. Dean Coon in his 2014 ADN commentary, "The Citizens Alliance Protecting Schools Lands plan would provide a fully reconstituted public school land trust and public school permanent fund. An organization similar to the Mental Health Trust Authority would be created to manage the school trust."
CAPSL is simply asking an Alaska court to require the state fulfill its trust obligations to its public school children.
To celebrate the centennial of the establishment of the Alaska Public School Land Trust, CAPSL asks for support in fulfilling this federal commitment made to Alaska public school students. Remember that restoring the trust land and active management would provide additional school revenue from the land and trust -- not the state general fund.
Public school land trusts were provided to states when joining the union. As former Alaska Lt.-Gov. Mead Treadwell stated in his Feb. 26 ADN commentary, "Statehood's promised 90-10 revenue sharing has been a bust -- Congress has ignored it and unilaterally changed its terms." The federal compact with Alaska public school students has been similarly ignored and the terms changed.
CAPSL still prefers a legislative over a legal resolution of the trust, but will be present in Juneau Superior Court February 2016 for our scheduled court appearance. As Alaskans we are obliged to try and reinstate this incredible federal promise for our current and future public school students.
Contact CAPSL at akcapsl13@gmail.com. Additional information on school land trusts in 20 western states, including Alaska, can be found on the Children's Land Alliance Supporting Schools (CLASS) website at www.childrenslandalliance.com. CLASS is an alliance of western states that obtain school revenue from the millions of acres of their school lands.
Allen McCarty has been in Alaska about 35 years. He has lived in Seward for the past 16. McCarty is a charter member and president of CAPSL, nonprofit based in Seward). He also serves as Seward PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) president and is a former Alaska PTA second vice president for legislation.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.