Anchorage Wetland Management Plan Update
Project Background:
The current Anchorage Wetlands Management Plan was adopted in 2014 (AO 2013-132(S)) and is the third successive plan following earlier versions completed in 1982 and 1996. The 1982 plan established the Municipality's first formal framework for identifying wetlands and guiding land use decisions related to wetland protection. It focused on basic inventory, classification and coordination with federal agencies at a time when local wetland policy was still emerging. The 1996 update expanded this foundation by refining wetland mapping, changing the designations for the classification of wetlands, strengthening coordination with regulatory agencies and responding to increased development pressure within the Municipality.
The 2014 plan built on both earlier plans by updating wetland mapping, formalizing the wetland classification system and creating a clearer structure for regulatory coordination with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other agencies.
- The first phase, which was heard at the Planning and Zoning Commission on July 13, 2026 (PZC Case 2026-0036), focused on making textual corrections throughout the plan, reassigned oversight and implementation to the “Municipality of Anchorage" and introduced text that allowed the Planning Director to alter wetland boundaries.
- The second phase is a more thorough and technical overhaul of the plan to update all mapping data and redefine the wetlands management program of the Municipality to respond to recent changes to federal wetland regulations.
Why is it important to update the Anchorage Wetlands Management Plan Now?
Several changes have occurred since the 2014 plan was adopted that affect how wetlands are regulated and managed in Anchorage:
- In 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chose not to renew three Regional General Permits that previously allowed the Municipality to issue general permits for C class wetlands, and so all development projects located in wetlands throughout the Municipality must go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an authorization to place fill.
- The 2023 Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA narrowed which wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act, meaning fewer areas that were previously considered wetlands now fall under federal jurisdiction.
- Throughout this period, USACE has faced staffing shortages, which has slowed the review of wetland reports and made the permitting process more difficult.
- Wetlands mapping used in the current plan is now more than eleven years old and no longer reflects current conditions.
All these together have created an environment that makes it very difficult to fully implement the plan's goals and administer its regulations.
Goals of the Phase II Update:
- Identify & protect wetlands
- Minimize water quality degradation &
maintain hydro function
- Protect higher value sites and develop
lower value areas
- Timely & predictable permitting in
low value wetlands and maintain General Permit
Project Timeline: