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Goldbelt dock gets preliminary state OK for tideland lease; month-long comment period begins
25-year lease will allow reassessments of area use beyond the construction period of the proposed two-ship private port on Douglas Island, according to DNR
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A tideland lease that is one of many required regulatory steps for Goldbelt Inc.’s proposed two-ship private cruise port on the west coast of Douglas Island received preliminary approval Friday from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
The preliminary decision is open to public review and comment until Nov. 23.
The Goldbelt Aaní port, first announced in 2024 by the Juneau-based urban Alaska Native corporation, is seeking to open by the 2028 cruise ship season. Goldbelt has stated it plans to offer a range of tour facilities and traditional cultural experiences at the port site, which it hopes is the first phase of more extensive development on land it owns along the coast of the island.
"If two cruise ships are in port, there could be up to 10,000 guests and 2,000 to 3,000 cruise ship workers on site," the company’s application states.
Goldbelt CEO McHugh Pierre, in an email to the Juneau Independent on Friday, stated "I don’t have a confirmed date for (the port) opening. We have permits to secure and construction to line up before I can give you a firm answer on a projected opening date."
Various concerns about the private port’s impact on Juneau’s tourism industry have been expressed by some city leaders and residents. Key among those is an unresolved question about whether it would draw a large percentage of existing cruise traffic away from downtown — to the concern of businesses there – or add roughly 500,000 more passengers to the 1.7 million now arriving annually. Pierre has previously stated the company’s intent is to spread out existing traffic rather than adding more.
The preliminary decision by DNR’s Division of Mining, Land and Water recommends a 25-year lease for the tideline lease "for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the cruise ship berths and associated facilities requested." While Goldbelt states it intended to build the port facilities over a four-year time span, the decision notes the longer lease allows "for the re-evaluation of the land and state resources at a more regular interval and to reassess the use of the area."
DNR’s review of the application includes responses from several state agencies, as well as the City and Borough of Juneau. No objections to the tideline permit are made by those agencies, but there is a lengthy list of requested actions and restrictions meant to limit adverse environmental and other adverse impacts during construction and the port’s operation.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, for instance, notes the project "will likely also have a significant impact on commercial and personal use crab fisheries, but impacts could be mitigated or lessened by avoiding construction during certain key dates." The preliminary decision includes such limits for specific activities during portions of the year. Other recommendations by fish and game officials address issues such as bear protections, and waste and fuel storage.
DNR also noted the project will affect publicly navigable waters in Stephens Passage.
"Site operations will involve loud, heavy equipment and daily use will involve increased marine traffic," the preliminary notice states. "Public access along public waters at this site may be unsafe during operation; therefore, DMLW will allow temporary, seasonal closure of the public access easement…Closure shall only occur when necessary, due to a risk to public safety and the lessee shall provide notice to the public in the form of posted signage near the easement area."
Public comments can be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 23 via email at melissa.allen@alaska.gov, fax at 907-269-8904, or traditional mail to DNR Division of Mining, Land and Water, Southeastern Regional Office, P.O. Box 111020, Juneau, AK 99811-1020.
The Goldbelt Aaní project also needs approval from a range of other agencies ranging from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the Juneau Planning Commission. Pierre, in his email, noted the "permitting process for upland work is a staged approach, meaning the final vision will not occur with the first conditional use permit issued."
"We have two more studies to complete, and we will have answered all of the outside agency questions through the conditional use permit process," he wrote. "We expect the final report to be submitted to the planning department in December, which would begin a planning commission public process in 2027."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or 907-957-2306.
