Have Your Say: Alaska’s Reviewing Key Business Regulations — Including Made in Alaska

The State of Alaska is asking for public input on several major programs that directly impact small businesses, local producers, and manufacturers — including the Made in Alaska program.

This public “scoping” process is part of Administrative Order 360, which directs agencies to find ways to simplify rules, cut red tape, and make it easier for Alaskans to do business.

Right now, the Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA) is gathering feedback before drafting any official regulation changes. That means this is your chance to help shape how these programs operate.

⚙️ What’s on the Table

The review covers five programs:

1. Made in Alaska Program

   • Certifies products truly made or manufactured in Alaska.

   • Feedback can help modernize the process, make renewals easier, and strengthen marketing support for local producers.

2. Shared Revenue Programs

   • These programs send state funds to cities and boroughs for infrastructure, utilities, and development.

   • Improvements here could mean more reliable local funding for industrial sites, broadband, and community facilities that manufacturers depend on.

3. Bulk Fuel Revolving Loan Fund

   • Helps rural communities and utilities buy fuel in bulk for winter.

   • Streamlining this program could lower energy costs and improve supply stability for rural producers and small factories.

4. Municipal Land Trust Program

   • Allows municipalities to hold land in trust for development.

   • AKMA supports expanding flexibility so communities can use this land for maker spaces, shared production hubs, and local manufacturing projects.

5. Local Boundary Commission

   • Manages changes to city and borough boundaries.

   • Doesn’t directly affect manufacturers, but boundary shifts can influence zoning, permitting, and taxes.

💡 Why It Matters

This process could shape how Alaska supports its makers and small producers for years to come.It’s a chance to advocate for:

• Faster, clearer permitting and certification

• Lower administrative costs

• Transparent, predictable funding for local infrastructure

• Policies that actually fit the realities of rural production and logistics

This isn’t just a checkbox exercise — it’s the pre-draft stage, where real feedback can actually guide what the next version of these programs looks like.

✉️ How to Share Your Input

🗓 Written Comments Due: November 15, 2025

📧 Email: dcra.regs@alaska.gov

📬 Mail: Division of Community and Regional Affairs, 550 W. 7th Avenue, Suite 16, Anchorage AK 99501

💻 Online: DCRA Website

🗣 Oral Comments: Join the telephonic public hearing on October 30, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.Join via ZoomMeeting ID: 880 5349 7164 | Passcode: 713045

Or — if you’d rather make it simple — email AKMA your thoughts, and we’ll compile all member feedback into one unified submission on behalf of Alaska’s manufacturing community.

🧭 What to Include in Your Feedback

When sharing your ideas, consider:

1. Which program you’re addressing (e.g., Made in Alaska or Bulk Fuel Loan Fund).

2. What’s working well — and what’s not.

3. How your suggested change would:

   • Clarify confusing rules

   • Reduce costs or wait times

   • Improve transparency or communication

   • Streamline applications or renewals

Example:

“As a small manufacturer in Kenai, simplifying the Made in Alaska renewal process would save time and help more small businesses maintain certification.”

🚀 The Takeaway

These programs shape Alaska’s small-business landscape — from how we certify our products to how we power our plants.

👉 Let’s make sure the voices of Alaska’s makers and manufacturers are heard.Submit your feedback by November 15, or email your comments to AKMA and we’ll include them in our collective submission.