responsibilities
The NAB Planning Department is responsible for zoning, platting, and land use regulation, as well as updating the Borough’s Comprehensive Plan. The department works in coordination with NAB communities, the Planning Commission, Mayor, and Assembly to regulate responsible development in accordance with Borough residents. The Planning Department acts as the platting authority and may adopt and publish rules and regulations regarding new development. The planning staff reviews requests for plans, subdivisions, and development (except for the City of Kotzebue) according to Title 8 of the NAB Code. Protection of subsistence resources shall be given the highest priority. Title 9 Permit Applicants: Please submit permit applicants at least two months prior to scheduled PC meeting date.
- Planning Commission
- Planning Commission Meeting Schedule
- Village Planning Committee
- NAB Lands and Mapping Projects
- Forms and Downloads
- Hunting Resources
2030 Comprehensive Plan
The Northwest Arctic Borough is updating its comprehensive plan. The updated plan will offer a regionwide roadmap to guide decisions, funding and development over the next 10 years. Click link below to learn more about the comprehensive plan and get involved
Subsistence Mapping Program
The Planning Department completed a subsistence mapping project in 2015. The Northwest Arctic Borough Subsistence Mapping Project documented local traditional knowledge and scientific information depicting subsistence use (where people hunt, fish, and gather by season) and important ecological areas (where animals feed, breed, raise young, and migrate by season) surrounding the communities of Kivalina, Noatak, Selawik, Noorvik, Deering, Buckland, and Kotzebue. The purpose of the project was to produce updated and scientifically defensible maps showing subsistence use and important ecological areas surrounding the Borough’s coastal communities for use in land use planning and commenting on federal plans, including but not limited to, offshore oil exploration and oil spill response.
Permitting The Planning Department implements land use regulation according to Title 9 of NAB Code (except for the City of Kotzebue). Permits include resource development (e.g. mining, natural gas), community infrastructure (e.g. utilities, schools, public buildings, roads, multi-family housing units, gravel extraction).