U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has introduced legislation that would give the Alaska Bible College the ability to sell land given to it in Glennallen by the federal government in 1959 as a land grant. The bible college later moved to Palmer and now wishes to sell the original property to reduce its operating costs.  

“This bill is a win-win for the Alaska Bible College and the city of Glennallen. It costs taxpayers nothing and simply allows one of Alaska’s educational institutions to sell land given to it decades ago, hopefully adding to the city’s economy and increasing future tax revenues,” Murkowski said.

In 1926, the Central Alaska Mission began operations in Glennallen. In 1954, it received a federal land grant from Congress and eventually received 210 acres in Glennallen. The land grant, like many in the territory of Alaska and later the state of Alaska, included a clause that should the property no longer be used for religious or public purposes that it would revert to the federal government. Reversion would produce greater conveyance and management costs to the federal treasury than are likely to be recovered through the sale of the property.