Alaska Mental Health Trust begins accepting land sale bids

JUNEAU, Alaska – A mental health department has begun accepting bids for parcels of land in southeast Alaska up for auction in its annual land sale, officials said.

All plots of land, ranging from $12,400 to $112,000 would be sold to the highest bidder in a sealed bid submission process, the Juneau Empire reported Friday.

The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority is expected to continue the auction until Nov. 12, Trust officials said. The Trust Land Office in Anchorage is expected to open the submitted sealed bids Nov. 14.

Parcels are to be accepted “as is” and “where is” with “no guarantees, expressed or implied, as to its suitability for any intended use,” according to the department’s website.

Plots of land are located south of Juneau in areas surrounding Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka and Wrangell where some regions lack access to water or constructed roads, the department said.

For example, three parcels for sale about 20 miles (32 kilometres) northwest of Ketchikan would need individual generators for electricity and water, officials said.

The department has held this land auction since 1998 to benefit programs that serve state residents with a variety of mental health issues, officials said. Last year, more than $980,000 was generated from the sale.

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Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com