(a) The following state-owned land, including tide and submerged land, and excluding privately owned land, is established as the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge: Beginning at U.S.C.G.S. Triangulation Station “Salmon” located on the northeastern shore of Douglas Island, lying within the City and Borough of Juneau, First Judicial District, State of Alaska; thence northeasterly across Gastineau Channel approximately .5 miles to U.S.C.G.S. Triangulation Station “Creek”, said station being on the shore of Gastineau Channel, 200 feet south of Salmon Creek; thence trend northerly to the intersection of Egan Drive and Salmon Creek; thence trend northwesterly immediately adjacent to but not upon or within the designated right-of-way of Egan Drive approximately 2.7 miles to the intersection with the easterly boundary of Sunny Point Park Subdivision, recorded as Plat No. 333; thence southerly along said boundary; thence along said right-of-way line to the intersection with the 22.7 foot extreme high tide line; thence southerly and westerly on said 22.7 foot extreme high tide line, abutting said Sunny Point Park Subdivision, U.S. Survey 2475, Sunny Point Subdivision (Plat No. 307), and Egan Drive approximately one mile to the easterly line of the accreted property to the U.S. Survey No. 1568; thence southerly and westerly, along the boundary of said accreted property approximately .4 miles to Corner No. 14 of Alaska Tidelands Survey No. 716; thence southerly and westerly along the west meander line of U.S. Survey No. 716, approximately 2.6 miles to Corner No. 4 of said Tidelands Survey; thence northerly along the west meander line of U.S. Survey No. 1742, approximately 790 feet to the northwesterly corner of Juneau Airport property (Corner No. AP-4 of survey dated 6-69); thence northwesterly approximately 440 feet to the southerly meander line of U.S. Survey No. 1919; thence southerly and westerly, along the southerly meanders of U.S. Surveys No. 1919 and No. 1042 (as accreted), approximately .5 miles to the intersection with the south line of U.S. Survey No. 2136; thence westerly, along said south line, approximately .6 miles to the intersection with the 22.7 foot extreme high tide line; thence southerly, along said line approximately 1.4 miles to U.S.C.G.S. Triangulation Station “Glacier” on the southerly tip of Mendenhall Peninsula; thence in a southerly direction across Gastineau Channel approximately 1.3 miles to the mouth of Cove Creek; thence in a general easterly direction along the 22.7 foot extreme high tide line of Douglas Island approximately 9 miles to U.S.C.G.S. Triangulation Station “Salmon”, the true point of beginning.

(b) The state may not acquire by eminent domain privately owned land within or abutting state-owned land described in (a) of this section for inclusion in the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge but may acquire privately owned land by purchase, exchange, or otherwise for inclusion in the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge.

(c) Leases, permits, and applications for leases or permits in effect or submitted by January 1, 1976 are not affected by the provisions of this section. Renewals of leases or permits after January 1, 1976 are subject to this section.

(d) Egress and ingress across state land to and from private property within or abutting the land described in (a) of this section shall be allowed through access corridors established through agreement between the department and the private property owners affected.

(e) Except within that portion of the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge commonly known as the Twin Lakes area, the boundaries of which shall be established by the department after consultation with the City and Borough of Juneau, the taking of game is expressly permitted within the land described in (a) of this section if consistent with the management plan adopted by the department and conducted under regulations adopted by the board.

(f) Recreational activity is expressly permitted within the land described in (a) of this section if consistent with the management plan adopted by the department and conducted under regulations adopted by the board.

(g) Management of the surface and subsurface estate is the responsibility of the Department of Natural Resources. Any actions by the Department of Natural Resources which affect the habitat shall be in conformity with a plan proposed and adopted by the Department of Fish and Game, after reasonable public hearings, and following consultation with the City and Borough of Juneau. The plan shall be revised annually, if necessary and appropriate, under the same procedures followed for initial adoption.

(h) An activity or use may not occur under this section in a manner that creates a hazard to aircraft. Gravel extraction is not considered an incompatible activity on or abutting state-owned land described in (a) of this section and is subject to provisions of the management plan. Except for those ponds, lakes, or other bodies of water adjacent to the airport that are required to be maintained by the City and Borough of Juneau as a seaplane basin under certification for the Juneau Municipal Airport granted by the Federal Aviation Agency, if requested by the City and Borough of Juneau the Departments of Fish and Game and Natural Resources shall assist in filling the ponds, lakes, or other bodies of water adjacent to the existing airport runway to eliminate them as sites attractive to waterfowl.

(i) The management plan adopted under (g) of this section must include provisions under which the City and Borough of Juneau may acquire land, by sale, exchange, or otherwise, for purposes of expanding the Juneau Municipal Airport, establishing additional transportation corridors, including water corridors, and establishing publicly owned and operated docking facilities, and these uses are considered preferential under art. VIII of the state constitution but subject to the requirements for plan specification and approval under AS 16.20.060. A deed, contract of sale, lease, or other instrument evidencing disposition by the Department of Natural Resources of land under this subsection must include, among other terms, the condition that the land is restricted to use for airport expansion, establishing additional transportation corridors, including water corridors, and establishing publicly owned and operated docking facilities.

(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of (d) - (i) of this section, if the City and Borough of Juneau demonstrates to the Departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Game, jointly, that there is a superior public need for or use of the land to its use as a state game refuge, after public hearing and a finding by the departments supporting the determination that such a need or use exists or is required, the use shall be permitted. A final administrative order, ruling, or determination by the departments adverse to the petition of the City and Borough of Juneau is subject to judicial review under AS 44.62.560 - 44.62.570.

(k) Nothing in this section prevents the City and Borough of Juneau from exercising its land selection rights to state land within its boundaries under applicable law, providing the selection is by local ordinance.