I am a little surprised also at the apparent lack of interest, however in a way it is understandable. Most of the state is inaccessible by road, and many folks expect to be able to step out of their 4WD and start finding nuggets. The fact that this type of place (where you can step out of your car and start finding nuggets) is extremely rare, and the few that exist get hit very heavily (leaving little to find) does not change that attitude.
The other big problem is the fact that HUGE areas of Alaska are no longer open to us - vast areas declared "wilderness" and "national monument" not to mention the vast areas now deeded to various native peoples, so a fellow has to hunt very carefully to find an area in the state where he (or she) can legally go do some metal detecting and prospecting. I agree, Alaska is (arguably) the very best place in the USA to find gold, however some of the very best areas for gold in the state are now CLOSED to mineral entry and you may lose your detector or even get arrested for simply doing your own "pursuit of happiness".
I personally have lost a superb mining claim in Alaska to a native corporation through a lawsuit, and the whole region around there, <which is highly mineralized and extremely promising for gold>, is now property of the Bering Straits Native Corp and you will get arrested if you go there. As much as I LOVE Alaska, and agree it is, or rather WAS a super place to hunt gold, I don't recommend it to any but the very persistent types whom are not easily discouraged.
Sorry for the negative post, just trying to explain why (I suspect) we don't see MUCH more interest in the greatest state of all.
Oroblanco