[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40729-40730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20001]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[ES-930-08-1430-00 Michigan]


Notice of Disclaimer of Interest

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform claimants, the State 
of Michigan, and the general public of a decision by the United States 
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affecting the processing of claims to 
certain islands under the Michigan Public Lands Improvement Act (MPLIA) 
of October 28, 1998, Pub. L. No. 100-537, 102 Stat. 2711. The court's 
decision in the case of Barbara W. Wolff and Janice Wheeler Tinker v. 
United States (Wheeler), 967 F. 2nd 222 (1992), held that, under 
Michigan law, title to islands which had been omitted from the original 
Federal survey passed to the littoral land owner when the littoral 
lands were patented. This is because the government did not survey the 
islands prior to the original conveyance, nor did the United States 
make any reservations of the islands in the patents for the littoral 
lands. Upon advice from the Department of the Interior's Office of the 
Solicitor, in accordance with the above Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals 
decision, it has been determined that the United States has no claim or 
interest in the islands listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Deputy State Director, Walter Rewinski, at (703) 440-1727, Eastern 
States, Division of Resources Planning, Use and Protection, 7450 Boston 
Boulevard, Springfield, VA 22153.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Federal land policy has long held that lands, including islands, 
that were omitted from the original Federal survey remain the property 
of the United States until the United States officially patents the 
lands out of Federal ownership. In 1988, the MPLIA was enacted to 
transfer unsurveyed islands in Michigan to the State of Michigan unless 
a valid claim by a private party to an island exists. Section 3 of the 
MPLIA allows islands to be sold by the Secretary of the Interior to 
parties who could demonstrate valid claims. The rights, title, and 
interest of the United States to any islands not purchased by claimants 
within 10 years after the date of enactment of the MPLIA would be 
transferred by the Secretary of the Interior to the State of Michigan 
under and subject to this Act. Following the passage of the MPLIA, the 
BLM received claims for a number of unsurveyed islands. In the early 
1990's, the BLM transferred ownership of all unsurveyed islands that 
did not receive claims to the State of Michigan in accordance to the 
MPLIA. The BLM then began adjudicating the claims filed under the 
MPLIA. Before adjudication could be completed, however, the Sixth 
Circuit decided Wheeler. The court held that under Michigan law, the 
unsurveyed islands had passed to the owners of the adjacent littoral 
land because the Government did not survey the island prior to the 
conveyance of the adjacent littoral lands, nor had the United States 
made any reservation of the islands in the patents for the littoral 
lands. According to Wheeler, the United States no longer has 
jurisdiction to sell islands to qualified claimants or to transfer 
islands to the State of Michigan. Therefore, the United States 
disclaims any interest in the islands listed below subject to Wheeler. 
Seventeen islands were surveyed by the United States after the MPLIA 
was enacted but before the Wheeler decision was made. These islands are 
subject to Wheeler and the United States disclaims interest in these 
islands also.

                                                          Unsurveyed Islands Subject to Wheeler                                                         
                                                             [All are in Michigan Meridian]                                                             
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            County                 CCN             TNP                RNG            SEC         Acres                        Location                  
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Alpena.......................          001  31N                6E                          3         0.80  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       002  31N                6E                          3         1.50  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       003  31N                6E                         11         0.30  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       004  31N                6E                          3         0.20  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       005  32N                6E                         36         0.20  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       006  31N                8E                          7         1.50  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       007  31N                8E                          7         0.20  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       008  31N                8E                          7         0.30  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       009  31N                8E                          7         0.40  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       009  31N                8E                          7         0.40  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
                                       010  31N                8E                         18         0.30  Island in Thunder Bay River.                 
Barry........................          004  1N                 10W                         7         1.30  Island In Pine Lake.                         
                                       005  1N                 10W                        15         2.80  Island In Crooked Lake.                      
Berrien......................          005  6S                 18W                         1         0.80  Island in St. Joseph River.                  
Branch.......................          002  7S                 5W                          5         1.50  Island in Marble Lake.                       

[[Page 40730]]

                                                                                                                                                        
Calhoun......................          011  3S                 6W                         15         1.50  Island in Cedar Lake.                        
Cass.........................          005  7S                 13W                        19         0.80  Island in Shavehead Lake.                    
                                       012  7S                 15W                        30         1.50  Island in Pine Lake.                         
Clare........................          002  20N                4W                         26         0.50  Island in Long Lake.                         
Genesee......................          006  9N                 5E                         21         8.00  Island in Flint River                        
Iron.........................          022  41N                23W                         5         0.10  Island in Stager Lake.                       
                                       055  42N                33W                        15         0.60  Island in Buck Lake.                         
Kent.........................          015  8N                 11W                         7         3.20  Island in Little Pine Island Lake.           
Keweena......................          023  58N                31W                         1         0.50  Island In Lake Superior.                     
Marquette....................          018  50N                26W                        21         0.60  Island In Lake Superior.                     
                                       019  50N                26W                        21         0.30  Island In Lake Superior.                     
                                       020  50N                26W                        27         4.00  Garlic Island in Lake Superior.              
                                       021  47N                27W                        13         0.80  Island in Lake Miller.                       
                                       022  46N                28W                        15         0.20  Island in Island Lake                        
Montcalm.....................          003  10N                5W                         17         0.30  Island in Crystal Lake.                      
Oakland......................          001  2N                 9E                          4         0.30  Island in Cass Lake.                         
Ogemaw.......................          004  23N                1E                          2         0.20  Island In Clear Lake.                        
                                       005  23N                1E                          2         0.90  Island in Clear Lake.                        
                                       006  23N                1E                         11         1.20  Island in Clear Lake.                        
                                       010  23N                4E                          8         1.80  Island in George Lake.                       
Presquew.....................          002  34N                4E                         31         0.10  Island in Lake Nettie.                       
Isle.........................          004  33N                7E                         25         0.10  Island in Long Lake.                         
                                       005  33N                7E                         25         0.20  Island in Long Lake.                         
Roscommon....................          001  22N                1W                         31         1.00  Island in West Twin Lake.                    
                                       003  21N                2W                         12         0.20  Island in Clear Lake.                        
Washtenaw....................          014  2S                 6E                         21         1.30  Island in Huron River.                       
                                       015  2S                 6E                         21         0.10  Island in Huron River.                       
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                                                                               Surveyed Islands Subject to Wheeler                                                                              
                                                                                 [All are in Michigan Meridian]                                                                                 
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               County                  Serial/No.             TWP                       RNG                SEC                 Subdiv                  AC                Location/name          
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Chippewa............................       041337  47N                       1E                                 11  Tr. 41......................         1.05  Black Point.                     
                                      ...........  ........................  ........................  ...........  ............................  ...........  Sugar Island.                    
Chippewa............................       041338  46N                       2E                                 14  Tr. 38......................         0.60  Rock Island.                     
                                      ...........  ........................  ........................  ...........  Tr. 37......................         1.68  Advance Island.                  
Chippewa............................       041339  42N                       4E                                 16  Lot 2.......................         1.24  Sweets Island.                   
Chippewa............................       041340  41N                       5E                                 14  Tr. 39......................         0.28  Huron Bay.                       
                                      ...........  ........................  ........................           23  Tr. 38......................         1.27  Huron Bay.                       
Chippewa............................       035667  43N                       6E                                 30  Tr. 39......................         0.06  Potaganissing Bay.               
                                      ...........  ........................  ........................           31  Tr. 37 & 38.................         0.47  Potaganissing Bay.               
                                      ...........  ........................  ........................           31  Tr. 40 & 41.................         0.36  Potaganissing Bay.               
Grand Traverse......................       041343  26N                       10W                                 1  Tr. 37......................         0.10  Rennie Lake.                     
Mackinac............................       041349  41N                       1E                                  3  Tr. 37......................         1.10  Little Island.                   
Mackinac............................       041350  42N                       1W                                 28  Tr. 39......................         0.19  Lake Huron.                      
                                      ...........  ........................  ........................  ...........  Tr. 40......................         0.02  Lake Huron.                      
Mackinac............................       035172  42N                       1W                                 28  Tr. 37......................         0.45  Lake Huron.                      
Mackinac............................       036455  42N                       1W                                 29  Tr. 41......................         0.45  Burnam Island.                   
Otsego..............................       041360  30N                       4W                                 32  Tr. 37......................         1.02  Buhl Lake.                       
Otsego..............................       041361  30N                       4W                                 32  Tr. 38......................         0.91  Buhl Lake.                       
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Ron Montagna,
Acting Associate State Director, Eastern States.
[FR Doc. 98-20001 Filed 7-29-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-CJ-M