[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32945-32946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14708]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[19X.LLAK941000 L14100000.ET0000; AA-65513, AA-61299]


Public Land Order No. 7880, Partial Revocation of Public Land 
Orders No. 5176 and 5179, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Public Land Order.

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SUMMARY: This Order partially revokes two Public Land Orders (PLOs) 
insofar as they affect 217,486 acres of public lands reserved for study 
and classification as appropriate by the Department of the Interior. 
The purposes for which these lands were withdrawn no longer exist as 
described in the analysis and decisions made through the 2007 East 
Alaska Resource Management Plan (East Alaska RMP).

DATE: This PLO takes effect on July 10, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David V. Mushovic, Bureau of Land 
Management Alaska State Office, 222 West Seventh Avenue, Mailstop #13, 
Anchorage, AK 99513-7504, telephone: 907-271-4682, or email: 
[email protected]. People who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
to contact Mr. Mushovic during normal business hours. The FRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Order follows the recommendations made 
in the Bureau of Land Management's 2007 East Alaska RMP. The 
Environmental Impact Statement accompanying the East Alaska RMP serves 
as the detailed statement required under section 102(2)(C) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. PLO No. 5176, as amended, modified, 
or corrected, withdrew land for selection by Alaska Native Claims 
Settlement Act (ANCSA) village and regional corporations in the Chugach 
Region, and for classification. The selection period expired in 1974 
making it possible for revocation of this withdrawal on any segregated 
land still under selection. PLO No. 5179, as amended, modified, or 
corrected, withdrew lands in aid of legislation concerning addition to 
or creation of units of the National Park, National Forest, Wildlife 
Refuge, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Systems, and to allow for 
classification of the lands. Any additions to or creation of new units 
of National Parks, National Forests, Wildlife Refuges or Wild and 
Scenic Rivers from the land withdrawn by PLO No. 5179 were accomplished 
by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. The 
classification of the lands withdrawn by PLO No. 5176 and 5179 were 
satisfied by the analysis conducted during the development of the East 
Alaska RMP.

Order

    By virtue of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior 
by Section 204 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 
43 U.S.C. 1714, and Section 22(h)(4) of the Alaska Native Claims 
Settlement Act of 1971, 43 U.S.C. 1621(h)(4), it is ordered as follows:
    1. Subject to valid existing rights, PLOs No. 5176 (37 FR 5579 
(1972)), 5179 (37 FR 5589 (1972)), and any amendments, modifications, 
or corrections to these orders, if any, are hereby revoked insofar as 
they affect the following described Federal lands:

Copper River Meridian, Alaska

T. 18 S, R. 15 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 19 thru 36.
T. 16 S, R. 16 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 25 thru 28 and secS, 33 thru 36.
T. 18 S, R. 16 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 1 thru 4, secs, 9 thru 16, and secS, 19 thru 36.
T. 16 S, R. 17 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 19 thru 36, excepting PL 96-487 Wrangell-St. Elias 
National Park.
T. 17 S, R. 17 E, unsurveyed.
T. 18 S, R. 17 E, unsurveyed.
T. 19 S, R. 17 E, partly unsurveyed,
    secs. 1 thru 14, secs. 17 thru 20, secs. 23 thru 26, and secs. 
35 and 36.
T. 16 S, R. 18 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 17 thru 20, and sec. 30, excepting PL 96-487 Wrangell-St. 
Elias National Park.
T. 17 S, R. 18 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 19 thru 23, and secs. 25 thru 36, excepting PL 96-487 
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
T. 18 S, R. 18 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 1 thru 36, excepting PL 96-487 Wrangell-St. Elias National 
Park.
T. 18 S, R. 19 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 6 thru 9, secs. 15 thru 22, and secs. 27 thru 34, 
excepting PL 96-487 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
T. 19 S, R. 19 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 2 thru 36, excepting PL 96-487 Wrangell-St. Elias National 
Park.
T. 20 S, R. 19 E.
T. 19 S, R. 20 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 17 thru 20, and secs. 27 thru 34, excepting PL 96-487 
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
T. 20 S, R. 20 E, unsurveyed,
    secs. 3 thru 10, secs. 15 thru 22, and secs. 27 thru 34, 
excepting PL 96-487 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
T. 21 S, R. 20 E, partly unsurveyed,
    secs. 1 thru 3, secs. 10 thru 17, and secs. 20 thru 29.

    The areas described aggregate 217,486 acres. Some lands covered 
by the revocation of the above listed withdrawals as to the lands 
described above have been top-filed by the State of Alaska per the 
Alaska Statehood Act.

    2. The lands subject to revocation in this Order will not be 
subject to additional withdrawal by PLO No. 5418, effective March 28, 
1974, amending PLO No. 5180.
    3. At 8 a.m. AKDT on August 9, 2019, the lands described in 
Paragraph 1 shall be open to all forms of appropriation under the 
public land laws, including selection by the State of Alaska under the 
Alaska Statehood Act, location and entry under the mining laws, leasing 
under the Mineral Leasing Act of February 25, 1920, as amended, and 
selection by Regional Corporations under section 12 of the ANCSA, 
subject to valid existing rights, the provisions of existing 
withdrawals, other segregations of record, and the requirements of

[[Page 32946]]

applicable law. All valid applications received at or prior to 8 a.m. 
AKDT on August 9, 2019, shall be considered as simultaneously filed at 
that time. Those received thereafter shall be considered in the order 
of filing. Appropriation of any of the lands referenced in this Order 
under the general mining laws prior to the date and time of revocation 
is unauthorized. Any such attempted appropriation, including attempted 
adverse possession under 30 U.S.C. 38, shall vest no rights against the 
United States. State law governs acts required to establish a location 
and to initiate a right of possession where not in conflict with 
Federal law. The BLM will not intervene in disputes between rival 
locators over possessory rights since Congress has provided for such 
determinations in local courts.

    Dated: June 26, 2019.
Joseph R. Balash,
Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 2019-14708 Filed 7-9-19; 8:45 am]
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