[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 107 (Monday, June 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30329-30330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11791]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[212LLAK941200.L1440000.ET0000;AKAA-95542]


Notice of Application for Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public 
Meeting for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, Alaska

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) filed an application with the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requesting that the Secretary of the 
Interior withdraw 4,560 acres of National Forest System land for the 
Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. The USFS requests the withdrawal as 
the receding Mendenhall Glacier leaves additional lands unprotected by 
the existing withdrawal created by Public Land Order (PLO) No. 829. 
This Notice segregates these lands for up to two years from location 
and entry under United States mining laws and leasing under the mineral 
leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights. The land will remain 
open to other uses at the discretion of the Authorized Officer.

DATES: Comments and requests for a public meeting must be received by 
September 7, 2021.

ADDRESSES: All comments and meeting requests should be mailed to the 
BLM Alaska State Office, 222 West Seventh Avenue, No. 13, Anchorage, 
Alaska 99513-7504. The BLM will not consider comments received via 
telephone calls.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chelsea Kreiner, BLM Alaska State 
Office, 907-271-4205, email [email protected]. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual. The 
FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or 
question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during 
normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 8, 2019, the USFS filed an 
application for the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw the following 
National Forest System land from location and entry under the United 
States mining laws and leasing under the mineral leasing laws, subject 
to valid existing rights:

Copper River Meridian, Alaska

Tongass National Forest

    T. 39 S., Rs. 65 and 66 E., more particularly described as 
follows:

BEGINNING at Corner No. 2, U.S. Survey No. 1536, Alaska.
THENCE, along the record courses of PLO 829, N 18[deg] 30' W, a 
distance of 160 chains;
THENCE, N 55[deg] 00' E, a distance of 100 chains, to the POINT OF 
BEGINNING of the Mendenhall Withdrawal;
THENCE, N 26[deg] 00' E, a distance of 110 chains;
THENCE, N 78[deg] 30' E, a distance of 260 chains;
THENCE, S 8[deg] 30' E, a distance of 133 chains;
THENCE, S 33[deg] 00' W, a distance of 90 chains;
THENCE, S 77[deg] 00' W, a distance of 101  chains, to 
the boundary of PLO 829;
THENCE, along said boundary on the following courses, N 20[deg] 00' 
W, a distance of 24  chains;
THENCE, N 45[deg] 00' W, a distance of 80 chains;
THENCE, West, a distance of 110 chains, to the POINT OF BEGINNING of 
the Mendenhall Withdrawal, containing 4,560  acres.

    The use of a rights-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative 
agreement would not provide adequate protection for the existing and 
planned development over a large area from impacts related to location 
and development of mining claims or mineral leasing activities.
    The land for this withdrawal adjoins PLO 829, dated May 10, 1952, 
for the Tongass National Forest Mendenhall Lake Scenic and Winter 
Sports Area. Water is critical to this withdrawal for both recreation 
and visual purposes. The Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Lake are the 
focal point and basis for the USFS recreation development and 
facilities at this site. The USFS is requesting the Secretary to 
include in the withdrawal area both the glacier and lake which is 
coming into exposure with the retreating glacier.
    All persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or objections 
in connection with the proposed withdrawal may present their views in 
writing to the BLM. Records relating to the application may be examined 
by contacting the BLM Alaska State Office at the address above.
    The Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting 
is in connection with this withdrawal. All persons who desire a public 
meeting for the purpose of being heard on the withdrawal must submit a 
written request to the BLM Alaska State Director within 90 days from 
the date of publication of this Notice. Upon determination by the 
authorized officer that a public meeting will be held, a

[[Page 30330]]

notice of the time and place will be published in the Federal Register 
and at least one local newspaper before the scheduled date of the 
meeting.
    Comments, including name and street address of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the BLM Alaska State Office at the 
address in the ADDRESSES section above during regular business hours, 
08:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment including your personal identifying 
information may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so. For a period of two years from the date of publication 
of this Notice in the Federal Register, the land specified above will 
be segregated from location and entry under United States mining laws 
and leasing under the mineral leasing laws, subject to valid existing 
rights, unless the application is denied or canceled, or the withdrawal 
is approved prior to that date.
    Although the land will be segregated from location and entry under 
United States mining laws and leasing under the mineral leasing laws, 
subject to valid existing rights, the land will continue to be managed 
in accordance with the various acts that govern occupancy and use of 
National Forest System lands. The authorized officer may, at his or her 
discretion, permit temporary uses of the land during this period of 
segregation that do not interfere with the use of the land intended by 
the USFS.
    The withdrawal application will be processed in accordance with the 
regulations set-forth in 43 CFR part 2300.

    Authority: 43 CFR 2310.3-1.

Chad Padgett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2021-11791 Filed 6-4-21; 8:45 am]
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