Interior delays opening of lands in Public Land Order No. 7899
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Bureau of Land Management announced today that Interior is delaying the opening of lands in the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula Planning Area described in Public Land Order No. 7899 until August 31, 2024.
This deferral will allow for the BLM to complete the ongoing environmental impact statement process addressing deficiencies identified in the decision-making processes for Public Land Orders No. 7899, 7900, 7901, 7902 and 7903.
In August 2022, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued Public Land Order 7912 that made much of the acreage in this broader review – 27 million acres – available to selection by eligible Alaska Native veterans. The BLM’s Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Program, established by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019, provides eligible individuals the opportunity to select an allotment of up to 160 acres from available federal lands in Alaska. Maps and other associated documents can be found at the BLM National NEPA Register website on the ANCSA 17(d)(1) Withdrawals EIS project page.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.