PUBLIC NOTICE

Requesting Input on

a Proposed Relinquishment of State Entitlement Lands

Comment Period Ends 3:30 PM, August 10, 2023

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is proposing to relinquish the State’s entitlement land selection of the surface estate while retaining oil, gas, and mineral interests on those lands immediately South of United States Survey (USS) Number 1560, including approximately 160 acres on the west banks of the Taiya Inlet, Sections 21 and 22, Township 28 South, Range 59 East, Copper River Meridian, Alaska. A location map is available on page 2 of this notice. The lands are not currently owned by the State, they are under Federal management and ownership. The purpose of relinquishment is to facilitate conveyance of Dingell Act allotment application #AA-97826.

The 2019 John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Dingell Act) (Pub. L. 116-9) provides that eligible Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans may apply for allotments of up to 160 acres of land from vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved land that the State has selected pursuant to 6(b) of the Alaska Statehood Act, and that the State agrees to voluntarily relinquish. In accordance with the Act, the State is considering relinquishing the surface estate identified above.

Alaska Statute (AS) 38.05.035 allows for disposals of interests in state lands, and AS 38.05.945 provides procedures for notice of those disposals.

This notice and any future decisions on this proposed action are available on the State of Alaska online public notice portal: http://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/. For assistance in obtaining documents by an alternative method, to request auxiliary aids, services, or special accommodations, contact DNR’s Public Information Centers on State work days, Monday through Friday, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Anchorage at (907) 269-8400, Fairbanks at (907) 451-2705, Southeast Land Office in Juneau at (907) 465-3400, TTY: 711 for Alaska Relay or 1-800-770-8973, or go to http://dnr.alaska.gov/commis/pic/ for additional contact information. Individuals who require special assistance must request assistance from the Public Information Center in Anchorage no later than 4:00 p.m., August 3, 2023.

The public is invited to submit comments. If commenting on more than one proposed action, separate comments should be submitted for each. The deadline for public comment is 3:30 PM, Thursday, August 10, 2023. Only persons from whom the Department of Natural Resources receives timely, written comment during the identified comment period will be eligible to file an appeal of the decision. Written comment may be received by email or postal mail. To submit comments or for direct inquiries, contact Walter Zimmerman at walter.zimmerman@alaska.gov or +1 (907) 334-2550

After public input is considered, the decision will be issued without further notice. A copy of the decision will be sent to any persons who provided input, and a copy will be posted on the States online public notice portal http://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/. To subscribe to the State’s online public notice portal, visit the link and set up an email or RSS subscription using available criteria.

DNR reserves the right to waive technical defects in this notice.

Figure 1. Selected lands serialized as AA-97826 located in T. 28 S., R. 59 E., Copper River Meridian, Alaska

Figure 2. Region map of selected lands serialized as AA-97826 located in T. 28 S., R. 59 E., Copper River Meridian, Alaska