Federal Subsistence Board recommends submerged public lands within Tongass National Forest for inclusion in Subsistence Management Regulations

The Secretaries published the proposed rule June 8, 2016, on the Tongass National Forest Submerged Lands, with a public comment period open from June 8 until August 8, 2016. The proposed rule was initiated as a result of the U.S. District Court for Alaska’s October 17, 2011 order in Peratrovich et al. v. United States and the State of Alaska, for the United States “to promptly initiate regulatory proceedings for the purpose of implementing the subsistence provisions in Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) with respect to submerged public lands within Tongass National Forest” and directed entry of judgment. Following the Court’s decision, the Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USDA-FS) started a review of hundreds of potential pre-statehood (January 3, 1959) withdrawals in the marine waters of the Tongass National Forest, submitting initial lists of submerged public lands to the Board in April and October of 2015. 

This rulemaking will add those listings to the subsistence regulations to ensure compliance with the Court’s order.  Additional listings will be published as BLM and USDA-FS continue their reviews of pre-statehood withdrawals. 

Additional information on the Federal Subsistence Management Program may be found on the web at www.doi.gov/subsistence or by visiting www.facebook.com/subsistencealaska.

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View Full News Release

View Proposed Rule (81 FR 36836, June 8, 2016)

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