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Activity Report Explorer

Alaska Soles • Entered by Kathy O’Reilly-Doyle on October 26, 2024

BLM EIS on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) 17(d)(1) Withdrawls

August 23, 2024 – August 23, 2024

Participants and Hours

Pre Planning hours
Post Admin hours
Activity Hours 1
Participants 2
Total Hours 2

Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Advocacy (rallies, lobbying, meeting decision makers, letters/calls/emails)

Short Description of Activity

Follow-up on comments provided on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) 17(d)(1) Withdrawals. The Department of the Interior reversed an earlier decision, which was a win for subsistence, cultural, wildlife and other resource values. A copy of the Federal Register Notice is attached. The Record of Decision was signed on August 23, 2024. The Alaska Soles provided comments on this EIS (see previous activity reports).

Reflection/Evaluation

After conducting a NEPA process and soliciting comments on the 17(d)(1) Withdrawals, the Department of Interior reversed its earlier decision. There were many comments, including ours, stressing how important it was for these lands to remain under federal management for Subsistence and other issues.

Here is an excerpt from the Record of Decision Document: “In conclusion, the ANCSA 17(d)(1) withdrawals encompass lands with myriad important resource values that support subsistence uses for 139 communities, cultural resources, wildlife habitat, and other
purposes. There is a public interest in protecting these resource values. I find leaving these withdrawals in
place as described in Alternative A, the No Action Alternative, is necessary to protect the public interest
in these resources; therefore, I will rescind the 2021 orders purporting to revoke the ANCSA 17(d)(1)
withdrawals. Retaining the ANCSA 17(d)(1) withdrawals is appropriate because neither the regulations governing
public land resources nor the BLM’s RMPs provide adequate protection for these important resources
from the adverse environmental impacts of appropriation of public land resources under these self-
executing authorities.”

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Photo Captions

Copy of Federal Register Notice. The link to the Record of Decision can be found at:

https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/2018002/200530736/20118285/251018265/ANCSA17d1_ROD_508.pdf