The following public notice has been issued by the Bureau of Land Management regarding submerged lands in the Kwethluk River, Alaska. Local residents may submit comments by February 6, 2026. This notice is published in the Alaska Life Public Notices section of The Tundra Drums website for the convenience of local residents and stakeholders.
Notice is hereby given that on February 20, 2019, the State of Alaska finalized an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest (RDI) pursuant to section 315 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1745), and the regulations in 43 CFR Subpart 1864, which authorize the BLM to issue an RDI. The BLM casefile for the RDI application is AKAK1 06551968 / AA-95314.
The RDI application includes the eligible submerged lands for the following land description:
- Kwethluk River
- All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks of the Kwethluk River, beginning at the portage between an unnamed lake and the Kwethluk River within the Northwest 1/4, NW. 1/4, NW. 1/4, Section 29, Township 1 South, Range 62 West, Seward Meridian, Alaska, downstream to the western boundary of Section 6, T. 5 N., R. 67 W., S.M.
The BLM is seeking additional information regarding the water bodies in the State’s RDI application. Examples include:
- Photographs or videos capturing boats being used on the water body
- Historical or present-day use of diaries, or verbal knowledge passed down through the region
- Information on the type of boat or watercraft used, and the time of year boats are/were used
- Hydrological data or photographs capturing waterbody characteristics such as depth, width, obstructions, or shallow stream sections
To view the Federal Register notice for this RDI application, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/ (Search Term: 2026-00041).
Public comments may be submitted through February 6, 2026, by:
- Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Bettie Shelby, Acting Branch Chief, Lands and Realty (AK-941), 222 W. 7th Avenue, Suite #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513
- Email: bshelby@blm.gov
- Hand-delivery: BLM Alaska Public Room, 222 W. 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513, during normal business hours (8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Alaska Time)