Notice2026-00031
Application for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest for Lands Underlying Portions of the Delta River, Tangle River, and Tangle Lakes, in Alaska
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 7, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
On June 12, 2019, the State of Alaska (State) finalized an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest (RDI) from the United States for the submerged lands underlying portions of the Delta River, Tangle River, Lower Tangle Lake, Long Tangle Lake, Round Tangle Lake, Tangle Lakes and Upper Tangle Lake south of Delta Junction, in Alaska. An RDI, if issued, would disclaim the United States' interest in the lands underlying the portions of the waterbodies in the RDI application. This notice is to notify the public of the pending RDI application and supporting evidence submitted by the State, and that the BLM is seeking additional information related to the waterbodies in the application.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 516-517]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00031]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[A2407-014-004-065516, #O2509-014-004-125222]
Application for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest for Lands
Underlying Portions of the Delta River, Tangle River, and Tangle Lakes,
in Alaska
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of application.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On June 12, 2019, the State of Alaska (State) finalized an
application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for a Recordable
Disclaimer of Interest (RDI) from the United States for the submerged
lands underlying portions of the Delta River, Tangle River, Lower
Tangle Lake, Long Tangle Lake, Round Tangle Lake, Tangle Lakes and
Upper Tangle Lake south of Delta Junction, in Alaska. An RDI, if
issued, would disclaim the United States' interest in the lands
underlying the portions of the waterbodies in the RDI application. This
notice is to notify the public of the pending RDI application and
supporting evidence submitted by the State, and that the BLM is seeking
additional information related to the waterbodies in the application.
DATES: All comments should be received on or before February 6, 2026.
The BLM will issue a decision on the application on or after April 7,
2026.
ADDRESSES: The State's RDI application and its attachments may be
viewed at: <a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/regional-information/alaska/RDI/tanana">https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/regional-information/alaska/RDI/tanana</a>, under the section titled, ``Delta River
System (Delta River, Tangle Lakes and Tangle River).'' Public comments
may be mailed, emailed, or hand delivered. Mail comments to: Bureau of
Land Management, ATTN: Bettie Shelby, Acting Branch Chief, Lands and
Realty (AK-941), 222 West 7th Avenue #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513;
email comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#96f4e5fef3faf4efd6f4fafbb8f1f9e0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ceacbda6aba2acb78eaca2a3e0a9a1b8">[email protected]</span></a>; or hand deliver comments during
normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alaska Time) to the BLM Public
Information Center, 222 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99513.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bettie Shelby, Acting Branch Chief,
Lands and Realty (AK-941), at 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage,
Alaska 99513; 907-271-5596; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1f7d6c777a737d665f7d737231787069"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3c5e4f5459505e457c5e5051125b534a">[email protected]</span></a>; or visit the BLM's RDI
website at <a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/regional-information/alaska/RDI">https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/regional-information/alaska/RDI</a>.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 12, 2019, the State filed a final
application (AA-95490) for an RDI pursuant to section 315 of the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 as amended (43 U.S.C.
1745), and the regulations in 43 CFR subpart 1864, which authorize the
BLM to issue an RDI. An RDI is a legal document through which the BLM
would disclaim the United States' interest in or ownership of specified
lands. This notice of application is to inform the public of the
pending application and the State's supporting evidence, as well as to
provide the opportunity to comment or provide additional information to
the BLM.
The State's RDI application asserts that the waterbodies were
navigable in fact on the date of Alaska Statehood, January 3, 1959. As
such, the application contends that ownership of the submerged lands
underlying the Delta River, Tangle River, Lower Tangle Lake, Long
Tangle Lake, Round Tangle Lake, Tangle Lakes and Upper Tangle Lake
automatically passed from the United States to the State on the date of
Statehood under the Equal Footing Doctrine, the Submerged Lands Act of
1953, the Submerged Lands Act of 1988, Alaska Statehood Act, and other
title navigability laws.
The RDI application includes approximately 14,026 acres of
submerged lands for the following land descriptions: (1) The Delta
River: All submerged lands between the ordinary high-water lines of the
left and right banks of the Delta River beginning at the southern
boundary of Fort Greely in secs. 24 and 25, T. 14 S., R. 9 E.,
Fairbanks Meridian (F.M.), and secs. 19 and 30, T. 14 S., R. 10 E.,
F.M., upstream to the Tangle River within sec. 25, T. 20 S., R. 9 E.,
F.M; (2) Tangle River: All submerged lands between the ordinary high
water lines of the left and right banks of the Tangle River beginning
within sec. 25, T. 20 S., R. 9 E., F.M, upstream to the inlet of Tangle
Lake within sec. 8, T. 22 S., R. 9 E., F.M., including; (3) The Tangle
Lakes: All submerged lands between the ordinary highwater lines of the
Tangle Lakes; including Lower Tangle Lake, Long Tangle Lake, Round
Tangle Lake, Tangle Lakes and Upper Tangle Lake.
The BLM is seeking additional information related to the
waterbodies in the State's RDI application. Examples of additional
information are photographs or videos capturing boats being used on the
waterbodies, historical or present-day use diaries, or specific verbal
knowledge, whether passed down through the region, or present-day use,
information on the type of boat or watercraft used, and information on
the time of year boats are, or were, used. In addition to boat use, the
BLM is seeking hydrological data and/or photographs that capture
waterbody characteristics such as depth, width, obstructions or
obstacles, or shallow stream sections.
[[Page 517]]
In previous Federal Register notices regarding RDI applications,
the BLM has provided a 90-day public comment period. The BLM has now
determined to offer a 30-day public comment period, as is permitted
under 43 CFR subpart 1864.2. The BLM has determined that 30 days is
adequate and sufficient time under the circumstances to receive
substantive and relevant public input. Additionally, a 30-day public
comment period provides the BLM with a minimum of 60 days to review
comments received before making a decision on the application on or
after 90 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register.
Copies of the State's RDI application and comments provided in
response to this notice will be available for public review at the BLM
Alaska State Office (see ADDRESSES earlier), during regular business
hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Alaska Time, Monday through Friday, excepting
Federal holidays.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personally identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personally identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1745 and 43 CFR subpart 1864.)
Bettie Shelby,
Acting Deputy State Director, Division of Lands and Cadastral.
[FR Doc. 2026-00031 Filed 1-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-10-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 7, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.