Notice2026-01252
Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Winter Access Across Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
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 23, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), as amended, along with other laws as applicable, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (draft EA) to evaluate the effects associated with an access to inholdings request under ANILCA 1110(b) from the Kaktovik I[ntilde]upiat Corporation (KIC). KIC seeks a 20-year right-of-way (ROW) permit for certain Refuge lands located between the western boundary of the Refuge and KIC's inholdings near the community of Kaktovik. The ROW permit would enable KIC to annually create and utilize a winter snow trail for the purpose of transporting large equipment and commodities to its inholdings. We invite comment on the draft EA from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 15 (Friday, January 23, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 15 (Friday, January 23, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2951-2952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-01252]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2025-1166; FF07R01500-256-FXRS126107AKEX0]
Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Assessment for the
Proposed Winter Access Across Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation
Act of 1980 (ANILCA), as amended, along with other laws as applicable,
we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce availability of
a Draft Environmental Assessment (draft EA) to evaluate the effects
associated with an access to inholdings request under ANILCA 1110(b)
from the Kaktovik I[ntilde]upiat Corporation (KIC). KIC seeks a 20-year
right-of-way (ROW) permit for certain Refuge lands located between the
western boundary of the Refuge and KIC's inholdings near the community
of Kaktovik. The ROW permit would enable KIC to annually create and
utilize a winter snow trail for the purpose of transporting large
equipment and commodities to its inholdings. We invite comment on the
draft EA from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal
agencies.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before February 9,
2026.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: The documents this notice announces, as well
as any comments and other materials that we receive, will be available
for public inspection at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> in Docket No. FWS-
RX-NWRS-2024-1166.
Submitting Comments: To send written comments, please use one of
the following methods, and note that your information requests or
comments are in reference to the draft EA.
<bullet> Internet: Submit comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>
under Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2025-1166.
<bullet> U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-R7-NWRS-2025-1166; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS:
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
For more information, see Public Review Process under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Merben Cebrian, Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge Manager, by telephone at 907-388-6751 via email at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3b565e49595e5564585e5949525a557b5d4c48155c544d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cda0a8bfafa8a392aea8afbfa4aca38dabbabee3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></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: In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980
(ANILCA; Pub. L. 96-487, Dec. 2, 1980; 16 U.S.C. 3111-3126), on
February 8, 2023 (88 FR 8305), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS), announced via the Federal Register that we were preparing a
Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the effects associated
with an access to inholdings request under ANILCA 1110(b) from the
Kaktovik I[ntilde]upiat Corporation (KIC). KIC seeks a 20-year right-
of-way (ROW) permit for certain Refuge lands located between the
western boundary of the Refuge and KIC's inholdings near the community
of Kaktovik. The ROW permit would enable KIC to annually create and
utilize a winter snow trail for the purpose of transporting large
equipment and commodities to its inholdings. FWS must decide whether to
issue a 20-year right-of-way (ROW) permit requested by KIC for the use
of Refuge lands for the annual development of a winter overland snow
trail to the applicant's inholding.
ANILCA provides additional requirements for conservation system
units in Alaska, including refuges. Specifically, ANILCA Section
1110(b) assures adequate and feasible access to private owned lands
surrounded by public lands, also known as inholdings. KIC's request
pertains to accessing KIC-owned lands which are located within the
Refuge and have been determined, by FWS, to be inholdings.
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
The proposed issuance of a permit triggers the need for compliance
with NEPA. The draft EA was prepared to analyze the impacts of issuing
an access to inholdings request under ANILCA 1110(b).
Proposed Action
FWS's Proposed Action is to issue the requested 20-year ROW permit.
The ROW permit would authorize KIC to
[[Page 2952]]
annually construct a snow trail and transport goods across Refuge lands
and waters between the Refuge's western boundary and KIC's inholdings
near Kaktovik. The ROW permit would accommodate two routes--a shore
fast sea ice route and an overland route--along with three connecting
routes that join the overland and shore fast sea ice routes between
Simpson Cove and Anderson Point (see Map 4 in Appendix 3 in draft EA).
Vehicles could move between the sea ice and overland routes at these
three locations. Both routes and all three connectors could be
utilized, at any time, each season.
The overland route would cross 49.6 miles of Refuge lands and
waters before reaching the applicant's inholding. The shore fast sea
ice route would cross 42.9 miles of Refuge lands and waters before
reaching the applicant's inholding. Shore fast sea ice is defined as
sea ice that is grounded or on less than 3 meters of water to the
seabed. The three connecting routes would cross 4.3 miles of Refuge
lands and waters in total. The ROW would be 200-feet in width along the
96.8 miles of Refuge lands and waters. The footprint of the ROW would
total 2,355 acres in which KIC would construct an annual 30-foot-wide
snow trail.
Public Review Process
In accordance with the direction provided in Executive Order (E.O.)
14154 and the subsequent rescission of the Council of Environmental
Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, in July
2025, the Department of the Interior issued updated NEPA procedures.
E.O. 14154 directs all agencies to prioritize efficiency and certainty
and avoid and minimize delays and ambiguity in the permitting process.
The Department's July NEPA procedures clarify that NEPA does not
require public involvement when a bureau prepares an EA, and for that
reason, FWS has discretion to determine whether to involve the public,
when to involve the public, and what kind of public involvement is most
appropriate. To comply with this Presidential directive and updated
Departmental NEPA procedures, the FWS has determined to reduce the
previously noticed public comment period for this EA from 45 days to 15
days. This serves the dual purpose of compliance with updated
Departmental NEPA procedures while still offering the public the
opportunity to review and comment on this EA.
Request for Public Comments
You may submit written comments and materials concerning the draft
EA by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. Comments previously
submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered.
Public Availability of Comments
If you submit a comment via <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, your
entire comment, including any personal identifying information such as
your address, phone number, and email address, will be posted on the
website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal
identifying information, you may request at the top of your document
that we withhold this information from public review. However, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will post all
hardcopy comments on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Tribal Consultation and Comment
The meaningful input of Alaska Native Tribes and Alaska Native
Corporations is of critical importance to the draft EA. Therefore, and
as expressed in Executive Order 13175, ``Consultation and Coordination
with Indian Tribal Governments,'' the Federal officials that have been
delegated authority by the Secretary are committed to honoring the
unique government-to-government political relationship that exists
between the Federal Government and federally recognized Tribes.
Consultation with Alaska Native Corporations is based on Public Law
108-199, div. H, sec. 161, January 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 452, as amended
by Public Law 108-447, div. H, title V, sec. 518, December 8, 2004, 118
Stat. 3267, which provides that: ``The Director of the Office of
Management and Budget and all Federal agencies shall hereafter consult
with Alaska Native corporations on the same basis as Indian Tribes
under Executive Order No. 13175.'' FWS will hold individual
consultation meetings upon request. The Secretary of the Interior will
consider Alaska Native Tribes' and Alaska Native Corporations'
information, input, and recommendations, and address their concerns as
much as practicable.
Authority
We publish this notice under the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Department of the
Interior's implementing regulations and procedures at 43 CFR 46, as
well as in compliance with the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act of 1980, as amended (ANILCA; Pub. L. 96-487, sec.
1302(h), Dec. 2, 1980; 16 U.S.C. 3192(h).
Sara Boario,
Regional Director, Alaska Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-01252 Filed 1-22-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-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 23, 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.