Notice2026-04997
Application for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest for Lands Underlying Portions of the Unuk River in Alaska
Primary source
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Published
March 16, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
On September 8, 2025, 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 Unuk River in southeast Alaska. An RDI, if issued, would disclaim the United States' interest in the lands underlying the portion of the waterbody in the RDI application. This notice informs the public of the pending RDI application and supporting evidence submitted by the State and requests additional information related to the waterbody in the application.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 50 (Monday, March 16, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12606-12607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-04997]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[A2407-014-004-065516, #O2509-014-004-125222;AKAK106403643]
Application for a Recordable Disclaimer of Interest for Lands
Underlying Portions of the Unuk River in Alaska
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of application.
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SUMMARY: On September 8, 2025, 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 Unuk River in southeast Alaska. An
RDI, if issued, would disclaim the United States' interest in the lands
underlying the portion of the waterbody in the RDI application. This
notice informs the public of the pending RDI application and supporting
evidence submitted by the State and requests additional information
related to the waterbody in the application.
DATES: All comments and any additional information should be received
on or before April 15, 2026. The BLM will issue a decision on the
application on or after June 15, 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/southeast">https://www.blm.gov/programs/lands-and-realty/regional-information/alaska/RDI/southeast</a>, under the section titled ``Unuk
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#0d6f7e6568616f744d6f6160236a627b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f1d0c171a131d063f1d131251181009">[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#bddfced5d8d1dfc4fddfd1d093dad2cb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="60021308050c021920020c0d4e070f16">[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 September 8, 2025, the State finalized an
application (AA-98715) 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 part 1860, 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 waterbody was
navigable in fact on the date of Alaska Statehood, January 3, 1959. As
such, the application contends that ownership of the lands underlying
portions of the Unuk River 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, the
Alaska Right of Way Act of 1898, the Alaska Statehood Act, and other
title navigability laws.
The RDI application includes eligible submerged lands for the
following land description: 1) Unuk River: All submerged lands between
the ordinary high-water lines of the left and right banks of the Unuk
River beginning at the westerly boundary of the Sixty-Foot
[[Page 12607]]
Boundary Reserve (Proclamation 810) at the Canadian Border, within
secs. 4, 9, and 10, T. 64 S., R. 94 E., Copper River Meridian, Alaska
(C.R.M.), to the limit of tidal influence with Burroughs Bay included
at an unidentified location within T. 67 S., R. 92 E., C.R.M.; T. 67
S., R. 93 E., C.R.M.; T. 66 S., R. 93 E. C.R.M.; or T. 66 S., R. 94 E.,
C.R.M.
The BLM is seeking additional information related to the waterbody
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.
In previous Federal Register notices regarding RDI applications,
the BLM provided a 90-day public comment period. The BLM determined
that 30 days is adequate and sufficient time under the circumstances to
receive substantive and relevant public input as is permitted under 43
CFR 1864.2. 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 above), 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 identifiable information in your comment, you should
be aware that your entire comment--including your personally
identifiable information--may be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally
identifiable information from public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.
(Authority: 43 U.S.C. 1745 and 43 CFR part 1860, subpart 1864)
Bettie Shelby,
Acting Deputy State Director, Division of Lands and Cadastral.
[FR Doc. 2026-04997 Filed 3-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-10-P
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