Alaska Submerged Lands Act Report : Analysis of Inholdings
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BLM LIBRARY 88074922 // ALASKA SUBMERGED LANDS ACT REPORT ANALYSIS OF INHOLDINGS, ACQUISITION PRIORITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE IMPACTS ON CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS IN ALASKA AUGUST 1990 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICE USDA FOREST SERVICE •v * f & naj&*^ ib'-MoT-Wll i^l Iks.1 m r AH / AH? ALASKA SUBMERGED LANDS ACT REPORT ANALYSIS OF INHOLDINGS, ACQUISITION PRIORITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE IMPACTS ON CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS IN ALASKA , AUGUST 1990 BLM Library Denver Federal Center Bidg. 50. OC-521 v>rs Rnx 25041 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE I. INTRODUCTION. 1 II. SCOPE OF REPORT. 1 III. HISTORY OF LAND STATUS. 3 Alaska Statehood Act. 3 Alaska Native Allotment Act. 3 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. 3 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. 6 National Park Service. 6 USDA Forest Service. 6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 6 Bureau of Land Management. 10 IV. ACQUISITION POLICY. 10 V. ACQUISITION METHODS. 11 VI. ESTABLISHMENT OF PRIORITIES FOR ACQUISITION. 12 VII. EFFECTS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 101 OF THE ACT ON CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS. 14 VIII. ISSUES. 18 A. Potential Impacts because of Changing Navigability Standards. 18 B. Potential Impacts of Amendment of Section 901 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act by Section 101 of this Act. 19 C. Title to Submerged Lands on Pre-statehood Withdrawals. 20 D. Overselections. 20 E. Underselected Villages. 21 IX. RECOMMENDATIONS. 22 A. Funding for Land Acquisitions. 22 B. Land Exchanges. 22 i PAGE X. APPENDICES Appendices A-D: Acquisition Priority Lists. 23 A. Summary of Inholdings and Acquisition Priorities on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A-l B. Summary of Inholdings and Acquisition Priorities on Conservation System Units in Alaska Bureau of Land Management. B-l C. Summary of Inholdings and Acquisition Priorities on National Parks in Alaska National Park Service. C-l D. Summary of Inholdings and Acquisition Priorities on Conservation System Units in Alaska USDA Forest Service. D-l LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 MAXIMUM ANTICIPATED UPLAND ACREAGE TO BE CONVEYED FROM WITHIN CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS. 8 2 ESTIMATED NON-NAVIGABLE SUBMERGED LANDS BY VILLAGE AND REGIONAL CORPORATION IN CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS. 16 3 UNDERSELECTED VILLAGES. 17 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 MAP SHOWING CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS IN ALASKA. 2 2 PROJECTED ALASKA LAND OWNERSHIP. 4 3 CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNIT ADMINISTRATION BY AGENCY. 7 INTRODUCTION This report satisfies a requirement established by the Alaska Submerged Lands Act of 1988, Public Law 100-395. This Act instructed the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a report on the effects of the Act on Conservation System Units and to recommend appropriate action. This Act confirmed that land conveyances under the Alaska Statehood Act and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act are to be consistent with the Bureau of Land Management "Manual of Surveying Instructions." The instructions provide that beds of lakes equal to or larger than 50 acres, and beds of streams and rivers equal to or wider than 3 chains (198 feet), will not be charged against Native or State land entitlements. The effect will be that the Native corporations and the State will receive additional upland acres in Alaska. The Act also provides that acreage charged against the entitlement of the State of Alaska and Alaska Native corporations for earlier conveyances may be adjusted to the above criteria. SCOPE OF REPORT In clarifying the conveyance and ownership of submerged lands by Alaska Natives, Native corporations and the State of Alaska, Congress recognized that the Act would result in conveyance of additional upland acreage, including lands within Conservation System Units. Therefore, Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior to prepare a report that considers the effects of the implementation of the Act on Conservation System Units. Conservation System Units are any units in Alaska of the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, National Trails System, National Wilderness Preservation System, or a National Forest Monument. The Conservation System Units do not include National Forest System land outside Wilderness. (See Figure 1). Congress directed that the report shall contain, at a minimum: A. An identification and estimation of the acreage of all lands currently patented to or selected by a Native, Native corporation, or the State within the boundaries of Conservation System Units; B. Priorities for possible acquisition of lands currently patented to or selected by a Native, Native corporation, or the State, within the boundaries of Conservation System Units; and C. Recommendations for administrative or Congressional action deemed appropriate to reduce any adverse effects of this Act on the management of land3 or resources within Conservation System Units. Congress directed that the lands described above be inventoried and that acquisition priorities be developed for lands in these categories. As indicated, these were minimum requirements to be included in this report. 1 Figure 1 STEM UNITS OF ALASKA National Wildlife Refuge System 1 Alaska Maritime NWR' 7 Kanuti NWR a Chukchi Sea Unit 8 Kenai NWR b Bering Sea Unit 9 Kodiak NWR c Aleutian Islands Unit 10 Koyukuk NWR d Alaska Peninsula Unit 11 Nowitna NWR e Gulf of Alaska Unit 12 Selawik NWR 2 Alaska Peninsula NWR 13 Tetlm NWR 3 Arctic NWR 14 Togiak NWR 4 Becharof NWR 15 Yukon Delta NWR 6 Innoko NWR 16 Yukon Flats NWR 6 liembek NWR Wilderness Refugs / * I \ 'The Alesha Maritime National Wildlife Refuge consists of all the public lands in the coastal waters and adjacent seas of Alaska consisting of islands, islets, rocks, reefs, capes and spires National Wild and Scenic Rivers System •’**. / 32 126) Rivers .* National Forest System 33 Chugach Nat I Forest 35 Admiralty Island Nat I Monument 34 Tongass Nat I Forest 36 Misty Fjords Nat I Monument Forest Wilderness National Park System 17 Amakchak Nat I Monument 23 Katmai Nat I Park and Preserve and Preserve 24 Kenai Fjords Nat I Park 18 Bering Land Bridge Nat I Preserve 16 Kobuk Valley Nat I Park 19 Cape Krusenstern Nat I Monument 26 Lake Clark Nat I Park and Preserve 20 Denali Nat I Park and Preserve 27 Noatak Nat I Preserve 21 Gates of the Arctic Nat I Park 28 Wrangell Saint Elias Nat I Park and Preserve and Preserve 29 Yukon Charley Rivers Nat I Preserve 22 Glacier Bay Nat I Park 37. Klondike Gold Rush Nat’l Historic Park and Preserve 38. Sitka Nat'l Historic Park C 37 Park. Monument Wilderness Preserve Bureau of Land Management System 30 Steese Nat I Conservation Areas 31 White Mountains Nat l Recreation Area _NCA. NRA VJP ^^^ribilof Islands At eO 0*0 Figure 1 BARRO CONSERVATION SYSTEM UNITS OF ALASKA National Wildlife Refuge System Wild ft Scenic Rivers 32a. Beaver Creek Alaska Maritime NWR ' 7 Kanuti NWR B. Birch Creek a Chukchi Sea Unit 8 Kenai NWR For tymi Ie River Bering Sea Unit 9 Kodiak NWR Unalakleet River Ctiukct\i •>- c Aleutian Islands Unit 10 Koyukuk NWR Sea Delta River d Alaska Peninsula Unit 11 Nowitna NWR Gulkana River e Gulf of Alaska Unit 12 Selawik NWR Alagnak Rjver Alaska Peninsula NWR 13 Tetlm NWR Arctic NWR 14 Togiek NWR Becharof NWR 15 Yukon Delta NWR Innoko NWR 16 Yukon Flats NWR Izembek NWR Tongoss Natl' Forest _ Refuge Wilderness Wilderness Areas Russell Fjord ’The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge consists of all the public lands in Endicott River the coastal waters and adjacent seas of Alaska consisting of islands islets West Chichagof - Yakobi rocks, reefs capes and spires Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Stikine-Le Conte National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Petersburg Creek- Duncan Salt Chuck South Boranof : 32 (26) Rivers Tebenkof Bay Coronation Island, Warren Island, Maurelle Islands National Forest System South Prince of Wales Chugach Net I Forest 35 Admiralty Island Nat I Monument Tongass Nat l Forest 36 Misty Fjords Nat l Monument Forest Wilderness National Park System Amakchak Nat'l Monument 23 Katmai Nat l Park and Preserve and Preserve 24 Kenai Fjords Nat I Park Bering Land Bridge Nat I Preserve 75 Kobuk Valley Nat I Park Cape Krusenstern Nat I Monument 26 Lake Clark Nat I Park and Preserve Denali Nat l Park and Preserve 27 Noatak Nat I Preserve Gates of the Arctic Nat I Park 28 Wrangell Saint Elias Nat I Park and Preserve and Preserve Glacier Bay Nat l Park 29 Yukon Charley Rivers Nat l Preserve and Preserve 37. Klondike Gold Rush Nat'l Historic Park 38. Sitka Nat'l Historic Pork Monument i'M/i Wilderness Bureau of Land Management System 30 Steese Nat I Conservation Areas 31 White Mountains Nat I Recreation Area -NCA. NRA At tu-r o- V The agencies determined that there were sound reasons for including additional categories of inholdings in this report. Therefore, the agencies responding to the Alaska Submerged Lands Act reporting requirements elected to expand the scope to include National Conservation Areas and National Recreation Areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, as well as lands within the Conservation System Units which are owned by other than Natives, Native corporations or the State. Examples of other types of inholdings include homesteads, homesites, trade and manufacturing sites and lands patented pursuant to the Mining Law of 1872. This category is small, representing less than 0.27 percent of all inholdings, but may include some high priority tracts for acquisition within certain Conservation System Units. The locations selected for these types of entries are often at key points within the Conservation System Units, such as along natural travelways. These tracts can exert a strong influence on adjacent Federal lands, and identification and prioritization for acquisition provides as complete a picture as possible of the impacts and land acquisition opportunities in the Conservation System Units.