20-year Extension Proposed for Sitka Magnetic Observatory Site Withdrawal
Organization
BLM Office:
Media Contact:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to extend the withdrawal and reservation of land at the Sitka Magnetic Observatory in Sitka, Alaska, for an additional 20-year term for magnetic and seismological observation by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The BLM has published a notice in today’s Federal Register inviting the public to comment on the proposal and announcing the opportunity to request a public meeting with BLM and USGS staff.
Executive Order No. 8854, as modified by Public Land Order No. 6458 and extended by Public Land Order No. 7581, provides for data collection through a strategically located magnetic observatory. The Sitka Magnetic Observatory provides multiple Federal agencies and programs with magnetic and seismologic information critical to their missions, including space weather warnings, observations, and forecasts; basic control of models required for nautical and aeronautical charts; and detection of seismic events. Data has been continuously collected on-site since 1939.
Federal Register publication of the notice initiates a 90-day public comment period and sets out instructions for requesting a public meeting. Requests for a public meeting should be sent to Alaska State Director, BLM Alaska State Office, 222 West Seventh Avenue, No. 13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7504 or by email to blm_ak_state_director@blm.gov.
Before including your address, phone number, email, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.