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BLM asks for public comment on continued land withdrawal for Army’s Fort Wainwright Training Areas

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Bureau of Land Management

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Paratroopers with open parachutes float through the sky and land on the grassy plain with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, “Spartan Brigade,” execute a joint forcible entry operation into Donnelly Training Area, Alaska, Sept. 14, 2020. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Pfc. Colton Eller.

 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A notice in the Federal Register today announced the filing of an application with the Bureau of Land Management for extension of a withdrawal of Fort Wainwright training areas for another 25 years or more and opens a 90-day public comment period. The Department of Army has applied for extension of the legislative withdrawal and reservation of approximately 870,000 acres of land for the Yukon Training Area (formerly Fort Wainwright Yukon Training Range) and the Donnelly Training Areas East and West (formerly Fort Greely East and West Training Ranges) in Alaska.

Extending the withdrawal would continue to provide training areas for Fort Wainwright soldiers and other servicemembers throughout Alaska that use the training areas. The extension would ensure that the U.S. military can successfully execute and fulfill its mission in Alaska. The withdrawal will expire on Nov. 6, 2026, unless extended by Congress.

Public meetings will be held in Fairbanks on Monday, April 10, 2023, at 5:00 PM Alaska Standard Time at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel and Conference Center, Yukon Room, 813 Noble Street, Fairbanks, Alaska and in Delta Junction on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 5:00 PM Alaska Standard Time at the Delta Junction Community Center, 2287 Deborah Street, Delta Junction, Alaska.

The BLM is processing this withdrawal application on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior. While the BLM and the Department of the Interior assist the Army with the processing of withdrawal applications, and the Secretary of the Interior makes a recommendation to Congress on withdrawals of this size requested for defense purposes, only Congress can decide whether, and on what terms, to extend the existing withdrawal for the Yukon Training Area and Donnelly Training Areas East and West.

Comments 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.

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.