Bureau of Land Management Proposes Mineral Withdrawal Adjacent to Barry M. Goldwater Range and Welcomes Comments
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PHOENIX — The Bureau of Land Management today proposed a mineral withdrawal of 2,365.89 acres of public lands adjacent to the Barry M. Goldwater Range, subject to valid existing rights. This up-to-five-year withdrawal will maintain the environmental baseline of the lands so that the BLM and the U.S. Air Force may conduct a land management evaluation in support of future congressional consideration of the U.S. Air Force’s application for expansion of the withdrawal at the range to include these acres. The BLM formally processes land withdrawal applications for entities within the Department of the Interior and welcomes comments on the proposed withdrawal.
Under the proposal, the 2,365.89 acres of public lands, also known as the Barry M. Goldwater Range “Gila Bend Addition” (https://go.usa.gov/xeG4m), would be withdrawn from appropriation under the public land laws, including mining under the United States mining laws, and leasing under the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights.
A Notice of Proposed Withdrawal was published in today’s Federal Register; this publication segregates the land from appropriation under the laws specified in the notice for two years, initiates a 90-day public comment period, and announces an opportunity for a public meeting. The public may submit comments and requests for a public meeting on the proposed withdrawal application from today until June 7, 2022. Comments may be emailed to BLM_AZ_Withdrawal_Comments@blm.gov or sent by mail to:
Bureau of Land Management, Arizona
Attn: Michael Ouellett
One North Central Avenue
Suite 800
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
Before including your address, phone number, email address, 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.