Notice of Application for Extension of Withdrawal and Public Meeting; Notice of Legal Description and Map Availability, California

The U.S. Department of the Army (Army) filed an application with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for extension of the withdrawal created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (2002 Act) for an additional 25-year term. The withdrawal created by the 2002 Act, enacted on December 28, 2001, expires on December 27, 2026, unless extended by Congress. The 2002 Act withdrew public land from all forms of appropriation under the general land laws, including the mining laws and mineral and geothermal leasing laws, to conduct combined arms military training and develop and test military equipment at Fort Irwin National Training Center in San Bernardino County, California, and for other defense-related purposes. This notice also provides official publication of the legal land description and location of the map for the National Training Center withdrawal created by the 2002 Act. This notice initiates a 90-day comment period on the Army's application and announces that the BLM and the Army will hold a public meeting on the application. While the BLM will process the application, only Congress can extend the withdrawal.