The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today provided a report to Congress that identifies 3,660,231 acres of national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge lands in Alaska that could be made available to qualified veterans or representatives of the estates of deceased eligible veterans for allotment selection. This report was submitted in response to Section 1119 of Public Law 116-9, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Dingell Act), which directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study, using factors and criteria included in the Act, to determine whether any Federal lands within units of the National Wildlife Refuge System in the State of Alaska should be made available for allotment selection by eligible Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans. The final report reflects input received through consultation with Alaska Native Tribes and Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporations. The Service invited over 160 Alaska Native Tribes and 100 ANCSA Corporations to participate in consultation on the study and draft report.
According to the Act, an act of Congress is required to make these lands available for selection by qualified veterans or representatives of the estates of deceased eligible veterans.
Read the Service’s report.
For more information on Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veteran allotments and selection processes, please visit the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Native Veteran Program of 2019 web page.
