BLM seeks input on 10-acre withdrawal application at Fort Sill

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment for a withdrawal application of transfer on some public land at Fort Sill to the U.S. Army for military purposes for 20 years. The Army asked the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw 10.32 acres of public land in Comanche County, subject to valid existing rights, and reserve the land for use of the Army for military purposes for 20 years. The purpose of the withdrawal is for military training at the Fort Sill military reservation. If approved, the land would be available for mineral leasing, subject to valid and existing rights. Public land in Oklahoma is not subject to location or entry under U.S. mining laws, but the land would remain open to leasing under the mineral leasing laws, the BLM reported. “There are no suitable alternative sites as the withdrawal application area is landlocked within the Fort Sill military base,” according to the Federal Register. A notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register opened a 90-day public comment period and announced the opportunity to request a public meeting. Comments and public meeting requests may be delivered to: BLM Oklahoma Field Office, ATTN: Christopher Langstaff, 201 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK 73072. If a public meeting is scheduled, the BLM will publish the date, time, and location in the Federal Register, local newspapers, and the BLM New Mexico website at least 30 days before the scheduled public meeting. Comments must be received by Dec. 21. For more information, contact Realty Specialist Michael Rodriguez in the BLM Oklahoma Field Office at (405) 579-7196 or email at michaelr@blm.gov. The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the nation. BLM’s mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under the agency’s mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield.