Subsistence Management Regulations for Public Lands in Alaska-Applicability and Scope; Tongass National Forest Submerged Lands

To comply with a court order, the Secretaries, through the Federal Subsistence Board (Board), initiated regulatory proceedings to identify those submerged lands within the Tongass National Forest that did not pass to the State of Alaska at statehood and, therefore, remain Federal public lands subject to Federal subsistence provisions. This rule adds to the list of submerged parcels in the Federal subsistence regulations that have been identified through agency review. The purpose of this rule is to complete regulatory proceedings addressing submerged public lands within the Tongass National Forest, as directed by the Court, and will result in increased subsistence harvest opportunities for rural Alaskans. This final rule will also make nonsubstantive changes to present the list of submerged parcels in a tabular format.