n additional 812,000 acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Alaska are now open for selection for allotments by eligible Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans, bringing to a total approximately 29.5 million acres of federal lands in Alaska.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the additional acreage on Monday under the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act of 2019.
The Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program allows eligible individuals to select allotments of up to 160 acres from available federal lands in Alaska.
The 182,000 acres made available on Monday were not included in the August 2022 announcement that opened 27 million acres of federal lands in Alaska for selection, as the state of Alaska holds top filings on them. Subsequently some Alaska Native Vietnam veterans expressed interest in parcels in that acreage, which led to the additional selection options.
The newly designated lands will be open for selection on Sept. 8. All valid applications received prior to the opening date will be considered simultaneously filed at that time. Those received after that date are to be considered in the order of filing.
Those interested in the program should visit www.blm.gov/Alaska or visit the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program on the BLM website.
