§ 3183. Bristol Bay Cooperative Region

(a) Definitions

For purposes of this section—

(1) The term “Governor” means the Governor of the State of Alaska.

(2) The term “region” means the land (other than any land within the National Park System) within the Bristol Bay Cooperative Region as generally depicted on the map entitled “Bristol Bay-Alaska Peninsula”, dated October 1979.

(b) Purpose

The purpose of this section is to provide for the preparation and implementation of a comprehensive and systematic cooperative management plan (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “plan”), agreed to by the United States and the State—

(1) to conserve the fish and wildlife and other significant natural and cultural resources within the region;

(2) to provide for the rational and orderly development of economic resources within the region in an environmentally sound manner;

(3) to provide for such exchanges of land among the Federal Government, the State, and other public or private owners as will facilitate the carrying out of paragraphs (1) and (2);

(4) to identify any further lands within the region which are appropriate for selections by the State under section 6 of the Alaska Statehood Act and this Act; and

(5) to identify any further lands within the region which may be appropriate for congressional designation as national conservation system units.

(1) If within three months after December 2, 1980, the Governor notifies the Secretary that the State wishes to participate in the preparation of the plan, and that the Governor will, to the extent of his authority, manage State lands within the region to conserve fish and wildlife during such preparation, the Secretary and the Governor shall undertake to prepare the plan which shall contain such provisions as are necessary and appropriate to achieve the purposes set forth in subsection (b) of this section, including but not limited to—

(A) the identification of the significant resources of the region;

(B) the identification of present and potential uses of land within the region;

(C) the identification of areas within the region according to their significant resources and the present or potential uses within each such area;

(D) the identification of land (other than any land within the National Park System) which should be exchanged in order to facilitate the conserving of fish and wildlife and the management and development of other resources within the region; and

(E) the specification of the uses which may be permitted in each area identified under paragraph (C) and the manner in which these uses shall be regulated by the Secretary or the State, as appropriate, if such plan is approved.

(2) The plan shall also—

(A) specify those elements of the plan, and its implementation, which the Secretary or the Governor:

(i) may modify without prior approval of both parties to the plan; and

(ii) may not modify without such prior approval; and

(B) include a description of the procedures which will be used to make modifications to which paragraph (A)(i) applies.

(d) Action by Secretary if State does not participate in plan

If—

(1) the Secretary does not receive notification under subsection (c) of this section that the State will participate in the preparation of the plan; or

(2) after the State agrees to so participate, the Governor submits to the Secretary written notification that the State is terminating its participation;

the Secretary shall prepare a plan containing the provisions referred to in subsection (c)(1) of this section (and containing a specification of those elements in the plan which the Secretary may modify without prior approval of Congress), and submit copies of such plan to the Congress, as provided in subsection (e)(2) of this section, within three years after December 2, 1980.

(e) Taking effect of plan

(1) If within three years after December 2, 1980, a plan has been prepared under subsection (c) of this section which is agreed to by the Secretary and the Governor, the plan shall take effect with respect to the United States and the State.

(2) If the plan prepared pursuant to this section is agreed to by the Secretary and the Governor includes any recommendations regarding

(i) the exchange of State lands,

(ii) the management of Federal lands within any conservation system unit, or

(iii) any other actions which require the approval of either the Congress or the Alaska State Legislature, then the Secretary and the Governor shall submit to the Congress and the State Legislature as appropriate, their proposals for legislation necessary to carry out the recommendations contained in the plan.

(f) Transitional provisions

On December 2, 1980, and for a period of three years thereafter, all Federal land within the region (except that land conveyed by title IX of this Act to the State of Alaska and Federal lands located within the boundaries of conservation system units) shall be withdrawn from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including selections by the State, and from location and entry under the mining laws and from leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.], and shall be managed by the Bureau of Land Management under its existing statutory authority and consistent with provisions of this section.

U.S. Code

§ 3183. Bristol Bay Cooperative Region