(a) Authority. The Act of July 7, 1958 (72 Stat. 339, 340), grants to the State of Alaska the right to select, within 25 years after January 3, 1959, not to exceed 400,000 acres of national forest lands in Alaska which are vacant and unappropriated at the time of their selection and not to exceed 400,000 acres of other public lands in Alaska which are vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved at the time of their selection. The act provides that the selected lands must be adjacent to the established communities or suitable for prospective community centers and recreational areas. The act further provides that such lands shall be selected with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture as to national forest lands and with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior as to other lands, and that no selection shall be made north and west of the line described in section 10 of the act without approval of the President or his designated representative.

(b) Applicable regulations. Unless otherwise indicated therein, the regulations in §2627.3 (a) to (d) apply to the grant and selection of lands for community purposes. In addition to the requirements of §2627.3(c), where the selected lands are national forest, the application for selection must be accompanied by a statement of the Secretary of Agriculture or his delegate showing that he approves the selection.

(c) Approval of selections outside of national forests. Selection of lands outside of national forests will be approved by the authorized officer of the Bureau of Land Management if, all else being regular, he finds that approval of a selection of lands adjacent to an established community will further expansion of an established community, or if the lands are suitable for prospective community centers and recreational areas.