Proclamation 4620—Kenai Fjords National Monument

Kenai Fjords National Monument borders the Gulf of Alaska and includes the Harding Icefield and extensions of mountain peaks out into the sea. The area holds a significant opportunity for geologic study of mountain building and for scientific study of ecological variations from an icecap environment to a marine shoreline environment.

The Harding Icefield, one of the Nation's major icecaps, continues to carve deep glacial valleys through the Kenai Mountains. The mountains themselves illustrate tectonic movement through uplift and subsidence over geologic time. Former alpine valleys are now fjords, and former mountain peaks are now tips of islands and vertical sea stacks.

Between the fjords, richly varied rain forest habitats offer opportunities to study life forms adaptable to the wet coastal environment. On the land these include mountain goat, black bear, otter, ptarmigan, and bald eagle. The area is extremely rich in sea bird life of interest to ornithologists and in marine mammals which come to feed in the fjords from their hauling and resting places on nearby islands. The recovery of the sea otter population from almost total extermination to relatively natural populations in this area is of continuing scientific interest.

Section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), authorizes the President, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, and to reserve as part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by Section 2 of the Act of June 8, 1906 (34 Stat. 225, 16 U.S.C. 431), do proclaim that there are hereby set apart and reserved as the Kenai Fjords National Monument all lands, including submerged lands, and waters owned or controlled by the United States within the boundaries of the area depicted as Kenai Fjords National Monument on the map numbered KEFJ 90,008 attached to and forming a part of this Proclamation. The area reserved consists of approximately 570,000 acres, and is the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected. Lands, including submerged lands, and waters within these boundaries not owned by the United States shall be reserved as a part of the monument upon acquisition of title thereto by the United States.

All lands, including submerged lands, and all waters within the boundaries of this monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from entry, location, selection, sale or other disposition under the public land laws, other than exchange. There is also reserved all water necessary to the proper care and management of those objects protected by this monument and for the proper administration of the monument in accordance with applicable laws.

The establishment of this monument is subject to valid existing rights, including, but not limited to, valid selections under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and tinder or confirmed in the Alaska Statehood Act (48 U.S.C. Note preceding Section 21 ).

Nothing in this Proclamation shall be deemed to revoke any existing withdrawal, reservation or appropriation, including any withdrawal under Section 17 (d) (1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1616(d)(1)); however, the national monument shall be the dominant reservation. Nothing in this Proclamation is intended to modify or revoke the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding dated September 1, 1972, entered into between the State of Alaska and the United States as part of the negotiated settlement of Alaska v. Morton, Civil No. A-48-72 (D. Alaska, Complaint filed April 10, 1972).

The Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate such regulations as are appropriate.

Warning is hereby given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy or remove any feature of this monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and third.

JIMMY CARTER