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Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Neil Kornze today finalized the transfer of approximately 1,500 acres of land to the Olgoonik Corporation in Wainwright. The transfer fulfills requirements in congressional legislation directing the BLM to sell the lands to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANSCA) corporation."It is an honor to be in Wainwright to complete this important land sale to the Olgoonik Corporation," Director Kornze said. "We have a critical obligation to support Alaska Natives and their communities."The lands, located within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), are part of a former Distance Early Warning (DEW) line site no longer needed by the U.S. Air Force. The DEW line was a Cold War system to detect missiles and aircraft launched from the Soviet Union. The Department of Defense will continue to clean up the property until complete.Director Kornze executed a quit claim deed that officially finalized the transfer of the lands, which are surrounded by Olgoonik Corporation land holdings. The sale will consolidate the Corporation's land ownership and support economic development in the area. The lands were purchased for fair market value following an appraisal.After visiting Wainright, the Director traveled to Barrow to meet with representatives from the North Slope Borough, the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and other Alaska Native groups to discuss local and regional issues.The three-day trip, which included work on legacy wells in the NPR-A, caps the BLM Director's fifth visit to the North Slope to work with community leaders and engage in critical Arctic issues. Photographs from Director Kornze's trip are available at this link.