[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7172 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7172

To resolve the claims of the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the 
State of Alaska to land adjacent to Salmon Lake in the State of Alaska 
    and to provide for the conveyance to the Bering Straits Native 
Corporation of certain other public land in partial satisfaction of its 
    land entitlement under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2008

 Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To resolve the claims of the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the 
State of Alaska to land adjacent to Salmon Lake in the State of Alaska 
    and to provide for the conveyance to the Bering Straits Native 
Corporation of certain other public land in partial satisfaction of its 
    land entitlement under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Salmon Lake Land Selection 
Resolution Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) Salmon Lake and the water upstream and downstream from 
        Salmon Lake contain important fisheries resources of 
        significance to Alaska Natives in the Bering Straits Region and 
        other residents of the State of Alaska;
            (2) certain land adjacent to Salmon Lake on the Seward 
        Peninsula within the Bering Straits Region contains 
        archaeological and cultural resources of significance to Alaska 
        Natives in the Bering Straits Region, other residents of the 
        State, and the citizens of the United States;
            (3) land adjacent to Salmon Lake on the Seward Peninsula 
        within the Bering Straits Region offers, and is suitable for, a 
        variety of recreational activities;
            (4) the State of Alaska, acting under the Act of July 7, 
        1958 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (Public 
        Law 85-508; 72 Stat. 339), has selected land in the Salmon Lake 
        area under section 6(b) of that Act (72 Stat. 340);
            (5) the Bering Straits Native Corporation, an Alaska Native 
        Regional Corporation formed under the Alaska Native Claims 
        Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), has selected land in 
        the Salmon Lake area under section 14(h)(8) of that Act (43 
        U.S.C. 1613(h)(8));
            (6) the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the State of 
        Alaska have conflicting selections to certain land in the 
        Salmon Lake area;
            (7) the Secretary of the Interior (on behalf of the United 
        States), the State, and the Bering Straits Native Corporation 
        have concluded that it is in the interest of all three 
        parties--
                    (A) to protect and preserve the historical, 
                cultural, and natural resources of the Salmon Lake 
                area;
                    (B) to equitably resolve the conflicting land 
                selections made by the State under the Alaska Statehood 
                Act and those made by the Bering Straits Native 
                Corporation in the Salmon Lake area under section 
                14(h)(8) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 
                U.S.C. 1613(h)(8)) without further administrative 
                appeals or litigation; and
                    (C) to provide simultaneously for--
                            (i) continued public ownership, management, 
                        use, and access to certain land in the Salmon 
                        Lake area;
                            (ii) conveyance to the State of certain 
                        land in the Salmon Lake area in partial 
                        satisfaction of the entitlement of the State 
                        under section 6(a) of the Act of July 7, 1958 
                        (Public Law 85-508; 72 Stat. 340); and
                            (iii) conveyance to the Bering Straits 
                        Native Corporation of certain land in the 
                        Salmon Lake area and other areas of the Bering 
                        Straits Region in partial satisfaction of the 
                        land allocation of the Corporation under 
                        section 14(h)(8) of the Alaska Native Claims 
                        Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1613(h)(8)); and
            (8) legislation is required to ratify the Agreement among 
        the Secretary of the Interior, the State, and the Bering 
        Straits Native Corporation to resolve the conflicting land 
        selections made by the State and the Bering Straits Native 
        Corporation.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to ratify the ``Salmon 
Lake Area Land Ownership and Consolidation Agreement'' as entered into 
by the Department of the Interior, the State, and the Bering Straits 
Native Corporation.

SEC. 3. RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT AMONG THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 
              THE STATE OF ALASKA, AND THE BERING STRAITS NATIVE 
              CORPORATION.

    (a) Ratification of Agreement.--
            (1) In general.--The terms, conditions, covenants, and 
        procedures set forth in the document entitled ``Salmon Lake 
        Area Land Ownership and Consolidation Agreement'', which was 
        executed by the Department of the Interior, the State of 
        Alaska, and the Bering Straits Native Corporation, effective 
        July 18, 2007, and which is on file with the Department of the 
        Interior, the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate, and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
        Representatives, are hereby incorporated in this section and 
        are ratified as to the duties and obligations of the United 
        States, the State of Alaska, and the Bering Straits Native 
        Corporation as a matter of Federal law.
            (2) Conflict.--Subject to valid existing rights, if any of 
        the terms of the Agreement conflict with any other provision of 
        law, the terms of the Agreement shall be controlling.
    (b) Authorization of Actions.--The Secretary of the Interior is 
authorized to take all actions permitted or required under the 
Agreement.
                                 <all>