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) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21; Public Law 85–508), 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, the State, and the Bering Straits Native Corporation have concluded that it is in the interest of those parties— (A)to protect and preserve the historical, cultural, and natural resources of the Salmon Lake area; (B)to equitably resolve, without further administrative appeals or litigation, the conflicting land selections made— (i)by the State under the Act of July 7, 1958 (commonly known as the Alaska Statehood Act) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21; Public Law 85–508); and (ii)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)); 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 (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21; Public Law 85–508); 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

The purpose of this Act is to ratify the Salmon Lake Area Land Ownership and Consolidation Agreement entered into by the Secretary, the State of Alaska, and the Bering Straits Native Corporation.