[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 522 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 522

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 the 
  land entitlement of the Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims 
                            Settlement Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 4, 2009

  Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Begich) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           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 the 
  land entitlement of the Corporation 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'') (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.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agreement.--The term ``Agreement'' means the document--
                    (A) entitled ``Salmon Lake Area Land Ownership and 
                Consolidation Agreement'';
                    (B) executed by the Secretary, the State, and the 
                Bering Straits Native Corporation on July 18, 2007; and
                    (C) on file with--
                            (i) the Department of the Interior;
                            (ii) the Committee on Energy and Natural 
                        Resources of the Senate; and
                            (iii) the Committee on Natural Resources of 
                        the House of Representatives.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska.

SEC. 4. RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT.

    (a) Ratification.--
            (1) In general.--Congress approves, ratifies, and 
        incorporates by reference the Agreement.
            (2) Conflict.--Subject to valid existing rights, if any 
        term of the Agreement conflicts with any other provision of 
        law, the terms of the Agreement shall control.
    (b) Authorization.--The Secretary may carry out all actions 
permitted or required under the Agreement.
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