[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       CHUGACH ALASKA CORPORATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation 
which will correct a longstanding injustice to the Chugach native 
people of my great State of Alaska. Twenty-six years ago, Congress 
passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act [ANCSA] to settle the 
aboriginal land claims of Alaska natives. ANCSA, though not perfect, 
was a bold and innovative approach to settle the issue of native land 
claims. Its main purpose was to convey lands traditionally used by 
Alaska natives to a native regional or native village corporation for 
their use to secure long-term cultural and economic benefits for their 
shareholders.
  In 1980, I worked with many of my colleagues in this body to pass the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act [ANILCA] which, among 
other things, contained a provision which guaranteed access to Alaska 
Native corporations to their ANCSA lands. Without this access to their 
native lands selected under ANCSA, the act itself would become 
meaningless.
  Twenty-six years after the passage of ANCSA, and 15 years since the 
U.S. Forest Service and the Chugach Alaska Corporation entered into the 
``1982 Settlement Agreement'' to convey to Chugach Alaska Corporation 
their lands and guarantee them access to these lands, the U.S. Forest 
Service has yet to provide the easements needed for such access. This 
is unacceptable and will soon produce irreparable harm to Chugach 
Alaska Corporation.
  My legislation will simply direct the U.S. Forest Service to fulfill 
their commitment to provide Chugach Alaska Corporation access to their 
ANCSA lands. The U.S. Forest Service is required to process the 
easement to accomplish access for Chugach Alaska Corporation. There has 
been considerable delay by the U.S. Forest Service to process this 
easement. Mr. Speaker, I plan to take this issue up when Congress is 
back for the 2d session of the 105th Congress and to pass this 
legislation. Both my colleagues in the Senate, Senator Stevens and 
Senator Murkowski support this endeavor and will work for passage.

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