[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 7 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. STEVENS:
  S. 49. A bill to amend the wetlands regulatory program under the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide credit for the low 
wetlands loss rate in Alaska and recognize the significant extent of 
wetlands conservation in Alaska, to protect Alaskan property owners, 
and to ease the burden on overly regulated Alaskan cities, boroughs, 
municipalities, and villages; to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works.


                    Alaska wetlands conservation act

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce a piece of 
legislation important to my State, the ``Alaska Wetlands Conservation 
Act.''
  The legislation I submit today is identical to that introduced in the 
106th Congress, except for a minor addition relative to silviculture. 
The new language simply clarifies the existing exemption for normal 
silviculture activities as applied to lands owned by Alaska Native 
corporations established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims 
Settlement Act (``ANCSA'')
  Congress in enacting the ANCSA intended and expected that Native 
timber holdings would be subject to harvesting. In fact, most Native 
timber lands are former national forest lands that, at the time of the 
enactment of ANCSA in 1971, were part of an ``established'' or 
``ongoing'' silviculture program for that forest.
  I hope my colleagues will support my State and its Native peoples as 
we pursue this legislation.
                                 ______