[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 178 (Thursday, December 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13969-S13970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MURKOWSKI (for himself and Mr. Stevens):
  S. 1879. A bill to resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to 
lands adjacent to the Russian River in the State of Alaska; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am pleased today to introduce the

[[Page S13970]]

``Russian River Land Act''. The purpose of this legislation is to 
ratify an agreement that settles a land ownership issue at the Russian 
River on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska between the U.S. Forest Service, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Cook Inlet Region, Inc., CIRI, 
an Alaska Native Corporation.
  The legislation ratifies an agreement reached between CIRI and the 
agencies after three years of negotiations and it covers the lands at 
the confluence of the Kenai and Russian Rivers in Alaska.
  The area surrounding the confluence of the Russian and Kenai Rivers 
is rich in archaeological cultural features. It is also the site of 
perhaps the most heavily used public sports fishery in Alaska. Because 
of the archaeological resources at Russian River, Cook Inlet Region, 
Inc., made selections at Russian River under the section of the Alaska 
Native Claims Settlement Act that allowed for selections of historical 
places and cemetery sites. The lands at the confluence are managed in 
part by the U.S. Forest Service and in part by the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
  Seeking to protect the public's access to the sport fishery at 
Russian River, the two federal agencies and Cook Inlet Region, Inc., 
reached an agreement that requires the Federal legislation in order to 
become effective. Because this agreement provides for continuing 
ownership and management by the two Federal agencies of the vast 
majority of lands at Russian River, the public's right to continue 
fishing remains unchanged from its current status.
  I congratulate the U.S. Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service 
and CIRI for finding a way to fulfill the intent of the Alaska Native 
Claims Settlement Act in a way that fully protects the interests of the 
public. I also congratulate all three parties on reaching final accord 
on the longstanding unresolved issue of land ownership at Russian 
River.
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