[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 150 (Thursday, October 23, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13137-S13138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MURKOWSKI:
  S. 1778. A bill to authorize a land conveyance between the United 
State and the City of Craig, Alaska, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today I introduce along with my 
colleague, Senator Stevens, an important bill that will facilitate 
Forest Service land management on Prince of Wales Island and help 
community expansion and development. The City of Craig is the economic 
center of Prince of Wales Island, the third largest island in the 
country. The town contains the major retail shopping and service 
outlets on the island and island residents drive up to a hundred miles 
round trip to come to town for medical services and shopping. Craig 
also has the most active and largest commercial fishing harbor and 
fleet on the island.
  Due to land selection conflicts between the Forest Service and the 
State of Alaska in the 1960's, the city of Craig received no municipal 
entitlement land. This legislation will help alleviate some of the loss 
to the city from the lack of an entitlement.
  One of the Forest Service's main administrative facilities, the Craig 
Ranger District Station is located in Craig. The Craig Ranger has 
management authority over approximately one million acres on Prince of 
Wales Island. It is critical that the Forest Service has the tools it 
needs to provide good management for that part of the island. One of 
these tools is the presence of some Federal land near the Craig Ranger 
Station. Right now, there is not any Forest Service land near the 
Ranger Station. In an unusual situation for Alaska, the Ranger Station 
is an in holding among private, state, and City owned land.
  This legislation would provide for a three way conveyance process 
which would result in three parcels of land now owned by the City being 
conveyed into the National Forest and an in holding owned by a private 
entity being acquired by the City.
  To use the vernacular, this is one of those situations people like to 
describe as ``win-win.'' Providing a recreational opportunity in the 
Forest at Craig benefits the public and the city of Craig would obtain 
land vital to its future community development plan.
  What our legislation does is authorize the Federal Government to 
accept conveyance of land from the City of Craig and authorize an 
appropriation for land acquisition. The funding would be used by the 
city of Craig to purchase the private land at Craig. In return the city 
would convey to the Federal Government up to 346 acres of land it now 
owns to the Tongass National Forest. This land is highly prized for 
local recreation and would provide the Craig Ranger District with a 
missing piece of its management scheme by providing a recreation site 
within short walking distance of the Ranger Station.
  Right now, visitors to the Forest come to the Craig Ranger Station to 
orient themselves to the Forest. One of the things they look for is 
onsite recreation in the Forest from the Ranger Station. But there is 
none. Because of the land conveyance status directly around Craig, 
there is no Forest land in that area.
  However, the city of Craig owns almost 350 acres of prime 
recreational land including a dedicated trail in the immediate vicinity 
from the Ranger Station. The Forest should own this land so that it can 
integrate the parcel into its land management plans.
  The property to be acquired by the city of Craig is a cannery site 
dating from the early 1900's which has not been used since the early 
1980's. It is prime land for the city to redevelop in

[[Page S13138]]

order to improve its community management plan and to provide economic 
stimulus in Craig. The parcel includes both uplands and tidelands and 
could be used by Craig to develop a good port and harbor and to provide 
first class land for retail merchants and other community services.
  Senator Stevens and I strongly support the needs of Craig in 
developing its local economy.
  The entire island is in transition. In the early 1980's, the city and 
Prince of Wales Island were the center of a vibrant timber based 
economy that provided thousands of direct and indirect jobs to the 
Island. Much of that is now gone as a result of unfortunate Federal 
policies which have devastated the timber based economy on Prince of 
Wales Island and much of Southeastern Alaska.
  According to unemployment data published by the Alaska Department of 
Labor, unemployment rates in Craig's census area regularly exceed 20 
percent. Their annual rate of unemployment is typically more than twice 
the national average.
  We must help Craig in its transition to another economy. The city 
leaders are dynamic and visionary people who have provided real 
leadership on the island. They have worked hard to help maintain the 
remaining timber plant at Klawock to provide year round employment to 
city and Island residents. They have organized along with their 
neighbors, the Prince of Wales Community Advisory Council, an 
association of municipalities and Native and non Native communities to 
work as a team on island wide projects.
  Passage of this legislation is critical to the future of the city of 
Craig. It will provide a great management tool to the Forest Service 
and increase recreational opportunities for the local and visiting 
public.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in moving forward on this 
legislation. All of the conveyances in the legislation will be subject 
to appraisals as required by the Federal Government. The Federal 
Government will receive equal value in land from the city. The passage 
of this Act is good for the public and for the residents of Craig.
                                 ______