[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 29, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4929-H4930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SALMON LAKE LAND SELECTION RESOLUTION ACT

  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2340) 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, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2340

       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. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to ratify the Salmon Lake Area 
     Land Ownership Consolidation Agreement entered into by the 
     United States, 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) titled ``Salmon Lake Area Land Ownership Consolidation 
     Agreement'';
       (B) between the United States, the State, and the Bering 
     Straits Native Corporation on July 18, 2007, which was 
     extended until January 1, 2011, by agreement of the parties 
     to the Agreement effective January 1, 2009; 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) Bering straits native corporation.--The term ``Bering 
     Straits Native Corporation'' means an Alaska Native Regional 
     Corporation formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement 
     Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) for the Bering Straits region of 
     the State.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska.

     SEC. 4. RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT.

       (a) In General.--Subject to the provisions of this Act, 
     Congress ratifies the Agreement.
       (b) Easements.--The conveyance of land to the Bering 
     Straits Native Corporation, as specified in the Agreement, 
     shall include the reservation of the easements that--
       (1) are identified in Appendix E to the Agreement; and
       (2) were developed by the parties to the Agreement in 
     accordance with section 17(b) of the Alaska Native Claims 
     Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1616(b)).
       (c) Corrections.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary, with the consent of the other 
     parties to the Agreement, may only make typographical or 
     clerical corrections to the Agreement and any exhibits to the 
     Agreement.
       (d) General Authority of Secretary.--The Secretary may 
     carry out all actions allowed or required under the 
     Agreement.

     SEC. 5. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Heinrich) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 2340 would ratify an agreement between the United States, the 
Bering

[[Page H4930]]

Straits Native Corporation, and the State of Alaska. The underlying 
agreement provides for the conveyance of certain Federal lands to the 
Bering Straits Native Corporation and to the State of Alaska. The 
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was enacted in 1971. It was 
intended to resolve longstanding issues surrounding native land claims 
in Alaska. Under this act, Alaska Native regional corporations are 
entitled to a certain amount of public lands. The Bering Straits Native 
Corporation is one of those regional corporations entitled to certain 
lands.
  In addition, the Alaska Statehood Act grants the State of Alaska the 
opportunity to select a certain amount of public lands for the State's 
benefit. Normally, legislation is not required to implement these 
selections. In this case, however, both the State and the Native 
corporations selected some of the same lands. After years of 
negotiations, the parties, along with the United States, arrived at an 
agreement to resolve this conflict.
  I want to commend our colleague, Mr. Young of Alaska, for his hard 
work and dedication to this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to 
support its passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill as sponsored by our colleague from 
Alaska (Mr. Young). It resolves overlapping selections to the same 
parcels of land that were filed by the State of Alaska and the Bering 
Straits Native Corporation pursuant to the Alaska Statehood Act and the 
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. As we learned during the committee 
hearing on this bill, there is no opposition to its enactment. So I am 
pleased to support this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2340, 
as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2340, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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