[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 26, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S872-S873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. Begich):
S. 14. A bill to provide for the partial settlement of certain claims
under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation
to provide a small interim conveyance of lands to the Sealaska Native
Regional Corporation of Southeast Alaska, a conveyance designed simply
to keep Sealaska in business for the next year or so to give this
Congress sufficient time to consider a more comprehensive solution to
the issue of how to complete the Native corporation's land conveyances
authorized 42 years ago.
Several weeks ago I and my colleague Sen. Mark Begich reintroduced
legislation first proposed in 2007 and 2008 to resolve problems with
land conveyances to Southeast Alaska Natives, S. 340, stemming from
passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Back in the
110th Congress there was plenty of time to resolve these land
conveyance issues. Unfortunately as we begin the 113th Congress, the
Sealaska Corporation has nearly exhausted its ability to use its lands
in Southeast to benefit their shareholders in a socially responsible
manner. This bill that we introduce today is a small stop-gap measure
to give the corporation a one- or two-year additional supply of
accessible lands to guarantee the continued operations of the
corporation in order to give us and the House of Representatives
additional time to again consider a more comprehensive settlement of
Southeast Alaska Native land issues.
Today I am proposing legislation to grant Sealaska quick conveyance
of the two smallest parcels of lands under consideration for conveyance
to it as part of a broader land settlement revision. The parcels
totaling 3,380 acres of the 68,000 acres proposed in the broader bill,
include 2,000 acres at North Election Creek on central Prince of Wales
Island, lands adjacent to existing Sealaska lands on the island, and
1,380 acres on the west side of the Cleveland Peninsula north of
Ketchikan, lands also adjacent to Sealaska's current holdings. I am
proposing interim conveyance of just these two tracts within 60 days of
the act's passage, because to my knowledge there are few if any
environmental concerns that have been raised with resource development
on either tract. I am proposing to limit the conveyances to just these
two to give Sealaska another year or two of existing operations to give
time for the 113th Congress to hold new hearings on
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the Sealaska lands issue and to finalize and pass legislation. But by
limiting the selections to just two small tracts, I am not lessening
the urgency of the need for all parties to reach an agreement on the
terms of a broader bill within the 113th Congress. If no agreement is
reached on a broader bill, Sealaska will again be forced to curtail its
operations with likely tragic consequences for Southeast's regional
economy long before this Administration ends.
The bill, in an effort not to limit negotiations on a broader land
settlement, makes no other changes, except to guarantee that all
existing access provisions to lands required by the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act remain in force on the two parcels proposed for
conveyance. This bill is purely intended to give this Congress
sufficient time to consider this issue while maintaining the economic
status quo in the Panhandle--a fact that is vital for a timber
industry, but also in order for the U.S. Forest Service to have the
time and related infrastructure needed to implement its proposed young-
growth transition strategy in the Tongass National Forest.
My hope is that this bill will promptly be considered and passed by
this Congress, to give us all the time needed to reach an equitable
solution to land issues in America's largest national forest.
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