Bill > S2016

This bill facilitates a land exchange between the Chugach Alaska Corporation (a Native Regional Corporation) and the United States government, primarily addressing complex land ownership issues stemming from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The bill aims to consolidate federal ownership of surface and subsurface lands in the Chugach region that were previously acquired through the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Habitat Protection and Acquisition Program. Under the exchange, Chugach Alaska will transfer approximately 231,000 acres of subsurface estate underlying federally-owned surface lands, and in return, will receive approximately 65,374 acres of federal land across various parcels in Alaska. The legislation recognizes the significant disruption the original land acquisitions caused to Native Alaskan communities and seeks to balance economic development opportunities for the Chugach Alaska Corporation with conservation goals. The land exchange is designed to resolve split estate ownership conflicts created by previous land acquisitions, provide more efficient federal land management, and support the objectives of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act by giving the Native corporation more economically viable lands while preserving environmentally sensitive areas.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2016/all-info