Summary#
This bill adds five southeastern Alaska Native communities (Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell) to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) process. It lets enrolled Native residents of those communities form new Urban Corporations, enroll eligible shareholders, and receive shares of settlement common stock. The bill directs the Secretary and Secretary of Agriculture to convey about 23,040 acres of surface land to each Urban Corporation (with the Regional Corporation for Southeast Alaska receiving the subsurface estate), subject to valid existing rights, mapping, and certain conditions. It also preserves public access for subsistence and noncommercial recreation, provides for reservation and possible amendment of public easements, continues certain guiding and outfitting authorizations, requires mutual use agreements for roads and related facilities, allows each Urban Corporation to create a settlement trust, and authorizes $12,500,000 in appropriations to support implementation.
What it means for you#
- Native residents enrolled to the named Native Villages may organize Urban Corporations and be enrolled as shareholders.
- Eligible Natives who were Regional Corporation shareholders would receive 100 shares of Settlement Common Stock in their Urban Corporation; certain inherited shares are matched to the same number.
- Those who become Urban Corporation shareholders remain eligible to receive distributions as at-large shareholders of the Regional Corporation for Southeast Alaska.
- Land conveyed to Urban Corporations will generally remain open for subsistence and noncommercial recreational hunting and fishing, subject to reasonable restrictions and posted notices.
- Existing guiding/outfitting authorizations on conveyed lands will terminate, but the Urban Corporation must offer replacement authorizations for the remainder of the term plus one 10-year renewal.
- Urban Corporations may create settlement trusts to support elders, minor children, and other enrollees, and mutual use agreements for roads and facilities are to be negotiated.
Expenses#
- The bill authorizes $12,500,000 in appropriations, to be used by the Secretary to provide five grants of $2,500,000 each for activities that support implementation (planning and development).
- No publicly available information on other federal cost estimates or budget offsets is included in the bill text.
Proponents' View#
The bill’s stated purpose is to correct the omission of the five named southeastern communities from ANCSA eligibility by allowing their Native residents to form Urban Corporations, receive settlement land, and be enrolled as shareholders. It directs detailed land conveyances, preserves certain public uses, and provides funds to support implementation.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.