Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Act

Summary#

This bill would allow a land swap between the Chugach Alaska Corporation (a Regional Native Corporation) and the United States. If Chugach Alaska offers to convey all rights, title, and interest in about 231,000 acres of non-Federal subsurface land that underlies surface land bought or protected by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (the Program), the Secretary of the Interior must accept the offer and, within one year of enactment, convey about 65,374 acres of Federal fee land to Chugach Alaska. The Federal land to be conveyed includes roughly 63,414 acres of National Forest land and about 1,960 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Land conveyed to the United States would become part of the Federal land unit where it is located and be managed accordingly. Conveyances are subject to valid existing rights and encumbrances. Chugach Alaska may exclude up to 209 acres from the conveyance for village development or shareholder homesite purposes. The bill allows minor corrections to maps and says a map controls if there is a conflict with acreage descriptions.

What it means for you#

  • If you are a Chugach Alaska shareholder or community member: the bill would authorize a swap that could change which lands Chugach Alaska holds in fee simple and which subsurface interests the United States holds. The bill sets the specific parcels and acreage involved.
  • If you are a federal land manager or user in the Chugach Region: some parcels would change ownership and management responsibilities would shift for the lands the United States receives or conveys.
  • If you are a resident or business near the listed parcels: the bill describes which parcels are included, but it does not say how land use or access would change after the swap.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs, budgetary effects, or specific funding in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

The bill states its purposes and findings: it is intended to resolve a split-estate conflict created when the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council purchased surface estate or conservation easements while subsurface (development) rights remained with Chugach Alaska. Supporters say the exchange would consolidate surface and subsurface ownership, help perfect conservation of surface lands acquired under the Program, balance Alaska Native land selection goals under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and is in the public interest.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information on opponents' views in the bill text.