To provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village Corporation established for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes.
Legislative Progress
Passed HouseReceived; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy …
Passed House (inferred from eh version)
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the …
Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill finalizes land entitlements for Cape Fox Village Corporation, representing the Native Village of Saxman in Alaska. It allows Cape Fox to receive approximately 180 acres of Tongass National Forest land to fulfill their outstanding claims under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which has been unresolved for decades.
Who Benefits and How
- Cape Fox Village Corporation receives 180 acres of surface land in Tongass National Forest and is exempted from the requirement to select less desirable land within the core township
- Sealaska Corporation (the regional Native corporation) receives the subsurface estate (mineral rights) to the same land
- Native Village of Saxman residents benefit from their village corporation finally receiving its full ANCSA land entitlement
Who Bears the Burden and How
- U.S. Forest Service transfers 180 acres from the Tongass National Forest to private Native corporation ownership
- Federal taxpayers bear minimal cost as this fulfills existing treaty-like obligations under ANCSA rather than creating new expenditures
- Cape Fox Corporation must accept a public access easement across the land and honor any existing third-party rights
Key Provisions
- Waives the ANCSA requirement that Cape Fox select land within the core township around Saxman village
- Requires Secretary of Interior to convey the land within 180 days of receiving Cape Fox's selection notice
- Preserves public easement for access to National Forest land on Revillagigedo Island
- Protects existing rights-of-way and encumbrances held by third parties
- Conveys subsurface estate to Sealaska Corporation as required by ANCSA
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Finalizes land entitlements for Cape Fox Village Corporation (Native Village of Saxman, Alaska) by waiving core township requirements and authorizing conveyance of approximately 180 acres of Tongass National Forest land.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Complete outstanding Alaska Native land entitlements by allowing land selection outside normal boundaries and waiving core township requirements"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Cape Fox Village Corporation
- Sealaska Corporation (receives subsurface estate)
- Native Village of Saxman residents
Likely Burden Bearers
- U.S. Forest Service (loses 180 acres of Tongass National Forest)
- Federal taxpayers (marginal)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
- "secretary_of_agriculture"
- → Secretary of Agriculture (referenced for existing rights)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Cape Fox Village Corporation, a Village Corporation for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)
Approximately 180 acres of surface land within the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, as depicted on the Map dated December 18, 2023
Secretary of the Interior
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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