Alaska Land Deal Nears Finish Line: Bill Transfers 180 Tongass Acres to Cape Fox Native Corp, Reserves Public Access

This bill aims to finalize a long-standing land entitlement for the Cape Fox Village Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation representing the Native Village of Saxman. It directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer approximately 180 acres of federal land within the Tongass National Forest to Cape Fox, fulfilling its claims under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The subsurface rights (think minerals below ground) for this land parcel are designated for transfer to Sealaska Corporation, the regional Native corporation.

Untangling Old Claims

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was designed decades ago to resolve Aboriginal land claims. However, finding suitable land that met all the original rules has sometimes been tricky. This bill addresses one such hurdle for Cape Fox by specifically waiving a requirement (found in 43 U.S.C. 1615(b)) that usually forces Native corporations to select land within the same township as their village. Section 3 allows Cape Fox to receive specific parcels, including roughly 40 acres in one township (T. 74 S. R.90 E. sec. 10) and about 145 acres in another (T. 75 S. R.91 E. sec. 1), which are outside the core Saxman township but needed to complete their entitlement.

The Land Transfer Details

Once Cape Fox formally requests the land outlined on a map dated December 18, 2023, the Secretary of the Interior has a deadline. According to Section 4, the transfer of the surface land to Cape Fox and the subsurface estate to Sealaska must happen "as expeditiously as practicable," but no later than 180 days after the Secretary gets the notice. This action is intended to officially satisfy the land entitlement obligations owed to both Cape Fox (under ANCSA Section 16) and Sealaska (under ANCSA Section 14(f)) for this specific acreage.

Keeping Paths Open

While the land will become private property of the Cape Fox Corporation, the bill ensures the public doesn't completely lose access through the area. Section 5 mandates the creation of a public access easement when the land is transferred. Think of an easement as a legal right-of-way. This specific easement, established under ANCSA Section 17(b), is designed to allow people continued access from the George Inlet shoreline across the transferred land to reach National Forest System areas further inland on Revillagigedo Island. It's a common mechanism in ANCSA conveyances meant to balance private Native ownership with public access needs for recreation or reaching other public lands.