II 

Calendar No. 606 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3617 

To provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village Corporation 

established for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 18, 2024 

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. SULLIVAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

NOVEMBER 21, 2024 

Reported by Mr. MANCHIN, with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village 

Corporation established for the Native Village of 

Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cape Fox Land Enti5 tlement Finalization Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the Cape Fox Corporation is a Village Cor4 poration for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, 

5 organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Set6 tlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); 

7 (2) similar to other Village Corporations in 

8 southeast Alaska, under section 16 of that Act (43 

9 U.S.C. 1615), Cape Fox could select only 23,040 

10 acres from land withdrawn for the purpose of that 

11 selection; 

12 (3) under section 22(l) of that Act (43 U.S.C. 

13 1621(l))— 

14 (A) the Village Corporations in southeast 

15 Alaska, other than Cape Fox, were restricted 

16 with respect to the selection of land within 2 

17 miles of a home rule city (as that term is used 

18 in that Act); and 

19 (B) to protect the watersheds in the vicin20 ity, Cape Fox was restricted with respect to the 

21 selection of land within 6 miles of the boundary 

22 of the home rule city of Ketchikan, Alaska; 

23 (4) the 6-mile restriction described in para24 graph (3)(B) precluded Cape Fox from selecting val25 uable land, industrial sites, and other commercial 

26 property located— 


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1 (A) within the townships in which the Na2 tive Village of Saxman is located, more particu3 larly described as T.75 S., T.76 S., R.91 E., 

4 Copper River Meridian; and 

5 (B) on surrounding land that is far re6 moved from Ketchikan, Alaska, and its water7 sheds; 

8 (5) as a result of the restriction described in 

9 paragraph (3)(B), only the remote, mountainous, 

10 northeast corner of the property described in para11 graph (4)(A), which is nonproductive and has no 

12 known economic value, was available for selection by 

13 Cape Fox, as required under section 16(b) of the 

14 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

15 1615(b)); 

16 (6) land selections by Cape Fox under that Act 

17 were further limited by the fact that— 

18 (A) the Annette Island Indian Reservation 

19 is located within the applicable selection area; 

20 and 

21 (B) land of that Reservation is unavailable 

22 for selection by Cape Fox; 

23 (7) Cape Fox is the only Village Corporation af24 fected by the restrictions described in paragraphs 

25 (3)(B) and (6); and 


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1 (8) the Secretary has advised Congress that the 

2 predicament of Cape Fox is sufficiently unique to 

3 warrant the legislative remedy provided by this Act. 

4 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) CAPE FOX.—The term ‘‘Cape Fox’’ means 

7 the Cape Fox Village Corporation, a Village Cor8 poration for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, 

9 organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Set10 tlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). 

11 (2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 

12 means the approximately 180 acres of surface land 

13 within the Tongass National Forest in the State of 

14 Alaska, as generally depicted on the Map. 

15 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en16 titled ‘‘Cape Fox Village Corporation Final Selec17 tion’’ and dated December 18, 2023. 

18 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

19 the Secretary of the Interior. 

20 SEC. 4. WAIVER OF CORE TOWNSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR 

21 CERTAIN LAND. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 16(b) of 

23 the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

24 1615(b)), Cape Fox shall not be required to select or re25 ceive conveyance of the approximately 185 acres of 


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1 unconveyed land described in subsection (b) located within 

2 the township in which the Native Village of Saxman, Alas3 ka, is located. 

4 (b) LAND DESCRIBED.—The land referred to in sub5 section (a) is as follows: 

6 (1) Approximately 40 acres in T. 74 S., R.90 

7 E., sec. 10, SWNE, Copper River Meridian. 

8 (2) Approximately 144.57 acres in T.75 S., 

9 R.91 E., sec. 1, lots 1, 3, and 4, Copper River Me10 ridian. 

11 SEC. 5. SELECTION OUTSIDE EXTERIOR SELECTION 

12 BOUNDARY. 

13 (a) SELECTION AND CONVEYANCE OF SURFACE ES14 TATE.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enact15 ment of this Act, if Cape Fox submits to the Secretary 

16 a written notice of selection of the Federal land, the Sec17 retary shall, on receiving that written notice, convey the 

18 Federal land to Cape Fox. 

19 (b) CONVEYANCE OF SUBSURFACE ESTATE.—On 

20 conveyance to Cape Fox of the surface estate to the Fed21 eral land under subsection (a), the Secretary shall convey 

22 to Sealaska Corporation the subsurface estate to that Fed23 eral land. 

24 (c) TIMING.—It is the intent of Congress that the 

25 Secretary complete the conveyances to Cape Fox and 


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1 Sealaska Corporation under subsections (a) and (b), re2 spectively, as soon as practicable after the date on which 

3 the Secretary receives a written notice of the selection of 

4 Cape Fox under subsection (a), but not later than 180 

5 days after the date on which the Secretary receives that 

6 written notice. 

7 (d) ENTITLEMENT FULFILLED.—The conveyance of 

8 Federal land to Cape Fox and the subsurface interest in 

9 the Federal land to Sealaska Corporation under sub10 sections (a) and (b), respectively, shall be considered to 

11 fulfill the entitlement of— 

12 (1) Cape Fox under section 16 of the Alaska 

13 Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1615); and 

14 (2) Sealaska Corporation to any subsurface in15 terest in the Federal land under section 14(f) of that 

16 Act (43 U.S.C. 1613(f)). 

17 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

18 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cape Fox Land Entitle19 ment Finalization Act of 2024’’. 

20 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) CAPE FOX.—The term ‘‘Cape Fox’’ means the 

23 Cape Fox Village Corporation, a Village Corporation 

24 for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, organized 


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1 pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 

2 (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). 

3 (2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 

4 means the approximately 180 acres of surface land 

5 within the Tongass National Forest in the State of 

6 Alaska, as generally depicted on the Map. 

7 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map enti8 tled ‘‘Cape Fox Village Corporation Final Selection’’ 

9 and dated December 18, 2023. 

10 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

11 the Secretary of the Interior. 

12 SEC. 3. WAIVER OF CORE TOWNSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR 

13 CERTAIN LAND. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 16(b) of 

15 the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

16 1615(b)), Cape Fox shall not be required to select or receive 

17 conveyance of the approximately 185 acres of unconveyed 

18 land described in subsection (b) located within the township 

19 in which the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, is located. 

20 (b) LAND DESCRIBED.—The land referred to in sub21 section (a) is as follows: 

22 (1) Approximately 40 acres in T. 74 S., R.90 E., 

23 sec. 10, SWNE, Copper River Meridian. 

24 (2) Approximately 144.57 acres in T.75 S., R.91 

25 E., sec. 1, lots 1, 3, and 4, Copper River Meridian. 


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1 SEC. 4. SELECTION OUTSIDE EXTERIOR SELECTION 

2 BOUNDARY. 

3 (a) SELECTION AND CONVEYANCE OF SURFACE ES4 TATE.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 

5 of this Act, if Cape Fox submits to the Secretary a written 

6 notice of selection of the Federal land, the Secretary shall, 

7 on receiving that written notice, convey the Federal land 

8 to Cape Fox. 

9 (b) CONVEYANCE OF SUBSURFACE ESTATE.—On con10 veyance to Cape Fox of the surface estate to the Federal 

11 land under subsection (a), the Secretary shall convey to 

12 Sealaska Corporation the subsurface estate to that Federal 

13 land. 

14 (c) TIMING.—It is the intent of Congress that the Sec15 retary complete the conveyances to Cape Fox and Sealaska 

16 Corporation under subsections (a) and (b), respectively, as 

17 soon as practicable after the date on which the Secretary 

18 receives a written notice of the selection of Cape Fox under 

19 subsection (a), but not later than 180 days after the date 

20 on which the Secretary receives that written notice. 

21 (d) ENTITLEMENT FULFILLED.—The conveyance of 

22 Federal land to Cape Fox and the subsurface interest in 

23 the Federal land to Sealaska Corporation under subsections 

24 (a) and (b), respectively, shall be considered to fulfill the 

25 entitlement of— 


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1 (1) Cape Fox under section 16 of the Alaska Na2 tive Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1615); and 

3 (2) Sealaska Corporation to any subsurface in4 terest in the Federal land under section 14(f) of that 

5 Act (43 U.S.C. 1613(f)). 

6 SEC. 5. PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENT. 

7 The conveyance of the Federal land under section 4 

8 shall be subject to the reservation of a public easement under 

9 section 17(b) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 

10 (43 U.S.C. 1616(b)) to allow for access to National Forest 

11 System land further inland on Revillagigedo Island from 

12 the George Inlet. 


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Calendar No. 606 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3617 

A BILL 

To provide equitable treatment for the people of the 

poses. Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purVillage Corporation established for the Native 

NOVEMBER 21, 2024 

Reported with an amendment 


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