I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7022 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 17, 2024 

Mrs. PELTOLA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds that— 

5 (1) the Cape Fox Corporation is a Village Cor6 poration for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, 

7 organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Set8 tlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); 

9 (2) similar to other Village Corporations in 

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


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

2 acres from land withdrawn for the purpose of that 

3 selection; 

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

5 1621(l))— 

6 (A) the Village Corporations in southeast 

7 Alaska, other than Cape Fox, were restricted 

8 with respect to the selection of land within 2 

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

10 in that Act); and 

11 (B) to protect the watersheds in the vicin12 ity, Cape Fox was restricted with respect to the 

13 selection of land within 6 miles of the boundary 

14 of the home rule city of Ketchikan, Alaska; 

15 (4) the 6-mile restriction described in para16 graph (3)(B) precluded Cape Fox from selecting val17 uable industrial sites and other commercial property 

18 located— 

19 (A) within the townships in which the Na20 tive Village of Saxman is located, more particu21 larly described as T.75 S., T.76 S., R.91 E., 

22 Copper River Meridian; and 

23 (B) on surrounding land that is far re24 moved from Ketchikan, Alaska, and its water25 sheds; 


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

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

3 northeast corner of the property described in para4 graph (4)(A), which is nonproductive and has no 

5 known economic value, was available for selection by 

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

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

8 1615(b)); 

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

10 were further limited by the fact that— 

11 (A) the Annette Island Indian Reservation 

12 is located within the applicable selection area; 

13 and 

14 (B) land of that Reservation is unavailable 

15 for selection by Cape Fox; 

16 (7) Cape Fox is the only Village Corporation af17 fected by the restrictions described in paragraphs 

18 (3)(B) and (6); and 

19 (8) the Secretary has advised Congress that the 

20 predicament of Cape Fox is sufficiently unique to 

21 warrant the legislative remedy provided by this Act. 

22 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act: 

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

25 the Cape Fox Village Corporation, a Village CorVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:43 Jan 31, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7022.IH H7022

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1 poration for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, 

2 organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Set3 tlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). 

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

5 means the approximately 180 acres of surface land 

6 within the Tongass National Forest in the State of 

7 Alaska, as generally depicted on the Map. 

8 (3) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en9 titled ‘‘Cape Fox Village Corporation Final Selec10 tion’’ and dated December 18, 2023. 

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

12 the Secretary of the Interior. 

13 SEC. 3. WAIVER OF CORE TOWNSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR 

14 CERTAIN LAND. 

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

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

17 1615(b)), Cape Fox shall not be required to select or re18 ceive conveyance of the approximately 185 acres of 

19 unconveyed land described in subsection (b) located within 

20 the township in which the Native Village of Saxman, Alas21 ka, is located. 

22 (b) LAND DESCRIBED.—The land referred to in sub23 section (a) is as follows: 

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

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


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

2 R.91 E., sec. 1, lots 1, 3, and 4, Copper River Me3 ridian. 

4 SEC. 4. SELECTION OUTSIDE EXTERIOR SELECTION 

5 BOUNDARY. 

6 (a) SELECTION AND CONVEYANCE OF SURFACE ES7 TATE.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enact8 ment of this Act, if Cape Fox submits to the Secretary 

9 a written notice of selection of the Federal land, the Sec10 retary shall, on receiving that written notice, convey the 

11 Federal land to Cape Fox. 

12 (b) CONVEYANCE OF SUBSURFACE ESTATE.—On 

13 conveyance to Cape Fox of the surface estate to the Fed14 eral land under subsection (a), the Secretary shall convey 

15 to Sealaska Corporation the subsurface estate to that Fed16 eral land. 

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

18 Secretary complete the conveyances to Cape Fox and 

19 Sealaska Corporation under subsections (a) and (b), re20 spectively, as soon as practicable after the date on which 

21 the Secretary receives a written notice of the selection of 

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

23 days after the date on which the Secretary receives that 

24 written notice. 


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1 (d) ENTITLEMENT FULFILLED.—The conveyance of 

2 Federal land to Cape Fox and the subsurface interest in 

3 the Federal land to Sealaska Corporation under sub4 sections (a) and (b), respectively, shall be considered to 

5 fulfill the entitlement of— 

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

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

8 (2) Sealaska Corporation to any subsurface in9 terest in the Federal land under section 14(f) of that 

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

Æ 


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