II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3650 

To resolve the claims of the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the 

State of Alaska to land adjacent to Salmon Lake in the State of Alaska 

and to provide for the conveyance to the Bering Straits Native Corporation of certain other public land in partial satisfaction of the land 

entitlement of the Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 29 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 

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

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

A BILL 

To resolve the claims of the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the State of Alaska to land adjacent to Salmon 

Lake in the State of Alaska and to provide for the 

conveyance to the Bering Straits Native Corporation of 

certain other public land in partial satisfaction of the 

land entitlement of the Corporation under the Alaska 

Native Claims Settlement Act. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Salmon Lake Land 

3 Selection Resolution Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

6 (1) Salmon Lake and the water upstream and 

7 downstream from Salmon Lake contain important 

8 fisheries resources of significance to Alaska Natives 

9 in the Bering Straits Region and other residents of 

10 the State of Alaska; 

11 (2) certain land adjacent to Salmon Lake on 

12 the Seward Peninsula within the Bering Straits Re13 gion contains archaeological and cultural resources 

14 of significance to Alaska Natives in the Bering 

15 Straits Region, other residents of the State, and the 

16 citizens of the United States; 

17 (3) land adjacent to Salmon Lake on the Sew18 ard Peninsula within the Bering Straits Region of19 fers, and is suitable for, a variety of recreational ac20 tivities; 

21 (4) the State of Alaska, acting under the Act 

22 of July 7, 1958 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska 

23 Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21; Public 

24 Law 85–508), has selected land in the Salmon Lake 

25 area under section 6(b) of that Act (72 Stat. 340); 


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1 (5) the Bering Straits Native Corporation, an 

2 Alaska Native Regional Corporation formed under 

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

4 1601 et seq.), has selected land in the Salmon Lake 

5 area under section 14(h)(8) of that Act (43 U.S.C. 

6 1613(h)(8)); 

7 (6) the Bering Straits Native Corporation and 

8 the State of Alaska have conflicting selections to cer9 tain land in the Salmon Lake area; 

10 (7) the Secretary of the Interior, the State, and 

11 the Bering Straits Native Corporation have con12 cluded that it is in the interest of those parties— 

13 (A) to protect and preserve the historical, 

14 cultural, and natural resources of the Salmon 

15 Lake area; 

16 (B) to equitably resolve, without further 

17 administrative appeals or litigation, the con18 flicting land selections made— 

19 (i) by the State under the Act of July 

20 7, 1958 (commonly known as the ‘‘Alaska 

21 Statehood Act’’) (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21; 

22 Public Law 85–508); and 

23 (ii) by the Bering Straits Native Cor24 poration in the Salmon Lake area under 

25 section 14(h)(8) of the Alaska Native 


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1 Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

2 1613(h)(8)); and 

3 (C) to provide simultaneously for— 

4 (i) continued public ownership, man5 agement, use, and access to certain land in 

6 the Salmon Lake area; 

7 (ii) conveyance to the State of certain 

8 land in the Salmon Lake area in partial 

9 satisfaction of the entitlement of the State 

10 under section 6(a) of the Act of July 7, 

11 1958 (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21; Public Law 

12 85–508); and 

13 (iii) conveyance to the Bering Straits 

14 Native Corporation of certain land in the 

15 Salmon Lake area and other areas of the 

16 Bering Straits Region in partial satisfac17 tion of the land allocation of the Corpora18 tion under section 14(h)(8) of the Alaska 

19 Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 

20 1613(h)(8)); and 

21 (8) legislation is required to ratify the agree22 ment among the Secretary of the Interior, the State, 

23 and the Bering Straits Native Corporation to resolve 

24 the conflicting land selections made by the State and 

25 the Bering Straits Native Corporation. 


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1 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to ratify 

2 the Salmon Lake Area Land Ownership and Consolidation 

3 Agreement entered into by the Secretary, the State of 

4 Alaska, and the Bering Straits Native Corporation. 

5 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this Act: 

7 (1) AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Agreement’’ 

8 means the document— 

9 (A) entitled ‘‘Salmon Lake Area Land 

10 Ownership and Consolidation Agreement’’; 

11 (B) executed by the Secretary, the State, 

12 and the Bering Straits Native Corporation on 

13 July 18, 2007; and 

14 (C) on file with— 

15 (i) the Department of the Interior; 

16 (ii) the Committee on Energy and 

17 Natural Resources of the Senate; and 

18 (iii) the Committee on Natural Re19 sources of the House of Representatives. 

20 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of the Interior. 

22 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

23 of Alaska. 

24 SEC. 4. RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT. 

25 (a) RATIFICATION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Congress approves, ratifies, 

2 and incorporates by reference the Agreement. 

3 (2) CONFLICT.—Subject to valid existing rights, 

4 if any term of the Agreement conflicts with any 

5 other provision of law, the terms of the Agreement 

6 shall control. 

7 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary may carry out 

8 all actions permitted or required under the Agreement. 

Æ 


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