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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the Cape Fox Corporation is a Village Cor-
poration for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, 
organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Set-
tlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); 
(2) similar to other Village Corporations in 
southeast Alaska, under section 16 of that Act (43 
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U.S.C. 1615), Cape Fox could select only 23,040 
acres from land withdrawn for the purpose of that 
selection; 
(3) under section 22(l) of that Act (43 U.S.C. 
1621(l))— 
(A) the Village Corporations in southeast 
Alaska, other than Cape Fox, were restricted 
with respect to the selection of land within 2 
miles of a home rule city (as that term is used 
in that Act); and 
(B) to protect the watersheds in the vicin-
ity, Cape Fox was restricted with respect to the 
selection of land within 6 miles of the boundary 
of the home rule city of Ketchikan, Alaska; 
(4) the 6-mile restriction described in para-
graph (3)(B) precluded Cape Fox from selecting val-
uable industrial sites and other commercial property 
located— 
(A) within the townships in which the Na-
tive Village of Saxman is located, more particu-
larly described as T.75 S., T.76 S., R.91 E., 
Copper River Meridian; and 
(B) on surrounding land that is far re-
moved from Ketchikan, Alaska, and its water-
sheds; 
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(5) as a result of the restriction described in 
paragraph (3)(B), only the remote, mountainous, 
northeast corner of the property described in para-
graph (4)(A), which is nonproductive and has no 
known economic value, was available for selection by 
Cape Fox, as required under section 16(b) of the 
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 
1615(b)); 
(6) land selections by Cape Fox under that Act 
were further limited by the fact that— 
(A) the Annette Island Indian Reservation 
is located within the applicable selection area; 
and 
(B) land of that Reservation is unavailable 
for selection by Cape Fox; 
(7) Cape Fox is the only Village Corporation af-
fected by the restrictions described in paragraphs 
(3)(B) and (6); and 
(8) the Secretary has advised Congress that the 
predicament of Cape Fox is sufficiently unique to 
warrant the legislative remedy provided by this Act. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CAPE FOX.—The term ‘‘Cape Fox’’ means 
the Cape Fox Village Corporation, a Village Cor-
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poration for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, 
organized pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Set-
tlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). 
(2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means the approximately 180 acres of surface land 
within the Tongass National Forest in the State of 
Alaska, as generally depicted on the Map. 
(3) MAP.—The term ‘‘Map’’ means the map en-
titled ‘‘Cape Fox Village Corporation Final Selec-
tion’’ and dated December 18, 2023. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. WAIVER OF CORE TOWNSHIP REQUIREMENT FOR 
CERTAIN LAND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 16(b) of 
the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 
1615(b)), Cape Fox shall not be required to select or re-
ceive conveyance of the approximately 185 acres of 
unconveyed land described in subsection (b) located within 
the township in which the Native Village of Saxman, Alas-
ka, is located. 
(b) LAND DESCRIBED.—The land referred to in sub-
section (a) is as follows: 
(1) Approximately 40 acres in T. 74 S., R.90 
E., sec. 10, SWNE, Copper River Meridian. 
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(2) Approximately 144.57 acres in T.75 S., 
R.91 E., sec. 1, lots 1, 3, and 4, Copper River Me-
ridian. 
SEC. 
4. 
SELECTION 
OUTSIDE 
EXTERIOR 
SELECTION 
BOUNDARY. 
(a) SELECTION AND CONVEYANCE OF SURFACE ES-
TATE.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, if Cape Fox submits to the Secretary 
a written notice of selection of the Federal land, the Sec-
retary shall, on receiving that written notice, convey the 
Federal land to Cape Fox. 
(b) CONVEYANCE
OF SUBSURFACE ESTATE.—On 
conveyance to Cape Fox of the surface estate to the Fed-
eral land under subsection (a), the Secretary shall convey 
to Sealaska Corporation the subsurface estate to that Fed-
eral land. 
(c) TIMING.—It is the intent of Congress that the 
Secretary complete the conveyances to Cape Fox and 
Sealaska Corporation under subsections (a) and (b), re-
spectively, as soon as practicable after the date on which 
the Secretary receives a written notice of the selection of 
Cape Fox under subsection (a), but not later than 180 
days after the date on which the Secretary receives that 
written notice. 
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(d) ENTITLEMENT FULFILLED.—The conveyance of 
Federal land to Cape Fox and the subsurface interest in 
the Federal land to Sealaska Corporation under sub-
sections (a) and (b), respectively, shall be considered to 
fulfill the entitlement of— 
(1) Cape Fox under section 16 of the Alaska 
Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1615); and 
(2) Sealaska Corporation to any subsurface in-
terest in the Federal land under section 14(f) of that 
Act (43 U.S.C. 1613(f)). 
Æ 
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