IB
Union Calendar No. 343
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3048
[Report No. 107–573]
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to lands adjacent to the
Russian River in the State of Alaska.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 4, 2001
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
JULY 15, 2002
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on October 4, 2001]
A BILL
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to lands
adjacent to the Russian River in the State of Alaska.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Russian River Land
Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Certain lands adjacent to the Russian River
in the area of its confluence with the Kenai River
contain abundant archaeological resources of signifi-
cance to the Native people of the Cook Inlet Region,
the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, and the citizens of the
United States.
(2) Those lands at the confluence of the Russian
River and Kenai River contain abundant fisheries re-
sources of great significance to the citizens of Alaska.
(3) Cook Inlet Region, Inc., an Alaska Native
Regional Corporation formed under the provisions of
the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (43
U.S.C. 1601 et. seq.) (hereinafter in this Act referred
to as ‘‘ANCSA’’), has selected lands in the area pur-
suant to section 14(h)(1) of such Act (43 U.S.C.
1613(h)(1)), for their values as historic and cemetery
sites.
(4) The United States Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, the Federal agency responsible for the adjudica-
tion of ANCSA selections has not finished adjudi-
cating Cook Inlet Region, Inc.’s selections under sec-
tion 14(h)(1) of that Act as of the date of the enact-
ment of this Act.
(5) The Bureau of Indian Affairs has certified a
portion of Cook Inlet Region, Inc.’s selections under
section 14(h)(1) of ANCSA as containing prehistoric
and historic cultural artifacts, and meeting the re-
quirements of section 14(h)(1) of that Act.
(6) A portion of the selections under section
14(h)(1) of ANCSA made by Cook Inlet Region, Inc.,
and certified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs lies
within the Chugach National Forest over which the
United States Forest Service is the agency currently
responsible for the administration of public activities,
archaeological features, and natural resources.
(7) A portion of the selections under section
14(h)(1) of ANCSA and the lands certified by the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs lies within the Kenai National
Wildlife Refuge over which the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service is the land managing agency
currently responsible for the administration of public
activities, archaeological features, and natural re-
sources.
(8) The area addressed by this Act lies within
the Sqilantnu Archaeological District which was de-
termined eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places on December 31, 1981.
(9) Both the Forest Service and the Fish and
Wildlife Service dispute the validity and timeliness of
Cook Inlet Region, Inc.’s selections under section
14(h)(1) of ANCSA.
(10) The Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice, and Cook Inlet Region, Inc., determined that it
was in the interest of the United States and Cook
Inlet Region, Inc., to—
(A) protect and preserve the outstanding
historic, cultural, and natural resources of the
area;
(B) resolve their disputes concerning the va-
lidity of Cook Inlet Region, Inc.’s selections
under section 14(h)(1) of ANCSA without litiga-
tion; and
(C) provide for the management of public
use of the area and protection of the cultural re-
sources within the Sqilantnu Archaeological Dis-
trict, particularly the management of the area at
the confluence of the Russian and Kenai Rivers.
(11) Legislation is required to enact the resolu-
tion reached by the Forest Service, the Fish and Wild-
life Service, and Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to ratify
an agreement between the Department of Agriculture, the
Department of the Interior, and Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
SEC. 3. RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE, UNITED
STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND
COOK INLET REGION, INC.
(a) RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The terms, conditions, cov-
enants, and procedures set forth in the document enti-
tled ‘‘Russian River Section 14(h)(1) Selection Agree-
ment’’, which was executed by Cook Inlet Region,
Inc., the United States Department of Agriculture,
and the United States Department of the Interior on
July 26, 2001, (hereinafter in this Act referred to as
the ‘‘Agreement’’), are hereby incorporated in this sec-
tion, and are ratified, as to the duties and obligations
of the United States and the Cook Inlet Region, Inc.,
as a matter of Federal law.
(2) SECTION 5.—The ratification of section 5 of
the Agreement is subject to the following conditions:
(A) The Fish and Wildlife Service shall con-
sult with interested parties when developing an
exchange under section 5 of the Agreement.
(B) The Secretary of the Interior shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Resources of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate a copy of
the agreement implementing any exchange under
section 5 of the Agreement not less than 30 days
before the exchange becomes effective.
(3) AGREEMENT CONTROLS.—In the event any of
the terms of the Agreement conflict with any other
provision of law, the terms of the Agreement shall be
controlling.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF ACTIONS.—The Secretaries of
Agriculture and the Interior are authorized to take all ac-
tions required under the terms of the Agreement.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Department of Agriculture, Office of State
and Private Forestry, $13,800,000, to remain available
until expended, for Cook Inlet Region, Inc., for the fol-
lowing:
(1) Costs for the planning and design of the
Joint Visitor’s Interpretive Center.
(2) Planning and design of the Sqilantnu Ar-
chaeological Research Center.
(3) Construction of these facilities to be estab-
lished in accordance with and for the purposes set
forth in the Agreement.
(b) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Of the amount
appropriated under this section, not more than 1 percent
may be used to reimburse the Forest Service, the Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the Kenaitze Indian Tribe for the costs
they incur in assisting Cook Inlet Region, Inc. in the plan-
ning and design of the Joint Visitor’s Interpretive Center
and the Sqilantnu Archaeological Research Center.
Union Calendar No. 343
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3048
[Report No. 107–573]
A BILL
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to
lands adjacent to the Russian River in the State
of Alaska.
JULY 15, 2002
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
and ordered to be printed