Alaska Land Conveyances and Trails Act
Bill: H.R.9496 | Sponsor: Rep. Peltola, Mary Sattler (D-AK)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Alaska Land Conveyances and Trails Act
This bill addresses issues involving Alaska lands and trails and Alaska Natives.
Specifically, the bill establishes within the Bureau of Land Management a program to (1) identify and convey available state-selected land to the University of Alaska to support higher education in the state; and (2) acquire, by purchase or exchange, University of Alaska-owned inholdings (certain interests in land owned by the university) in the state.
The bill provides for exclusion of certain settlement trust payments to Alaska natives for purposes of determining eligibility for certain federal programs.
The bill (1) designates the Chilkoot National Historic Trail, and (2) provides for a study of the feasibility and desirability of designating the Alaska Long Trail as a national scenic trail.

To provide for the conveyance to the University of Alaska of certain 
 public land in the State of Alaska, to amend the Alaska Native Claims 
Settlement Act to exclude certain payments to aged, blind, or disabled 
  Alaska Natives or descendants of Alaska Natives from being used to 
   determine eligibility for certain programs, to amend the National 
Trails System Act to designate the Chilkoot National Historic Trail and 
    to provide for a study of the Alaska Long Trail, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Alaska Land Conveyances and Trails 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CONVEYANCES TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Available state-selected land.--The term ``available 
        State-selected land'' means Federal land in the State that has 
        been selected by the State pursuant to section 6(b) of Public 
        Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 
        U.S.C. note prec. 21), including land upon which the State has, 
        prior to December 31, 1993, filed a future selection 
        application under section 906(e) of the Alaska National 
        Interest Lands Conservation Act (43 U.S.C. 1635(e)), but not 
        conveyed or patented to the State, pursuant to Public Law 85-
        508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 U.S.C. 
        note prec. 21).
            (2) Inholding.--The term ``inholding'' means any interest 
        in land owned by the University within--
                    (A) any conservation system unit (as defined in 
                section 102 of the Alaska National Interest Lands 
                Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3102)); or
                    (B) any unit of the National Forest System in the 
                State.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of 
        Land Management.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska.
            (5) University.--The term ``University'' means the 
        University of Alaska, acting through the Board of Regents.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program within 
the Bureau of Land Management--
            (1) to identify and convey available State-selected land to 
        the University to support higher education in the State; and
            (2) to acquire, by purchase or exchange, University-owned 
        inholdings in the State.
    (c) Identification of Land To Be Conveyed to the University.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the State and the University may jointly 
        identify not more than 500,000 acres of available State-
        selected land for inclusion in the program established under 
        subsection (b), of which not more than 360,000 acres may be 
        conveyed and patented to the University.
            (2) Technical assistance.--On the request of the State and 
        the University, the Secretary shall provide technical 
        assistance in the identification of available State-selected 
        land for inclusion in the program established under subsection 
        (b).
            (3) Maps.--As soon as practicable after the date on which 
        the available State-selected land is identified under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
        Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 
        Resources of the House of Representatives 1 or more maps 
        depicting the available State-selected land identified for 
        potential conveyance to the University.
            (4) Conveyance.--Subject to paragraph (5), if the State and 
        the University notify the Secretary in writing that the State 
        and the University jointly concur with the conveyance of all or 
        a portion of the available State-selected land identified under 
        paragraph (1), and that the State will conditionally relinquish 
        the selection rights of the State to the land covered by the 
        notification on the issuance of the land being tentatively 
        approved, and will fully relinquish those selection rights on 
        final patent by the Secretary to the University, the Secretary 
        shall convey the applicable identified available State-selected 
        land to the University, subject to valid existing rights, in 
        the same manner and subject to the same terms, conditions, and 
        limitations as is applicable to the State under section 6(b) of 
        Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood 
        Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21) and other applicable law, to 
        be held in trust for the exclusive use and benefit of the 
        University, to be administered in accordance with subsection 
        (e).
            (5) Terms and conditions.--
                    (A) Maximum acreage.--Subject to subparagraph (C), 
                the Secretary shall convey not more than a total of 
                360,000 acres of available State-selected land to the 
                University under this subsection, not to exceed the 
                remaining entitlement of the State under section 6(b) 
                of Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska 
                Statehood Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21).
                    (B) Letters of concurrence.--For purposes of 
                paragraph (4) and subject to the maximum acreage 
                limitation under paragraph (1), the State and the 
                University may submit to the Secretary 1 or more joint 
                letters of concurrence identifying parcels of available 
                State selected land for conveyance as a subset of the 
                total acres to be conveyed under this subsection.
                    (C) Acreage charged against alaska statehood act 
                entitlement.--The acreage of land conveyed to the 
                University under this subsection shall be charged 
                against the remaining entitlement of the State under 
                section 6(b) of Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as 
                the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 U.S.C. note prec. 
                21).
                    (D) Survey costs.--In accordance with Public Law 
                85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') 
                (48 U.S.C. note prec. 21), the Secretary shall be 
                responsible for the costs of required surveys.
                    (E) Submerged lands.--Lands beneath navigable 
                waters (as defined in section 2 of the Submerged Lands 
                Act (43 U.S.C. 1301)) shall not be available for 
                conveyance to the University under the program 
                established under subsection (b).
    (d) University of Alaska Inholdings.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary or the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, as appropriate, may acquire by purchase or 
        exchange, with the consent of the University, University-owned 
        inholdings within Federal land in the State.
            (2) Appraisals.--The value of the land to be exchanged or 
        acquired under this subsection shall be determined by the 
        Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as appropriate, 
        through appraisals conducted--
                    (A) in accordance with--
                            (i) the Uniform Appraisal Standards for 
                        Federal Land Acquisitions; and
                            (ii) the Uniform Standards of Professional 
                        Appraisal Practice; and
                    (B) by a qualified appraiser mutually agreed to by 
                the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture, as 
                appropriate, and the University.
            (3) Equal value exchanges.--For any land exchange entered 
        into under this subsection, the Federal land and University-
        owned inholdings exchanged shall be of equal value.
            (4) Purchase acquisitions.--Pursuant to chapter 2003 of 
        title 54, United States Code, amounts in the Land and Water 
        Conservation Fund established by section 200302 of that title 
        may be used for the purchase of University-owned inholdings 
        within Federal land in the State under this subsection.
            (5) Requirement.--Any land acquired by the United States 
        under this subsection shall be administered in accordance with 
        the laws (including regulations) applicable to the conservation 
        system unit or unit of the National Forest System in which the 
        land is located.
    (e) Administration of Conveyed or Exchanged Land.--All available 
State-selected land that is tentatively approved or conveyed to the 
University under this section, and all land or assets acquired by the 
University through an exchange under this section, together with the 
income therefrom and the proceeds from any dispositions thereof, shall 
be administered by the University in trust to meet the necessary 
expenses of higher education programs, similar to prior Federal land 
grants to the University.
    (f) State and University Participation.--Nothing in this section 
requires the State or the University--
            (1) to participate in the program established under 
        subsection (b); or
            (2) to enter into sales or exchanges of University-owned 
        inholdings under subsection (d).
    (g) Congressional Notification.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of any conveyance and patent to the University under this section, 
the Secretary shall notify the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives of the land conveyed and patented.
    (h) No Effect on Alaska Statehood Act Entitlement.--Except for any 
available State-selected land conveyed under subsection (c) and charged 
against the remaining entitlement of the State under section 6(b) of 
Public Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 
U.S.C. note prec. 21)--
            (1) the operation of the program established under 
        subsection (b) shall not diminish or alter the rights of the 
        State to receive the entitlement of the State in any way; and
            (2) the State may continue to pursue the transfer of the 
        remaining entitlement of the State under section 6(b) of Public 
        Law 85-508 (commonly known as the ``Alaska Statehood Act'') (48 
        U.S.C. note prec. 21) at any time.

SEC. 3. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN SETTLEMENT TRUST PAYMENTS TO CERTAIN 
              ALASKA NATIVES FOR PURPOSES OF DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY 
              FOR CERTAIN FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

    Section 29(c) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 
1626(c)) is amended, in the undesignated matter following paragraph 
(3), by striking subparagraph (E) and inserting the following:
            ``(E) an interest in a Settlement Trust or an amount 
        distributed from or benefit provided by a Settlement Trust to a 
        Native or descendant of a Native who is an aged, blind, or 
        disabled individual (as defined in section 1614(a) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382c(a))).''.

SEC. 4. CHILKOOT NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL; ALASKA LONG NATIONAL SCENIC 
              TRAIL STUDY.

    (a) Designation of the Chilkoot National Historic Trail.--Section 
5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
            ``(31) Chilkoot national historic trail.--
                    ``(A) Definition of indian tribe.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning 
                given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
                Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
                5304).
                    ``(B) Designation.--The Chilkoot National Historic 
                Trail, an approximately 16.5-mile route within the 
                Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park that was 
                traditionally used as a trading route by the Tlingit 
                and Tagish people and as the primary route by which 
                people made their way to the Klondike during the gold 
                rush, as generally depicted on the map entitled 
                `Proposed Chilkoot National Historic Trail', numbered 
                KLGO-461-173787, and dated October 2020.
                    ``(C) Availability of map.--The map described in 
                subparagraph (B) shall be on file and available for 
                public inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
                National Park Service.
                    ``(D) Administration.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Chilkoot National 
                        Historic Trail shall be administered by the 
                        Secretary of the Interior, in consultation and 
                        coordination with affected Indian Tribes.
                            ``(ii) Contracts, compacts, and 
                        agreements.--The Secretary of the Interior may 
                        enter into contracts, compacts, and cooperative 
                        agreements with Indian Tribes to protect, 
                        preserve, maintain, interpret, or operate any 
                        site, service, or property included within or 
                        outside the Klondike Gold Rush National 
                        Historical Park that is associated with the 
                        Chilkoot National Historic Trail.
                            ``(iii) Funding agreements.--The Secretary 
                        of the Interior may enter into funding 
                        agreements with Indian Tribes to encourage 
                        Tribal participation in the planning, 
                        protection, operation, development, or 
                        maintenance of the Chilkoot National Historic 
                        Trail in accordance with the Indian Self-
                        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
                        U.S.C. 5301 et seq.).
                    ``(E) Effect.--The designation of the Chilkoot 
                National Historic Trail shall not affect any 
                authorities under Public Law 94-323 (16 U.S.C. 410bb et 
                seq.).
                    ``(F) Coordination of activities.--The Secretary of 
                the Interior may coordinate with public and 
                nongovernmental organizations and institutions of 
                higher education in the United States and Canada, and, 
                in consultation with the Secretary of State, the 
                Government of Canada, and any political subdivisions of 
                the Government of Canada, for the purposes of--
                            ``(i) exchanging information and research 
                        relating to the Chilkoot National Historic 
                        Trail;
                            ``(ii) supporting the preservation of, and 
                        educational programs relating to, the Chilkoot 
                        National Historic Trail;
                            ``(iii) providing technical assistance with 
                        respect to the Chilkoot National Historic 
                        Trail; and
                            ``(iv) working to establish an 
                        international historic trail incorporating the 
                        Chilkoot National Historic Trail that provides 
                        for complementary preservation and education 
                        programs in the United States and Canada.''.
    (b) Alaska Long National Scenic Trail Study.--Section 5(c) of the 
National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
            ``(48) Alaska long trail.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Alaska Long Trail, extending 
                approximately 500 miles from Seward, Alaska, to 
                Fairbanks, Alaska.
                    ``(B) Requirement.--The Secretary of the Interior, 
                acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land 
                Management (referred to in this paragraph as the 
                `Secretary'), shall study the feasibility of 
                designating the trail described in subparagraph (A), 
                including evaluating the potential impacts of the trail 
                on rights-of-way, existing rights, or other 
                recreational uses of the land proposed to be used for 
                the trail.
                    ``(C) Consultation.--The Secretary shall conduct 
                the study under this paragraph in consultation with--
                            ``(i) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 
                        through the Chief of the Forest Service;
                            ``(ii) the State of Alaska;
                            ``(iii) units of local government in the 
                        State of Alaska;
                            ``(iv) applicable Indian Tribes (as defined 
                        in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
                        and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) 
                        in the State of Alaska; and
                            ``(v) representatives of the private sector 
                        in the State of Alaska, including any entity 
                        that holds a permit issued by the Federal 
                        Energy Regulatory Commission.''.
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