Russian River Land Act
PL 107-362 (H.R.3048), enacted 12/19/2002

PUBLIC LAW 107-362—DEC. 19, 2002 
116 STAT. 3021 
Public Law 107-362 
107th Congress 
An Act 
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to lands adjacent to the Russian 
Dec. 19, 2002 
River in the State of Alaska. 
[H.R. 3048] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
Russian River 
Land Act. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
Contracts. 
This Act may be cited as the "Russian River Land Act". 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Certadn lands adjacent to the Russian River in the 
area of its confluence with the Kenai River contain abund£int 
- archaeological resources of significance to the Native people 
of the Cook Inlet Region, the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, £uid the 
citizens of the United States. 
(2) Those lands at the confluence of the Russian River 
and Kenai River contain abundant fisheries resources 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.) (herein-
after in this Act referred to as "ANCSA"), has selected lands 
. in the area pursueint 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 Management, the 
Federal agency responsible for the adjudication of ANCSA selec-
• tions has not finished adjudicating Cook Inlet Region, Inc.'s 
selections under section 14(h)(1) of that Act as of the date 
of the enactment 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 arti-
facts, and meeting the requirements 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 luider section 14(h)(1) of 
ANCSA and the lands certified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
lies within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge over which the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service is the land managing 
116 STAT. 3022 
PUBLIC LAW 107-362—DEC. 19, 2002 
agency currently responsible for the administration of public 
activities, archaeological features, and natural resources. 
(8) The area addressed by this Act lies within the Sqilantnu 
Archaeological District which was determined 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 Service, Eind 
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 outstainding historic, cul-
tural, and natural resources of the area; 
(B) resolve their disputes concerning the validity of 
Cook Inlet Region, Inc.'s selections under section 14(h)(1) 
of ANCSA without litigation; and 
(C) provide for the management of public use of the 
area and protection of the cultural resources within the 
Sqilantnu Archaeological District, particularly the manage-
ment of the area at the confluence of the Russian £uid 
Kenai Rivers. 
(11) Legislation is required to enact the resolution reached 
by the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and Cook 
Inlet Region, Inc. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to ratify an agree-
ment 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, covenants, and 
procedures set forth in the document entitled "Russian River 
Section 14(h)(1) Selection Agreement", which was executed by 
Cook Inlet Region, Inc., the United States Department of Agri-
culture, 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 section, 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 Agree-
ment is subject to the following conditions: 
(A) The Fish Euid Wildlife Service shedl consult with 
interested parties when developing an exchange under sec-
tion 5 of the Agreement. 
(B) The Secretairy of the Interior shsJl submit 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 
exchsinge 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. 
PUBLIC LAW 107-362—DEC. 19, 2002 
116 STAT. 3023 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF ACTIONS.—The Secretaries of Agriculture 
and the Interior are authorized to take all actions required under 
the terms of the Agreement. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appropriated 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 following: 
(1) Costs for the planning and design of the Joint Visitor's 
Interpretive Center. 
(2) Planning and design of the Sqilsuitnu Archaeological 
Research Center. 
(3) Construction of these facilities to be established in 
accordance with and for the purposes set forth in the Agree-
ment. 
(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 planning and design of the Joint 
Visitor's Interpretive Center and the Sqilantnu Archaeological 
Reseeu-ch Center. 
Approved December 19, 2002. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 3048: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 107-573 (Comm. on Resources). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 107-275 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 148 (2002): 
July 22, considered and passed House. 
Nov. 19, considered and passed Senate.