Alaska Native Landless Equity Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Senators Murkowski and Sullivan, aims to fix a long-standing issue where five Southeast Alaska communities were left out of a major 1971 land settlement. It allows Alaska Natives in Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell to form their own local organizations, called Urban Corporations, to manage land and resources.
• Each of the five new corporations would receive about 23,040 acres of federal land, totaling more than 115,000 acres across the region. The local corporations would own the surface of the land, while a larger regional corporation would own the rights to what is underground, such as minerals.
• Eligible residents and their heirs who belong to these five communities will receive 100 shares of stock in their new local corporation. This gives them a direct say in how the land is used and allows them to benefit from any money the corporation earns through its business activities.
• The federal government would provide $12.5 million in grants—$2.5 million for each community—to help set up these new organizations and plan for the future. This money is intended to cover the costs of starting the corporations and deciding how to develop the land.
• Even though the land will be owned by these Native corporations, it must generally remain open to the public for activities like hunting, fishing, and hiking. The corporations can set some rules for safety or to protect the environment, but they are required to allow public access for non-commercial use.
• The bill requires the government to finish handing over the land within two to three years of the corporations being formed. It also ensures that existing roads and facilities on the land can still be used through shared agreements between the government and the new owners.

Impact Analysis

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