Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich have introduced revised legislation that would enable Sealaska Corporation to satisfy its remaining land entitlement under terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Congressman Don Young introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

The bill was first introduced by the Alaska congressional delegation in 2008. The new bill represents changes made to reflect public comments and concerns with the previous
bill.

Estimates place Sealaska’s remaining land entitlement at 65,000 to 85,000 acres. the bill would permit Sealaska to select new acreage on and around Prince of Wales Island for timber development from a pool of about 78,000 acres, up to 5,000 acres of lands elsewhere in Southeast Alaska for non-timber economic development, and up to 3,600 acres for cultural and historic preservation.

In return, Sealaska would be required to relinquish about 327,000 acres of land selections in roadless and more environmentally-sensitive areas of the Tongass National Forest.

“The bill represents a number of changes from the legislation introduced last September in an effort to further reduce the timber acreages and to meet local concerns with how selections might affect small communities,” Murkowski said. The new bill provides that conveyances of timberlands on Prince of Wales Island would be subject to the right of noncommercial public access for subsistence uses and recreational access.

“Sealaska has been waiting far too long to complete its land entitlement from the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act,” said Begich. “We need to move this legislation forward to finish the ANCSA entitlements but also to allow Sealaska and its shareholders to develop a sustainable economic future.”

New investment from Sealaska on lands made available through the legislation is hoped to provide a boost to the sagging Southeast Alaska economy. Murkowski noted that Prince of Wales Island suffers from unemployment rates of 24 percent.

A June 2008 study by the McDowell Group noted that Sealaska was responsible for 580 jobs and approximately $22 million of payroll in Southeast Alaska during 2007. That year, Sealaska spent $41 million in support of its corporate and timberrelated operations in Southeast Alaska, benefiting approximately 350 businesses and organizations in 19 Southeast Alaska communities.

Before introducing the legislation, Murkowski requested assurances from Sealaska that the benefits of the legislation would flow to the overall Southeast Alaska economy. In response, Sealaska promised to maintain its commitment to create jobs for residents of Southeast Alaska, sell timber at fair market value to local mills and local producers of wood products,
collaborate with others to preserve the viability of the Southeast Alaska timber industry and work with Southeast Alaska communities on energy issues.

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