Sponsors (2)
The bill streamlines and legally clarifies land exchanges (benefiting Alaska Native entities, landowners, and federal managers and accelerating dispute resolution and conservation actions) at the cost of shifting control and potential revenues to the federal government, reducing local/state autonomy
Alaska Native corporations, federal agencies, and the public gain clearer legal and administrative certainty because the bill defines covered corporations, which 'Secretary' implements actions, ties terms to ANCSA, and treats conveyances as ANCSA conveyances.
Local communities, landowners, and businesses get faster resolution of ownership disputes and transfers because the bill speeds exchanges and authorizes prompt corrections to mapping/acreage errors, reducing litigation delays.
Landowners, local residents, and managers get clearer, fixed scope of acreage and parcels because the bill specifies the acreage for Federal exchange land and non‑Federal parcels and establishes a map-as-controlling-rule.
State governments, local communities, and resource developers may lose local control and revenue opportunities because the bill consolidates federal surface and subsurface rights, shifting decision‑making and potential resource benefits to the federal government.
Taxpayers and the public face higher risk of rushed transfers and missed issues because the one‑year acceptance requirement and expedited exchanges shorten review time and stakeholder input, increasing the chance latent title defects or environmental liabilities are overlooked.
Taxpayers may incur ongoing costs because the federal government could assume management, restoration, or stewardship expenses for roughly 231,000+ subsurface acres and associated conservation easements transferred to the United States.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Introduced June 11, 2025 by Nicholas J. Begich · Last progress March 4, 2026
Requires the federal government and Chugach Alaska Corporation to complete a specific land exchange within one year: the United States conveys about 65,374 acres of federal surface lands (National Forest, BLM, and NPS) to Chugach Alaska in return for Chugach Alaska conveying about 231,036 acres of subsurface estate and associated conservation-easement parcels to the United States. Existing rights, easements, and third‑party encumbrances are preserved, and up to 209 acres set aside for village corporation development or shareholder homesites are excluded from the federal conveyance. Treats the exchanged lands as Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act conveyances to the receiving federal units, allows the parties to correct minor mapping or acreage errors by agreement, and provides that maps control where they conflict with acreage estimates unless both parties agree otherwise.